Question CPU Upgrade Help

[Goldienn]

Hey,
I will start by listing my current PC specs so that you all know where we at:
MOBO - MSI B560M-A PRO
CPU - i3-10105F, running at Turbo
GPU - ASUS GTX 1660 Ti OC 6GB
RAM - Lexar Thor 32GB, iirc running at CL16 3200MHz
PSU - SPC Vero L3 500W
Lately I've been feeling like my current CPU is kinda not enough for the games. I mostly play multiplayer FPS games like Battlefield V and 2042, Delta Force, COD MW2, Warzone. Even on a daily basis it frequently reaches 100% usage and I'm wondering if there's any possible CPU upgrade I could consider?
I don't want to spend much money, let's say around 120$, so I'd rather stay with LGA1200 and change the CPU only. I'm thinking about i5-11400F because it seems like a good prize to performance option, but I'm not sure if it's actually gonna give me a significant boost in the games I play. That's why I come here, I'd appreciate any kind of help and advice

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

I don't want to spend much money, let's say around 120$,
So you're located in the USA? Where in the USA are you located? DO you have a micro center near where you are? If you're not located in the USA, please specify where you are located and your preferred sites for purchase since brand and product availability can and will vary with region.

PSU - SPC Vero L3 500W
How old is the PSU in your build?

MOBO - MSI B560M-A PRO
https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B560M-A-PRO/Specification
My first point of concern with your motherboard is the lack of a proper VRM design. Although the CPU support list shows pretty much all 11th Gen Intel processors compatible, including the ones with 125W TDP, I doubt your VRM can handle that over a long period of time.

If you are indeed looking towards an 11th Gen Intel processor, go for an i7-11700, non-K or -F or -KF SKU;
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/7RTp99/intel-core-i7-11700-25-ghz-8-core-processor-bx8070811700
the logic behind that is due to the fact that an iGPU will come in handy when you have to troubleshoot discrete GPU related issues and with an F SKU processor, you're going to need another discrete GPU to troubleshoot your discrete GPU related issues.

Ebay might have something listed for cheaper, like this one;
https://www.ebay.com/itm/205237845870

the games I play
What is the make and model of your monitor?

On a side note, I'd make sure you've flashed the BIOS to the latest version then cleared the CMOS before you drop in a higher performing CPU onto the socket.

 

[Goldienn]

First of all thanks for the advice. Although the i7 you mentioned seems like a good option, it exceedes my budget a bit :/ However if an i5 isnt worth upgrading to, I will consider your recommendation. About your questions - I'm from Poland and I usually buy stuff from sites like allegro, x-kom.pl or morele.net, my whole setup is nearly 2,5 years old and my monitor is a 23,8" Acer Nitro 1920x1080 144Hz. I usually play on a lower resolution not only because it gives me more fps but also I prefer to play at such resolutions like 1600x1024.

 

[geofelt]

Here are the processors that your motherboard can support:
https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B560M-A-PRO/support#cpu
The strongest would be the I9-11900K which sells for some $200-$250 on ebay.
You would also probably need a better cooler.
For normal gaming,the critical spec is the single thread performance of the master thread.
But, in this case with multiplayer games, more threads is better.
To get some sense of this, look up the passmark numbers.
The i3-10105f has 8 threads and a passmark rating of 8962. The single thread rating is 2652:
https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i3-10105F+@+3.70GHz&id=4175
Something like a i7-11700K would fit your budget
It has 16 threads and a passmark rating of 24517:
https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i7-11700K+@+3.60GHz&id=3896
The stock cooler is not likely to be good enough.
Budget $40 for a GOOD COOLER:
https://www.newegg.com/p/13C-000Y-000E1