I'm using a Ryzen 5 3600 paired with an RTX 3070 and 32GB of RAM on a B450 motherboard. Lately, I've been experiencing stutters in newer single-player games despite getting decent average FPS. My GPU usage is consistently high, but my CPU shows random spikes, causing messy frametime graphs. Temperatures seem fine, so I'm not worried about thermal throttling. Many people are suggesting I upgrade my GPU first, but the prices are pretty steep right now. I'm considering a jump to a 5800X3D since it's said to boost gaming performance significantly, but I'm concerned about spending money and noticing little to no improvement since the GPU is technically the bottleneck. Additionally, I'm unsure if my motherboard's VRMs could handle a new CPU long-term or if I should wait for a complete platform upgrade. I'm looking for advice—has anyone upgraded their CPU while keeping the same GPU and noticed better smoothness? Or should I hold off and wait for the next generation of graphics cards? I'm just feeling stuck right now!
7 Answers
I’ve got a 5600X and a 6750XT with similar RAM and board. At 1440p, my CPU rarely goes over 60% usage. If you're looking into an AM4 CPU, I'd suggest finding a 5600 or 5700 series instead since the X3D chips are hard to come by right now. I'd wait on a new GPU; this setup should handle most things fine for a bit longer.
Before jumping to an upgrade, check if you can actually find a 5800X3D; they're pretty rare and expensive these days. It might not be worth it. Usually, whether to upgrade the CPU or GPU first depends on the games you play. Play your usual titles and see if either the CPU or GPU is maxed out during gameplay.
Have you considered how long your Windows install has been running? A clean reinstall might help. Also, check if there’s anything running in the background that shouldn’t be using resources. Undervolting could even help smooth things out without getting a new CPU, just saying!
Can your motherboard handle a 5800X3D? Make sure your BIOS is updated and check the VRM quality if you're worried about the spikes. Also, try cutting down on OS background services while gaming to see if that helps with performance.
A CPU upgrade can definitely help your 1% lows. But seriously, consider doing a fresh Windows install before anything else. That might solve a lot of your issues without needing new hardware right away.
Honestly, I doubt your 3070 is bottlenecking with a Ryzen 5 3600. It could be something else, like outdated drivers or even BIOS issues. Double-check those before making any upgrades.
You're probably not getting the smooth experience you want because your hardware is aging for a 1440p display. Have you enabled your XMP profile yet? It’s crucial for memory performance. If you're looking to upgrade, it might be better to consider getting a solid 1080p monitor. It’ll be smoother and still look decent, plus it could save you some cash right now!
Yeah, I saw a video on undervolting. It’s worth trying that before dropping cash on new parts! Check it out if you haven’t: [Undervolting Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hUIcDq6I2s)