Is a R5 1600 overkill for a GTX 1060 (6GB) ?

[nitinsp_82]

Hey there, So... I am planning to build a PC, and I am a first time builder. So, I am quite tight on budget, and was thinking of downgrading on either the CPU or the GPU. Downgrading on the GPU doesn't seem like a good option, especially when you consider modern AAA titles, so I need to change my CPU. I was wondering if a 1600 is overkill for a 1060, and if it is, which CPU will be a decent pair for the 1060? You people have helped me a lot, and that's why I think I can rely on you!
Here's the specs -
GTX 1060 6G OC
16GB DDR4 2400mhz RAM
500 Watt (80 plus standard)
a b350 motherboard
a 1 TB Hard Drive
And oh!, if you think another GPU has a better performance around the price of this GPU, please inform me!
Thanks a lot for at least reading till here!

 

[MnMWizard]

A good analogy is that your GPU is a water hose, and your CPU is the opening. You can have a lot of water pressure but if the opening isn't big enough there will be a bottleneck (similarly at a certain point having a wide opening won't matter if you don't have enough pressure. Having a better CPU usually mean more stable FPS, so I would definitely recommend the 1600 along with a motherboard equal to or greater than the MSI B350 tomahawk. For the PSU I'd recommend this one by SeaSonic: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/TgW9TW/seasonic-power-supply-m12ii520bronze

For the RAM higher MHz is very beneficial on Ryzen, and this 3000Mhz kit is somehow cheaper than 2400: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/pH2rxr/geil-memory-gpr416gb3000c15adc

 

[nitinsp_82]

So, you're basically saying that anything lower than the 1600 is gonna bottleneck the 1060?
P.S.: Thanks for the PSU upgrade. I think I am gonna go with your choice!

 

[MnMWizard]

So, you're basically saying that anything lower than the 1600 is gonna bottleneck the 1060?

No, I'm just saying that it's not a bad thing to have a slightly beefier CPU. You could get an r3 and play most games fine but it might be nice to have a better CPU for games that can utilize more cores.

 

[nitinsp_82]

You might be right, but considering the rate at which both the teams are releasing their brand new and better CPUs (thanks to Ryzen's arrival), I don't think devs are gonna continue supporting "4-cores for gaming" trend or something like that in the near future. So, I just wanted your (the community's) thoughts about it — should i pick a 1500x with 4 cores, or 1600 with 6 cores?

 

[Seanie280672]

You might be right, but considering the rate at which both the teams are releasing their brand new and better CPUs (thanks to Ryzen's arrival), I don't think devs are gonna continue supporting "4-cores for gaming" trend or something like that in the near future. So, I just wanted your (the community's) thoughts about it — should i pick a 1500x with 4 cores, or 1600 with 6 cores?

goto http://thebottlenecker.com/ for future checks, just put in details of what you have / looking to purchase and it will report back if any of the parts are a bottleneck. Anything over 10 or 15% and it will recommend to change the part.

In my system, I have an Rx480 Nitro+ 8gb, and apparently its causing a 22% bottleneck in games for my CPU which is an R7 1700, thankfully though I have a GTX1070 OC 8gb on the way to resolve that

In your case, calculating the R5 1600 with the 1060 also reported back a 14% bottleneck, I believe the 1060 is pretty much equivalent to my RX480, and a 1500x with your 1060 was a good match with only a 4% bottleneck, which is acceptable.

 

[nitinsp_82]

Thanks a lot Seanie280672! You saved me a lot of hassle!
And thanks to MnMWizard as well, for his/her thoughts on this issue!
That's why I love this community, 'cause everybody is always there to help you when you need it the most!