I'm not your typical gamer; I prioritize high-quality visuals in my games. I love the detail and smoothness of action, especially in titles like Battlefield 6 and Escape From Tarkov. However, I'm running into issues: when I max out the graphics settings, the game stutters, and my CPU seems to be maxed out with my 5600x processor at 4.65 GHz. Even though my 5070 GPU hits its limit at 1080p, I don't see how it's solely the card's fault since VRAM usage isn't pushing high levels.
I've found a deal at Microcenter for a 9800x3d CPU, an 870 motherboard, and 32GB of DDR5 RAM at 6000 MHz for $800 (excluding tax), but I'm also considering the 7800x3d since it's $150 cheaper. I wonder if the extra cost for the 9800 is justified even as I'm likely to want to upgrade again later. I could sell my old components—like the 450 motherboard, 32GB of DDR4 RAM, and the 5600x for around $300, which would help with costs.
While I appreciate the suggestion to consider 1440p or even 4K upgrades, I'm unsure if those options would work out well since my VRAM usage peaks at around 11GB on larger maps. I don't want to face another GPU upgrade for another two years, so I'm really seeking advice on what direction to go in without regretting my decision eventually.
1 Answer
If you want the best visuals, consider upgrading to a 1440p monitor instead of sticking with 1080p. Your investment might be better allocated there than to a higher-end CPU. If you still experience stuttering after that upgrade, then focus on improving the CPU. That way, you benefit from higher resolution graphics, shifting more of the load to your GPU, which is ideal for gaming.
But if the CPU is bottlenecking your performance at 1080p, switching to 1440p might not be the best move. For someone struggling with frame rates at 1080p, you'll likely see even fewer frames at a higher resolution. It could just worsen the problem.