Question Upgrading Help for Gaming PC

[SalvinValkyries]

Hello,


I have a budget of $1600 -$1700 CAD. In that, I am looking to upgrade 3 components, i.e., GPU, monitor and the memory, if possible. My current specs are as follows:


- CPU: i7 7700k
- GPU: Nvidia 1060 6GB
- RAM: 16gb Memory @ DDR4 2400 MHz
- MB: MSI Z170A GAMING M5
- Monitor: Acer GN246HL @ 144hz (DVI-D, HDMI 1.4, VGA)


In researching GPU's, I've settled on three options, i.e., the 2070 Super, the 2060 Super or the 1080. I'm completely ignorant to AMD options, as I switched away from AMD ages ago. If there are better AMD options, I'd greatly appreciate any input.
Whilst researching my specific combination of CPU and GPU options, I've run into potential bottleneck issues. There seems to be some conflicting information here as well, i.e., some say that the 2070 Super should be perfectly fine with the i7 7700k and some say that it won't be. Looking at bottleneck calculators adds to the confusion:


- 1080 results: https://www.gpucheck.com/gpu/nvidia...re-i7-7700k-4-20ghz/low/?lang=en&currency=usd, https://pc-builds.com/calculator/Core_i7-7700K/GeForce_GTX_1080/0Km0Uulu/8/100/
- 2060 Super results: https://www.gpucheck.com/en-usd/gpu/nvidia-geforce-rtx-2060-super/intel-core-i7-7700k-4-20ghz/low, https://pc-builds.com/calculator/Core_i7-7700K/GeForce_RTX_2060_SUPER/0Km14plu/8/100/
- 2070 Super results: https://www.gpucheck.com/gpu/nvidia...re-i7-7700k-4-20ghz/low/?lang=en&currency=usd, https://pc-builds.com/calculator/Core_i7-7700K/GeForce_RTX_2070_SUPER/0Km14olu/8/100/


According to one bottleneck calculator, the i7 7700k will be just fine with a 2060 Super. The average bottleneck percentage of the pairing being at 8.85%. Using another calculator from GPUCheck.com, the same paring yields an 88/100 combination score. Enough to designate it as an "Excellent" pairing.

When I pair the i7 7700k with the 2070 Super, it yields an 87/100 combination score, also designating it to be an "Excellent" pairing. Checking this combination via the PC-Builds.com calculator further complicates matters, i.e., the average bottleneck is stated to be at 15.88%, and it clearly denotes the i7 7700k to be much too weak for the 2070 Super.

So the question is... Will I be better off with the 2060 Super or the 2070 Super?

I'm not married to getting the 2070 Super, however, what I am thinking is that when I do get a wholly new build, I could strip this build of its 2070 Super, plug the 1060 back in and be on my way. That said, if I do go with the 2060 Super, that leaves me more room to get a decent monitor and upgrade my RAM. What money remains I could put towards the new build. I should also note that I'm not in any rush, I'm happy to wait for sales on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
In any event, I'd greatly appreciate any input you may have, since I'm a bit out of the loop on things and it's been a while since I've upgraded my PC. Thank you so much!


Stay safe out there. Cheers

 

[VirtualLarry]

I would go with the 2070 Super, and 32GB of (at least) DDR4-3200 RAM (2x16GB). If not DDR4-4000 (Some of those Patriot Viper kits, I don't know if they come in 2x16GB, or just 2x8GB.)

 

[SalvinValkyries]

I would go with the 2070 Super, and 32GB of (at least) DDR4-3200 RAM (2x16GB). If not DDR4-4000 (Some of those Patriot Viper kits, I don't know if they come in 2x16GB, or just 2x8GB.)

Thank you so much for replying! So whatever bottleneck I may experience with the i7 7700k and 2070 Super pairing will be negligible? As in, the i7 7700k won't end up giving me lag spikes, FPS drops or any notable issues whilst gaming? As for the RAM, I'll take your suggestion to heart. It's about time I got an upgrade there, the only problem is that the best RAM I can get for the MSI Z170A GAMING M5 is DDR4 @ 3200 MHz. At least that's according to Google.

Thanks again!

 

[VirtualLarry]

Well, is it overclocked at all? I would push it (with a sufficient air cooler, not a stock Intel cooler), to 4.5Ghz or maybe a touch higher. That will reduce the bottle-neck significantly. If you're never overclocked before, read up on some guides on the internet before you attempt it, and locate the "CLEAR_CMOS" jumper on your mobo, and learn how to use it, just in case. Also, overclock AT YOUR OWN RISK, THERE IS RISK INVOLVED.

At stock CPU clocks, there might be a bit of a bottle-neck, but if you're gaming at 1440P, then that would be less obvious.

I think that's a wiser idea (and moving it to a new rig), than spending on a 2060 Super, only to ditch it when you get a new system. Others might disagree, hopefully someone else will comment.

The 7700K can be "bottlenecked" (more specifically, a bit CPU-limited), in SOME modern AAA games: BF V MP, AC:Odyssey, and ROTTR. Those games really prefer 6-core CPUs (or more). Although, you have 8 threads available, so probably not so bad on your CPU.

As far as bottle-necking goes, the locked i5-6500 CPU and a GTX 1660 ti was bottlenecked on the CPU maybe 15-20% according to some YT vids I watched. (I recently built a rig using an OEM i5-6500 and mobo, and dropped in a GTX 1650 D5 4GB card. Was thinking of dropping in a GTX 1660 ti, but I concluded that would be wasted on that locked CPU. Your CPU is UN-locked, so you can OC yours to even out the bottle-neck better.)


As far as monitors go, I'm the last person to ask.

 

[SalvinValkyries]

Well, is it overclocked at all? I would push it (with a sufficient air cooler, not a stock Intel cooler), to 4.5Ghz or maybe a touch higher. That will reduce the bottle-neck significantly. If you're never overclocked before, read up on some guides on the internet before you attempt it, and locate the "CLEAR_CMOS" jumper on your mobo, and learn how to use it, just in case. Also, overclock AT YOUR OWN RISK, THERE IS RISK INVOLVED.

At stock CPU clocks, there might be a bit of a bottle-neck, but if you're gaming at 1440P, then that would be less obvious.

I think that's a wiser idea (and moving it to a new rig), than spending on a 2060 Super, only to ditch it when you get a new system. Others might disagree, hopefully someone else will comment.

The 7700K can be "bottlenecked" (more specifically, a bit CPU-limited), in SOME modern AAA games: BF V MP, AC:Odyssey, and ROTTR. Those games really prefer 6-core CPUs (or more). Although, you have 8 threads available, so probably not so bad on your CPU.

As far as bottle-necking goes, the locked i5-6500 CPU and a GTX 1660 ti was bottlenecked on the CPU maybe 15-20% according to some YT vids I watched. (I recently built a rig using an OEM i5-6500 and mobo, and dropped in a GTX 1650 D5 4GB card. Was thinking of dropping in a GTX 1660 ti, but I concluded that would be wasted on that locked CPU. Your CPU is UN-locked, so you can OC yours to even out the bottle-neck better.)


As far as monitors go, I'm the last person to ask.

I can't thank you enough for the detailed response. This helps a ton! These are exactly the sort of reference points I was looking for. I do have an aftermarket Noctua air cooler, so a safe and stable OC shouldn't be out of reach. I do have a small OC via Game Boost, but it's clear that won't be enough. Come to think of it, I'm assuming that the 650 PSU unit may not be able to fully support both a 2070 Super and an i7 7700k OC. In any event, you have given me a fair bit to think on. Thanks so much!

Cheers

 

[VirtualLarry]

I do have an aftermarket Noctua air cooler, so a safe and stable OC shouldn't be out of reach.

That's good news. I *think* (not really too up on really higher-end Intel overclocking), that you could, in theory, hit 4.8Ghz or higher on a 7700K, but I figure 4.5Ghz should be a mostly fairly safe bet.

I'm assuming that the 650 PSU unit may not be able to fully support both a 2070 Super and an i7 7700k OC.

You might be surprised. If it's an 80Plus Gold rated or better, with a decent warranty length and not too old, and has most of the wattage on the +12V line (and is single-rail), it might just work OK. If I were building new, and speccing out those parts, yes, I might go for something a little higher, but it could maybe work. Perhaps someone else will comment, I don't know how much wattage a 2070 Super actually takes. (I was kind of thinking, 250W?)

 

[SalvinValkyries]

That's good news. I *think* (not really too up on really higher-end Intel overclocking), that you could, in theory, hit 4.8Ghz or higher on a 7700K, but I figure 4.5Ghz should be a mostly fairly safe bet.


You might be surprised. If it's an 80Plus Gold rated or better, with a decent warranty length and not too old, and has most of the wattage on the +12V line (and is single-rail), it might just work OK. If I were building new, and speccing out those parts, yes, I might go for something a little higher, but it could maybe work. Perhaps someone else will comment, I don't know how much wattage a 2070 Super actually takes. (I was kind of thinking, 250W?)

Thanks again for the detailed response!

Yes, the PSU is 650 80Plus Gold rated, however, it is an old PSU and likely well away from its warranty. You weren't far off on 2070 Super' wattage requirements, it needs 215 watts. Frankly, I wish I could just get a new build right away, but that leaves me short a monitor. I could go with an active DVI-D to HDMI/DisplayPort adaptor, but I'm reading that the performance can be dodgy with the adaptors. As much as I'd like to build anew, for the time being at least, I'm going to have to settle for a GPU, a monitor and a possible RAM upgrade. I'm starting to lean on getting the 2070 Super, hopefully finding a decent monitor with the 2070 S, then upgrading the RAM to DDR4 3200 MHz - the best possible RAM for the MSI Z170A Gaming M5 motherboard.