I've fallen out of touch with computer hardware since getting my A+ Certification back in high school (around 2015-2016). Recently, I upgraded my old gaming PC, which started as a scrap build with a 6th generation processor, to something more capable by adding an Intel Core i5 10600KF CPU, an AsRock z490m Pro4 board, 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4 RAM, a 1TB Crucial NVMe SSD, and most recently, an NVIDIA EVGA RTX 3060 XC GPU. While I've seen a noticeable improvement in performance, I'm wondering a few things:
- Was choosing the RTX 3060 XC a good decision for my build?
- Is my CPU bottlenecking my GPU's full potential? If yes, what affordable upgrade would allow me to maximize the RTX 3060?
- Were my component choices reasonable based on the prices I paid? For reference, the CPU was about $100, the motherboard $125, RAM under $45, and the GPU about $205.
2 Answers
Your i5 10600KF is still a solid choice! It’s a great mid-range CPU and doesn't really bottleneck the RTX 3060. Just so you know, benchmarks show that it performs well with modern GPUs.
To really figure out if there’s a bottleneck, keep an eye on your CPU and GPU usage while gaming. If one is maxed out while the other isn’t, that could be telling you where the problem lies. Also, make sure your CPU isn’t overheating or throttling down.
I’ve been using Rivatuner to monitor temps and usage. For the most part, both the CPU and GPU stay below 60% while gaming, but I do experience some FPS drops in heavier areas of Elden Ring.
Thanks for the reassurance! I found the 10600KF for a decent price, about $150. I'm glad to hear it's still holding its ground.