I'm considering upgrading my GPU because I feel like my current 1660 Super is lagging behind in newer games. My goal is to achieve around 70 FPS at 1080p with mostly max settings, without ray tracing. However, I'm a bit concerned about whether my i3 10100 will bottleneck the performance. I've seen some bottleneck calculators but I'm not sure how accurate they are. My motherboard can only support up to 10th gen CPUs and I have 2x8GB DDR4 2666 RAM. Should I go for the 9070 XT now and upgrade my CPU and motherboard later when I can afford it, or would it be wiser to consider downgrading my GPU for now and save for a full upgrade later?
4 Answers
Yep, your setup should handle 1080p and maybe even 1440p decently, but 4K is definitely out of reach with the i3.
Honestly, the i3 will likely bottleneck your performance at 1080p, especially with a powerful GPU like the 9070 XT. It's not the worst CPU, so you might still get decent performance, but if you're planning to use this setup for a while, I'd suggest looking at a more balanced option, like a 9060 XT with a better CPU. You'll end up with a better gaming experience without too much compromise.
The i3 really isn’t made for gaming, especially with just 4 cores. You'll notice it bottlenecking even with mid-range GPUs like the RX 6600. Upgrading to something like the i5 10400 would significantly reduce bottlenecking from about 30-40% down to 10-15%. That's worth considering before you pull the trigger on the 9070 XT.
I appreciate the advice! It's tough to find a good i5 around here, though. Might need to save some more cash before upgrading.
AMD cards do tend to have lower overhead than Nvidia, but you'll still experience some bottleneck. The extent really depends on the specifics of the game, settings, and resolution.
Thanks for the insight! I was thinking of waiting too, considering the costs of upgrading everything at once.