Build Advice Searching for extra power in my game...Help me find it!?

JMF50

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Dec 16, 2011
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Here's what I got!
ASUS Z390-A Prime (socket LGA 1511)
CPU i7 8700 -(I got it out of a brand new Pavillion and built around this unit.)
TT 100 single fan liquid cooling on CPU-never gets hot
GPU NVIDIA RTX 2080 8GB (I had a 3060 and got rid of that dog!)
Seems like it's always hot not too hot, just hot 67 celcius
RAM- Kingston Renegade-2X16 2666 DDR4 32GB (2400) XMP-2
(OC'ed to 3066 self-optimized to 16 18 18 36 from original 13 15 15 34?? something close to that)
PSU EVGA 750 Gold Full Modular
3 more case fans 120 mm
NVME Samsung 500GB SSD hard-drive
32 inch HP 1080 X 1920 Display
Hyper X KB006
Precision 1 GPU management software
Windows Home 64 bit Version-21H1

All in a NZXT Case with the side off and another fan blowing into my GPU area.

My favorite and main games are Mania Planet and TrackMania 2020 Racing games.
I'm not getting everything I think I should out of this rig right now.
I'm looking for the bottleneck if anyone has had close to this combination any advice I will heed.

My Hunch:
  1. The i7 8700 Intel CPU is not a K so I may be missing some boost because of this?
  2. Because it's a non-K the motherboard can't optimize the whole system with AI from the bios.
(TT RAM seems to work best with is combination but I needed more than 16GB but will get that)
  1. The DPS on this CPU is only 65 watts instead of 95 watts and up HP putting the energy efficient stuff in the on shelve models
  2. FYI, the RTX 2080 8GB benches 38% faster than the RTX 3060 12GB but runs hotter. I was happy with the switch out!
  3. I'm thinking for my next change: The i5 9600K is said to be much faster than the
i7 8700 which is said to be better for workstation projects
Benches marks read 120/98/104

So where is my bottleneck. Where is my power. I want my little car to go fast!

Thanks for your time looking at this!
 
Here's what I got!
ASUS Z390-A Prime (socket LGA 1511)
CPU i7 8700 -(I got it out of a brand new Pavillion and built around this unit.)
TT 100 single fan liquid cooling on CPU-never gets hot
GPU NVIDIA RTX 2080 8GB (I had a 3060 and got rid of that dog!)
Seems like it's always hot not too hot, just hot 67 celcius
RAM- Kingston Renegade-2X16 2666 DDR4 32GB (2400) XMP-2
(OC'ed to 3066 self-optimized to 16 18 18 36 from original 13 15 15 34?? something close to that)
PSU EVGA 750 Gold Full Modular
3 more case fans 120 mm
NVME Samsung 500GB SSD hard-drive
32 inch HP 1080 X 1920 Display
Hyper X KB006
Precision 1 GPU management software
Windows Home 64 bit Version-21H1

All in a NZXT Case with the side off and another fan blowing into my GPU area.

My favorite and main games are Mania Planet and TrackMania 2020 Racing games.
I'm not getting everything I think I should out of this rig right now.
I'm looking for the bottleneck if anyone has had close to this combination any advice I will heed.

My Hunch:
  1. The i7 8700 Intel CPU is not a K so I may be missing some boost because of this?
  2. Because it's a non-K the motherboard can't optimize the whole system with AI from the bios.
(TT RAM seems to work best with is combination but I needed more than 16GB but will get that)
  1. The DPS on this CPU is only 65 watts instead of 95 watts and up HP putting the energy efficient stuff in the on shelve models
  2. FYI, the RTX 2080 8GB benches 38% faster than the RTX 3060 12GB but runs hotter. I was happy with the switch out!
  3. I'm thinking for my next change: The i5 9600K is said to be much faster than the
i7 8700 which is said to be better for workstation projects
Benches marks read 120/98/104

So where is my bottleneck. Where is my power. I want my little car to go fast!

Thanks for your time looking at this!

Is there some reason your using an old version of windows?

Download this.
UBM

Reboot.
Wait a few mins.
Run ubm with the browser closed.
Post a LINK to the results page.
 

JMF50

Distinguished
Dec 16, 2011
26
3
18,535
Is there some reason your using an old version of windows?

Download this.
UBM

Reboot.
Wait a few mins.
Run ubm with the browser closed.
Post a LINK to the results page.
I thought it was an updated version of windows as I updated to it and they keep updating the same software, but I have received no notifications that it was an old version so I had no idea until now. Be back with thew scan...
 
Do you have a budget?

Game performance is limited either by cpu or by graphics.
Sims are usually limited by single thread cpu performance.

Try these simple tests:
Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
This makes the graphics card loaf a bit.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.

Limit your cpu, in windows power management, limit the maximum cpu% to something like 70%.
Go to control panel/power options/change plan settings/change advanced power settings/processor power management/maximum processor state/
This will simulate what a lack of cpu power will do.
Conversely what a 30% improvement in core speed might do.

On the assumption that we are looking at better cpu performance....

Check your performance now.
Run the cpu-z bench and look at the single thread performance rating.
You should see about 506:
http://valid.x86.fr/bench/bi01bq

Here is a list of the processors your motherboard supports:
https://www.asus.com/us/motherboard...-z390-a/helpdesk_cpu/?model2Name=PRIME-Z390-A
About the strongest reasonable upgrade might be the I7-9700K with only a 10% boost in single thread performance. It sells for about $220 on ebay.

For that price you can buy a I5-12600K that is considerably faster.
You would need a lga1700 motherboard. A B660 based ddr4 motherboard
Would be about $150.
You can reuse your ddr4 ram. Intel does not depend on fast ram for performance.
 

JMF50

Distinguished
Dec 16, 2011
26
3
18,535
Jan 13th, yeah Friday!

Here's was my first move:

Some information I obtained recently said that on the Z390-A Prime more important than the Rate which can be from 2666 (2666) to 3000 or 3200 is to max out the GB 's per slot. In this case, I still overextended a little and bought (4X16) 16GB DDR4 3600 CL18. Now they all match and there is a significant improvement in performance; but, I'm not sure it is faster than what I had with 1-3000 Fury Beast 16GB, 1-HyperX Fury 2666 16GB and a pair of 2- 16 GB Fury Renegades 2666 (32GB) CL15 and I was running them at 2800.

But "I'm" not happy yet!
So my next move will be to try a i5 9600K. Used is fine.
Objectives:
1-Learn first! I have a few bucks that I can buy different stuff and try them out myself. And I read 'til my eyes pop!
2. Make this set up work in this basic configuration. This is my first build. If I can get this PC to run the way I want it to run, the way I'm sure it can run, then my next build is justified.
Then I'll have a fast PC I can use while I shop my next project and when that's together this PC is already sold!
Back with another update ASAP! or as soon as it happens...same thing!
 
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