Hey everyone! As we approach the new year, I'm reaching out for some guidance on upgrading my gaming setup. I'm currently playing on an ultra-wide monitor, and I'm experiencing significant frame-rate drops in games like Horizon Forbidden West, especially during action scenes. Here's a quick look at my current setup:
- **CPU**: i7-8700K
- **GPU**: RTX 3070 TI
- **Motherboard**: MSI Z370 KRAIT Gaming
- **RAM**: 64GB DDR4
When I check performance with the NZXT CAM, here's what I'm seeing:
- Low Settings: CPU at 40% load, GPU at 95-96%
- Medium Settings: CPU at 45%, GPU at 97-99%
- High/Very High Settings: CPU at 65%, GPU at 99-100%
Playing at these settings isn't giving me the experience I want, so I'm considering upgrading to a 5070 TI. My questions are:
1) Would I be able to just swap the GPU without changing other hardware?
2) Could my CPU become a bottleneck with that upgrade? Should I be preparing for a motherboard upgrade too?
3) If I switch from ultra-wide to a standard monitor, could I achieve Very High graphics levels with my current hardware?
Thanks for any insights you can share!
3 Answers
If the 5070 TI is stretching your budget, consider the 9070 XT instead. It offers great performance, and bottlenecks are just part of gaming—everyone has one! Your older CPU might be a bottleneck eventually, but it's worth thinking long-term about how you'll be upgrading your whole system. You could also think about future-proofing with a better CPU and RAM later on.
Upgrading to a 5070 TI sounds like a solid choice! Your CPU might slightly bottleneck the performance, but only by around 0-7%. Just make sure your PSU is up to par. What is your power supply unit (PSU) rating?
Hey! What resolution are you gaming at? If you're at 5120x1440, that could definitely be impacting your frame rate. Try dropping to a lower resolution like 1600x1200 and see if your frames improve. If they do, it signals your GPU is the limiting factor, but if not, your CPU might be the issue.
Related Questions
Lenovo Thinkpad Stuck In Update Loop Install FilterDriverU2_Reload