I've built my gaming PC back in 2020 and I'm noticing that my CPU usage is hitting 100% while gaming, but my GPU is barely at 20%. Here's my current setup:
- Motherboard: ASUS Z390-A
- CPU: Intel i5-9600k (9th Gen)
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super
- Memory: 16GB (2x8GB G.Skill Trident)
- Cooler: NZXT Kraken X63 280mm
Given this situation, I'm wondering if I can upgrade my CPU without changing my motherboard. Would switching to a 9th Gen i9-9900K or i7-9700K help improve performance, or are these still going to bottleneck in current games? Plus, would my cooling setup be sufficient for an upgrade?
2 Answers
It really depends on the games you’re playing. If you have DLSS enabled or if you're running competitive graphics settings, your GPU might just be rendering faster than your CPU can keep up. The fix for that would be to either crank up the graphics settings to stress the GPU more or turn off any upscaling options you’re using.
Honestly, unless you can snag it for dirt cheap, I wouldn't bother with the upgrade. I run an i9 9900K with an RTX 4070 Ti, and I only really see bottlenecks in the newest games when both the CPU and GPU are maxed out. At 1080p with medium settings, there’s barely any issue, so you’re probably fine.
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