Question So my friend wants to buy my OLD pc

[FelixAFF]

A friend of mine wants to buy my old PC
Heres my OLD PC specs
GTX 960 2GB
Intel i7-4790 3.6GHz
16GB DDR3 RAM
Windows 10 64-bit
500 Watt PSU Gladias Venomrx
1TB HDD
Memphis-S Motherboard
but he wants to replace the GPU to a RX570, Do you guys think the CPU will be bottleneck?

 

[-Fran-]

Not at all. He can even put a 2080ti and will still see high FPS numbers. Would that make sense? Probably not, but careful with "bottleneck fear mongering". Any CPU post Sandy Bridge era can push any new GPU without having a 0 FPS net gain. So, whatever your friends money can buy is going to be good.

Cheers!

 

[FelixAFF]

Not at all. He can even put a 2080ti and will still see high FPS numbers. Would that make sense? Probably not, but careful with "bottleneck fear mongering". Any CPU post Sandy Bridge era can push any new GPU without having a 0 FPS net gain. So, whatever your friends money can buy is going to be good.

Cheers!

I tried my OLD pc with a GTX 1660ti and the CPU bottlenecked real hard only giving 60% GPU Usage at most

 

[-Fran-]

I tried my OLD pc with a GTX 1660ti and the CPU bottlenecked real hard only giving 60% GPU Usage at most

Not to sound* like an annoying snob, but please bare* with me here... Do you know what 60% GPU usage actually entails?

There's a plethora of elements that need to be taken into account when looking at GPU usage percentages. One, and I'd say the most important, the game you're testing. Each game loads a GPU differently; even more, each different setting combination loads it differently. Additionally, appended to the before statement, each game engine loads CPUs (and GPUs) differently.

Don't pay too much attention to the GPU load and be a bit more holistic and look at raw FPS gain (including fluidity of frame delivery). If your FPS gain is like 2 FPS, that's when you consider a GPU upgrade can't be done before the CPU. If you have games that load the CPU first (like Civ), then the GPU may be upgraded after, but in most common scenarios the GPU needs upgrading first and foremost.

So, all that being said, I'll stand by my comment and just tell your friend to get the best GPU he can buy. If he gets a better GPU than you and gets less FPS than you with your current PC, please let us know so we can include it in the Bottleneck chart thread.

Cheers!

 

[InvalidError]

I tried my OLD pc with a GTX 1660ti and the CPU bottlenecked real hard only giving 60% GPU Usage at most

GPU usage is irrelevant, what matters is whether you get frame rates and details you want for a price you can be happy with. Also, you can easily blow up any "spare" GPU-power by using super-resolution sampling or FSAA if low GPU usage after setting everything else to Ultra bothers you so much.

I'm perfectly fine with low-ish GPU usage since this means less chances of unbearable stutters during visual activity spikes such as explosions which are often rendered as multiple layered textures that quickly chew through fill rate.

 

[King_V]

Side note - I have no idea if that PSU is a good quality one or not. If it's not, maybe your friend might upgrade to a known, high-quality PSU before spending money on a better video card.

 

[hftvhftv]

GPU usage is irrelevant, what matters is whether you get frame rates and details you want for a price you can be happy with. Also, you can easily blow up any "spare" GPU-power by using super-resolution sampling or FSAA if low GPU usage after setting everything else to Ultra bothers you so much.

I'm perfectly fine with low-ish GPU usage since this means less chances of unbearable stutters during visual activity spikes such as explosions which are often rendered as multiple layered textures that quickly chew through fill rate.

Low GPU usage means your CPU is holding back your GPU. Increasing resolution or enabling anti-aliasing isn't going to result in an FPS increase, only better visuals.

 

[InvalidError]

Low GPU usage means your CPU is holding back your GPU. Increasing resolution or enabling anti-aliasing isn't going to result in an FPS increase, only better visuals.

If the GPU is 'held back by the CPU' at frame rates you are already happy with, who gives a damn?

Something ALWAYS bottlenecks. The only thing that matters is whether that bottleneck resides beyond the performance level you want.

 

[hftvhftv]

If the GPU is 'held back by the CPU' at frame rates you are already happy with, who gives a damn?

Something ALWAYS bottlenecks. The only thing that matters is whether that bottleneck resides beyond the performance level you want.

That's not the point, the item that should be the weakest link is the GPU, otherwise the graphics card that outperforms the rest of the computer is a waste of money. Sure, I might get good frame rates with an i3 7100 and an RTX 2080 Ti, but that system is still ridiculously under powered in the CPU department. You should give a damn since otherwise you'll end up wasting money.

 

[henry.j.kautz]

A friend of mine wants to buy my old PC
Heres my OLD PC specs
GTX 960 2GB
Intel i7-4790 3.6GHz
16GB DDR3 RAM
Windows 10 64-bit
500 Watt PSU Gladias Venomrx
1TB HDD
Memphis-S Motherboard
but he wants to replace the GPU to a RX570, Do you guys think the CPU will be bottleneck?

No, not at all, that i7 is actually a beast as of yet. It can still handle the latest cards without bottlenecking. My i3-6100 fits an RX570 perfectly, your i7-4790 will be perfectly fine.

 

[mdd1963]

A 960 is roughly GTX1050 level in performance, I doubt he is going to be able to see much improvement going to an RX570, frankly....(an RX580, different story!)

 

[USAFRet]

A friend of mine wants to buy my old PC
Heres my OLD PC specs
GTX 960 2GB
Intel i7-4790 3.6GHz
16GB DDR3 RAM
Windows 10 64-bit
500 Watt PSU Gladias Venomrx
1TB HDD
Memphis-S Motherboard
but he wants to replace the GPU to a RX570, Do you guys think the CPU will be bottleneck?

I have an i7-4790k, and an RX580 8GB.
It works just fine.

Don't stress over the term "bottleneck".

That PSU, however...

 

[InvalidError]

That's not the point, the item that should be the weakest link is the GPU, otherwise the graphics card that outperforms the rest of the computer is a waste of money.

Given how malleable graphics details and resolutions are, there is a HUGE window for what can pass as an 'appropriate' GPU for a given CPU. I could bring an RTX2070 to its knees in many games on my i5-3470 by simply playing them on my 4k TV.

 

[-Fran-]

That's not the point, the item that should be the weakest link is the GPU, otherwise the graphics card that outperforms the rest of the computer is a waste of money. Sure, I might get good frame rates with an i3 7100 and an RTX 2080 Ti, but that system is still ridiculously under powered in the CPU department. You should give a damn since otherwise you'll end up wasting money.

Ok, let me point out your inaccuracy of your argument right there.

The friend (context is everything) already has an i7 with 16GB RAM and just wants to replace the GPU. What you're saying there is: "no, he shouldn't buy the most powerful GPU he can and instead spend all of it on a great CPU and then buy a GPU with what's left of his budget". That ain't correct nor accurate. It's misleading as hell.

What you're talking about is not (never I'd even say) wasted money unless your net FPS increase is closer to zero than what a fully "non-bottlenecked" GPU should show in lab conditions (benchmarks are done in lab conditions). Will you always have benchmark numbers? Hardly ever as it's been pointed out, there's SEVERAL elements that contribute to what can keep a GPU/CPU from performing at their best or full potential.

So, again for the topic and question at hand, stop with the "bottleneck fear mongering" when that system can push even a 2080ti and see decent FPS across the board.

Cheers!

 

[hftvhftv]

I'm just going to leave the Bottlenecking Guide chart, and let OP decide for themselves if a 4790K, which is marked as "Bottlenecking in CPU demanding Games" for the last generation GTX 1080 Ti is a good pairing with the RTX 2080 Ti. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1k6heVCRwhlR9aAHxY5TVrDlu_rPK-X5oaafIPNXuAMM/edit#gid=0 Ultimate Bottlenecking Guide

 

[bignastyid]

Lets stay on topic.

 

[ElectrO_90]

I tried my OLD pc with a GTX 1660ti and the CPU bottlenecked real hard only giving 60% GPU Usage at most

But we don't know what your old PC was, it could be a pos compared to an i7 (and probably is)

The Computer you are selling is more than capable for any GPU today, but the only 2 things we need to know are

1. What is his budget (most important)
2. What res will he play at

For instance, I am using right now an i7-2600k with an RTX 2060 @1080p = nothing slow downs, everything is at max

For those who think they know and for those who don't know. Great article here
https://www.anandtech.com/show/1404...el-core-i7-2600k-testing-sandy-bridge-in-2019