I've been noticing that my Intel i5-11400 processor, running at 2.6GHz, is getting pushed to 80-90% usage while playing recent games like Battlefield 6. I have a Gigabyte B560 DS3H AC-Y1 motherboard, which supports up to the 11th generation of Intel CPUs. I'm wondering if there's a better CPU I should consider upgrading to within the 11th generation, or if it would be wiser to get a new motherboard and a completely new CPU for enhanced gaming performance.
3 Answers
Your CPU's performance is normal for a 6-core, 12-thread setup. I noticed Battlefield 6 can push my 8-core CPU to about 75% usage at lower settings. Also, keep in mind that BF6 has a known CPU usage bug that can sometimes be fixed through game file edits. If your GPU isn't hitting close to 100% load, then a CPU upgrade might be worth considering, but don't rush into an expensive upgrade—for similar pricing, you could look into an entry level 5600 or 12400f which may even outperform them.
There isn’t a huge difference in performance between your current CPU and even the fastest 11th gen options—about 20% at most for gaming. If you're after a significant performance boost, you’ll likely need a new motherboard and RAM to go with a better CPU.
Having your CPU at 80-90% isn't necessarily a bad sign unless you're experiencing actual lag or stuttering in games. However, if that's the case, then upgrading your motherboard and CPU, along with possibly some RAM, could be a more efficient route.
I had Task Manager open during my recent gaming sessions and noticed my CPU maxing out while my internet was great at 350 Mbps. I'm running 32GB of DDR4 RAM and a 3060 RTX, so it was frustrating to rubber-band like that.
I’ll check into that bug! I’ve been playing on high settings for over 180 hours and am level 80, so I'm not sure why my CPU is suddenly struggling. Everyone else in the game was fine, so I suspect it might be more about my settings than my hardware.