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How Much Juice Do I Need?

Refractal
By Refractal
in New Builds and Planning
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Go to solution Solved by Queen Chrysalis,
1 hour ago, Refractal said:

Budget (including currency): Up to $1500 if it turns out I need a whole new system but I'm flexible. USD.

Country: USA

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Overwatch 2 and at some point VR games too. I'd also like to be able to stream.

Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc):

 

Hey all! I'm looking to upgrade my system that I built almost a decade ago! I haven't been tuned into the tech world in a while and I'm really only planning on playing/streaming OW2 so I don't really know how much juice I'll actually need and how much is overkill. I've been wanting to upgrade for years now but GPU prices have just been too high.

 

I've got a 4790k, 16gb of ram, a 970, and a 650w PSU already. I'd imagine I'll only need a new GPU but if I need an overhaul, I'm willing to build a whole new PC. I have 3 monitors but the main monitor is 1920x1080, 240hz. I'd like to stay pinned at 240fps but I don't need the settings maxed out (though, that'd be a nice bonus lol).

 

As for time scale, I'd like to turn around and buy everything asap but I still run at about 150fps so if I should wait a little, I can do that. I've got $1000 already and I can set aside about $150 a week if I need to.

 

TLDR, I want to be able to play/stream OW2 at 1920x1080 at 240fps. I'm looking to upgrade but can also just build a new PC from scratch.

 

Thanks so much! ❤️

For OW2 an RX 6600 would more than double your framerate, a 6600xt would be a little better but may will be more bottlenecked by the 4770k.  More intense, newer games will be a better balance as most stuff in UE5 is super GPU heavy.  Either of those GPUs would be fine with your current PSU as they sip power.

 

RX 6600 (small cooler but it's fine, this is NOT a hot GPU) ($230)

PowerColor Fighter Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card (AXRX 6600 8GBD6-3DH) - PCPartPicker

 

RX 6600 XT ($270)

ASRock Challenger D OC Radeon RX 6600 XT 8 GB Video Card (RX6600XT CLD 8GO) - PCPartPicker

 

 

1 hour ago, Tegneren said:

At 1080p you are more likely to be limited by the CPU, than the GPU, so I would recommend building a new system. But just a GPU upgrade will give you a boost as well

 

Below is a good gaming PC

The CPU is one of the best gaming CPUs on the market even compared to most of the latest gen stuff.

I dont know what cooler you have or if it supports the AM4 socket, so I added a good one. 

The 650W PSU should be enough, but it depends a bit on the quality and how old it is

Storage I assume you have, but if you dont have at least a SSD, you'll have to get one

 

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/pxYrLs

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D 3.4 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($365.00 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($89.90 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($169.99 @ Adorama) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory  ($72.98 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA FTW3 ULTRA GAMING GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB Video Card  ($723.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1421.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-10-14 09:26 EDT-0400

OW2 is NOT a CPU intensive game, why $400 for the X3D?  Also that RAM is way overpriced, you can get 32GB of the same spec for that now.  A 3070ti is in no way worth $720, that's a terrible value you can get a 3080 or 6700xt for less.  OP would also need a new PSU for either of those.  I wouldn't throw a 3070ti on a 10 year-old 650w.  There are also much cheaper coolers that you can throw MAX OCs at for less than $90.

 

I more value optimized under-$1500 system would look something like this:

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($140.00 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler  ($39.90 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450 AORUS PRO WIFI (rev. 1.0) ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($119.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($73.97 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Silicon Power A60 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($57.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GV-R68XTGAMING OC-16GD Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB Video Card  ($539.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: BitFenix Nova Mesh SE ATX Mid Tower Case  ($64.90 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex III Gold 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($89.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Total: $1126.73
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-10-14 10:00 EDT-0400

 

For under $1200 you can get something prettyfucking incredible.

 

Incredible value on the market right now.  You'd never have to upgrade your RAM, your CPU is almost twice as fast per core with 4 more thread than what you have, (though if you want an octacore the 5700x is $100 more, but for your usecase thread count is not really an issue, nor is it for any game with a hexacore now or in foreseeable future).  And at $140 it's just too cheap to pass up.  It should get the same framerate as any off the other zen 3 CPUs save for the X3D, and the small benefit of the X3D is not worth $400.  

 

The motherboard has onboard wifi and BT, heatsinks where it needs them, and pretty good I/O (optical audio is always a sticking point for me, not sure how others feel).

 

A 6800xt is gonna play everything on Ultra with really high fps.  It's overkill for 1080p, but it's not that much more than the 6700xt and new games that may pique you interest are gonna want a lot more GPU power.  For reference, my boyfriend has a 6700xt and is able to hit the refresh rate without any drops on a 3440x1440 160Hz monitor at epic settings in OW2.  I'm not sure what his uncapped fps are, but it's never dipping below the refresh rate with freesync on, and the 6800xt is a lot faster than the 6700xt.  Realistically, this would still be an excellent GPU even if you got a new monitor, and frankly with the budget you presented and how much the tower I pitched you would cost, you could get a 3440x1440 165Hz monitor if you wanted. 

 

This cooler is still an unbelievable value, noise and temps very, very close to a noctua d15 for less than half the price.  You should be able to OC the 5600 to hell's gates and back with it to maximize the fps you're getting on that 240Hz monitor.  Even so, the 5600 is not a hot chip, and even cheaper coolers could reasonably OC it to pretty close to its max OC.  This one is just a guarantee you'll be able to hit 4.7 or 4.8 with it.

 

Any new Gen 3 SSD is gonna be leaps and bounds faster than whatever storage you are using, and basic ones are under $60 for a 1TB now.  You may be tempted to splurge on some pro model SSD, but believe me when I say literally any of the new Gen 3 NVMes are greased lightning in gaming.

 

I'd get a new case too so you can sell your old system as a whole.

 

All in all, if you just wanna play OW2 and other eSports, see the first part of my post and just get a new GPU, you'll get a great framerate, more than double what that 970 is doing.  But if you really want a new PC then this is probably the way to go.

 

Posted

Budget (including currency): Up to $1500 if it turns out I need a whole new system but I'm flexible. USD.

Country: USA

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Overwatch 2 and at some point VR games too. I'd also like to be able to stream.

Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc):

 

Hey all! I'm looking to upgrade my system that I built almost a decade ago! I haven't been tuned into the tech world in a while and I'm really only planning on playing/streaming OW2 so I don't really know how much juice I'll actually need and how much is overkill. I've been wanting to upgrade for years now but GPU prices have just been too high.

 

I've got a 4790k, 16gb of ram, a 970, and a 650w PSU already. I'd imagine I'll only need a new GPU but if I need an overhaul, I'm willing to build a whole new PC. I have 3 monitors but the main monitor is 1920x1080, 240hz. I'd like to stay pinned at 240fps but I don't need the settings maxed out (though, that'd be a nice bonus lol).

 

As for time scale, I'd like to turn around and buy everything asap but I still run at about 150fps so if I should wait a little, I can do that. I've got $1000 already and I can set aside about $150 a week if I need to.

 

TLDR, I want to be able to play/stream OW2 at 1920x1080 at 240fps. I'm looking to upgrade but can also just build a new PC from scratch.

 

Thanks so much! ❤️

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Posted

At 1080p you are more likely to be limited by the CPU, than the GPU, so I would recommend building a new system. But just a GPU upgrade will give you a boost as well

 

Below is a good gaming PC

The CPU is one of the best gaming CPUs on the market even compared to most of the latest gen stuff.

I dont know what cooler you have or if it supports the AM4 socket, so I added a good one. 

The 650W PSU should be enough, but it depends a bit on the quality and how old it is

Storage I assume you have, but if you dont have at least a SSD, you'll have to get one

 

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/pxYrLs

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D 3.4 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($365.00 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($89.90 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($169.99 @ Adorama) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory  ($72.98 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA FTW3 ULTRA GAMING GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB Video Card  ($723.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1421.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-10-14 09:26 EDT-0400

If you want me to answer, please use the quote function or tag me. I dont get notified unless you do

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1 hour ago, Refractal said:

Budget (including currency): Up to $1500 if it turns out I need a whole new system but I'm flexible. USD.

Country: USA

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Overwatch 2 and at some point VR games too. I'd also like to be able to stream.

Other details (existing parts lists, whether any peripherals are needed, what you're upgrading from, when you're going to buy, what resolution and refresh rate you want to play at, etc):

 

Hey all! I'm looking to upgrade my system that I built almost a decade ago! I haven't been tuned into the tech world in a while and I'm really only planning on playing/streaming OW2 so I don't really know how much juice I'll actually need and how much is overkill. I've been wanting to upgrade for years now but GPU prices have just been too high.

 

I've got a 4790k, 16gb of ram, a 970, and a 650w PSU already. I'd imagine I'll only need a new GPU but if I need an overhaul, I'm willing to build a whole new PC. I have 3 monitors but the main monitor is 1920x1080, 240hz. I'd like to stay pinned at 240fps but I don't need the settings maxed out (though, that'd be a nice bonus lol).

 

As for time scale, I'd like to turn around and buy everything asap but I still run at about 150fps so if I should wait a little, I can do that. I've got $1000 already and I can set aside about $150 a week if I need to.

 

TLDR, I want to be able to play/stream OW2 at 1920x1080 at 240fps. I'm looking to upgrade but can also just build a new PC from scratch.

 

Thanks so much! ❤️

For OW2 an RX 6600 would more than double your framerate, a 6600xt would be a little better but may will be more bottlenecked by the 4770k.  More intense, newer games will be a better balance as most stuff in UE5 is super GPU heavy.  Either of those GPUs would be fine with your current PSU as they sip power.

 

RX 6600 (small cooler but it's fine, this is NOT a hot GPU) ($230)

PowerColor Fighter Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card (AXRX 6600 8GBD6-3DH) - PCPartPicker

 

RX 6600 XT ($270)

ASRock Challenger D OC Radeon RX 6600 XT 8 GB Video Card (RX6600XT CLD 8GO) - PCPartPicker

 

 

1 hour ago, Tegneren said:

At 1080p you are more likely to be limited by the CPU, than the GPU, so I would recommend building a new system. But just a GPU upgrade will give you a boost as well

 

Below is a good gaming PC

The CPU is one of the best gaming CPUs on the market even compared to most of the latest gen stuff.

I dont know what cooler you have or if it supports the AM4 socket, so I added a good one. 

The 650W PSU should be enough, but it depends a bit on the quality and how old it is

Storage I assume you have, but if you dont have at least a SSD, you'll have to get one

 

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/pxYrLs

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D 3.4 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($365.00 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($89.90 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($169.99 @ Adorama) 
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory  ($72.98 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA FTW3 ULTRA GAMING GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB Video Card  ($723.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1421.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-10-14 09:26 EDT-0400

OW2 is NOT a CPU intensive game, why $400 for the X3D?  Also that RAM is way overpriced, you can get 32GB of the same spec for that now.  A 3070ti is in no way worth $720, that's a terrible value you can get a 3080 or 6700xt for less.  OP would also need a new PSU for either of those.  I wouldn't throw a 3070ti on a 10 year-old 650w.  There are also much cheaper coolers that you can throw MAX OCs at for less than $90.

 

I more value optimized under-$1500 system would look something like this:

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($140.00 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler  ($39.90 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450 AORUS PRO WIFI (rev. 1.0) ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($119.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Silicon Power GAMING 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($73.97 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Silicon Power A60 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($57.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: Gigabyte GV-R68XTGAMING OC-16GD Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB Video Card  ($539.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: BitFenix Nova Mesh SE ATX Mid Tower Case  ($64.90 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex III Gold 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($89.99 @ Newegg Sellers) 
Total: $1126.73
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-10-14 10:00 EDT-0400

 

For under $1200 you can get something prettyfucking incredible.

 

Incredible value on the market right now.  You'd never have to upgrade your RAM, your CPU is almost twice as fast per core with 4 more thread than what you have, (though if you want an octacore the 5700x is $100 more, but for your usecase thread count is not really an issue, nor is it for any game with a hexacore now or in foreseeable future).  And at $140 it's just too cheap to pass up.  It should get the same framerate as any off the other zen 3 CPUs save for the X3D, and the small benefit of the X3D is not worth $400.  

 

The motherboard has onboard wifi and BT, heatsinks where it needs them, and pretty good I/O (optical audio is always a sticking point for me, not sure how others feel).

 

A 6800xt is gonna play everything on Ultra with really high fps.  It's overkill for 1080p, but it's not that much more than the 6700xt and new games that may pique you interest are gonna want a lot more GPU power.  For reference, my boyfriend has a 6700xt and is able to hit the refresh rate without any drops on a 3440x1440 160Hz monitor at epic settings in OW2.  I'm not sure what his uncapped fps are, but it's never dipping below the refresh rate with freesync on, and the 6800xt is a lot faster than the 6700xt.  Realistically, this would still be an excellent GPU even if you got a new monitor, and frankly with the budget you presented and how much the tower I pitched you would cost, you could get a 3440x1440 165Hz monitor if you wanted. 

 

This cooler is still an unbelievable value, noise and temps very, very close to a noctua d15 for less than half the price.  You should be able to OC the 5600 to hell's gates and back with it to maximize the fps you're getting on that 240Hz monitor.  Even so, the 5600 is not a hot chip, and even cheaper coolers could reasonably OC it to pretty close to its max OC.  This one is just a guarantee you'll be able to hit 4.7 or 4.8 with it.

 

Any new Gen 3 SSD is gonna be leaps and bounds faster than whatever storage you are using, and basic ones are under $60 for a 1TB now.  You may be tempted to splurge on some pro model SSD, but believe me when I say literally any of the new Gen 3 NVMes are greased lightning in gaming.

 

I'd get a new case too so you can sell your old system as a whole.

 

All in all, if you just wanna play OW2 and other eSports, see the first part of my post and just get a new GPU, you'll get a great framerate, more than double what that 970 is doing.  But if you really want a new PC then this is probably the way to go.

 

I edit the shit out of my posts.  Refresh before you respond.

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