I'm currently using an older SIM rig for flight simulation, running MSFS 2024, and it's performing okay. My setup includes a Z390 Aorus Ultra motherboard, an i9 9900 CPU, 32 GB of RAM, and a 2080ti GPU. I'm thinking of upgrading since a friend is selling a brand new Gigabyte Aero RTX 5080 at a good price. I know my motherboard is PCIe 3.0, and I'm curious if that will impact performance significantly with this new GPU. From what I've read, I might see a 4–10% decrease in performance, which would still be an improvement over my 2080ti. I'm also considering getting a newer motherboard if it means I can keep using my current CPU and RAM. Any advice?
1 Answer
Your PCIe version isn’t the main concern here. The bigger issue is your CPU; it's going to bottleneck the RTX 5080 quite a bit. The GPU will work, but it won't be able to unleash its full power because of the older CPU holding it back.
I have a 9600K in an old rig, and it’s okay for fun, but definitely not smooth for newer games. If you’re into titles like WoW at high settings, consider upgrading to a 12th gen or AM5 setup for a much better experience.