Is a 50 Series GPU Overkill for a 5900X?

You should also consider the specific model, like whether it's a 5050 or 5090. The 5900X can bottleneck even at 4K with a 5090 in certain games, so it’s something to keep in mind when upgrading.

It really depends on the games you're playing and your resolution. For 4K gaming, the 5900X should perform well, but at 1440p, you might start to see some bottlenecking with a 5080 or 5090 GPU. I upgraded from a 5900X to a 5800X3D paired with a 5090, and I noticed a huge boost in performance, especially in VR and sim racing where every frame counts. If you’re playing less demanding games, you might not notice as much of a difference though.

Streaming with AMD GPUs has gotten better, especially with the RX 9000 series using AV1 encoding. It can handle H.264 quite well on platforms like Twitch too. It ultimately comes down to the resolution and the games you play. For 1440p gaming, be ready for a potential bottleneck with newer GPUs like the 50 series, especially if you plan on streaming or using heavier graphics settings.