Processor for 1440P 60hz gaming

Sep 6, 2018
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What processor do I need at a minimum? I'm building from scratch. Got a 1070 GPU for the ~60FPS at 1440P. Will be getting a 1440P 27" 60hz monitor. Was thinking ryzen 2600 but now I'm thinking maybe a 1600 is enough or another cheaper chip.

Next upgrade will likely be 4K several years from now. Let me know if any other info is important! 16GB ddr4 ram.
 
Solution
At 1440 rez the GPU is more likely to be the limiting factor, ( if I push the settings in some AAA games my '1080 will dip below 60FPS at 1440 ) and at 60Hz refresh rate any half decent 6 core CPU will get the job done.

For longevity I'd go AMD, there's a good chance they'll support the current AM4 platform for a while yet so it'll be a doddle to upgrade in the future.
Minimum cost would be a R5 1600 with a B350 MB, it'll work out of the box and with a BIOS update ( may or may not be required ) you can drop a later 2XXX CPU in if you feel you need more cores or a faster clock.

One final point: Price, check as many online suppliers as you can, prices for the ' old ' 1XXX Ryzens varies significantly and price comparison sites don't...
For 144hz, the GPU will be the main driving factor. The CPU has to be strong enough not to limit it. Even a 1400 or 8100 can support the 1070, but nothing less than that. For longevity and better performance, 2600 or 8400 should be a good pick. Either of them should last for a much longer time than 1400 or 8100 and support the 1070 adequately.
 
Sep 6, 2018
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What about 60Hz? The 1070 can't really pump out 144FPS at 1440P anyways.
 
1070 is more of your 144hz/1080p or 60hz/1440p card. For 144hz/1440p, you will need a stronger card like 1080 or above. For 60hz/1080p, 580/1060 is enough.
It will also vary from game to game, but thats the general performance ballpark you are looking at.
 
Sep 6, 2018
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Will it likely hold up for future games too? Still at 1440p 60hz
 

Dunlop0078

Titan
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Not sure it will likely be able to achieve 1440p 60hz with an adequate GPU in the majority if not all games for a couple years at least if I had to guess. I imagine if anything the 1070 will hold you back in future games at 1440p.
 
At 1440 rez the GPU is more likely to be the limiting factor, ( if I push the settings in some AAA games my '1080 will dip below 60FPS at 1440 ) and at 60Hz refresh rate any half decent 6 core CPU will get the job done.

For longevity I'd go AMD, there's a good chance they'll support the current AM4 platform for a while yet so it'll be a doddle to upgrade in the future.
Minimum cost would be a R5 1600 with a B350 MB, it'll work out of the box and with a BIOS update ( may or may not be required ) you can drop a later 2XXX CPU in if you feel you need more cores or a faster clock.

One final point: Price, check as many online suppliers as you can, prices for the ' old ' 1XXX Ryzens varies significantly and price comparison sites don't always catch the special deals, a little hunting could save money.
 
Solution
Sep 6, 2018
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Awesome. Ill look for 1600 then. B350 will allow overclocking on both CPU and GPU? Not sure I will OC but good to know the options
 
Overclocking the CPU puts more stress on the motherboard power supply system ( the VRMs ) and 'boards with strong VRMs tend to be more expensive.
If you plan to OC to THE MAX! the stock cooler won't cut it, a moderate OC will be fine but to THE MAX! will need better cooling.
Pushing the GPU s different, it's a separate entity as far as overclocking goes, MB choice is largely immaterial, but be aware you'll want a good quality PSU to overclock both.
Nvidia cards are very temperature sensitive, once over <>65C they'll start to lower their automatic Boost frequencies and drop to base ( advertised )frequencies at <>80C so you'll need to set a more aggressive fan profile in something like Afterburner when overclocking, so expect some extra fan noise.
 
Sep 6, 2018
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Got it, thanks! I'm looking to get a CPU second hand if possible :)