Can I enhance the performance of my 5700xt Red Devil using an I7-7700t processor?
Can I enhance the performance of my 5700xt Red Devil using an I7-7700t processor?
Can you increase your GPU's speed beyond its limits with a 7700T? Might it cause issues? Is it likely to function properly?
The cpu sets fps limits. It pre-renders all the game code into frames that it sends to the gpu. It'll pre-render as many frames as the game code will allow in a second. The job of the gpu is to finish render the frames from the cpu according to detail settings and resolution.
So a cpu would be considered a limiting factor if for instance the gpu was capable of 100fps, but only receives 60. The gpu would be the limiting factor if the cpu sent it 100fps, but the gpu could only put 60 on screen.
You can test this by changing detail levels. Play a game on low settings, notate the fps. Then replay the game on medium and ultra, notating the fps. If the fps doesn't really change much then the cpu is the limiting factor as the gpu can handle...
Please check if your CPU affects your gaming performance. Use a hardware monitoring tool like MSI Afterburner to see if it reaches maximum usage. This may occur with one or all of your cores.
It's an i7-7700
That's the low power eco version, built for laptops, which means you're already at a significant disadvantage. Changing the GPU won't help much because FPS will be limited by the CPU, not the GPU.
The only meaningful adjustment you can make to a GPU is tweaking detail settings or pushing FPS up to the CPU's maximum. If you hit CPU limits, pairing it with a 2080ti might not improve performance at all.
The cpu imposes frame rate restrictions. It prepares all game code into frames before sending them to the gpu. It will render as many frames as the game code permits in one second. The gpu's role is to complete the rendering of those frames based on detail settings and resolution. Therefore, the cpu can become a bottleneck if the gpu can only handle 100fps but receives 60. Conversely, the gpu becomes the limiting factor when the cpu tries to send 100fps but the gpu can only display 60. You can verify this by adjusting detail levels. Run the game on low settings and record the fps. Then replay it at medium and ultra settings, noting the fps changes. If fps remains stable, the cpu is the constraint since the gpu manages all frames. If fps drops significantly, the gpu is the issue, as the cpu's output exceeds its capacity.
The 7700t isn't restricting my FPS. It seems my 7700t doesn't impose that limit.
You can't perceive the boundaries. You just compare them.
If your game runs smoothly at medium settings with 60fps, then adjusting to low settings still maintains that frame rate—meaning your system is limited by the CPU. If the GPU is powerful enough, you might push it to ultra and maintain 60fps. But if not, there are two main constraints. The CPU at 60fps, paired with a GPU that can handle medium-high settings to keep up, allows for 60fps in ultra. In games like Skyrim, I achieve 60fps at ultra or low settings. Removing CPU mods drops it to 180fps, while keeping the GPU at ultra or low still works. This shows how CPU adjustments can significantly affect performance limits.
Currently, each game sets its own maximum frame rate. Based on my experience, the bottleneck is usually your CPU, not the GPU, but only by tweaking settings and testing you can confirm this.