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[gooner4life_uk]

1990 ish? Intel i486-dx2 - new pc
1993 - intel Pentium 100mhz - new pc
1997 - intel Pentium 2 with mmx - new pc
2000 - AMD Athlon - new pc
2003 - Intel Core2Duo - new pc
2007 - Intel Core2Quad - new pc
2013 - Intel i7 4770 - new pc - upgraded GPU to 1060 6gb in 2015
2018 - Intel i9 9900k - new pc - 2080ti
2022 - intel i9 12900kf - new pc - 4090

 

[Chris23]

2012 - fx8350
2015 - 6700k (very good cpu)
2023 - 7500f

Will probably upgrade to whatever the final gen x3d chip that works on the am5 platform

 

[OverHeat]

You said upgrade.
You bought a 11900K.............

10900k
Died

 

[DaciaJC]

Never. I upgrade my graphic cards once and my next upgrade is a completely new system.

Avatar on point!

 

[Black_Stride]

10900k
Died

So it was still better than an 11900K.

 

[Fess]

Every 2 years for the CPU sounds extreme to me. I had an i7 4790k for 6 years, only really upgraded because the AIO water cooler leaked and fried something on the cpu/mb.

Graphics cards on the other hand …

 

[Denton]

Pentium 100 1997
Duron 800 2001
Athlon 3000 2004
Core 2 Duo 2007
Core i5 2500K 2011
Ryzen 2700X 2018
Ryzen 5800X3D 2022

Sandy Bridge was legendary.
I expect 5800X3D to last until 2027, basically as long as this console gen lasts.

 

[Black_Stride]

Pentium 100 1997
Duron 800 2001
Athlon 3000 2004
Core 2 Duo 2007
Core i5 2500K 2011
Ryzen 2700X 2018
Ryzen 5800X3D 2022

Sandy Bridge was legendary.
I expect 5800X3D to last until 2027, basically as long as this console gen lasts.

Sandy Bridge was probably my best PC purchase ever.
At the time I only played at 60 so i didnt see any reason to upgrade for so long.

Ive actually still got that machine somewhere in storage i should bring it out just to see if it can still @60 games.

 

[GymWolf]

My last 3 cpus were:

Intel i5 4570
Intel 8600k
Intel 13600k


Do the math.

 

[b0uncyfr0]

When GAF starts complaining about 120 fps. Previously, it was 60.

 

[GreatnessRD]

I've tried to keep a 4-5 year cadence, but this 5800X3D/6800XT combo will last longer than that. Probably won't build a new system until AM6/Intelstillalive™

 

[poodaddy]

Around every eight to ten years. I don't do much that's CPU intensive, so basically I upgrade whenever CPU is hurting frame rates in games, (doesn't happen often as games are usually heavily GPU dependent), or I simply upgrade whenever I build a whole new rig, which isn't gonna happen often these days as I have plenty of other expenses to worry about in life and I'm not hurting my family's quality of life to pay these cucked out prices for modern components, not enough of a chump for that. I'll probably build a new machine in about two years, but for the first time I believe I'll focus more on efficiency, silence, and how compact it is rather than buying huge power hungry parts and going as high end as possible.

 

[tylrdiablos]

I'm on an i7 8700K and will be picking up (or attempting to) an 9800X3D in late Jan/early Feb.
The 8700K lasted me 7 and half years.
Before that I had a 2500K which I got in late 2011.

So yeah, every 6-7 years I guess.

 

[Drake]

Until I basically have no choice. I would have kept using my 4770k if it was supported by Windows 11.

 

[simpatico]

Phenom x6 1100t
i7 6700k
7800x3D

Sparingly

 

[Holammer]

I upgraded from i7-6700k to i5-13600k awhile back.
I skipped a lot of generations and an upgrade was long overdue, but the old cpu could handle emulators and most games surprisingly well.

 

[baphomet]

Whenever I feel like it. At a certain point upgrading a CPU isn't going to give you any benefits unless you're playing at 1080p.

 

[bender]

My last 3 cpus were:

Intel i5 4570
Intel 8600k
Intel 13600k


Do the math.

Intel i5 26,700kk

 

[nkarafo]

Pentium 3 450Mhz

Pentium 4 3.0 Ghz

i5 4670

i5 12400

 

[BennyBlanco]

I ride them til the wheels off

 

[samuelgregory]

2015, 2016, 2019, 2023.

So really just whenever I feel like it.

First CPU was an i5-4590. I had no idea wtf I was doing as it was my first PC. I built an entirely new PC just a year later…

Got a 6700K in 2016 and it done well but I could tell it was slowing down so I upgraded to 9900K in 2019 and it was an amazing cpu.

Got my 7950X3D early 2023 and it’s of course still kicking ass.

In between I have upgraded GPUs and upgraded my monitor so the CPUs might have been working fine but going to a more powerful GPU/demanding monitor has put too much on the CPU.

I don’t plan on moving to 4K and my monitor is 360Hz so I doubt I’ll be moving up to something like 480Hz lol.

The 7950X3D doesn’t seem to struggle with anything and it looks like I’m being held back by my GPU. So I’d like to upgrade to a new GPU next. After that I’ll see how the CPU holds up but I think it’ll be fine.

I did think about getting a “9950X3D” whenever it comes out but I think what I’ll do is just get whatever the last CPU that my motherboard supports. So maybe a 10950X3D or 11950X3D best healthcare digital marketing agency Calgary.

Really don’t feel any rush to upgrade CPU at the moment. Got plenty of RAM too. Just need a fast GPU but I’m dreading the price of a 5090.

I was thinking about the uplift from 7xxx series Ryzen to 9xxx series which does not appear to be worth it for gamers yet. but for 5xxxx series owners it might be worth it.

Then I was also thinking how often do people upgrade, each and every time Intel/AMD release or every other or only as and when your system stops doing what you want in a timely fashion.

I have a 5800x/X570 system with 32 GB 3600 DDR4 and for the games I play I am OK, so its been 3 years now.

How about you guys ?

 

[MrJangles]

When I buy a PC I buy it to last so on average about every 8 years! Waiting to see what nVidia has lined up for us with the 5 series next month before I do a full upgrade on my current 2016 rig (that has served me very very well I must admit).

 

[Garibaldi]

My 5950x has lasted since they were released, so about 4 years I think. Looking to gut the machine in the summer and do a full top of the line rebuild, while the current stuff goes in a small form factor box we can use in the media cabinet along with the PS5 Pro.

That is if I can find something with enough cooling capacity for it, 64GB of RAM and a 3090 FTW3 Ultra

 

[CuteFaceJay]

shit I'm still on CPU from 2018.

 

[GymWolf]

Intel i5 26,700kk

 

[Sgt. Pinback]

I upgrade my hardware when it's time. When the system just isn't giving me what I want from it.

My last few CPU upgrades have been:

14700k
13900k (which died)
6800k (the worst CPU I've ever owned)
2600k (the best CPU I've ever owned)

My next upgrade will be the upgrade for my 6090 in 2027/8.

 

[Thebonehead]

ZX81
Dragon 32 ( UK TRS-80 clone )
C64
Amiga 500
Amiga 1200
386 dx 33
486 dx2 66
P90
Pentium 2
Athlon 64
Several Core2 duo
4900k
8700k
12900k

9950X3d is up next

So based on that between 2-4 years.

Gpu's normally every generation although I skipped the 20 series Nvidia as it didn't have much sense from the 1080ti

 

[TintoConCasera]

Never. I upgrade my graphic cards once and my next upgrade is a completely new system.

Yeah I do the same.

Buy whole new PC with amazing CPU and good enough (xx70 series usually) GPU, then update the GPU once the next xx70 comes out, and a few years later repeat the whole cycle.

 

[deeptech]

Nice thread.

2008 Celeron 420
2010-ish maybe 11 iirc Pentium E5700
2013 4670k
2020 R5 3600
2024 R7 7700

 

[Bojji]

2007-2013 - Intel C2D and P2C
2012 - 2500K
2016 - 2600K (cheap upgrade)
2019 - 3600
2020 - 5600X
2023 - 5800X3D

I wasn't upgrading CPUs very often (before 3600, I wasn't satisfied in performance). In the meantime I had DOZENS GPUs.

I think I will keep 5800X3D for some time...

 

[xVodevil]

Hard to say since being "grown up" and building/upgrading my own PC when the opportunity comes
Had the Intel i5-2500k - AMD 2600X - 5800X and now 7800X3D since I manage my own PC based on what I can afford, but latest being pretty solid not sure I'm in a rush anytime soon.
This of course means it is based on new upcoming stuff not being absolutely unmissable 1 in 5 generations best upgrade for years and yeah, but I do believe 7800X3D is definitely was one of that kind.
Definitely not the same priority as GPU, though I've learned the lesson instantly with 5800X how much difference CPU can make to keep up with few gens newer GPU.

 

[StereoVsn]

4-5 years or when I see a bottleneck. Usually it’s not worth to upgrade sooner as your GPU is the main factor.

 

[Bernoulli]

At 1440p and 4k you are more GPU limited

 

[Kataploom]

There's people that upgraded when PS4 gen started and are still mostly good lol I don't see any reason to change my 5600X so not sure it brings any benefit apart from some additional performance in CPU blind scenarios, which are rare in the games I play if they ever happen at all.

 

[ThatOneGrunt]

I didn't even know what I had. Just looked and its a Ryzen 5 2600. Right now it's paired with my 3070ti. I have no idea when I even bought it.

Is this why Indiana Jones isn't running well on my PC?

 

[AtomicStarving]

2-3 years max.

 

[//DEVIL//]

Usually every generation. Jumped from 5800x3d to 7800x3d

This year however I made the exception to go 9800x3d

Honestly maybe I shouldn’t but whatever it’s a good cpu .

In theory I should wait for AM6 with DDR6. Upgrading again to higher end cpu I don’t see really the point unless 4K difference is big.

Just didn’t want my future 5090 to be bottlenecked

 

[namenotfound]

I have never same socket upgraded my CPU in like 20 years. Mid 2023 I went with with an Ryzen 7000 series chip so this time I can imagine upgrading my CPU on the same board seeing how the early people with AM4 boards had such good options by the end.

 

[Doctor Hades]

Usually every 5-6 years but my last CPU was an Intel i7-4770K which I got in June 2013 and it lasted me until December 2022 when I finally upgraded to an i5-13600K. And, yes, I did notice a huge improvement to game performance going from a 4-core/8-thread CPU to a 14-core/20-thread one. The main reason for upgrading the CPU though wasn't really performance but having access to new features such faster PCI-e, better USB support and things like NVMe M.2 SSD support, something I did not have access to on my previous motherboard.

I don't see the point in upgrading the CPU every few years as the improvements are usually iterative and unless you game at sub-1080p with low graphics settings then you will never see huge performance increases gen on gen at 1440p and 4K. Better to spend that money on a graphics card update in my opinion and just upgrade the CPU every 5-7 years when the motherboards include other new technologies.

 

[SHA]

What stops you from buying the best amd/intel cpu? It's not just about gaming, the differences in performance has nothing to do with aging, these 2 things aren't the same thing.

 

[Crayon]

Surprising what a boring upgrade a cpu is lol.

I could hardly tell you what cpu I have now. I'm pretty sure it's a 5600. I bought that a few years back because I was replacing a very, very old computer in the office, and used half of my gaming pc as a hand-me down and then upgraded those parts. That was a 2600 that I was just fine with. That 2600 went in because I got on board am4 at the ground level with a tiny 1300x, before proton was out and linux could play any heavier games.

So that's 3 cpus, one of which was a 2-for-1 hand me down upgrade, in 8 years. All of these cpus cost me less than $150. I must say this AM4 has treated me well. Given that I'm going along just fine with a 5600, I still might have one more upgrade on that board when I can eventually get a 5700x3d for $150.

 

[Smiggs]

First computer I built for myself was an Athlon 64 3400+ I believe in 2005. After that, I got an AMD Phenom II 970 Black in 2010. Then an i5 4690k in 2014, and an i7 9700k in 2019. I just got a 9800x3d last month. All of them were completely new builds.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Every other generation of CPU.

 

[flying_sq]

Whenever there is a compelling new technology introduced, or hardware failure. I was on an original i7 920 for a long time, until my PSU killed my cpu, got a 950, then my mobo died a year or two later. Then I wasn't spending a lot of time at home, so I bought an hexacore Intel hp workstation, had that for awhile, gave it away to a friend then bought a 5900x for a new build. This is my first PC with NVME, which is what really made me jump. I kind of want an x3d chip, but I'm fine with my performance right now. Might keep using this processor until the PCI-E lanes become a bottle neck like my old mobo started to become as well.

 

[Schmendrick]

Once it starts to bottleneck the system. So far that resulted in a 5-6 year cycle.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

 

[Pegasus Actual]

Almost never, when its time I mostly need a completely new computer anyways.
I did however actually upgrade my CPU for the first time EVER, from a 3800x to a 5700x3D

Update on my "CPUs"

Everyone is a new computer
-------------------------------
286, 12Mhz.
486, DX2-66Mhz
Pentium - 75Mhz
Pentium II - 233Mhz (1998)
Pentium II - 333Mhz (different computer then the above Pentium II machine)
Pentium 3 - 1Ghz - Laptop (2001)
Core Duo T2500 - 2.0Ghz - Laptop (2006)
Core 2 Duo - 2.2Ghz (2008)
i7 930 - 2.8Ghz (2010)

Only CPU upgrade
--------------------
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X (2020)
AMD Ryzen 7 5700x3D (2024, first actual upgrade)

No Celeron 300A -> 450+mhz = noob.

 

[Housh]

I usually buy a new component or two every Black Friday so it's a yearly small or mid size upgrade.

 

[lachesis]

I was on Intel - so I was unnecessarily holding off upgrading CPU because I had to also upgrade MB too.
So I held onto the rig that I built in 2011 (3930k) - only GPU upgrade and storage upgrades.

Then I decided to build AM5 build. First AMD build earlier this year. (7800X3D + 4080 Super + 64GB on X670E board)
I am going to upgrade my CPU with 9950X3D (for work) and maybe 5080/5070Ti... and grandfather my 7800X3D/4080 Super to a 2nd build for gaming in my living room.
And the plan is to upgrade one more time at the end of life cycle of AM5 in a few years & hold onto it for a while.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I've never upgraded a PC part ever since buying my first tower PC in like 2000. Got my first laptop around 2010-ish and never looked back. Not even sure you can even upgrade laptops.

When it's time to buy a new PC every 5 years, I just look for the best laptop I can find for my budget.

I will buy extra external storage though. Got an external SSD last year to back up all my files.