Does the Ryzen 5 1600 limit your system's performance?
Does the Ryzen 5 1600 limit your system's performance?
Hello everyone! I purchased my main rig back in September 2017:
CPU: Ryzen 5 1600
GPU: Gigabyte 1060 G1 Gaming 6GB
RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR4 2666Mhz
MoBo: Asus Prime B350 Plus
I recently upgraded my RAM to a pair of 2x8 Corsair RGB Pro 3200 Mhz units with the same timings as my previous setup (16-18-18-36). So far it runs smoothly at 3200 without any problems, but the increase from 2666 to 3200 hasn’t improved gaming performance. Eventually I opted to overclock the GPU since the warranty ended—boosting the clock by +150Mhz, memory speed by +500Mhz, voltage up by +20%, and power supply up by +11%. The results were similar here too; no noticeable gains.
My main question is: Does my CPU limit the benefits of these upgrades? If yes, should I try overclocking it? And what are the best OC settings for my specific CPU model?
No. You can also remove the voltage applied to the GPU, as it's too high and not needed—usually only a small adjustment of 10mV would suffice, unless you need to align with power limits.
What metric reflects performance improvement? What do you observe on the screen? Which benchmark gives the clearest insight?
Most users wouldn't notice a 15% boost in performance from RAM—it might slightly increase FPS during stress tests, but generally it would mainly improve the minimum frame rates, not push them higher. This leads to smoother gameplay, though people often don't prioritize that.
No. And you can remove the voltage applied to the gpu, it's too much and not needed, you'd only add around 10mv if necessary to meet power limits.
What measures are taken to improve performance? What do you notice on the screen? What does a benchmark indicate?
Most users wouldn't or couldn't see the 15% boost in performance from the ram. It might slightly increase frames under stress, but generally it would mainly raise the minimums, not the maximums. The minimums occur when the program demands so much information that the cpu can't render as many frames. The added performance boost in infinity fabric makes the cpu stronger, so low fps doesn't drop as much. It leads to smoother gameplay, but people focus on the fps numbers rather than the cpu limits.
The GPU determines how many frames appear on the screen. If you're using a 60Hz or 144Hz monitor and the GPU can reach 200fps, it won't matter if the OC makes it 500fps; you'll still see 60fps or 144fps. The display resolution stays the same.
What changes are possible is enhancing detail while keeping the same fps rate on the screen. Trying ultra 100fps instead of very high 100fps could help.
What titles are you playing and what is your display setting? Generally, gaming performance slows down at lower resolutions when the CPU is overloaded, especially with a very powerful GPU aiming for top FPS. The 1060 offers limited power, and first-generation Zen CPUs aren't much better. It's worth noting that only specific games truly gain from extremely high FPS. Others often strain even more capable GPUs beyond what their graphics capabilities can handle, particularly at higher resolutions where detailed visuals are expected.
The R5-1600 and i5-7400 provide sufficient power to fully saturate a GTX1060...