I currently have an Intel Core i9-12900K, an EVGA RTX 3090 with 24GB of VRAM, an ASUS ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming motherboard, 64GB of Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR5, and a 2TB Samsung 980 Pro NVMe SSD. I have not played much in the last few years, but I recently started gaming again and have been seeing around 150 FPS at 1440p. I would like roughly 250 FPS at 1080p for competitive games and around 180 FPS at 1440p if possible. Is this system underperforming, and would any upgrade be worthwhile?
3 Answers
Before buying anything, monitor CPU usage by core, GPU usage, temperatures, clock speeds, RAM configuration, and whether XMP is enabled. Low GPU usage at 1080p can simply mean the game is CPU-limited, especially with an FPS cap or competitive settings. Also verify that the display cable is connected to the graphics card, drivers are current, and there are no background processes limiting performance. With a 12900K and 3090, an upgrade should be based on a particular game or benchmark result rather than expected numbers alone.
That is still a very powerful gaming PC, and there is no obvious weak component that needs replacing. Expected FPS depends heavily on the specific game, graphics settings, map, and whether you use features like ray tracing. In many competitive titles, 250 FPS at 1080p should be possible with reduced settings, while 180 FPS at 1440p may be realistic in some games but not all. Check benchmarks for the exact game rather than judging the whole system by one average.
At 1080p and very high refresh rates, the processor can become the limiting factor before the RTX 3090 reaches full usage. That is normal and does not mean the graphics card is faulty or badly bottlenecked. Moving to a newer CPU platform might improve minimums and competitive-game FPS, but it would require replacing the motherboard and probably would not be a good value unless you have a specific game that needs it. At 1440p, the 3090 will generally matter more.
I do not have major performance problems, but the GPU usage sometimes makes me think the system is underperforming at 1080p.
I have had the PC for a while, but I only recently started gaming again. I am usually around 150 FPS at 1440p and was wondering if there was a worthwhile upgrade.