GPU Upgrade Help

[2many_jnmaes]

Budget (including currency): 250 - 350 USD (I'm a college student and affordability is a top priority)

Country: United states

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: Cs2, Marvel Rivals, Dead Space Remake

I have a pretty mediocre pc I found in the trash. Im deciding whether I should build something new or upgrade the gpu. This thing is really struggling to play games outside of low and medium settings. 

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5 GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($253.29 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Asus Z170 PRO GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard 
Memory: PNY XLR8 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory  ($201.95 @ B&H) 
Storage: ADATA SU630 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($76.09 @ MemoryC) 
Storage: Patriot P300 256 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($55.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: NVIDIA 9001G4112520001 GeForce GTX 1070 8 GB Video Card 
 

 

 

[dark_globe]

upgrading your CPU will be more important for games like CS2 inparticular .
the old intel quad core with no hyperthreading is just not cutting it .

i´ve recently tested both i5 4690K OC´d to 4,5GHz and i7 4770K OC´d to 4,2GHz on all cores
in combination with gtx 1660 super (which is a video card roughly on par with your 1070)
and the gameplay was much smoother in CS2 (and other games also) with the i7 -
hyperthreading is a deal breaker for these old quad cores
either get the i7 7700K for your current motherboard (but they are usually overpriced on a second hand market)
or upgrade to a new platform while keeping your current 2x8gb 3600MHz DDR4 memory .

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($149.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: ENDORFY Spartan 5 MAX CPU Cooler  ($20.00 @ ModMyMods) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B550 UD AC ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($89.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $259.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2026-01-16 03:57 EST-0500

replacing your video card alone would do nothing because even gtx 1070 is held back by that old i5 6600K (not even overclocking will help it)
replacing the cpu will not only help you a lot in gaming but also in overall every day use of your PC .
you can replace the video card and add additional 2x8gb of memory (with the same specs) later down the road .

[Grady_Smith]

On 1/16/2026 at 2:58 AM, dark_globe said:

upgrading your CPU will be more important for games like CS2 inparticular .
the old intel quad core with no hyperthreading is just not cutting it .

i´ve recently tested both i5 4690K OC´d to 4,5GHz and i7 4770K OC´d to 4,2GHz on all cores
in combination with gtx 1660 super (which is a video card roughly on par with your 1070)
and the gameplay was much smoother in CS2 (and other games also) with the i7 -
hyperthreading is a deal breaker for these old quad cores
either get the i7 7700K for your current motherboard (but they are usually overpriced on a second hand market)
or upgrade to a new platform while keeping your current 2x8gb 3600MHz DDR4 memory .

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($149.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: ENDORFY Spartan 5 MAX CPU Cooler  ($20.00 @ ModMyMods) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B550 UD AC ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($89.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $259.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2026-01-16 03:57 EST-0500

replacing your video card alone would do nothing because even gtx 1070 is held back by that old i5 6600K (not even overclocking will help it)
replacing the cpu will not only help you a lot in gaming but also in overall every day use of your PC .
you can replace the video card and add additional 2x8gb of memory (with the same specs) later down the road .

He is right, but I would recommend also getting a GPU, cause prices are rising. Get one now, or wait till this whole AI bubble pops.