The PC is used for playing D2R (multiple instances) some Call of Duty, Fortnite, SC2, etc.

If I could upgrade my PC for the same cost should I:

a) Upgrade from CPU i5-10400F to i7-10700F
OR
b)Upgrade from GPU RTX 2060 to RTX 3060

Thanks in advance for any input.

2060 -> 3060 isn't a major upgrade (3060ti would be a significant leap)

I5 -> i7 is a pretty significant upgrade but utterly unnecessary for what you're doing unless you're getting some lag with multiboxing d2r.

I'd recommend holding cash and upgrading later when you can do something bigger. I7 if you want a smoother multibox experience (as long as your RAM is sufficient, because that would likely bottleneck when multiboxing before your CPU does)

Thank you very much for your response.

I should have prefaced with the fact that I am actually selecting between multiple pre-built PCs at this time (I know, I know...but this seems to be the best bang-for-buck with the current GPU situation).

Option 1: Has the i5 with the 2060.
Option 2: Has the i7 with the 2060 (+$100 from Option 1)
Option 3: Has the i5 with the 3060 (+$100 from Option 1, same price as Option 2)

All other parts are equal.

Edit: RAM is 16GB of DDR4 (3000MHz - 2x8GB)

This post was edited by Sleeper on Feb 3 2022 04:02pm

Ohh I see.

Given those choices and your use-case, I'd go with i5 + 3060

I would also suggest that depending on how many instances you're hoping to run of d2r, an increase in RAM will probably serve you well for multiboxing. If you can't get it prebuilt with more RAM (or the prices are ludicrous) then get matching RAM aftermarket. RAM is super easy to install, just make sure you get 2 identical sticks to what they put in the prebuilt (your mobo should have 2 free slots unless it's a small form factor).

I love building PCs but I'm not zealously against pre-builts. Having put up with enough grief and panic-attacks with builds I've done I kind of get it. Just don't get gouged (do some research on what parts are going in and) don't pay more than 200-400 for the build. Also keep in mind that pre-builts are almost always half-assed for assembly, so swapping parts later will be slightly more difficult. If your only reason for going prebuilt is graphics cards shortage, patience and hunting goes a long way. If you want to save yourself the hassle of building, ignore the elitists online and get a prebuilt

This post was edited by Resonating_glass on Feb 3 2022 04:11pm

Again, thank you for the thorough response!

I will only be running two instances of D2R. I will definitely consider the RAM suggestion should I notice myself being bottlenecked with the RAM. I'm assuming that the mobo will have available slots (Intel B560).

My current PC build is several years old (GTX 1050, still using DDR3 RAM - 16GB). So I'll end up needing to replace multiple parts anyways, which was bringing me up to the price tag on a prebuilt.

The following build is for ~$1400CAD/$1100USD:
Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64-bit
CPU Type: Intel Core i5 10th Gen
CPU Speed: 10400F (2.90GHz)
GPU/VGA Type: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
Memory Capacity: 16GB DDR4
SSD: 512GB M.2 NVMe
HDD: No

Should be fine with 16gb for 2 instances. Play with your settings to optimize use. I believe a B560 has 4 RAM slots so you can keep a RAM upgrade in mind for the future.

You'll definitely notice a lot of improvement from your old build, especially if you don't yet have an NVME drive!

Canadian eh? If you're on the west coast I could probably build you the same PC for $1k. 1400 is high but like I said, 400 for a build isn't horrible. Saves you 4-6 hours of sweat so it's probably worth it

All things considered I think you'll be really happy with this build and the finer details are just minor decisions totally up to you

Much appreciated. I was reading some reviews on this PC build and some comments mentioned the same thing bout optimizing the RAM (including instructions).
I’m in Eastern Ontario, but thank you for the offer! I know I’m paying a little more than typical market value, but I’ve been tracking GPU prices and availability for a couple of months now, and it is still a pretty crazy market.

Agreed, this should be a lot more PC than what I’ve been working with.

Thanks again for the help.