So, the time has come to upgrade my i7 4790k and GTX 760.
I’m looking at getting the following, but I’m stuck on what graphics card to get (this is something I am happy to replace in a couple of years, if I was to get something like the 4060)
PC specs that I have landed on.
- AMD 7800X3D
- 32gb of DDR5 6000Mhz CL36 rammy boys
- Gigabyte B650 ATX motherboard
- Noctua 140mm CPU cooler
I am carrying over the following from my old PC
- Case (Fractal Disign Pop)
- SSD storage
- EVGA 850w gold PSU
I am having difficulty picking a graphics card, I’m looking at the 4060, is there anything as good as from team Red that I could consider? I do plan on upgrading in a couple of years time.
I would look at the Radeon 6700 XT if you only plan on gaming. Despite being a last gen GPU, it outperforms the 4060 for around the same price. The 6700 XT is more comparable to the 4060 Ti. And it also includes Starfield if that is a game you are interested in. Here is a good ranking from Tom’s Hardware showing how most GPUs compare to each other.
You’ve been out of the loop for a while, but you picked some good specs to start. I have some general thoughts below:
Cooler- don’t forget some of the new ultra competitive HSF options from competitors around the $50 price point. Check out Gamersnexus and some of their recent cooler reviews for alternatives. The space has gotten extremely competitive.
Motherboard- you want B650. B660 is intel’s socket.
CPU- So AM5 is going to be a fairly long-lived platform. You may want to consider the 7600 as an alternative, as by the time you’ll want to upgrade your (4060-tier) GPU you’d probably overshoot a 7800X3D anyway. AM5 is likely going to last long enough that a theoretical 9800X3D will blow both the 7600 and 7800X3D out of the water.
GPU- if you’re shooting for value and are wanting to have a build you can upgrade into, nothing beats the 6700XT/6750XT right now. Just search both those in PCPartPicker and sort price>low-high. Grab the cheapest one.
Just checked out the Gamers Nexus video on the Thermalright Peerless Assassin, half the price and potentially better performance. This is very interesting. Thank you.
corrected, I did Kean B650.
I’ll check out the 6700/6750, thanks.
PCPartPicker is very useful, especially for browsing compatible parts and cost comparing.
A number of good build guides are also available. But as with everything, trust but verify.
My lateat PC was designed with everything except the GPU, which I awaited until I found a good cheap second-hand card. As soon as I got the card, I verified the design and ordered everything.
Can we just talk about how great PCPartPicker is? I built my first machine with their help almost ten years ago and my build plan is still there, which was incredibly useful when it came time to upgrade. I could copy the plan and swap out components and it all still just worked.
They don’t charge for anything, they don’t block adblockers, they don’t constantly make changes trying to increase engagement, they’re not trying to sell components. They just take some referral fees and keep a very useful site running.
I love PC part picker, I have my past builds all saved on there with photos.
It’s a fantastic tool.
I have a 6750xt that runs anything I throw at it in 1440p. I don’t know what’s cheaper atm.
I recently build a PC and this is what I learned:
- Modern CPUs get crazy hot. AIO water cooling could make sense depending on what CPU you use
- GPUs are expensive but higher end GPUs will make the build last longer. Nvidia is a must for anything related to AI.
- NVME storage is a no brainer option for a new build
- Make sure the motherboard supports the RAM or doesn’t throttle it
- If you have the space a larger case will be better for cooling an upgrades. GPUs get crazy large.
Overall go to pcpartpicker and look at what people have build with your choice of GPU / CPU.
I think the best bang for your buck right now in terms of price per performance is currently the 6950xt.
But it really depends on your budget and your usage.
GPU choice is a bit more complicated than it used to be, it’s become less of just a performance comparison and more about ecosystem.
AMD’s GPUs are cheaper and better in terms of raw performance. They also have better Linux support if that matters to you.
Nvidia’s GPUs are more expensive but they support better tech in games. Specifically, Nvidia GPUs support DLSS which is an amazing upscaler and can boost performance massively on games that support it without sacrificing any noticeable visual quality. Nvidia GPUs are also way better at Raytracing or anything AI related.
The choice is hard but Nvidia is the safe option. I’d recommend a 3060 Ti instead of a 4060, it’s better and goes for cheaper. The 6750xt as the other guy recommended is also a really solid choice if you don’t care about DLSS or Raytracing.
