A10-7870k Bottlenecking GTX 960?

[Nouseforaname222]

I wanted to build a PC for the first time, so I used the A10-7870k. The purpose of the PC is general web browsing, media consumption and light gaming. However, I recently got really into PC gaming, and I decided to switch from console to PC. So I purchased a Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960. I also have an Nvidia Shield tablet, so purchasing the GTX 960 was also because I wanted to do some game streaming. However, when I play FIFA 15 or 16 on my PC, the game stutters so badly that I can't even play it. I can get rid of most of the stuttering by turning AA off. When running AMD Overdrive, it says that my CPU is around 90% utilization as I'm running these games. After overclocking the CPU a bit (4.3 stable OC) it does help a bit, but not much.

So it seems that my CPU is totally bottlenecking the GPU, right? Or is the GPU the problem - is it not as good as I thought it was? Would the best move be to go with another processor on the FM2+ socket like an Athlon? Or just a new build? I am trying to keep it below $600, so I was debating on if I should build with an i3 6100 so that I can upgrade in the future.

tl;dr - a10-7870k + GTX 960 = bad combo?

Here's a summary of the hardware in my PC:

AMD A10-7870k
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler
GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 960 4GB Mini ITX OC EDITION
MSI A88XM GAMING FM2+
EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650 80 PLUS GOLD Certified
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB)
SAMSUNG EVO-Series 120GB SSD
WD Blue 1TB HDD
Asus DVD RW Drive

(I apologize in advance if I'm breaking some sort of forum rule or protocol. First time ever posting...)

 

[st3v30]

Buying new CPU on FM2+ i waste of $$.
Yea 7870k will bottleneck GTX 960.
If you want new parts you can keep most of your current parts and get only new CPU and MOBO.
Or you can go with skylake and get 6600k lets say Asus z170-A or Pro Gamer and 8 GB DDR4 2666Mhz.
So if you want to keep your RAM and lower cost.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $469.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-07 12:13 EST-0500

Or a bit cheaper solution

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($224.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $364.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-07 12:17 EST-0500



If you want to switch to new platform with DDR4.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($245.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z170 PRO GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($162.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $456.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-07 12:16 EST-0500

Any of these configurations will give you huge performance boost over 7870k.

 

[ikissfutebol]

You can get the i3 6100. If you are looking to play FIFA and other sports titles, you can keep an 6100 for a few years easily. 16 asks for an i3 2100 or something. And unless you plan on overclocking, get the least expensive board with the features you need from a reputable maker. The average person can likely use an H110 and save a potentially $100. Doesn't mean everyone can and doesn't mean it will fit your needs. The only board you can overclock with is the Z170 so obviously that limits you. The H110, B150, H170, and Z170 otherwise differ in the number of slots and ports it can potentially contain.

 

[Nouseforaname222]

Thanks for your responses. I think I'm going to go with a new Skylake build!

 

[Benjiwenji]

I know you've pick an answer. However, if "the purpose of the PC is general web browsing, media consumption and light gaming", and you later decide that $800 is over your budget, the here is a backup option for $500ish. The i3-6100 is also an excellent choice for the price. Good luck and have fun building!

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD Athlon X4 860K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($73.88 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($34.50 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock FM2A88X Extreme4+ ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($46.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 380 2GB Video Card ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Directron)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($55.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $541.22
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-08 15:22 EST-0500