Hey everyone! I'm wondering if it's worth upgrading my CPU. I primarily play 2K26, and I'm noticing that both my GPU and CPU are maxed out at 100% during gameplay. While I'm not overly concerned about frame rates, I'm really struggling with frequent stutters, especially when the camera pans. I've tried various optimizations, including capping the frame rate, but my system still can't keep up. My 1% lows dip to around 26 to 40 fps, although my average fps hits about 65 to 70. Here's my current setup: Ryzen 3 3200G CPU, RX 590 GPU, A320MK motherboard, 500GB SSD, and 16GB of 2666 RAM. I'm considering upgrading to a Ryzen 5 5600—will that help with the stutters and lows, or is the GPU the bigger bottleneck?
4 Answers
Have you monitored your hardware usage while gaming? It might help identify where the bottleneck is occurring.
It might not be the best move to upgrade your CPU first. If you replace it, you might just end up with the GPU bottlenecking your system next. You could upgrade the CPU if you don't mind dealing with that situation down the line, but it’s tricky to say which component is actually holding back performance. From my experience with a similar setup, the GPU can be the real limiter in most cases, especially if it's already maxed out in demanding situations.
I just want to reduce those stutters and 1% lows, even if the graphics take a hit. I'm gaming at 1080p on a 60hz display.
It really comes down to how much you're willing to spend. A combination of a 3060 or 3060 Ti along with the 5600 would be a solid upgrade for sure.
Upgrading to the Ryzen 5 5600 should definitely improve both stutters and those 1% lows. Could you share the specific model of your motherboard? I'm curious if the BIOS supports the 5600.
It's an Asus A320MK, and I've already updated the BIOS for 5000 series compatibility.
Yeah, I've used MSI Afterburner and AMD Adrenaline, and it shows both CPU and GPU hitting 100% but still gives me stutters.