CPU Bottlenecking GPU?

XCaedisX

Commendable
Dec 25, 2016
15
0
1,510
Specs: CPU: AMD Fx(tm)-4300 Quad-Core Processor
GPU: Nvidia Geforce GTX 1060 6GB
Memory: 16 GB Ram
OS: Windows 10 Home 64-bit
Monitor: HP Pavilion 22cw IPS LED Backlit Monitor

So I'm not all that knowledgeable about hardware. I usually ask a computer-savvy friend of mine what parts I should get. But I know the 1060 is a pretty good card. Not end-of-the-line or monstrously good, but capable of running most AAA games on decent settings. It passes the test on almost every game on systemrequirementslab. My CPU, however, does not. But while my CPU doesn't pass a lot of them, the GPU seems to make up for it in some cases. Others, however, the games seem to lag pretty bad on any decent settings, or stutter and crash if there's a lot going on.

Basically what I'm asking: Is my outdated CPU severely dragging down my GPU? How much better would my gaming experience be if I upgraded my CPU to something better?
 
Solution
Both new generation Intel and new generation AMD would need 3 of your parts changed: processor, motherboard, and RAM. $500 should let you build great gaming PC if you want it, with something like: 1400X (4cores-8threads like i7) CPU ~$200, really good motherboard for $100, 16GB of DDR4 for $120-140 depending on speed, and $30 cooler for overclocking. Or something cheaper if you'd want that- which would still be twice faster than FX4300. Other builds are possible as well, like one with very cheap Pentium G4560, or just the upgrade of processor to FX6300-8350 if your current motherboard model supports them. But I would recommend to wait a few weeks for Ryzen CPU, see Ryzen and Intel prices, and decide then. Most reasonable choices are...
I would believe that the CPU would have an effect on the performance of the System.

In other words, yes it would be a bottleneck although I don't really like that term.

If you were to upgrade to a better CPU you could see some frame-rate increases depending on the game.
 
Yes, your CPU is severely bottlenecking the GPU, especially if you are on 1080p resolution or lower. Good news is, new generation of CPUs are coming in about 10 days time, which is set to make big waves in CPU market which was stalling for the last 5 years. So follow the news on 'Ryzen' lineup, it should be unveiled on Feb28 to March 2. To upgrade, you would have to change motherboard, RAM, and CPU. Upgrading just the CPU to say FX6300 or FX8350 does not really make sense, as you would still be limited to 40-50, while your GPU can do 60-100 with Ryzen or an i5-i7.
 
Ryzen seems to be heavily focused on the rendering side of things based on marketing etc, and IPC + clock speeds aren't up to par with Intel's alternatives for the cost, pointing towards the fact that their mid range consumer CPUs probably won't beat Intel this generation.
However x99 is about to get upset quite heavily it appears. 😛
 
Yeah, I'm at 1080p. Unfortunately I don't believe my motherboard is compatible with intel processors--only that AMD series. My budget for a single piece of hardware would probably be around $200-500, depending on how significant of an upgrade it would be to my computer. If I could get both a motherboard and a processor for that amount that are still compatible with my other parts, that'd be something to think about. Of course, then I have the issue of installing a new motherboard and CPU, haha. From what I've seen they're far more complicated to swap out than any other parts.
 
You'll need a the motherboard, RAM and CPU, its very easy to swap it out, take out the power connectors etc. and just remove the board with everything still in it, as you won't be using those components in that system anymore so its pointless to bother deconstructing it.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-7500 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($196.33 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($73.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: ADATA XPG Z1 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $355.30
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-02-20 18:49 EST-0500
 
Both new generation Intel and new generation AMD would need 3 of your parts changed: processor, motherboard, and RAM. $500 should let you build great gaming PC if you want it, with something like: 1400X (4cores-8threads like i7) CPU ~$200, really good motherboard for $100, 16GB of DDR4 for $120-140 depending on speed, and $30 cooler for overclocking. Or something cheaper if you'd want that- which would still be twice faster than FX4300. Other builds are possible as well, like one with very cheap Pentium G4560, or just the upgrade of processor to FX6300-8350 if your current motherboard model supports them. But I would recommend to wait a few weeks for Ryzen CPU, see Ryzen and Intel prices, and decide then. Most reasonable choices are these:
1) You can upgrade of just a CPU (if your motherboard supports higher powered ones): games on FX6300 or 8350 would run without sharp hickups, but many would be limited to 40-50 frames per second, which is not very fluid. Your GPU can do more.
2) Upgrade to Pentium G4560 with normal motherboard and RAM- would cost ~$65 + $75 motherboard + $60-120 (for 8 or 16 GB of ram)= $200-$260. It would run most of the games really well, although some people report hickups on dual core/4thread processors like it (GTA5, Rise of the Tomb Rider, Battlefield1 are games mentioned). Still, for most games it would be very fast, and also later easily upgradable by taking out CPU and putting in , say, used or new i5 or i7. At this moment- new i5 and i7 processors are overpriced.
3) PC rebuilt with Ryzen, which is the latest platform supporting 4-6-8 core processors. Would run fast, be upgradable, power efficient, etc, at prices starting from something like $130 + $60 mobo + $60RAM=$250 for quadcore, to even sixcore at $230 + $75mobo +$140 RAM =$445, or a build for overclocking. These would just run any game properly, and if build with R5 processors (4/8 or 6/12 core/thread) would be quite futureproof.
So, you decide what you want, and if you have more questions- ask.
 
Solution