CPU bottleneck - Upgrade/ Build Help - FS2020

[TriggerTroy]

Hey guys,

 

Looking for advice.

 

My PC is old. I ripped out the original GTX680 and replaced it with a 1080 a while ago.  This is what I'm working with.

 

Intel Core i5 3570K
ASUS Sabertooth Z77 Motherboard
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 Turbo OC 8GB
G.Skill Trident X F3-2400C10D-16GTX 16GB
SanDisk Extreme SSD 240GB

 

Issues she's always had:

- RAM only runs at 1600mhz. XMP has never played ball and any ram or multiplier overclocks immediately present with instability.

 

- CPU can only take a very modest overclock up to 4.1ghz before cooling and instability causes issues. 

 

Where I'm at.  The 1080 has been absolutely keeping my head above water. With settings optimised, it's been happy to play everything at ok settings with decent FPS.

 

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 launched and I've hit an issue.   I've identified a massive CPU bottleneck. The GPU can, believe it or not, run at 4k high settings but the CPU is pinned to the ceiling and can't handle it.  I know it's CPU, I've confirmed it a bunch of ways.

 

Ideally, I'd like to throw a decent best 8th gen CPU in the box and stretch for a 3090 when it's released and sit back and let this machine go for a bit longer.

 

I've discovered that for about 2k I can get a 9th gen i9 9900k, mobo, ram etc and that's a pretty decent system over a high end 10th gen box.. 

 

Do you think I can squeeze more out if this PC given its currently not bad at all right now.. or should I go for a high end 9th gen system to keep costs down over a new 10th gen rig?

 

Cheers,

Troy