I'm currently using an i7-6700k CPU paired with an Asus GTX 1070 8GB GPU, and both components have been pretty solid for me. However, I'm looking to upgrade to a 9060 XT GPU first, but I'm concerned that my i7-6700k might bottleneck its performance significantly, making the upgrade less worthwhile. My monitor runs at 1440p, so would that factor in as well? Any thoughts would be appreciated!
2 Answers
Typically, older processors can still hold their ground against newer GPUs, especially for gaming. While you might experience some bottlenecking with the i7-6700k and a 9060 XT, it shouldn't be drastic. If you’re on a budget and can only upgrade one part at a time, going for the GPU first is a valid choice. Just keep in mind you'll eventually want to upgrade your CPU to get the most out of that new graphics card after!
The extent of the bottleneck really depends on what games you play and what settings you use. If it’s just gaming and not much productivity, you should still see better frames per second with the new GPU, even if it’s not fully utilized due to the CPU. Just be aware that for really demanding games, it might hold you back a little!
Exactly, if you’re mainly gaming, you might not feel the bottleneck as much. Just play around with the settings and see how it goes!
Yeah, and since you already have DDR4 RAM, upgrading to a newer CPU later will just require a new motherboard and a current-gen processor, which makes things easier down the line.