Hey everyone, I think my new GPU might not be living up to expectations. I recently upgraded from an NVIDIA 3050 to an AMD Radeon 9060 XT 16GB Challenger OC because I wanted better performance in more demanding, graphically intense games. My specs are a Windows 11 system with an Intel Core i5-12400F CPU, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 550W PSU. I was hoping to run most games at high settings and hit at least 120 FPS at 1080p. However, I'm finding I'm not getting more than 120 FPS in many situations. Oddly enough, when I tried gaming at 4K (3840x2160) with the same settings, my FPS didn't really drop much at all. My CPU tends to run around 80-90% usage while my GPU is hovering below 60%. Can anyone suggest a solid CPU upgrade to help me get better performance with the 9060 XT?
5 Answers
It sounds like your CPU is indeed holding you back, especially at 1080p. If you're looking for a CPU upgrade, I'd suggest either going for a 12900K or if you're open to AMD, a 7700X would work well. Just remember, pairing it with 32GB of fast RAM could help too!
Have you used DDU to fully uninstall the NVIDIA drivers before installing the AMD ones? That could help optimize performance. The Intel i5-12400F shouldn't bottleneck a 9060 XT too much, but make sure you're not just relying on benchmark videos for comparison. Running an actual benchmark tool like 3DMark could give you better insights.
Definitely a CPU bottleneck situation here. Your performance staying similar at 4K supports this theory. Maybe consider upgrading to an i7 or even a newer AMD processor with 6-8 cores; that should give you a nice boost in FPS.
I think part of the issue is your build's overall age. Your older CPU and motherboard are likely limiting your GPU’s performance. Upgrading your CPU to a newer model would be a step in the right direction if you want to see significant gains.
You're spot on about the bottleneck. With DDR4 RAM and an older CPU, your system is definitely limiting the GPU's potential. If you want to improve your FPS at 1080p, consider an i7 upgrade; it should help quite a bit.
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