Question Want to Upgrade to RTX 4090 - Can my CPU handle it?

[warriorlax1234]

I'm thinking about splurging this year and snagging a RTX 4090 when it releases. I have a i5 10600k and 32 gigs ddr4. Will my CPU be enough for this GPU or will it cause a bottleneck? I wish I could have tested this on a RTX 3090 to see how that would perform.

 

[Deleted member 362816]

I am going to say no, that CPU can't even handle a 3090 without GPU usage loss. Unless you are gaming at 4k at that point it would be fine.

All speculation as no one really knows the power of a 4090 as it doesn't currently exists

 

[warriorlax1234]

Agreed, That i5 13600k is shaping up to be a solid CPU. I could game at 4K using upscaling. I do that to game at 1440p currently.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Along with a CPU upgrade to take full advantage of a 4xxx card, or even a 3090 you would have to consider a quality PSU into the mix. RTX cards have high transient power spikes, and the higher level card, means the power spikes require a good quality PSU with a good bit of overhead to factor in the transient jumps.

Currently an RTX3090ti's can have up to 450w TGP. To get an appropriate PSU, you have to go 2.5 x the TGP. This means that you need a PSU of about 1200w to ensure that when the spikes occur your PSU can handle it (otherwise it trips the OCP and the PC may restart). It gets even worse with RTX4xxx series (or will be once we know the actual TGP of the new series.

 

[warriorlax1234]

I have a 1600 watt PSU. I'm not worried about power requirements.

 

[tennis2]

Unless you are gaming at 4k at that point it would be fine.

You're doing life wrong if you're not gaming on a 4k >120Hz monitor if you're buying a 4090.

 

[DSzymborski]

Agreed, That i5 13600k is shaping up to be a solid CPU. I could game at 4K using upscaling. I do that to game at 1440p currently.

That really seems like an enormous waste then. Even now, you're not actually gaming at 1440p, you're simply making the lower resolution look better through whatever super sampling method.

 

[Deleted member 362816]

You're doing life wrong if you're not gaming on a 4k >120Hz monitor if you're buying a 4090.

My shops have built around 40ish 3090/ti rigs since release and I would sadly say most of the people buying them are running 1080p 240hz. I think many people are doing life wrong 😛, That being said 1440p 165hz min / 144 4k would be preferred.

Going to go off on a limb and assume a person who bought a 10600k is not running a $600+ 4k 144hz monitor. But I could be very wrong.

 

[SyCoREAPER]

I have a 1600 watt PSU. I'm not worried about power requirements.

You're assuming the next-gen cards will be as 'power efficient' at around 400w as current cards. New ones could easily double (...just like their ludicrous physical size)

 

[warriorlax1234]

You're all correct. I'm not running a 4k 144hz monitor. Super Sampling still taxes the GPU a bit. There's nothing to say that I won't upgrade my monitor either.

 

[DSzymborski]

You're all correct. I'm not running a 4k 144hz monitor. Super Sampling still taxes the GPU a bit. There's nothing to say that I won't upgrade my monitor either.

Well, it definitely changes the dynamics if you do. We can only go by what you tell us about!

 

[PEnns]

This is all conjecture and there is no conclusive facts to go by.

The card hasn't even been released yet and nobody knows enough about it to give you a real opinion.

 

[Flayed]

I'm thinking about splurging this year and snagging a RTX 4090 when it releases. I have a i5 10600k and 32 gigs ddr4. Will my CPU be enough for this GPU or will it cause a bottleneck? I wish I could have tested this on a RTX 3090 to see how that would perform.

What graphics card are you currently using?

 

[kizo]

You're doing life wrong if you're not gaming on a 4k >120Hz monitor if you're buying a 4090.

Well maybe he plans to get 1 of those ASUS or whoever 500Hz 1080p(?)monitors to eventually drop to 1080p to play Cyberpunk 2077 at 500fps with DLSS Ultra Performance on very low settings at 500fps.

 

[tennis2]

@warriorlax1234 TBH, I think you may be better served with a 4080 or 4080Ti and put the savings toward a CPU upgrade to balance it out. Generally with higher resolution/quality/Ray Tracing, the load on the GPU is heavier, and it's fairly common for frequency and cache size to make up more of the performance differences you see in CPU benchmarks past an i5, but that doesn't mean improvements can't be made. Keep in mind, the CPU upgrade doesn't have to happen at the same time as the GPU purchase.

 

[Deleted member 362816]

@warriorlax1234 TBH, I think you may be better served with a 4080 or 4080Ti and put the savings toward a CPU upgrade to balance it out. Generally with higher resolution/quality/Ray Tracing, the load on the GPU is heavier, and it's fairly common for frequency and cache size to make up more of the performance differences you see in CPU benchmarks past an i5, but that doesn't mean improvements can't be made. Keep in mind, the CPU upgrade doesn't have to happen at the same time as the GPU purchase.

I think this is backwards thinking. GPU is often one of the most $$$ items in a build, and this guy seems like he wants it to last a long time. Buy the Best GPU you can afford.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

I think this is backwards thinking. GPU is often one of the most $$$ items in a build, and this guy seems like he wants it to last a long time. Buy the Best GPU you can afford.

That's all well and good when the 10th Gen CPU can't pump the GPU with enough data quickly enough. An exercise in underperformance. IMO Buy best GPU you can afford, with a balanced CPU that can drive it right.

 

[DSzymborski]

I think this is backwards thinking. GPU is often one of the most $$$ items in a build, and this guy seems like he wants it to last a long time. Buy the Best GPU you can afford.

Definitely gotta disagree with you on this one, Cap. That's really only works well until you get into diminishing returns. I could afford a 3090, but it didn't make much sense because I don't have a use case that takes advantage of it. By the time my 3080 is inadequate for my needs, a GPU that's better than the 3090 will be available for less than the difference between the 3080 and the 3090 when I bought the former.

 

[HeartOfAdel]

It will work fine at 4k (kinda) but still will struggle I think.
OCing different parts of your system will help increase performance a little.
I can tell you for sure that this pairing is going to be pretty balanced at 5K resolution.