I'm putting together a micro-ATX gaming PC and want the highest possible frame rates for the lowest reasonable price in the UK. I'm planning to play CPU-heavy 1080p games such as Fortnite at low settings on a 240Hz monitor. Would the graphics card in my parts list hold back the CPU, or would the CPU be the limiting factor? I've already purchased the RAM, although it isn't the exact model shown in the list. I'd also appreciate suggestions for improving the build or reducing the cost, including whether the 750W power supply is necessary.
5 Answers
You may not need a 750W power supply for this combination. Check the graphics card manufacturer’s recommended wattage and leave some headroom, but a quality lower-wattage unit could save money if the total system power draw allows it. Make sure the model has good reviews rather than choosing solely by wattage.
That processor is already one of the strongest gaming CPUs available, so pairing it with a midrange graphics card may not be the best use of the budget. If you are buying a high-end gaming CPU, I would try to move up to a stronger GPU as well, especially if you want good performance outside competitive Fortnite.
For Fortnite specifically, a 5060 Ti-class card should be capable of reaching around 240 FPS at 1080p with competitive settings, although actual results depend on the game mode, settings, and background processes. In other games, the same card may become the limiting factor well before the CPU does.
The CPU and GPU can both be the limiting component depending on the game and settings. At low-settings 1080p, Fortnite may become CPU-limited once you are aiming for very high frame rates, while more demanding games can be GPU-limited. Having the GPU at full usage is not a problem—it usually means the graphics card is being used effectively.
If the budget allows, prioritizing a better graphics card would probably improve overall gaming performance more than keeping an extremely high-end CPU with a weaker GPU. For competitive Fortnite the current pairing may still make sense, but for a broader game library, shifting some of the CPU budget toward the GPU would be worth considering.
Exactly—there is no single permanent bottleneck. The limiting part changes with the game, resolution, graphics settings, and target frame rate.