I recently picked up a used PC for just 320 euros, and I think it's the MSI MAG Infinite 11TG-1422FR model. Here are the specs: an MSI H510M Pro motherboard, an i5-11400F CPU, an RTX 3060 Ti GPU, and 16GB of RAM (with one stick running at 3200 MHz). It has an unbranded CPU cooler, and during gameplay, the temps are hovering around 65-70°C. The power supply is a 500W FSP unit, and there's a 512GB NVMe SSD installed.
I'm getting the following performance in some popular games: in Valorant, I see about 140-160 FPS on low settings; CS2 runs around 100-150 FPS also on low settings; Rainbow Six Siege gives me about 130 FPS; and Teardown hits around 200 FPS on very high settings.
I'm confused because some games feel like they're not performing as expected given this setup, especially on low settings. Is this performance normal, or is there something I can improve?
3 Answers
Those FPS numbers are definitely below what I'd expect from a 3060 Ti. Usually, when performance is off, it’s due to CPU bottlenecking, wrong drivers, or even power supply issues. Double-check everything, including your BIOS settings and thermal performance. And don’t forget to check for background processes that might be slowing things down.
What resolution are you gaming at? If it’s 1920x1080, then your system’s specs should handle most games pretty decently. It’s also worth checking the connections to your monitor, like if it’s plugged into the GPU. Sometimes, incorrect setups contribute to underwhelming performance.
It looks like having only one stick of RAM could be hurting your performance. Most players use dual-channel configurations (like 2x8GB), which help with FPS a lot. That could definitely explain the performance gap if you’re seeing different results in videos.
Also, in some cases, people have found that it’s not just the GPU but other system components that hold back performance. You should check that the monitor is connected to the GPU, ensure your drivers are up to date, and verify that you’re running the RAM in dual-channel if possible.
Given you're on a used PC, watch out for potential thermal throttling or background processes that might be slowing things down.
That’s true, but dual-channel only gives a boost of about 25% max in terms of performance. Yeah, having one stick isn’t ideal, but I feel like there’s something else holding back the system.
I’m using an Asus TUF VG249QL3A, connected through DisplayPort, and I have it set to 180Hz both in-game and on Windows.