I'm planning to build a new gaming setup this year but can only afford to upgrade one or two parts right now. I'm considering getting a new GPU, specifically the Sapphire Pulse RX 9060XT with 16GB of VRAM, as I believe the extra memory will be beneficial for future games, even if it's not as fast as some of the latest GPUs. As for my current setup, I have an Intel i5 4690K CPU, an XFX RX 580 GPU, and 16GB of DDR3 RAM. Right now, I'm only getting around 45 to 65 FPS at 1440p on low settings in games like FF7 Intergrade, Elden Ring DLC, and Spider-Man Remastered. I want to know if having an advanced GPU can offset the performance hit from my outdated CPU in games that aren't highly CPU-dependent, especially with upcoming games like FF7 Rebirth that might demand more from my hardware. Also, I've recently been gifted a Samsung Odyssey G5 1440p monitor, so I have to play at that resolution now.
5 Answers
Your CPU is really ancient, and it’s definitely bottlenecking your potential performance. Modern CPUs have advanced so much since then, and the memory speed with DDR3 is also a limiting factor. If you're planning to game seriously, you should prioritize upgrading that CPU sooner rather than later to truly unlock the full capability of your RX 9060XT.
In your case, a genuine bottleneck from your CPU is likely. I tried using a newer GPU on an old i3 processor and had terrible frame rates compared to when I paired it with a newer Ryzen. You'll definitely notice the CPU is the limiting factor. Notably, even with a capable GPU, the older CPU can prevent you from achieving a higher FPS.
Yes, your older CPU and RAM will definitely limit the performance of a new GPU. However, you will likely see an improvement over your current setup. Just don't expect the GPU to perform at its full potential since the CPU will hold it back. For example, my friend had trouble running games on an outdated CPU with a new GPU, and it wasn't great. So while the performance will improve, it won't be as high as it could be with a better CPU.
So basically it won't crash all my games due to the CPU being old?
Yes, you will lose some performance with an old CPU, but it really depends on the game and settings. In graphically intensive games, the CPU is still very much involved. If there’s a significant bottleneck, you might still not get optimal performance even in GPU-heavy games. Once you upgrade your CPU, you’ll maximize your GPU's capability.
Thanks for clarifying!
As for your question about running your new monitor at 1440p, lowering the resolution can help but it might cause a noticeable dip in quality, especially on a 1440p monitor. Many gamers find that adjusting settings to higher quality can be a better choice since your GPU will be underutilized otherwise. You might get away with increasing graphics settings to make the most out of your GPU, even if FPS doesn't shoot up significantly.
I've heard 1080p looks bad on 1440p monitors, so that makes sense.
Seems like CPU upgrade is unavoidable then.