I recently replaced my GTX 1660 Super with an RTX 5050. I mainly play eFootball through Steam and occasionally play AAA games at 1080p. The new GPU produces high frame rates, but usage often stays around 40–50%, and I sometimes experience frame drops or stuttering that I did not notice with the 1660 Super. I'm wondering whether the Ryzen 5 3600 is limiting the graphics card and whether I should upgrade the CPU, motherboard, or both. My system has a Ryzen 5 3600, an ASRock B450M Steel Legend, an ASUS Dual OC RTX 5050, 16GB of DDR4 memory, and a Corsair 550W power supply. What would be the best budget upgrade?
4 Answers
Your B450M Steel Legend should be fine for a Ryzen 5 5600, but you’ll likely need to update the BIOS first. Check the CPU support list and BIOS instructions on the manufacturer’s website before installing the new processor. A 5700X or 5700X3D could also be considered if the price is reasonable, but the 5600 is the better budget choice.
At 1080p, games can become CPU-limited because the graphics card has less work to do. eFootball and other esports-style games may also depend heavily on single-core CPU performance, so low GPU usage does not automatically indicate a problem with the GPU. A CPU upgrade should improve frame-time consistency and reduce stuttering.
The 16GB of RAM and 550W power supply should be adequate for this setup, assuming the power supply is in good condition. I would try the CPU upgrade before replacing the motherboard. Moving to a newer platform would cost much more because it would also require a new motherboard and memory, with limited benefit unless you plan a larger future upgrade.
The Ryzen 5 5600 is probably the simplest and most cost-effective upgrade. It offers noticeably better gaming performance than the 3600, especially in CPU-heavy games, while letting you keep your existing DDR4 memory and motherboard.
Would my current motherboard support the 5600, or would I need to replace it too?
You can also try limiting the game’s frame rate to your monitor’s refresh rate, or slightly below it. Matching the in-game limit to the display refresh rate may help smooth out inconsistent frame times.