[SOLVED] Reverse Bottleneck Question (sort of)

[ManOfArc]

Given the GPU is a RX 5500 XT 8GB and gaming at 1080p, what would be the minimum cost CPU to pair with it to avoid serious bottleneck... either CPU or GPU bottleneck? I realize conditions that cause bottleneck can vary, but opinions are welcomed. Used or new CPUs will be considered, but of course a motherboard needs to be available if CPU is bought used.
I'm building for someone who isn't ever going to upgrade and has no interest in overclocking, and has a limited budget. But has been given (won) the aforementioned graphic card. So, we're sort of building around the card. I'm not even sure whether to go Intel or Ryzen. Prices are about the same now.

 

[USAFRet]

"avoiding bottleneck" is not the goal.
"Best performance within a budget" is the goal.

"reverse bottleneck" is even more meaningless.


Buy the best CPU/RAM/motherboard that fits your budget.

 

[hotaru.hino]

Figure out what your performance goal is first. You mentioned 1080p, but what's your target frame rate and quality settings? Figuring out the target frame rate will allow you to figure out which CPU to get as the CPU dictates the minimum frame rate. After that, the GPU affects the final frame rate based on quality settings. So if you're shooting for 60 FPS 1080p on high quality, get a CPU that at least achieves at least 60FPS, then get a GPU that can attain 60 FPS on high quality at 1080p.

After that, review if your computer is meeting your performance goals once in a while. Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

[ManOfArc]

Avoiding bottleneck is my goal. I don't want to build him a budget PC based on a CPU that will bottleneck the GPU that he already has. By the same token, I don't want to spend more than necessary. And yes, 60fps at 1080p is fine.

 

[USAFRet]

Avoiding bottleneck is my goal. I don't want to build him a budget PC based on a CPU that will bottleneck the GPU that he already has. By the same token, I don't want to spend more than necessary. And yes, 60fps at 1080p is fine.

Unlike performance onscreen, "bottleneck" is not a quantifiable value.

60 FPS, at a level of eyecandy that is acceptable, at the desired 1080 resolution, in the specific games and use cases.

Define a budget and get the best CPU in that range.


What is the budget for the CPU?

 

[SamirD]

Avoiding bottleneck is my goal. I don't want to build him a budget PC based on a CPU that will bottleneck the GPU that he already has. By the same token, I don't want to spend more than necessary. And yes, 60fps at 1080p is fine.

The problem is that the definition of a bottleneck changes with the application, so your goal is a moving target. I agree that you should just buy the best you can for your budget and leave it at that since the gpu can always be upgraded/downgraded as needed.

 

[hotaru.hino]

Avoiding bottleneck is my goal.

The problems with trying to avoid bottlenecks are:

• There's always something that's bottlenecking your system.
• You can pair up a potato CPU with a potato GPU and we can call that balanced, but it sure as hell isn't going to give you a decent experience that many PC gamers come to expect.

This is why you should set a performance target instead. It's quantifiable and unambiguous.

 

[geofelt]

One rule of thumb for a balanced gamer is to budget 2x the cost of the processor for the graphics card.
If the 5500Xt is a $200 card, then budget $100 for the processor.
A i3-10100 is about $100, a lga 1200 motherboard is about $75, and a 2 x 8gb ddr4 ram kit is about $75.
Lest you think that the i3-10100 is not a good gamer, read this review:
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/intel-core-i3-10100/15.html

 

[ManOfArc]

One rule of thumb for a balanced gamer is to budget 2x the cost of the processor for the graphics card.
If the 5500Xt is a $200 card, then budget $100 for the processor.
A i3-10100 is about $100, a lga 1200 motherboard is about $75, and a 2 x 8gb ddr4 ram kit is about $75.
Lest you think that the i3-10100 is not a good gamer, read this review:
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/intel-core-i3-10100/15.html

Thank you. That sounds like a perfect solution.