Is it time to upgrade? (processor and memory related)

Avatar image for mrbojangles25
mrbojangles25

58159

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 11

User Lists: 0

mrbojangles25  Online

Poll Is it time to upgrade? (processor and memory related) (15 votes)

Yes 33%
No 33%
Maybe? 33%

Hello-

First, let's get my specs out of the way:

  • Processor: Core i7-4790 @ 4 GHz
  • Mobo: Asrock Z97 Extreme 6
  • Memory: 16 GB memory (it says I have 9.88 available physical memory?)
  • OS: Windows 10 Home
  • Video card: Nvidia 2080

Is this dated? I bought the i7 for future proofing, so even if it got old I could still squeeze some more life out of it. With that said, it's getting a bit long in the tooth seeing as how we are on, what? 10th generation or something.

More importantly, is my processor and/or memory bottle-necking my video card?

I play at 1440p.

Thank you very much!

 • 
Avatar image for PfizersaurusRex
PfizersaurusRex

1503

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

#1 PfizersaurusRex
Member since 2012 • 1503 Posts

Do you have a 144Hz freesync monitor? If you can get at least 100 fps in games I'd say no need for an upgrade. You would get a little fps improvement with a higher clocked 6 or 8 core CPU (I guess not much with that res/GPU), and adding more RAM would give you zero improvement in games.

Avatar image for mrbojangles25
mrbojangles25

58159

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 11

User Lists: 0

#2  Edited By mrbojangles25  Online
Member since 2005 • 58159 Posts

@PfizersaurusRex said:

Do you have a 144Hz freesync monitor? If you can get at least 100 fps in games I'd say no need for an upgrade. You would get a little fps improvement with a higher clocked 6 or 8 core CPU (I guess not much with that res/GPU), and adding more RAM would give you zero improvement in games.

It's a 144 hz Gsync monitor

Thank you for the response

Avatar image for BassMan
BassMan

17764

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 225

User Lists: 0

#3  Edited By BassMan
Member since 2002 • 17764 Posts

@mrbojangles25: For most games, that CPU is not a bottleneck. For demanding games like BFV 64 player, it is a bottleneck.

Avatar image for 04dcarraher
04dcarraher

23824

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

#4  Edited By 04dcarraher
Member since 2004 • 23824 Posts

@mrbojangles25:

Sometime next year your cpu will really start showing its age, especially when the next set of consoles will have 8 core 16 thread Ryzen 2 most likely with a boost clock of 3.2ghz.

At 1440p that resolution is high enough where it make most games more gpu bound than cpu bound. There are some exceptions like the Battlefield games or others that leverage 12+ threads with a decent amount of usage.

As long as the performance of your games are to your liking you shouldn't have to upgrade for at least another year. But if you have the itch to upgrade and want something new and faster. From intel dont get anything but the i9(8 core 16 thread) the plain 8 core or 6 core i5/i7's are pointless upgrade paths, IMO. From AMD get the Ryzen 7 3700x or 3800x.

Avatar image for deactivated-642321fb121ca
deactivated-642321fb121ca

7142

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 20

User Lists: 0

#5 deactivated-642321fb121ca
Member since 2013 • 7142 Posts

I'll be upgrading before next gen consoles land.

Avatar image for mrbojangles25
mrbojangles25

58159

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 11

User Lists: 0

#6 mrbojangles25  Online
Member since 2005 • 58159 Posts

@04dcarraher: @BassMan: great, thanks for the replies.

I will hold off I think. I am pretty happy with my rig. The whole reason I'm asking is because I got a "low memory warning" from Star Citizen. I know I shouldn't take such a demanding game in alpha build as gospel that my rig is outdated, it is just the first time in like six years I've had trouble running anything.

Christmas is coming up so I will have a little money on hand to treat myself should the need arise.

Avatar image for urbangamez
urbangamez

3511

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 0

#7 urbangamez
Member since 2010 • 3511 Posts

no reason to upgrade at the moment

Avatar image for gerygo
GeryGo

12803

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 6

User Lists: 0

#8 GeryGo  Moderator
Member since 2006 • 12803 Posts

I play with i5 4690 16Gb - I have no complaints ATM, maybe with Intel 15th gen I'll upgrade or it may even be AMD

Avatar image for mastershake575
mastershake575

8574

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

#10 mastershake575
Member since 2007 • 8574 Posts

@mrbojangles25 said: Is this dated?

Your CPU might be 5.5 years old but I still think its fine. Where so late into this generation that most games are running on modified engines that are anywhere from 3 to 5 years old.

Not only that CPU has been the most overrated component this generation (mostly due to the consoles getting by on what is essentially a 2012 era lowend CPU). Alot of enthusiast will take there demands/usage and try to pass it off to the normal person but that's not how it works. For over 90% of the world what you have is fine.

I expect the same overrated/over-recommending to happen next generation as well. People are gonna blab exaggerated recommendations like "uhh you need at least a 10 core CPU" when in reality a six core CPU is gonna be faster than the PS5 CPU

Avatar image for horgen
horgen

127492

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

#11 horgen  Moderator
Member since 2006 • 127492 Posts

With the 2080... Do you chase higher FPS, or better looking visuals?

If the former, upgrade, if the latter, you can wait another year or two.

Avatar image for deactivated-5efed3ebc2180
deactivated-5efed3ebc2180

923

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 0

#13  Edited By deactivated-5efed3ebc2180
Member since 2006 • 923 Posts

i7-4790K here, overclocked the hell outta it (literally toe-to-toe with stock i7-7700K) and it bottlenecks my GPU (RTX 2070 OC'ed to RTX 2070 Super, which is very close but still a bit weaker than a stock 2080)... If you're okay with 60 fps, wait till 2021 when Intel and AMD move to new platform/release CPU's with DDR5 support.

Making a new hig-end build as of now is kinda pointless, unless you've got money to burn, because when AMD and Intel move to new sockets, you will have zero room to upgrade the CPU and you will become salty ass like me when i bought my 4790K back in 2014 (ya know, back when it was top-end CPU that cost ~350 Euro), and got zero room to upgrade my CPU, let alone being stuck with that DDR3 slowpoke for years to come...