I recently upgraded my PC from a Ryzen 3 1200 with a GTX 1080 and 8GB of DDR4 RAM to a Ryzen 5 3600, RTX 2080 Super, and 16GB of DDR4 RAM, plus a new NVMe SSD. However, I'm only noticing slight improvements. In Warzone, while there's a bit of a boost, it's still quite laggy. I also play other games like Delta Force, Minecraft, and CS2, and I'm seeing low frame rates even on medium settings at 1440x1080. For instance, Minecraft runs at around 120 FPS, fluctuating between 75 to 180 FPS on my 180Hz monitor. Delta Force performs okay, and both Warzone and CS2 feel underwhelming, especially with lower settings. I'm questioning if my new specs might be holding me back or if my CPU and RAM aren't sufficient. What should I check or upgrade next?
2 Answers
First off, the Ryzen 5 3600 is a solid mid-range CPU from 2019, but it can feel outdated with today’s gaming demands. You're right to think that the performance in CPU-heavy games like CS2 and Warzone may not improve much just from upgrading your GPU to an RTX 2080 Super, which, while better than your GTX 1080, isn't exactly cutting-edge anymore. One thing that can seriously impact Ryzen CPUs is RAM speed; if you’re using slower RAM (like 2666 MHz) or just a single channel, that could bottleneck your performance. So, consider checking your RAM setup in BIOS and ensure it’s running in dual-channel mode with at least 3200 MHz. Both games you mentioned benefit from a strong CPU, so upgrading might help, especially if you’re eyeing something like an AM5 setup with a Ryzen 7 5700X3D and fast DDR5 RAM; that could definitely give you a nice boost!
You might want to check your RAM’s specs as well—if it’s not fast enough, it might hurt your Ryzen's performance.
Honestly, you've kind of upgraded from a low-end setup to a slightly better low-end one. The Ryzen 5 3600 can struggle with CPU-intensive games, just like CS2. I had the same GPU and CPU setup before switching to a Ryzen 7 5800X3D, and it made a significant difference in performance. If you're looking for better frame rates and stability in those demanding titles, a more powerful CPU will be essential.
Is the GPU not good enough for my games though? I’m planning an upgrade to AM5 and DDR5 too, would that help?