Upgrade GPU or CPU first??
Upgrade GPU or CPU first??
This all is helpful and makes sense, I really appreciate it. One last question I had was whether the PSU would also require an upgrade to support "mid-budget" upgrades to the CPU, MOBO, RAM, and all that stuff.
I absolutely realize these things are more complex than just whether or not it will work and is dependent upon the upgrades that I get, however, I am just looking for general guidance.
I have attached the specs of the PSU, any chance its salvageable? Or at the least, should it be the last to be upgraded?
https://ibb.co/hghHxZ7
The FX-8350 is an old CPU, but will still play games well enough that the GPU should be your first choice. I’d suggest getting literally anything Zen+ or Zen 2 based. Literally an Athlon 200GE, the weakest Zen based chip AMD has is equal to the 8350. So, if you wanted to get on the AM4 platform it’d be a cheap way to go. I just got my wife an Athlon 200GE with a B450 motherboard and 16GB of RAM for about $250… but not a lot more money would get you much better performance from a 2200g or a 2600.
As for your PSU, it isn't horrible, and it is battle proven, but I’d recommend an upgrade regardless. It probably wouldn't hurt to keep it for a while, but peace of mind is often worth it.
To save some bucks the RX 570 isn’t too bad either. Any of them will get you up to 1080p with good settings and reasonable frame rates. All that said, these aren't bad GPUs. They will serve you well even after a CPU upgrade.
To help you choose, I’d suggest getting literally anything Zen+ or Zen 2 based. Actually a great bang for the buck GPU that would be a good fit is the GTX 1650 Super. To save some bucks the RX 590 or GTX 1060 6GB are good options too.
Here’s a rewritten version of the text:
Solid-state drives (SSDs) offer significant advantages over traditional hard disk drives (HDDs), particularly in terms of speed and performance. While an SSD might have a maximum sequential read/write speed of around 200 MB/s, this isn't usually a major bottleneck. The key benefit of an SSD is its random access time – the ability to quickly locate and retrieve data without needing to physically move a spinning disk. This dramatically improves performance when loading operating systems, applications (like web browsers or games), and accessing small files.
HDDs often struggle with these types of accesses, slowing down considerably when dealing with numerous small files. Conversely, SSDs maintain much better performance due to their faster access times. While the 200 MB/s speed is a theoretical maximum, it’s still substantially faster than an HDD, leading to noticeably quicker boot-up times and application loading speeds. Ultimately, the random access capabilities of an SSD significantly improve overall system responsiveness.
To help clarify your CPU/GPU options, run these two tests:
a) Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.
b) Limit your cpu, either by reducing the OC, or, in windows power management, limit the maximum cpu% to something like 70%.
Go to control panel/power options/change plan settings/change advanced power settings/processor power management/maximum processor state/
This will simulate what a lack of cpu power will do.
Conversely what a 30% improvement in core speed might do.
You should also experiment with removing one or more cores/threads. You can do this in the windows msconfig boot advanced options option.
You will need to reboot for the change to take effect. Set the number of threads to less than you have.
This will tell you how sensitive your games are to the benefits of many threads.
If you see little difference, your game does not need all the threads you have.
It is possible that both tests are positive, indicating that you have a well balanced system,
and both cpu and gpu need to be upgraded to get better gaming FPS.
Here’s the rewritten text, aiming for clarity and flow:
Upgrading your computer can involve several changes. If you want to improve performance, consider getting a new processor (CPU). This will likely require a new motherboard as well to ensure compatibility. While a modern graphics card (GPU) or solid-state drive (SSD) might seem like good additions, they could create issues with older hardware. A combined CPU and motherboard upgrade is often the best solution for improving your core PC build without facing compatibility problems.
The old GeForce 660 Ti is struggling, and a new CPU wouldn’t help much – a GPU upgrade would be far more beneficial. A GTX 1650 Super or similar would provide a significant boost in gaming performance. While older FX CPUs receive criticism, they perform adequately, comparable to an Athlon 200GE, especially when paired with a decent graphics card like an R9 270X. Upgrading the CPU wouldn’t yield noticeable improvements in games since the 660 Ti is already at its limit. Prioritizing a GPU upgrade is a smarter approach for maximizing gaming performance.