I recently upgraded from a 3070 to a 4080, and I'm running it with an MSI Pro Z690A and an i5-12400F. I'm curious to know if I should consider upgrading my CPU since I'm mostly gaming at 1440p. Additionally, I've been experiencing some odd issues that might be linked to my CPU, like my Steam download speeds being significantly lower than my internet speed while the CPU is maxed out during downloads due to the unpacking and installing processes. Anyone have thoughts on this?
2 Answers
It sounds like your CPU should generally be okay with that GPU for 1440p gaming. However, have you noticed any other CPU-related issues besides the one with Steam? If you're feeling bottlenecked or noticing stuttering in certain games, it might be worth considering an upgrade. But first, think about whether those specific games really need more CPU power for you to enjoy them.
You might want to check your CPU temperatures. It should handle that GPU well at 1440p, but running at 100% during downloads raises some flags for me. It sounds like it could be throttling if it's getting too hot. I suggest downloading HWinfo to monitor your temps more closely while gaming and during downloads.
I recently installed HWinfo and my temps look okay under max load, but I haven’t tested it with a heavy game yet. Could there be power issues at play if temps are fine?
Yeah, I definitely have noticed some slowdowns in games that I suspect are tied to CPU limits. It's tricky—I keep an eye on my system monitor, and I see the CPU working hard while the GPU stays underutilized during those moments.