PC Upgrade
PC Upgrade
Hi everyone, here are some ideas for your PC upgrade. Your current setup has a Core i3 3rd gen CPU and an Nvidia GTX 750ti graphics card. You're thinking about switching to an RTX 2080 or RTX 2070. I’d recommend evaluating whether you should upgrade the graphics card first or the system overall. Generally, if your system is running smoothly and you have enough power and cooling for the new GPU, upgrading the graphics card is a good next step. Between the two cards you mentioned, the RTX 2080 offers better performance and future-proofing compared to the RTX 2070. If you want more gaming or multitasking capability, go with the RTX 2080. Just make sure your motherboard and power supply can support the new card.
Consider a 2070 equipped with a core system refresh. For top components, a Ryzen 3600, 16GB (2x8GB) RAM at 3000-3600 MHz, and a B450 motherboard like the MSI Tomahawk Max would offer strong performance. You might also want to replace your power supply. If budget is tight, the AMD 5700 and Nvidia 2060 supers provide solid value for this setup.
If I were you, I’d budget roughly $185 for a Ryzen 5 3600, invest $110 in a B450 Tomahawk Max, spend $70 on a 16GB DDR4 3600 CL16 kit, and purchase either an RX 5700 or RTX 2060 graphics card for $60 to $320. This setup would cost just a few extra dollars compared to a 2080 model and would put you up to speed with today’s technology.
Consider upgrading your PC first, then the graphics card. This way you stay within your budget.
Consider upgrading one component at a time. It’s better to prioritize based on your needs.
Start with the GPU first. Even though the weak CPU might slow it down, you’ll still see a significant boost compared to the 750ti. On the other hand, using a decent GPU together with a strong CPU offers almost no real improvement. Hardware unboxed shared a comparison video from years ago showing how different CPUs performed—some even with older models like the Pentium could handle faster chips well in many games. It really depends on the game; some need more cores while others require more GPU power than the 750ti can provide.