Should I Upgrade My CPU Or GPU First? CPU VS GPU?
Before we answer the question of- should I upgrade my CPU or GPU first? You need to ask yourself- what is my purpose for upgrading? Am I upgrading for work, or am I upgrading for gaming? These are the questions you need to answer before you upgrade your GPU or CPU.
However, the actual answer to your question isn’t that simple. So let us explore it in greater detail.
How to know it’s time to upgrade your CPU first?
Generally, if you are opting to upgrade your system for work purposes, you need to focus more on your CPU.
If you want to upgrade your system for work purposes, like installing new powerful applications that will need more processing power, you will need to invest in a better CPU first. This is because there are applications that will need multiple cores and threads to run. But these applications won’t need a powerful GPU to work. So you can get by using a decent GPU for this purpose.
For example: if you want to upgrade your system to install applications for 3D modeling, then you need to upgrade your i5 to i7.
But note that you will also need to upgrade your CPU first if you play certain kinds of games. These kinds of games are primarily 2D games or games where you have to play against an AI opponent. Such games do need a powerful CPU. After all, the CPU will be processing all the possible moves that can be made against your character before settling on the best one.
To run a high-end game you’ve to upgrade your GPU first
If you play a game that needs a better and faster FPS, you need to upgrade your GPU first. An excellent example of such a game is Black Ops. Of course, if your CPU doesn’t support this game, you will have to upgrade that. But the game runs well on decent CPUs if you have the needed GPU to back it up.
When Should You Upgrade Your GPU And CPU?
Most people say that if you upgrade your system for gaming, you need to update your GPU first. This advice isn’t wrong per se. After all, the GPU or Graphic Processing Unit renders the gaming animations, scenes, and images. So if you are planning on playing the fast-paced games of recent years, you will need an upgraded GPU to get that gaming performance.
However, upgrading your GPU will often not be enough to play such games if your CPU lacks. These newer games are made to use the multiple threads and cores that new CPUs come with. After all, how will your GPU render those game images if the CPU doesn’t send the needed data for it?
For example, if you are playing an AAA game, you will need a powerful CPU and GPU to get a smooth gaming performance. This is because some features of these games, like using AI of NPCs, that GPU can’t accomplish well. For that, it needs the CPU.
Final verdict
So if you are playing a game that needs a higher FPS, you need to invest in a better GPU. But for anything else, you need to upgrade your CPU first. Also, do keep in mind that you should invest in your CPU, motherboard, power supply, and RAM first. This is because if these components are powerful, you will run most kinds of applications on them. The GPU knows that it’s straightforward to upgrade it later on, but the same cannot be said for your CPU.
It’s advised that you consider your needs before choosing whether you want to upgrade your CPU first or your GPU. I would also tell you to research well about the upgrades you are planning on getting and if the applications you are planning on using will even need them or not.
READ MORE: Top CPU For Arma 3 and Can You Upgrade A Laptop’s, Graphics Card?
About the Author Michael E. Yates
Hi! The words you are going to read comes from me! A geek passionately and a writer of 5+ years professionally. If you ask about my likings, well, I love to tag along with upcoming technology trends. Though I also have contributed to many more technology sites through my writings. If you ask about my dreams, then one of them is finding an instant solution for every device malfunction, so I am creating a blog post. A blog post that will help more people like me. I, introduce thepcstuff.com the result of my hard work and patience. Do not worry, with me and my team behind the computers will make sure every vital information related to technology reaches all of you people. So, if you are ready to go on an adventurous ride with thepcstuff.com and me, let's get started!
