I'm considering an upgrade to an RTX 5070 but I'm currently running an i7-8700k with an RTX 3060 and playing at 1080p. My games are mostly demanding AAA titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Alan Wake 2. I'm worried about how much performance I'll actually gain with the RTX 5070 using my current CPU. I'm also thinking about waiting to get a 5070 Ti along with a 1440p OLED monitor later, but I'm not sure if a higher FPS is worth the investment right now since my setup is still functional, even if I have to lower the settings for smoother gameplay.
4 Answers
Your CPU will likely hold you back, especially in CPU-intensive games. I had a similar situation and saw some noticeable differences when upgrading my GPU while keeping an older CPU. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 and others may bring your performance down, but if you’re okay with lower settings for now, you can definitely enjoy the benefits of the 5070 while saving up for a complete upgrade later. It’s a balancing act but can be worth it for now.
It really depends on the game. In some cases, moving to the RTX 5070 with your i7-8700k could mean some bottlenecking, especially at 1080p where the CPU can become a limiting factor. But, if you're aiming for around 60fps in the more demanding titles, you should still see a decent improvement overall. Just keep in mind that games that are heavy on CPU usage might not fully utilize your new GPU right away.
Since you're only playing at 1080p right now, you might experience more of a bottleneck than you'd like with high-demand games. If you were to upgrade to a 5070 and still cap your frames around 60, that's probably going to work out fine. But, if you're hoping for ultra settings and a smoother experience, don't be surprised if your old CPU slows things down in the heat of battle.
It's a common issue that many face. At 1080p, you may see a significant bottleneck in newer titles. If I were you, I'd consider how often you're seeing FPS drops and whether the upgrade invites more frustration than joy. If you can hold out for a full platform overhaul later with a 5070 Ti and a better monitor, you might save yourself some headaches in the long run.

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