[Build Upgrade] System is lagging behind in modern games
Hi everyone,
My current PC is really starting to struggle and lag behind in modern gaming, so I'm looking to make an upgrade. I use this system primarily for gaming, and I want to figure out what the smartest upgrade path would be.
Here are my current system specifications:
- CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K (Overclocked to 4.5 GHz)
- CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4
- Motherboard: MSI Z170-A Pro (MS-7971)
- RAM: 32GB (4x8GB) Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 @ 3200MHz
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (ASUS ROG Strix)
- Power Supply: be quiet! Straight Power 11 Platinum
Budget: Roughly €350 – €450 for the initial upgrade step.
My Initial Thoughts: From my own research, I came up with starting by upgrading the CPU and Motherboard first (I was looking at a Ryzen 7 5700X + B550 board) so I can keep my existing DDR4 RAM, CPU cooler, and PSU, with plans to upgrade the GPU later down the line.
I’d love to get your thoughts on what the most necessary upgrade is for a system like this and whether starting with a CPU and motherboard swap is the right first step or if another approach makes more sense. If upgrading the platform first is the best move, does sticking with AM4 (like a 5700X or 5600X with a B550 board) make sense for my budget, or would you recommend saving up more to jump straight to AM5 with DDR5 or a newer Intel platform? Also, if I do upgrade the platform first, what tier of GPU should I realistically aim for down the road that won't be held back?
Thanks in advance for your advice!