Upgrade needed?

jayhughes79

jayhughes79

jayhughes79

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Joined
27 Jun 2014
Posts
83
Hi folks, I have an upgrade itch but the PC currently sort of does what I want it to. I am wanting to get into higher res gaming and possibly some form of VR at some point though so would be interested to hear what you think would improve that experience.

Currently running:
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor
Scythe Mugen 5 Rev. B 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler
MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory
Crucial MX100 256 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (boot)
Samsung 860 QVO 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive (games)
Seagate BarraCuda 500 GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (media)
Zotac GeForce RTX 3060 Ti LHR 8 GB GAMING Twin Edge OC Video Card
Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case
Corsair HX Platinum 750 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM 64-bit

I know that AM4 is sort of EOL soonish(?) but would be keen to get the most out of it and the price on the 5900X is quite tempting. Similarly for getting 16GB more RAM but I'm not sure it's required right now.
I would like to get a 3080 or something at some point but not until the price is a bit more palatable.... Would I need a beefier PSU with a 5900X and 3080?
Was also thinking about an NVMe drive but is there that much difference to a 'normal' SSD?
Anyway would be good to hear what you would do - I only game at 1080p at the moment but would like to upgrade the monitor at some point.

Alternatively I just sit on this for a while and see what AM5 looks like, but I am not sure I want to replace the board, CPU and RAM together for a while.

Cheers!
 
Your 3060ti should handle 1440p gaming but 4k you ideally want a 3080/6800xt , vr headset can have high resoloution demands also. Personally I think you should get that monitor and/or vr headset and see how your pc performs.
 
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The gpu makes much more difference as you move to 1440p and then 4k gaming than the cpu does, https://youtu.be/PSxuiWih_Z8?t=259. Personally as the next gen cards from both Nvidia and AMD are due out this year (although whether they stay in stock for the first weeks after release is another matter) I would hang on for them before upgrading if you want to play at hi res
 
GPU: If I were you, I'd make do and sit it out for now, because upgrading between the same generation just makes me feel queasy. The 3060 Ti is quite capable at 1440p and even 4K in many games.

The next gen cards are rumoured to be a lot faster, so you may find them a more meaningful step up. That said, you'd get good value for your 3060 Ti if you sold it now :o

Nvme: there's not much difference in most games, but DirectStorage is coming, so I'm expecting this to change, as console games begin to get ported over in volume.

PSU: it is hard to say, some people are fine with high-end cards and a 750.
 
Thanks both that makes a lot of sense. I think I'll try and work out what monitor to get first and then see how I go. That video was eye opening.

Perhaps an ultrawide 1440p - I was thinking of trying to skip 1440p and go straight to 4k but I'm not sure now. Probably the wrong forum for that! :)
 
I game with a 34" 3440x1440 ultrawide and I absolutely love the aspect ratio in the games I play. Your 3060ti should handle it pretty well. Great thing about this res is that it is the half way point between 1080p and 4K and it is almost the same pixel requirements as VR with its twin 1080p screens. Upgrading from a 3060ti to a 3080 is only sensible if you have a need to game at 4k , at lower more reasonable resolutions it is not a sensible decision.

IMHO your pc is pretty darn good and the upgrade you should be thinking about is the step upto Ryzen 5xxx series cards , 5600 5900 or 5800x3d when it is available. You have a great mobo and it is crying out for the latest generation of cpu it can handle.

NVME - If you ever needed more storage then this is certainly the way to go but the step up form an SSD to NVME is nowhere near as pronounced as spinning rust HDD to SSD. If you get a NVME PCIe 3 1gb when they are on sale then they are very reasonably priced and it is a reasonable upgrade to consider.
 
I tend to play less.... well optimised games (Tarkov, TWWH3) so I'm not convinced that DLSS can help as much as that Tetras. Good to know though.

Starting to think I need to get a decent ultrawide monitor and upgrade that CPU. What you are saying Haz makes a lot of sense to me, any thoughts on 5900X vs 5800x3d? I don't know much about the new chip except it is way pricier than the 5800X.
 
5800x makes little sense because the 5900x is not that much more expensive but then the 5800x3d is not that much more than the 5900x. If gaming is the primary use for the pc with just web browsing and no real productivety tasks then the 5800x3d is the chip to get.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajDUIJalxis - HWunboxed review of 5800x3d so will have all relevant cpus in the results

I play a lot of WH II and III with a 34" ultrawide and it is a joyous experience. I could never go back to 1080p 19/10 apect ratio. I do not play shooters so no need for 144hz or higher so an ultrawide IPS is perfect for me. Think about what you use your monitor for and get the best one for you. An example of this is me , I would love love love the new QLED OLED Alienware monitor , Ultrawide OLED with 240hz refresh ...it sounds perfect yes ? But no because the sub pixel layout means the text is blurry on windows , it is primarily a content consumption monitor for games and movies and it is far from perfect for windows tasks so no good for me. A monitor choice is a very personal decision and everyone has different needs and there are personal needs and redlines you should not cross.

I cannot help but think that if you have around £800 to spend on a new gpu then a new monitor may be a better use of your moneythan a 3060ti to 3080 upgrade.
You can upgrade your cpu at anytime , no need to do it while prices are even this reasonable, if you waited till the new Ryzen chips are released you could most likely pick up some very good deals but the 5800x3d will retain its price better than the 5800x/5900x etc due to it being the chip to have for AM4 gaming.

Your PC is really good so if you are going to spend money then spend it wisely.
 
jayhughes79 said:
I tend to play less.... well optimised games (Tarkov, TWWH3) so I'm not convinced that DLSS can help as much as that Tetras. Good to know though.

Starting to think I need to get a decent ultrawide monitor and upgrade that CPU. What you are saying Haz makes a lot of sense to me, any thoughts on 5900X vs 5800x3d? I don't know much about the new chip except it is way pricier than the 5800X.
Click to expand...

Tbh, the 5800X has been replaced in the market by the cheaper 5700X, so if you're gaming only and want an 8 core, it is 5700X or 5800X3D. The 5900X and 5950X are really meant for content creators, not gamers, but their gaming performance is still very good and if you need the cores there's no reason not to buy one. Have a look at the review Haz123 linked and the gamersnexus review, if you haven't already.
 
Appreciate all the info :)

I think I will prioritise a new monitor as the next upgrade, I think I will head into town and look at some in the flesh ---- then think about a CPU a bit later.
GPU can wait until 4xxx
 
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