Hey everyone! I've got a gaming setup and I'm wondering if my performance is being held back. Here are the specs:
* **CPU:** Intel Core i5-12400
* **GPU:** NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
* **RAM:** 16GB DDR4 2666MHz (single stick)
* **Motherboard:** ASUS PRIME H610M-R D4
* **Storage:** 500GB Kingston SSD
* **Monitor:** 1080p 60Hz
* **OS:** Windows 11
* **Driver:** NVIDIA 576.52
When playing competitive games like CS2 and Valorant, I'm only hitting around **150 FPS on low settings**. I've noticed others with the same CPU and GPU manage to achieve **250–300 FPS**. Everything seems smooth and temperatures are good, but my FPS is consistently lower than expected. Could my RAM be throttling my performance? What upgrades should I prioritize? Thanks for your help!
2 Answers
Don't forget your monitor's 60Hz refresh rate! While higher FPS feels smoother, your gaming experience is capped by that. Still, since others with the same setup are getting better FPS, it's probably the RAM issue—especially the single channel performance and speed. Consider getting at least dual channel RAM at a higher speed.
Yeah, it sounds like your RAM is the culprit. Since you’re running a single stick at 2666MHz, it's definitely limiting your performance. Upgrading to a 2x16GB kit would be a solid move and shouldn’t cost too much—around $50 for a decent one.
Yeah, single-channel RAM will really bottleneck your performance in games. Dual channel gives a much better bandwidth, which is crucial for gaming.