CPU bottlenecking GPU

[pandorondan]

So i want to buy a GTX 1070, and i know my CPU is so low that it will surely bottleneck the gtx 1070 so hard, but i wondered, if i get a gpu of lower performance like a gtx 970, or even lower, i will get more FPS than with the gtx 1070?, or is it just the same?

 

[NightHawkRMX]

What is your CPU. That will really determine that

 

[pandorondan]

it's an Athlon II x3 445 3.4 ghz, though i want to buy a whole PC, i decided to start with the most expensive part, which is the GPU, and then from there to start getting the Mobo, the CPU and the RAM, but till i get them i want to play some games, and i dont know if should i even bother inserting the GPU into the PC till then, but its worth asking

 

[geofelt]

There is no such thing as "bottlenecking"
If, by that, you mean that upgrading a cpu or graphics card can
somehow lower your performance or FPS.
A better term might be limiting factor.
That is where adding more cpu or gpu becomes increasingly
less effective.

Your plan is reasonable.
A GTX1070 with whatever cpu will deliver better fps than a lesser card.
Perhaps not by much, but it should not run slower.

If your games are fast action games a strong graphics card is a good first upgrade.
You are looking at needing a 500w psu for the upgrade.

 

[pandorondan]

Yes i do have a 550W PSU, planning to upgrade the GPU because yes indeed i play Counter strike global offensive and Battlefield 1, and they seem to ask for a decent video card and i tried to sneak a 1070 gtx on my budget, and i saw that indeed its the most expensive single part, and i bought it first, now i want to buy atleast a ryzen 5 1600 and a mobo and some DDR4 ram 8 gbs, but it takes time, and i wanted to know if with my actual PC and with the gtx 1070, i will have lower framerates, if i put the 1070 gtx one in, i have 8 gbs ram 1600mhz ddr3, the CPU i just said earlier and the gtx 1070, and i plan to play those games except Battlefield 1, cuz it must ask for a higher CPU too, and GTA online, i had like 60-50 fps in them with the current PC without the gtx 1070, i have a gt 730 2gb, all at low, but not 1080p of course, which is why i also choosed 1070 gtx, it works well with 1080p, also the gtx 1060 6gb one, but 1070, its a bit powerful so it's like a futureproof for maybe the next games. So i arrive at the original question, is it a bad bottlenecking till i get the new mobo and CPU and i shouldnt put the gpu in till i get the new parts, or can i give it a try?

 

[geofelt]

By all means, put your new parts in.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

That sounds like a good plan. Those old triple cores are really unique, and I have seen them play some newer games, with fair results. You WILL see a performance increase, even with that CPU limiting your performance. Even if you CPU would max out with a cheaper card, the 1070 will have a more steady frame delivery, slightly higher fps, and leave you room to upgrade.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Just to add, There are some powerful, but cheap AMD Vega GPUs and 7nm CPUs rumored to be announced at CES in January 2019. A 6 core 12 thread Ryzen 3 is rumored to be announced for $99, and it will likely overclock higher than the R5 2600, due to the 7nm process. Also, some powerful gpus are rumored with cheap prices. Keep in mind, these are rumors and even if they are correct they wouldn't go on sale until later 2019, but if you don't need to upgrade right now, you may want to wait.