[SOLVED] Advice on components.

wilbarker5

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Hello!

So the advice I am asking for is really to do with steady gaming. What I mean by this is that sometimes when I play games they stutter (games like BF5 and sometimes Resident Evil 2), I always had a feeling it may have something to do with my RAM (I will list my components at the end), as I still have DDR3 ram.

My main goal with my gaming PC is to game at 1080p 60fps, Max Settings (preferably)/Ultra-High Settings, not really that into investing into 144hz monitors or 1440p/4k monitors. I am not sure if the game is stuttering because I am pushing settings too high? Sometimes I even just cap the framerate at 60fps to match my monitor refresh rate which nullifies the stuttering. on BF5 I can steadily play the game at Ultra (Max Settings) but require to lock the framerate to nullify stuttering. Same with Resident Evil 2 (Remake).

I do make sure I close Chrome mainly when I am playing more higher end games, if it was something like Black Ops 2 on Steam I wouldn't bother since it runs flawlessly which does indeed help nullify stuttering even further! I keep open stuff like Steam, Origin, Discord, NZXT's CAM software, Razer Synapse. I do not believe these are demanding at all on my hardware.

List of Components

CPU: Intel i7 4790k (I only use it for gaming instead of Livestreaming/Recording).
GPU: Gigabyte Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB
RAM: Kingston 16GB (4x4) 1333mhz overclocked to 1600mhz DDR3
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z97P-D3 ATX LGA1150

I was thinking of getting a Vega 56 since they are relatively similar prices to when I originally received the GTX 1060, except those are more like 1440p cards or 1080p144fps cards, just a thought. Would I need to upgrade anything anytime soon to keep up my main gaming intention?

Thanks.
 
Solution
For performance upgrade, GPU would be the first thing I would do, with your system. Your CPU is still fairly decent. I would not do any performance upgrades, until you have a quality PSU, though. A junk PSU can also cause system instability, just as an FYI.

Mastropomodoro

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A gtx 1060 is good for 1080p, if you want to upgrade it with a V56 you should expect a decent gain in fps. V56 is about at the same level of a gtx 1070ti or 2060.
Ram does not really make a difference because the gpu uses his Vram which is way faster than RAM. I can tell you also because i built my best friend's pc with:
i7 4790k, 2x4GB ddr3 1600mhz and a gtx 1060 (now he upgraded to 2060) and was working fine. Basically you have the same specs, so it is kinda strange to hear that you are having those problems. Before upgrading make sure that is about hardware
 

wilbarker5

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You cannot simply "replace" DDR3 with DDR4, unless you're replacing the CPU & motherboard also.


As for the stuttering, are you monitoring CPU/RAM/GPU utilization while gaming?

DDR4 would mean a completely new CPU and motherboard as well. You cannot just drop some fast DDR4, into a Z97 board.


OP: A Vega 56 would be quite the upgrade, if you your PSU is up to the task. An RTX 2060 is also an option, and a bit less power hungry.


to be fair, the ryzen 3rd gen stuff looks pretty cool, maybe someday i could look into getting one of those CPUs or another generation if the upgrade is significant, whilst getting new ram to kill two bird with one stone...as well as my wallet...so technically three birds.

and yes i do monitor my stuff, but only at the temperatures mostly. my gpu does get 100% load half of the time when I play RE2, not sure about BF5 though?

My PSU is 500w, however going through PC part picker the wattage is just suitable enough for the Vega 56 (under 500W total if i stick with my current CPU/RAM/ETC), however idk if i should get an 600-700W PSU to be safe
 

logainofhades

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Wattage is important, but quality matters even more. As I am not aware of any quality 500w units, I would say it should be replaced regardless. I would go with at least a 650w unit, of good quality. An Evga G2 or G3 for example. This 1660ti review appears to include Vega 56, so you can see the results, of multiple cards between it, and what you have now. https://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/msi_geforce_gtx_1660_ti_ventus_xs_review,12.html
 

wilbarker5

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The 1660ti is another option too. But im sure that 1060 users are advised to just skip the card since its targeted for 660/660 ti card users? I could be wrong though, which was why I was looking at vega 56. Its like £270 right now, and hopefully it stays that way for a while.

EDIT: I mean idk if my 500w PSU is affecting my system currently either or might cause issues.
 

logainofhades

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If it is a low quality unit, it can, and most likely will cause you problems, either now, or in the future. If the quality is really bad, it can die and take your system with it. The PSU is the single most important piece of hardware, in your system, so quality is a must.
 

Mastropomodoro

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In my opinion 650W are also too much, but i would defenetly change the psu. My suggestion is a Seasonic, but also xfx, silverstone, be quiet, evga, corsair (not VS series or CXs with the green layer), preferably with a 80+ gold certification
 

Barty1884

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In my opinion 650W are also too much, but i would defenetly change the psu. My suggestion is a Seasonic, but also xfx, silverstone, be quiet, evga, corsair (not VS series or CXs with the green layer), preferably with a 80+ gold certification

No such thing as too much. It might be overkill, but added headroom is never going to be "too much".

Equally, 80+ certifications are a measure of efficiency, not quality. Once you get into 80+ Gold territory, there is less junk.... but units that are relatively poor quality still exist at that tier.
Yes, Gold (or better) is a nice to have, but I'd rather have a quality bronze EVGA 750W B2 (for example) than an 80+ Gold 1000W RaidMax Cobra ....
 
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logainofhades

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In my opinion 650W are also too much, but i would defenetly change the psu. My suggestion is a Seasonic, but also xfx, silverstone, be quiet, evga, corsair (not VS series or CXs with the green layer), preferably with a 80+ gold certification

For Vega 56, 650w is not too much. They can get power hungry, fast. For a 1660ti, a quality 550w is sufficient. Vega 56 is a pretty good price/performance card, but PSU needs are a bit higher. Also given how close 650w tend to be vs a 550w, there is little sense in getting the lower wattage unit. Corsair Vengeance are decent, 80+ silver, and going for pretty good prices lately.

PCPartPicker Part List

Power Supply: Corsair - Vengeance 650 W 80+ Silver Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($60.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $60.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-06-17 13:32 EDT-0400
 

wilbarker5

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Mine is like an aerocool one that is 500w. I've had it for maybe 4+ years? I've not had any power issues I don't think. I usually just upgrade my PC as I go, so maybe I might see about a PSU upgrade.

Hopefully either a CPU & RAM upgrade or a GPU upgrade can fix or extremely make stuttering as minimal as possible?

This is my PC at the moment running a minecraft private server using 1GB of my Ram and running: Minecraft Java, with spotify, discord, steam, origin, and chrome open currently.

Ab4mhBe.jpg
 

wilbarker5

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I don't think so, but I never use V-Sync on shooters or anything that I play using Keyboard and Mouse.

I would use V-Sync on games I use controller for, so maybe the batman Arkham Games but i don't play them anymore. Just an example I would provide.

Capping FPS sometimes help but I am not sure if its just an inevitable thing for it to happen when you are just running around and it happens a few times.
 

wilbarker5

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I was asking for troubleshooting purposes. Now i'm not going to help you. Goodbye.
No problem.

For Vega 56, 650w is not too much. They can get power hungry, fast. For a 1660ti, a quality 550w is sufficient. Vega 56 is a pretty good price/performance card, but PSU needs are a bit higher. Also given how close 650w tend to be vs a 550w, there is little sense in getting the lower wattage unit. Corsair Vengeance are decent, 80+ silver, and going for pretty good prices lately.

PCPartPicker Part List

Power Supply: Corsair - Vengeance 650 W 80+ Silver Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($60.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $60.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-06-17 13:32 EDT-0400

So as a sort of solution, (excluding the PSU part) would it be sufficient to invest in either a CPU & RAM upgrade or a GPU upgrade? In your opinion, obviously I know you can't really say, "YES DO THIS". Would one or the other perhaps solve or help the situation you reckon?
 

logainofhades

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Moderator
For performance upgrade, GPU would be the first thing I would do, with your system. Your CPU is still fairly decent. I would not do any performance upgrades, until you have a quality PSU, though. A junk PSU can also cause system instability, just as an FYI.
 
Solution

wilbarker5

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Feb 1, 2019
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For performance upgrade, GPU would be the first thing I would do, with your system. Your CPU is still fairly decent. I would not do any performance upgrades, until you have a quality PSU, though. A junk PSU can also cause system instability, just as an FYI.

That was what I was sort of thinking. It would be a more stable method of stopping the stuttering. Mind it doesn't really happen as much if I cap the game's FPS to 60 frames per second!

I will look at some decent PSU's.

Thanks.

Saw you overclocked the ram, you are sure that doesn't affect stability? Maybe test at 1333mhz again.

I notice little difference really from going backwards and forwards between the two frequencies (1333MHZ & 1600MHZ). Might need to try it again.
 

Mastropomodoro

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Just out of curiosity, do you do some oc on the cpu while gaming? Do you have a good airflow in your case? Because normally Gigabyte VRM runs hotter than other brands, if they don't get enough cooling your cpu will throttle to prevent them from damaging...