Best value
Arc B570
$219 · launch price · check the current price
+26% on average · about +11 FPS in a typical game · 5 FPS per $100
After: your processor limits you in 5 of 15 games.
Check price on Amazon (opens in a new tab)Best Upgrade for Your PC
The graphics card is usually the better first upgrade: it sets the FPS in most games, especially at 1440p and 4K. Upgrade the processor first only when it holds back the games you play, which mostly happens in esports and strategy games at 1080p. Pick your PC, a budget and a goal. We compare upgrading the graphics card, the processor or both across the games you play, with estimated FPS before and after each upgrade. Saved your PC with My PC? It's filled in for you. Only buying a graphics card? Best graphics card for your budget ranks every card still sold new for your budget.
Your PC nowExample PC
Processor (CPU)Example
Graphics card (GPU)Example
Goal
Where to spend $400
Now: your graphics card limits you in 9 of 15 games at High settings at 1080p.
Biggest boost within budget
RX 9060 XT 8GB
$299 · launch price · check the current price
+30% on average · about +11 FPS in a typical game · 3.7 FPS per $100
After: your processor limits you in 10 of 15 games.
Check price on Amazon (opens in a new tab)What not to buy
Don't upgrade your processor: your graphics card limits you in 9 of 15 games, so the best processor within your budget adds only 3%.
All options
| Upgrade | Price | Average gain | FPS per $100 | After the upgrade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $299 | $299 | +30% | 3.7 | Processor limits 10 of 15 |
| $349 | $349 | +30% | 3.2 | Processor limits 10 of 15 |
| $379 | $379 | +30% | 2.9 | Processor limits 10 of 15 |
| $299 | $299 | +29% | 3.7 | Processor limits 10 of 15 |
| $399 | $399 | +29% | 2.8 | Processor limits 10 of 15 |
| $329 | $329 | +28% | 3.3 | Processor limits 10 of 15 |
| $249 | $249 | +27% | 4.4 | Processor limits 9 of 15 |
| $249 | $249 | +27% | 4.4 | Processor limits 9 of 15 |
| $299 | $299 | +27% | 3.7 | Processor limits 9 of 15 |
| $219 | $219 | +26% | 5 | Processor limits 5 of 15 |
| $269 | $269 | +26% | 4.1 | Processor limits 6 of 15 |
| $329 | $329 | +26% | 3.3 | Processor limits 5 of 15 |
| $349 | $349 | +25% | 3.2 | Processor limits 5 of 15 |
| $329 | $329 | +23% | 3.3 | Balanced |
| $289 | $289 | +19% | 3.5 | Card limits 6 of 15 |
| No official priceNot counted in the budget | No official price | +3% | – | Card limits 11 of 15 |
| No official priceNot counted in the budget | No official price | +1% | – | Card limits 11 of 15 |
| $479Needs a new AM5 motherboard and DDR5 memory, neither included in the price. | $479 | +3% | – | Card limits 11 of 15 |
| $899Needs a new AM5 motherboard and DDR5 memory, neither included in the price. | $899 | +3% | – | Card limits 11 of 15 |
| $329Needs a new AM5 motherboard and DDR5 memory, neither included in the price. | $329 | +3% | – | Card limits 11 of 15 |
FPS per game with RX 9060 XT 8GB
| Game | Now | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valorant | 316 | 316 | +0% |
| Counter-Strike 2 | 133 | 301 | +126% |
| Fortnite | 74 | 104 | +41% |
| Minecraft | 172 | 172 | +0% |
| Apex Legends | 124 | 124 | +0% |
| GTA V | 96 | 96 | +0% |
| PUBG: Battlegrounds | 111 | 116 | +5% |
| EA Sports FC 26 | 62 | 97 | +56% |
| Call of Duty: Warzone | 77 | 87 | +13% |
| Elden Ring | 60 | 60 | +0% |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 50 | 89 | +78% |
| Hogwarts Legacy | 45 | 73 | +62% |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 47 | 77 | +64% |
| Alan Wake 2 | 35 | 57 | +63% |
| Black Myth: Wukong | 24 | 56 | +133% |
After: your processor limits you in 10 of 15 games.
Every number is our estimate from the FPSVibe model, not a measured benchmark. Prices are official US prices: launch prices, Intel's list price for Intel processors, and AMD's store list price where AMD gave no launch price. Check the current price before you buy.
Estimated FPS. Numbers come from the FPSVibe model, not measured benchmarks. How we estimate
Some links here are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our estimates. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. About affiliate links
Example: GTX 1660 Super + Ryzen 5 3600 with $400
A common PC: the GTX 1660 Super and the Ryzen 5 3600 with 16 GB of RAM, a $400 budget, 1080p High and 15 popular games. Now: your graphics card limits you in 9 of 15 games at High settings at 1080p.
Biggest boost within budget: RX 9060 XT 8GB ($299, +30% on average). Best value: Arc B570 ($219, 5 FPS per $100). After: your processor limits you in 10 of 15 games.
The top options within $400
| Upgrade | Price | Average gain | FPS per $100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| RX 9060 XT 8GB | $299 | +30% | 3.7 |
| RX 9060 XT 16GB | $349 | +30% | 3.2 |
| RTX 5060 Ti 8GB | $379 | +30% | 2.9 |
| RTX 5060 | $299 | +29% | 3.7 |
| RTX 4060 Ti 8GB | $399 | +29% | 2.8 |
| RX 7600 XT | $329 | +28% | 3.3 |
Every number is our estimate from the FPSVibe model, not a measured benchmark. Prices are official US prices: launch prices, Intel's list price for Intel processors, and AMD's store list price where AMD gave no launch price. Check the current price before you buy.
Estimated FPS. Numbers come from the FPSVibe model, not measured benchmarks. How we estimate
How the advice works
For every graphics card still sold new and every processor with an official price, we estimate the FPS in each chosen game at your resolution and settings, before and after the upgrade, with the same model as the rest of the site.
The average gain is the average of the per-game gains, each counted up to 144 FPS: most monitors can't show more, so frames above that don't make a game feel faster. FPS per $100 is the FPS you gain in a typical game (the middle one of your games, also up to 144 FPS) for each $100 of the launch price. A part limits a game when a faster one would add 5% or more, the same rule as the gains, and when most of your games wouldn't gain 5% we say so instead of showing a gain. After each upgrade we check again which part limits you, so you can see when the next bottleneck takes over.
Processors on the same socket come first. A processor for another socket needs a new motherboard (and DDR5 memory for AM5 and Intel Core Ultra); we say so and don't count those parts in the price, so these upgrades are never picked as Best value or Biggest boost.
Prices are official US prices, not today's prices: launch prices for graphics cards and AMD processors, Intel's list price for Intel processors, and AMD's store list price for AMD processors without an announced launch price. Processors without any official price are shown with their FPS gain only.
To decide how much to spend, look at the FPS per $100 and the average gain together: the cheapest upgrade that gives a clear jump is usually the best value, and spending more only pays off while the other part doesn't take over as the limit.
Upgrade questions
Should I upgrade my CPU or GPU first?
Upgrade the part that limits you in the games you play. If your processor holds most of your games back, a faster graphics card adds little until you change the processor; if the graphics card is the limit, a new card gives the bigger jump. Best Upgrade checks this game by game at your resolution and settings.
Do I need to upgrade my CPU if I upgrade my GPU?
Not always. A faster graphics card only adds FPS in the games where the card was the limit; in games your processor already holds back, it adds little. Best Upgrade checks this game by game and says when your processor would hold the new card back.
Is it better to have a better CPU or GPU for gaming?
For most games the graphics card matters more, and even more at 1440p and 4K. The processor matters more in esports and strategy games at high frame rates, and a very old processor holds back any card. A balanced pair is best: the bottleneck calculator shows which part limits your games.
What is the best GPU upgrade for my PC?
The card that adds the most FPS for its price before your processor becomes the limit. Best Upgrade checks every graphics card still sold new with your processor, at your resolution and settings, and shows the gain per game and the FPS per $100.
Do I need a new power supply for a new graphics card?
Maybe. Check its wattage and connectors against the card maker's recommendation. Best Upgrade warns when a card draws a lot more power than your current one.
Are these prices current?
No. They are official US prices from the makers: launch prices, Intel's list price for Intel processors and AMD's store list price where AMD announced none. Today's prices can be lower or higher, so check before you buy.