Update GPU or CPU on gaming PC??

[gupott]

I am wondering whether to update either the GPU or the CPU on my main PC. I use my desktop mainly for games, internet use, office work, emails etc. I maintain a dual boot with windows 11 (on the 1tb samsung), and ubuntu (on the 500gb Samsung). Over time I have gradually begun to use linux over windows more and more.

Initially I was wondering about updating the GPU, and as I use linux more often, the 9700 xt might be an option as it has 16gb ram, and I think its an issue with the 3080 (only 10gb) when gaming at 4k. I know the AMD cards are generally better on linux, and I have had a few Wayland issues with the Nvidia. Once I started thinking about it I begun thinking about whether I should upgrade CPU first.

So, should I replace the GPU first, or the CPU (and mobo etc)? Or wait for better kit down the line?

Keep - Retain the case, PSU, monitor, peripherals etc.

Replace/buy - CPU, Mobo, Ram, HDD x1, (I think I can buy an update for the noctua fan) or GPU?

Existing kit

• MONITOR - Samsung Odyssey Neo G85NB 32" 4K
• CPU - Intel Core i9-9900K Desktop Processor 8 Cores up to 5.0GHz Unlocked LGA1151 300 Series 95W (BX806849900K)
• Mobo - Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Ultra Intel Z390 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard MB-577-GI
• GPU - MSI GeForce RTX 3080 10GB GAMING Z TRIO LHR Ampere Graphics Card
• RAM - Patriot Viper Steel 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 PC4-28800C18 3600MHz Dual Channel Kit (PVS432G360C8K)
• CASE - be quiet! Silent Base 601 Midi-Tower Case - Black Window CA-12H-BQ
• PSU - PSU - 1000W Corsair RMx Series RM1000x
• HDD 1 - Samsung 970 PRO Polaris 1TB M.2 2280 PCI-e 3.0 x4 NVMe Solid State Drive HD-23S-SA
• HDD 2 - Samsung 970 EVO Plus 500 GB PCIe
• Cooling - Noctua NH-U12A High Performance CPU Cooler

I have not nailed down the budget, but around £1250+ possible.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Tetras]

So, should I replace the GPU first, or the CPU (and mobo etc)? Or wait for better kit down the line?

and I think its an issue with the 3080 (only 10gb) when gaming at 4k

When are you having noticeable performance problems?

 

[gupott]

Thanks for the reply.

When are you having noticeable performance problems?

Recently, probably cyberpunk, elden ring, and the latest Horizon game.

 

[mickyflinn]

Thanks for the reply.


Recently, probably cyberpunk, elden ring, and the latest Horizon game.

R y using dlss , have you turned down quality settings to see if it's a vram issue

Download MSI Afterburner and check vram usage , etc.

 

[gupott]

R y using dlss , have you turned down quality settings to see if it's a vram issue

Download MSI Afterburner and check vram usage , etc

I would on windows, but not on Linux (I don't think...).

 

[mickyflinn]

I would on windows, but not on Linux (I don't think...).

Linux alternative.

 

[Tetras]

Thanks for the reply.


Recently, probably cyberpunk, elden ring, and the latest Horizon game.

At 4K, I think you're more likely to be GPU bottlenecked, but the honest truth is that in an ideal world, you would do both CPU/GPU. That's because the framerate will definitely be capped in some games and there might be a less than enjoyable experience on the lows.

If I HAD to pick, I'd get the 9070 XT, which is a decision I'd make almost solely because you play at 4K.

This video may interest you:

 

[gupott]

Thank you @Tetras , this is an interesting video. I have been looking at GPUs, then I made the mistake of looking at CPUs, and its very easy to start putting together a Ryzen 9 9950X3D uber system! Perhaps I should wait, but its hard once you start looking!

 

[dfour]

As its mainly gaming then I would ignore the 9950x3d in favour of the 9800x3d.

 

[Craig_d1]

don't know what office work you do but we just upgraded some of our older pc's in the office on i7 8th gen to 14700kf's, and made a massive difference for our work (a lot of spreadsheet work). depending on your work I'd def upgrade the cpu at the same time if you can. And I use an x3d at home and wfh is fine, so a mpodern cpu works wonders

 

[gupott]

I think I need to probably choose between the GPU, and then upgrading the CPU/RAM/Mobo, as its more difficult to do all at once e.g. costly. So the choice could be i9-9900K/32gb DDR4 (e.g. current) + 9070 XT (new) or Ryzen 7 9800x3d/DDR 5 6000+/new mobo (new) + 3080 (current). Or, save up a bit more and do the lot in six months or so...

As its mainly gaming then I would ignore the 9950x3d in favour of the 9800x3d.

Thanks.

don't know what office work you do but we just upgraded some of our older pc's in the office on i7 8th gen to 14700kf's, and made a massive difference for our work (a lot of spreadsheet work). depending on your work I'd def upgrade the cpu at the same time if you can. And I use an x3d at home and wfh is fine, so a mpodern cpu works wonders

Nothing thats particularly demanding at work. Microsoft suite + Teams etc, all done in the browswer.

 

[dfour]

The 9800x3d will giv ethe 3080 a new lease of life as it will be much faster than your old 9900K. Gives you some more time to see what happens with the GPU market.

 

[Craig_d1]

The 9800x3d will giv ethe 3080 a new lease of life as it will be much faster than your old 9900K. Gives you some more time to see what happens with the GPU market.

and the 9070xt will also be a step up, esp watching the texture dramtically increase....gives time for the 11800x3d to come out if 6 months down the line (if going by the 5800x3d/7800x3d/9800x3d odd number naming structure)..and when you put the new cpu in, you'll get another performance boost

 

[dfour]

and the 9070xt will also be a step up, esp watching the texture dramtically increase....gives time for the 11800x3d to come out if 6 months down the line (if going by the 5800x3d/7800x3d/9800x3d odd number naming structure)..and when you put the new cpu in, you'll get another performance boost

Agreed. The 9070xt will be about 30% faster than the 3080 depending upon your resolution.

I heard the 11800x3d or whatever its called is due to be released around CES next year as thats what im waiting for

 

[gupott]

So, if I was to get soon, how do the following look? Initially paired with the 3080. I think the mother board has two nvme slots, is that enough? I might also need to get a hard drive, maybe something like the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB M.2 2280 PCI-e 4.0 x4 NVMe. I need to read around a bit more to make there are no better options. I will reuse current case and PSU. I also need to check about the cooler situation, I have a Noctua NH-U12A, and I have been able to buy adapters previously, so I hope to reuse too.

1 X AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core 5.20GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail - £428.99
SKU: PRO-AMD-03517

---

1 X G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB XMP 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 PC5-57600C34 7200MHz Dual Channel Kit - Bl - £128.99
SKU: MEM-GSK-01365

---

1 X Gigabyte X870 GAMING X WIFI7 (Socket AM5) DDR5 ATX Motherboard - £249.98
SKU: MOT-GIG-03321

---

Grand Total: £815.95

 

[Tetras]

I think the mother board has two nvme slots, is that enough?

It has 3x M.2 slots, but 2 of them share bandwidth. If you don't care about USB4, there are usually less compromises with B850 boards.

I also need to check about the cooler situation, I have a Noctua NH-U12A, and I have been able to buy adapters previously, so I hope to reuse too.

That cooler is fine, subject to the fan curve needing tweaking.

1 X G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB XMP 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 PC5-57600C34 7200MHz Dual Channel Kit - Bl - £128.99

Due to peculiarities of the memory controller, 7200 isn't an optimal speed for these CPUs and you may have difficulty getting it running. I'd suggest an EXPO kit instead of Intel XMP, @ 6000 C30 (or close to it).

Personally, if I was spending much more than £100, I'd prefer a 48GB+ kit and in the region of £150, a 64GB+ kit, even if it was slower. This is an argument I'd make more strongly with the X3D CPUs too, since they're less sensitive to memory speed than other CPUs.

My basket at OcUK:

• 1 x Corsair Vengeance EXPO/XMP 48GB (2X24GB) DDR5 PC5-48000C30 6000MHz Dual Channel Kit (SKU: MEM-CRS-03745) = £146.99
• 1 x Crucial Pro 48GB (2x24GB) DDR5 PC5-48000C48 6000MHz Dual Channel Kit (SKU: MEM-CRU-01087) = £124.99

Total: £275.98 (includes delivery: £3.99)​

Note the Crucial kit is a JEDEC spec which can operate at that speed without XMP/EXPO being enabled, hence the latency.

 

[gupott]

It has 3x M.2 slots, but 2 of them share bandwidth. If you don't care about USB4, there are usually less compromises with B850 boards.

I was thinking for longevity really, and my current board has been a Gigabyte which has been solid for me. Perhaps I should look around a bit more.

That cooler is fine, subject to the fan curve needing tweaking.

Thanks! I guess I need to find the AMD mounting kit it came with.

Due to peculiarities of the memory controller, 7200 isn't an optimal speed for these CPUs and you may have difficulty getting it running. I'd suggest an EXPO kit instead of Intel XMP, @ 6000 C30 (or close to it).

Thanks thats helpful.

I was also looking at Samsung 990 Pro 1TB M.2 2280 PCI-e 4.0 x4 NVMe Solid State Drive with Heatsink @ £129.95 vs Samsung 9100 Pro 2TB M.2 2280 PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe Solid State Drive with Heatsink @ £242.99. I just realised I looked at the Samsung as my current drives are Samsung so it shows I just stick with what I know. Again, perhaps I should look at some other makes!

Thanks for the help @Tetras

 

[Tetras]

I was also looking at Samsung 990 Pro 1TB M.2 2280 PCI-e 4.0 x4 NVMe Solid State Drive with Heatsink @ £129.95 vs Samsung 9100 Pro 2TB M.2 2280 PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe Solid State Drive with Heatsink @ £242.99. I just realised I looked at the Samsung as my current drives are, and they have been, shows I just stick with what I know. Again, perhaps I should look at some other makes!

From the usage you described above, there's little gain to be had from PCI-E 5.0 drives and getting a drive with a heatsink is usually a bad idea, because most motherboards come with one already and you don't want to try removing a factory heatsink.

A decent 2TB PCI-E 4.0 drive is around £130 (e.g. Crucial T500) and I'd be reluctant to pay more than ~£150 for a similar high-end gen 4 drive with DRAM like the 990 Pro, even with the premium Samsung drives often have.

If you pay a lot more (e.g. around £200), then you're firmly in PCIE 5.0 territory.

I was thinking for longevity really, and my current board has been a Gigabyte which has been solid for me. Perhaps I should look around a bit more.

USB4 won't add that unless you think you will need the feature.

I'd have a look at Gigabyte's B850 Eagle or Gaming X. The Gaming is best avoided because this model usually gets cut down a lot compared to the other ones.

 

[gupott]

I have updated a bit, I am still playing around. I have a 870e board in there currently but I am about to do a little more reading. I am trying to avoid RGB if possible. I will be reusing my be quiet! Silent Base 601 case, and Corsair RMx Series RM1000x PSU. And the 3080 of course. Although I am half eyeing up GPUs too...

How does it look?

My basket at OcUK:

• 1 x AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core 5.20GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: PRO-AMD-03517) = £428.99
• 1 x Gigabyte X870E Aorus Elite WIFI7 (Socket AM5) DDR5 ATX Motherboard (SKU: MOT-GIG-03318) = £279.99
• 1 x Corsair Vengeance EXPO/XMP 48GB (2X24GB) DDR5 PC5-48000C30 6000MHz Dual Channel Kit (SKU: MEM-CRS-03745) = £146.99
• 1 x Crucial T500 2TB NVMe PCIe Gen4 M.2 Solid State Drive (SKU: STO-CRU-01090) = £128.99

Total: £992.95 (includes delivery: £7.99)​

 

[Tetras]

I have a 870e board in there currently but I am about to do a little more reading.

There's nowt wrong with it, will be fine with the CPU you have chosen, but the VRM isn't that great and it is only 6-layer, whereas e.g. the Tomahawk is an 8-layer board with a significantly stronger VRM. That's reflected in HUB's thermal results in the roundup, where the Tomahawk is near the top and the Gigabyte boards often near the bottom.

The Aorus Pro does well, but it has a VRM more similar to the Tomahawk.