I've got an i7 7700k paired with either a 2080ti or a 2080 Super in two different systems, but I'm having a tough time running games like Helldivers 2, Marvel Rivals, and Monster Hunter World. I can barely keep 60 FPS even at the lowest settings on 720p. I noticed my friend with a Ryzen 5 3600 and a 2060 is hitting over 90 FPS at high settings in Marvel Rivals, while another buddy with a Ryzen 7 2700x and a 2080 Super sees 50+ FPS in Helldivers 2. I'm starting to think my CPU might be the bottleneck here. Any suggestions for a good upgrade for my 7700k? I'd like to keep it under $400 for each system.
4 Answers
Yeah, it's really holding you back especially with newer games that benefit from more cores and threads. The Ryzen 5 3600 outperforms the 7700k in multicore performance, even if it seems weaker on paper. With your budget, you could grab a 5600X and a B450 or B550 motherboard and reuse your DDR4 RAM. That’s a big upgrade from the current setup!
Honestly, your CPU is pretty outdated. Depending on your motherboard, you might be able to upgrade to an 8th or 9th Gen Intel processor without replacing the board, which could save some cash—just check if you can find one used. But I’d recommend jumping to an AMD B550 setup with a 5600x or better. Just make sure your RAM isn’t bottlenecking you, too.
The 7700k isn't a bad CPU for those GPUs, but you're hitting a wall with CPU-heavy games like those. If you can, look into building a system with a Ryzen 5600x on an AM4 board. There are often good bundle deals for the latest generation too!
You're thinking your CPU is bottlenecking the GPU, but there are easy ways to test that out. It's a bit odd—if lowering settings gets you better FPS, it might not actually be a CPU issue. Something feels off—what are the performance indicators you're looking at?
I get your point. It’s really just that other builds with similar or lower-tier GPUs are doing better than yours, so it really seems to point to the CPU being the problem.
Yeah, bottleneck calculators can be hit or miss. It's better to check actual performance metrics on your setup before jumping to conclusions.