Good GPU, Bad CPU! Help!

[prevard]

I have a NVIDIA GTX 760 Graphics Card and an A8-5600K APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics Processor. Before I explain my situation, keep in mind I'm not very smart with computers nor solving problems with computers.

So, I've been upgrading my graphics card over the past few years from somewhere in the 600 Series range to 700 Series range and doing so has made no difference in how the games I play perform (you'd think I'd stop upgrading after I noticed; but I didn't). I am finally here at a GTX 760 and I still have to run all of the games I play at the lowest possible graphics settings. I get about 120 to 140 ping in every game and my FPS is always crap.

I just upgraded from a Windows 7 to a Windows 8.1 and have cleared EVERYTHING from my computer, so I know there's no viruses or anything slowing something down. I've made sure all my drivers are up to date, etc..

Getting to the point, I'm curious if there's any way I can get around my CPU bottle-necking my GPU without paying money for a better Processor?

Also, somebody on another site forum gave me this link to refer to when I get to the point that I want to "upgrade" my CPU: http://cpuboss.com/cpus/AMD-FX-6300-vs-AMD-A8-5600K | Would "upgrading" to the AMD FX 6300 do me more good than my current AMD A8 5600K?

>"The AMD FX 6300 is a reliable and pretty cheap choice, and you can sell your actual CPU for it. The FM2 slot for the AMD 18 5600K is getting pretty old, and doesn't deliver much performance."
[Said by another person on another site, directed at my situation]

Thank you to whoever reads and replies to this.

 

[synphul]

If the cpu is bottlenecking your gpu, then no there's no way around it except a stronger cpu. You should be able to run software like hwinfo64 or similar and check to see the % of use of both cpu and gpu when you're gaming. If your gpu is around 60-70% use and your cpu is maxed out then your cpu is the bottleneck (which is likely considering the 5600k). The 6300 would be a little better but it will require a new cpu, motherboard (since it's am3+, not fm2) and a decent aftermarket cooler to oc the 6300 to get decent performance out of it.

Unless a game is heavy on the gpu with light cpu requirements, games prefer stronger cores. That's why intel cpu's typically fill the top of most every gaming benchmark, from i3 through i7's. An i3 gives similar or better performance than the 6300 for the same price even though it's a locked core cpu (it doesn't need overclocked to meet similar performance of the fx 8350 in many games).

If you have a decent motherboard with a 6300, you can always upgrade to an 8320 or 8350 and get a little more performance. The i3 system will allow you to upgrade to an i5/i7 or xeon so it has a much better upgrade path. You should take a look by searching for the games you want to play and check cpu performance benchmarks to get an idea since different games perform differently (gaming as a catch all is really a broad spectrum). If possible, try to find benchmarks that show you not just average or max fps but min fps as well. Many times you'll notice an amd cpu and intel cpu are within 10fps average of each other but the intel will have much higher min fps meaning smoother game play. If two cpu's are averaging 60fps, one dips to 50fps while the other dips down to 35fps, the one that drops to 35fps is going to feel like it's stuck in the mud every once in awhile under heavy load and feel 'laggy'.

 

[prevard]

I'll stop wasting time and look into getting a better CPU, Motherboard and an aftermarket cooler. Thank you very, very much for your time. +1 to you, my friend.

 

[synphul]

The best bet is to look for performance comparisons regarding the specific games you want to play. Some of the newest games just released are plagued by poor optimization and struggle on everything leaving people waiting for much needed patches. Not all games have the same demands on hardware, it wouldn't help much to suggest a cpu that performs great on several games if you don't play them. Checking benchmarks for games you're interested in will probably help you find the most suitable parts for the gaming that matters to you. Best of luck.