Should I Upgrade My CPU or GPU for Smoother 1440p Gaming?
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MellowPine47
I'm using a budget gaming PC with 32 GB of DDR4 RAM, a Ryzen 5 3600, and an RTX 3070. In Battlefield 6 at 1440p with DLSS enabled, I'm averaging around 60–70 FPS and experiencing noticeable stuttering. I'm considering upgrading to a Ryzen 7 5800X3D, but I'm unsure whether the CPU or GPU should be upgraded first. Would the 5800X3D make a meaningful difference, or would my money be better spent elsewhere?
Answers
Another option is to avoid putting most of the budget into the 5800X3D. You could sell the Ryzen 5 3600 and RTX 3070, move to a Ryzen 5 5600X for the AM4 platform, and put the remaining money toward a substantially faster graphics card, such as a Radeon 9070 GRE or a comparable used previous-generation model. The 5800X3D would improve the 1% lows, but its current price may not offer the best overall performance-per-dollar for this system.
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The Ryzen 7 5800X3D should significantly improve frame-time consistency and 1% lows, which would help with the stuttering. However, it may not dramatically increase your average FPS because the RTX 3070 will still limit performance in some situations. The GPU could be the next upgrade after the processor.
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For Battlefield 6 specifically, the Ryzen 5 3600 is probably the first thing holding you back. A Ryzen 5 5600X or another affordable X3D chip would be a much cheaper upgrade and should noticeably improve the stuttering and minimum FPS. The RTX 3070 is still capable at 1440p with DLSS, so you can replace it later if you still need more performance. With optimized settings and DLSS on Quality or Balanced, 100-plus FPS may be possible, depending on the map and game mode.
MellowPine47: I’ve adjusted several settings, but I still can’t get above about 81 FPS even at the highest settings. Are there particular options I should lower first?
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MellowPine47: I’ve also seen bundles with a Radeon 9070 and a Ryzen 7 7500X3D. Would moving to that combination be a meaningful upgrade? I’m having trouble interpreting the benchmark differences.