i7 3770K at it's limit with GTX 1080 Ti

[poopflinger]

I'm currently gaming at 1080p maximum settings, but I'm going to be upgrading to a 4k display by the end 2017.

Current system specs:
i7 3770K (4.5Ghz OC)
ASUS P8Z77-V Premium
32gb DDR3 2400 cl 10
ZOTAC GTX 1080 Ti AMP Edition
Two 1TB SSDs in RAID 0

Currently, in many of the modern AAA games, with graphics settings at their maximum, my CPU is getting pretty taxed (sometimes between 60-90% usage depending on the games).

My question is, what can I expect from this system when I bring a 4k display into the mix? Should I consider upgrading to the i7 8700K for significant FPS improvements, or will the CPU not be taxed quite as much at 4k resolution? Thanks in advance

 

[blankcr8]

The cpu will not be taxed nearly as much at 4k. As long as you're getting over 60fps in 1080p (I'd be very surprised if you weren't). That cpu will be perfectly fine for 4k

 

[feelinfroggy777]

Your CPU is fine. At 1080p, the bottleneck is on the CPU because the GPU does not have to work as hard. But when you move to 4k, the GPU has to work much harder that it will have trouble taking all the data the CPU will feed it. I would not change any of your hardware until 4k monitors go past 60hz.

 

[Math Geek]

yup. 4k is actually less taxing on the cpu as the gpu is doing A LOT more work than 1080p. so you'd likely see at least the same fps and probably slightly more with reduced settings at 4k. even a 1080ti can't do maxed settings at 4k on every game

 

[geofelt]

My suggestion is to wait and buy your 4k monitor first.

Then, you will have a better idea of exactly what you need.
As a guess, I think your cpu would be similarly utilized and your fps will be more limited by your graphics card.

Of course, it will be game dependent.
Some games are graphics limited like fast action shooters.
Others are cpu core speed limited like strategy, sims, and mmo.
Multiplayer with many participants tend to like many threads.

 

[poopflinger]

The cpu will not be taxed nearly as much at 4k. As long as you're getting over 60fps in 1080p (I'd be very surprised if you weren't). That cpu will be perfectly fine for 4k

I should have included my FPS in the OP. All games are giving me over 60fps with the current setup. Sometimes well over 100fps. Some games hover in the 70s with supersampling and the works but that's like simulated 4k, right?

Thanks for the replies, btw.

 

[blankcr8]

Yeah you'll be fine in 4k, the refresh rate of pretty much all 4k monitors is 60hz, and the gpu will not reach much over 60fps in demanding games

 

[feelinfroggy777]

The cpu will not be taxed nearly as much at 4k. As long as you're getting over 60fps in 1080p (I'd be very surprised if you weren't). That cpu will be perfectly fine for 4k

I should have included my FPS in the OP. All games are giving me over 60fps with the current setup. Sometimes well over 100fps. Some games hover in the 70s with supersampling and the works but that's like simulated 4k, right?

Thanks for the replies, btw.

Yeah you'll be fine in 4k, the refresh rate of pretty much all 4k monitors is 60hz, and the gpu will not reach much over 60fps in demanding games

It is hard on the GPU, but not as hard as 4k. The 1080ti is definitely a 4k card, but it wont run every game at 4k, 60fps, with max settings all the time. But it will average 60fps on any reasonably optimized game.

It is expensive, but I would recommend a monitor with gsync if you can afford it. With gsync you don't notice the frame drops and the game play is butter smooth with zero lag.

 

[blankcr8]

The cpu will not be taxed nearly as much at 4k. As long as you're getting over 60fps in 1080p (I'd be very surprised if you weren't). That cpu will be perfectly fine for 4k

I should have included my FPS in the OP. All games are giving me over 60fps with the current setup. Sometimes well over 100fps. Some games hover in the 70s with supersampling and the works but that's like simulated 4k, right?

Thanks for the replies, btw.

Yeah you'll be fine in 4k, the refresh rate of pretty much all 4k monitors is 60hz, and the gpu will not reach much over 60fps in demanding games

It is hard on the GPU, but not as hard as 4k. The 1080ti is definitely a 4k card, but it wont run every game at 4k, 60fps, with max settings all the time. But it will average 60fps on any reasonably optimized game.

It is expensive, but I would recommend a monitor with gsync if you can afford it. With gsync you don't notice the frame drops and the game play is butter smooth with zero lag.

That's what I meant to say, minus the g-sync part. Sorry if my wording was unclear.