Should I Upgrade My GPU Or CPU First? (2024)

FAQs

Should I Upgrade My GPU Or CPU First? ›

Upgrading CPU or GPU First

This will largely depend on how you use your PC.

The CPU is the main brain of the system, and a good foundation is necessary for all other operations. On the other hand, if you're primarily a gamer who enjoys fancy visuals, or you're a designer with video rendering needs, it makes sense to upgrade to a new GPU first.

Both the GPU and CPU are important, but the GPU has a more significant impact in most cases. Modern games are graphically demanding, and the GPU handles all graphics rendering and processing needed to display modern games. In contrast, the CPU's role is on core processing tasks.

If you're angling for more impressive upgrades, the GPU often has the biggest impact on gaming performance in many titles, but that's only true if your CPU isn't old enough to become a bottleneck. It's always a balancing act.

Those with a powerful GPU that can already hit high framerates at, say, 1080p should look into upgrading their monitor first. The existing GPU might have enough power to handle a higher resolution while still delivering acceptable framerates.

The best way to test is by opening your favorite games and task manager and seeing how much the CPU and GPU usage take up. The GPU should be around 20-50% utilization, with the CPU ideally being under 50% utilization, except for some games that utilize the GPU and CPU differently.

Make sure you can power it

For example, Nvidia's RTX 4080 has a maximum power draw of around 340W, which means you'll need a PSU that can accommodate the GPU plus your other hardware (the CPU, motherboard, RAM, sound card, and other peripherals). You'll also have to upgrade your power supply if it doesn't.

Yes, CPU bottlenecking GPU can cause screen tearing in games, as the GPU is generating frames at a rate faster than the CPU can supply data. This can result in incomplete frames being displayed, which can cause visual artifacts such as screen tearing.

Highlights: From frame rates to scalable gameplay settings, the CPU is a vital component for gaming. A CPU's clock speed and core count help to indicate its performance capabilities. Certain CPUs contain additional features like overclocking and integrated graphics.

The CPU handles all the tasks required for all software on the server to run correctly. A GPU, on the other hand, supports the CPU to perform concurrent calculations. A GPU can complete simple and repetitive tasks much faster because it can break the task down into smaller components and finish them in parallel.

What should I upgrade first on my PC? ›

In general, for better FPS you need a better GPU. In most cases RAM and CPU play less a role than the GPU but if you have a very liw end CPU or a very old one you will have limitations on how far you can boost your FPS due to the slow CPU.

Ask most IT professionals how long to keep computers in service and they'll typically suggest maintaining a three- to five-year upgrade cycle.

Assuming your system isn't heavily bottlenecked by a particular component, you should almost always prioritize upgrading the graphics card if you want a significant boost to your in-game performance.

Probably GPU, but it really depends on that are you planning to do with your pc. If you just play some games that aren't too much CPU bound (cities or Civ are very CPU bound, eg), i really would upgrade the gpu and buy another 8gb ram stick to run at dual channel. 16 gig of ram is my recommendation.

Overclocking your GPU is easier, but overclocking your CPU will supercharge your entire computer. If your goal is to reach higher frames per second, it's better to overclock your GPU.

If you're planning on staying at 1080p and have the upgrade bug, definitely CPU. If you plan to go 4k eventually then GPU.

Faster in many contexts—CPUs are faster than GPUs when handling operations like data processing in RAM, I/O operations, and operating system administration. Precision—CPUs can support mid-range math operations with higher precision than GPUs, which is important for many use cases.

Modern editing software such as Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas, and Final Cut Pro will take advantage of many CPU cores and hyperthreading, so investing in a good CPU is crucial when building an editing PC. (If you're using DaVinci Resolve, the CPU is still important, but comes secondarily to the graphics card.)