NVIDIA has recently launched the newly anticipated line of graphics cards and their performance blows away its predecessors. Although the specifications for their new line up is impressive the question still remains, should you upgrade? Well if your wallet is limitless then by all means grab 2 of them and anything else that’s top of the line, but if it’s not then it depends, and here is why.
Hardware Considerations
Monitors
You could shell out your finances on their new line up and still not get the full benefits of their technology by various factors. One of which is your monitor. Many standard computer monitors still have a maximum resolution of 1080p. This means that even if you had the computer hardware to run 4k resolution you wouldn’t be able to notice the advantages due to the lack of your monitors capabilities which means you’ll need to upgrade your monitor too. Today most 4k monitors run at an average refresh rate of 60hz which will not utilize the full potential of an RTX 3080 due to the monitors 60FPS limitation. If you are still currently using a 1080p base monitor I recommend upgrading to the BenQ PD3200U. A 4k monitor capable of 75 frames per second.
| Display Specifications | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Panel Type | IPS | Maximum Resolution | 3840x2160 |
| Brightness | 350 | Refresh Rate | 60Hz |
| Response Time | 4ms(G2G) | Aspect Ratio | 16 : 9 |
| Display Colors | 1.07 Billion | Color Gamut | 100% Srgb |
| Dynamic Contrast Ratio | 20M:1 | Color Bit | 10 bits |
| Other Specifications | |||
| Built In speaker | 5W x 2 | Headphone Jack | Yes |
| VWSA Wall Mount | 5W x 2 | Audio Line In | Yes |
| Flicker-free Technology | 100 x 100 mm | Low Blue Light | Yes |
| Eye Protector | Yes | Display Screen Coating | Anti-Glare |
| Connectivity | Yes | Display Port | DP 1.2 x 1 |
| USB | 3.0 x 4 | Mini Display Port | DP 1.2 x 1 |
Computer Processing Unit
The AMD Ryzen 3900x
This CPU boast a solid 12 cores with multi-threading capabilities and is the one I currently use for my setup after a recent upgrade. After upgrading I noticed a boost in performance when gaming, working in digital design, rendering videos, and rendering assets using Unreal Engine. It just about cut the time it takes to process tasks in half. There is no doubt that this CPU would be a solid companion to the RTX 30x series. Here are the specifications below:
| AMD Ryzen 3900x Specifications | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Cores | 12 | Threads | 24 |
| Base Clock | 3.8GHz | Max Boost Clock | 4.6GHz |
| Total L1 Cache | 768KB | Total L2 Cache | 6MB |
| Supported Socket | AM4 | PCI Express Version | PCIe 4.0 x 16 |
| System Memory Specification | Up to 3200MHz | System Memory Type | DDR4 |
| Max Temperature | 95 c | Memory Channels | 2 |
| Default TDP | 105W |
Intel i7 10700K
While I can’t personally speak for this CPU, but if you’re looking for a price matching alternative the i7 10700K beats the i9 10900K being around $200 cheaper with about the same performance of the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X. While it may have less cores and fall a tad bit behind with rendering tasks through game engines or video editing software the difference is almost unnoticeable. If gaming is your focus this outperforms the AMD alternative in that area. If I had to choose a budget intel CPU other than the i9 10900K this would be it.
| I7 10700K Specifications | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Cores | 8 | Threads | 16 |
| Base Clock | 3.8GHz | Max Boost Clock | 5.1GHz |
| Cache | 16 MB | Bus Speed | 8 GT/s |
| Supported Socket | FCLGA1200 | PCI Express Version | PCIe 3.0 x 16 |
| Max Memory Size | 128 GB | System Memory Type | DDR4 |
| Max Temperature | 100 c | Memory Channels | 2 |
| Default TDP | 125W | 4K Support | Yes, at 60Hz |
Hard Drives
Now that we’ve looked at the display, and computer processing unit we’ll briefly go over the last important factor to consider when upgrading. The hard drive type. Within the last recent years the standard disk drive is becoming obsolete while SSD’s (Solid State Drives) are the new norm for good reason. The price on this fairly new technology has gone low enough to justify upgrading especially considering the massive benefits one could gain from it. Faster load times, faster data transfer speeds, and better overall efficiency while having a longer lifespan. If you’re going to be playing video games or working with a 4k environment then without an SSD you’ll find that load times could reduce your productivity. The point is, if you’re going upgrade to an RTX 30x series you’ll want to upgrade your storage space too. For this I recommend the Samsung T5 Portable SSD 1TB.
Random Access Memory (RAM)
There’s not really much to discuss here since RAM isn’t that much of an integral component for any given build. So long as there’s at least 8Gigs of RAM in the system it should be fine. I do recommend having at least 16Gigs of RAM since that should meet or exceed the minimum requirements for just about every program. I myself use 32Gigs of ram for my needs. If you don’t have 8Gigs of ram or are looking to upgrade to 16Gigs then I recommend the Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO. It comes with 2 8GB DDR4 sticks that leaves room for another 16GB worth of expansion should you need more.
| Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Memory Capacity | 16GB (2 x 8GB) |
| Number of Items | 2 x 8GB |
| Memory Clock Speed | 3200 MHz |
| Memory Speed | 3200 MHz |
| RAM Memory type | DDR4 SDRAM |
Conclusion
Now that we’ve gone over the hardware considerations it’s time to answer the long-awaited question. Should you upgrade? That depends on the resolution that you want to work with and the current hardware you have. If you’re fine with 1080p the clear answer is no. If you have an RTX 20x series 2k is not impossible to achieve, and upgrading right now would be a generation too soon. If 4k is an experience you must have, then yes. You’ll want to upgrade as well as upgrade your other hardware too that could cost you upwards $1,500 to replace your main components that will support 4k.
The Honest Truth
It’s too soon for 4k to be considered the new standard. Technology is just around making 2k the norm. The truth is that even though the RTX 30x series is capable of 4k the rest of what’s needed to utilize it just hasn’t caught up yet. Not to mention the price point of their new series costs as much as the next gen console. It could be more cost efficient to buy a Play Station 5, or X Box Series X since you will not have to replace all of your other components.
At this moment in time I can’t recommend upgrading if you currently have a RTX 20x series. It’s just not cost effective and your RTX 20x could last you until Nvidia’s 40x release. If you are still using a GTX 10x series then upgrading may be worth your while since it may be too difficult to run next gen games in desired resolutions. I myself will be waiting for Nvidia’s 40x line up, or decent holiday sales. Maybe in the next 5 years 4k will become the next affordable standard. I hope this article has helped you decide on whether or not an upgrade is for you as well as some other hardware you may find for any necessary replacements. If you have any alternative recommendations be sure to discuss in the comments below!