Key takeaway: The smartest upgrade is the one that removes your current bottleneck, not the one with the flashiest specs.
Watch for the performance symptom first. Frame dips, load stutter, heat spikes, and slow boot times each point toward different upgrade priorities.
Benchmark your main games before buying. Even a simple baseline helps separate assumptions from the real constraint.
Upgrade in the order that preserves future flexibility. Some improvements unlock later gains, while others box you into another expensive jump.