i7-7700k bottlenecking my 3080

[Sputnik7]

Hello LTT forums! Long time first time here.

 

I currently have an Intel i7-7700k running on a Z270 chipset, and recently acquired an RTX 3080. I only game on the system, but I am seeing a large bottleneck from my CPU gaming at 1440p/144Hz , making my frame rate very unstable (and GPU-Z is only reporting ~60% GPU utilization while gaming). I'm thinking this could either be my CPU or my motherboard power delivery. I also got a new 850W PSU for the system.

 

I see that I have two (technically 3) paths forward:

 

1) Upgrade CPU+mobo to 3rd gen AMD or 10th/11th Gen Intel

2) Upgrade monitor to 4K (change CPU to GPU bottleneck)

3) do nothin

 

Looking at the gaming benchmarks with a 7700k or AMD equivalent (1700X) and a 3080, I see that any CPU bottleneck disappears when you move to 4K, as almost all games become GPU bottlenecked. Of course, the market for 4K variable refresh rate (VRR) technology isn't very good right now, which would confine me to 4K60 for now. Also not opposed to 1440p (2K) ultrawide

 

The other option is to (basically) finish replacing my entire system by getting a new CPU and mobo, and just keep using my DDR4 RAM.

 

 

I actually think both options are about the same price (but could be wrong). Here's the wrinkle - I just moved to Europe, so any links will have to be for continental Europe.

 

I'm looking for a discussion on pros/cons of each path.

 

Thanks in advance for your ideas!

[LauriHimself]

9 minutes ago, Sputnik7 said:

I actually think both options are about the same price (but could be wrong). Here's the wrinkle - I just moved to Europe, so any links will have to be for continental Europe.

what country are you at and would you consider buying used a viable option? 

i just looked at willhaben (austrian site afaik) and saw a 10850K for 300€ so theres that

 

personally i would go the upgrade route as you alrerady have a decent 1440p/144Hz display

[SorryBella]

10 minutes ago, Sputnik7 said:

but I am seeing a large bottleneck from my CPU gaming at 1440p/144Hz

 

10 minutes ago, Sputnik7 said:

I see that any CPU bottleneck disappears when you move to 4K, as almost all games become GPU bottlenecked.

Nope, 1440p is still very very GPU bound, But if i were being honest though, you still gonna need CPU upgrade either way because of how 6 cores become the new norm in DX12 and Vulkan powered games. If you want to do that, consider the AMD Ryzen 5 5600x or Intel Core i5 10400 or 11400. It really just hits the sweet spot for 1440p now.

 

 

[Sputnik7]

10 minutes ago, LauriHimself said:

what country are you at and would you consider buying used a viable option? 

i just looked at willhaben (austrian site afaik) and saw a 10850K for 300€ so theres that

 

personally i would go the upgrade route as you alrerady have a decent 1440p/144Hz display

I'm in Belgium. Used isn't off the table, but it would depend on the price cut.

 

My display is definitely a budget 1440p/144Hz, but that's a whole other conversation

 

 

[Sputnik7]

30 minutes ago, SorryClaire said:

 

Nope, 1440p is still very very GPU bound, But if i were being honest though, you still gonna need CPU upgrade either way because of how 6 cores become the new norm in DX12 and Vulkan powered games. If you want to do that, consider the AMD Ryzen 5 5600x or Intel Core i5 10400 or 11400. It really just hits the sweet spot for 1440p now.

 

 

Thanks for the HW unboxed link! Is it worth waiting it out for 12th gen Intel (potentially launching in Fall 2021)? Or pick up something that's out now? I haven't done a huge dive into Intel 12th gen yet. Also, I thought clock speed was still king for gaming? The 10400 has a lower base AND boost than my 7700k.

[SorryBella]

7 minutes ago, Sputnik7 said:

Is it worth waiting it out for 12th gen Intel (potentially launching in Fall 2021)? Or pick up something that's out now? I haven't done a huge dive into Intel 12th gen yet.

getting a headstart on DDR5 would be preferable if you really wanna play the really long game, but for me something thats out now would be better especially considering that early DDR4s are plagued with issues so its a good cautionary tale that you can apply on DDR5.

[Sputnik7]

What about clock speed? 2 extra cores running ~5% slower (at boost) than a 7700k really help that much with DX12 and Vulkan?

 

Also, any reason to do a 400 series vs 500 series motherboard?

[NelizMastr]

44 minutes ago, Sputnik7 said:

What about clock speed? 2 extra cores running ~5% slower (at boost) than a 7700k really help that much with DX12 and Vulkan?

 

Also, any reason to do a 400 series vs 500 series motherboard?

Clock speed isn't everything. Keep in mind the 7700K is a 4 year old CPU at this point and sizeable IPC gains have been made in the meantime.

 

Also, advertised max boost is for 1 core only, never for all of them, unless you're overclocking.

[Sputnik7]

2 hours ago, NelizMastr said:

Clock speed isn't everything. Keep in mind the 7700K is a 4 year old CPU at this point and sizeable IPC gains have been made in the meantime.

Source for that claim? Has the per core IPC actually improved? Or did 2 more cores get added which is why IPC is higher?

[CryingWimp]

Your definitely CPU bottlenecked, the 3080 is a beast and is starting to show even 6 cores is no longer enough for modern AAA games. The new CPUs are faster in everyway, its a myth that your 7700k is as fast or faster than a new CPU in singlecore.

 

• 4k will not solve your problem, your so CPU bottlenecked that 4k won't make up enough difference to still not be CPU limited.

 

• AVOID Ryzen 3000, it is very slow these days for a top end GPU, its also not any cheaper like it use to be. 10th gen intel is significantly better, especially considering the price these days.

 

2021 here, the 3080/3090 are showing for the first time that even at 1440p/4k they are so powerful you need a beast of a CPU. Even 6 cores bottlenecks them in some of the latest AAA games. The days of 6 cores and 16GB of ram being enough for a top end GPU are over, this wasn't true until now, that's why sooo many people still argue against it, but just because it was true in 2020 doesn't make it true in 2021.

 

When you see reviewers talking about how "6 cores is enough for most people", 3080+ owners are not most people. Same thing when they say many people are still happy with a 7700k, most people don't have anywhere near a 3080.

 

IMO don't get anything less than a 8 core 10700 with that GPU, you will regret it faster than you'd hope. Enjoy your beast of a GPU.

 

 

[Mister Woof]

20 minutes ago, CryingWimp said:

Your definitely CPU bottlenecked, the 3080 is a beast and is starting to show even 6 cores is no longer enough for modern AAA games. The new CPUs are faster in everyway, its a myth that your 7700k is as fast or faster than a new CPU in singlecore.

 

• 4k will not solve your problem, your so CPU bottlenecked that 4k won't make up enough difference to still not be CPU limited.

 

• AVOID Ryzen 3000, it is very slow these days for a top end GPU, its also not any cheaper like it use to be. 10th gen intel is significantly better, especially considering the price these days.

 

2021 here, the 3080/3090 are showing for the first time that even at 1440p/4k they are so powerful you need a beast of a CPU. Even 6 cores bottlenecks them in some of the latest AAA games. The days of 6 cores and 16GB of ram being enough for a top end GPU are over, this wasn't true until now, that's why sooo many people still argue against it, but just because it was true in 2020 doesn't make it true in 2021.

 

When you see reviewers talking about how "6 cores is enough for most people", 3080+ owners are not most people. Same thing when they say many people are still happy with a 7700k, most people don't have anywhere near a 3080.

 

IMO don't get anything less than a 8 core 10700 with that GPU, you will regret it faster than you'd hope. Enjoy your beast of a GPU.

 

 

Agree on all points, but want to add my 2c:

 

Right now I don't really have any recommendations for any Intel CPUs to pair with high end graphics cards.

 

If only the 10th gen had PCIE4 support, it would be easy to recommend the 10850k/10900k, but given they are not as often discounted now, and recent price reductions of the 5800x and the increased availability of the 5900X, I can't make that recommendation anymore. I won't mention 11th gen because overall it's a downgrade from 10th generation once you consider the memory and core latency issues it has.

 

If you're going for a high-end GPU today and want to pair it appropriately without considering upgrading when DDR5 systems launch in a year, then AMD is the way to go as it has a lead in IPC as well as good PCIE4 support.

 

Both of which will be useful once more powerful GPUs than the 3000/6000 series launch.