GTA V compatible graphics card with high performance.
GTA V compatible graphics card with high performance.
I'm not seeking an upgrade and will settle for medium settings if needed. Just checking if the CPU is really limiting performance in the new games. The AMD side recommends the 8350, while some Intel i7/i5 models are suggested. I saw another post mentioning the 8350 could bottleneck a 980, advising something like an I7-4770k. That seems confusing!
They manage it fine. Intel performs significantly better; the 3-year-old Sandy 2500K at stock outperforms the 9590.
For a 980 or 970, opt for an i5 4690k. It’s essentially the top choice for gaming at 1080/144p. You’ll be able to handle anything smoothly and enjoy 60fps+ in most games and new releases this year.
Thanks for the update. I'm not planning an upgrade yet, just curious if I'm actually hitting a performance limit. My intention is to keep using the 8350 and 6990 for another 3 to 5 years, adjusting settings as needed :-D But with more games likely using multiple cores soon, I'm hoping the 8350 will improve over time haha. The 6990 should handle medium-resolution 1080p games smoothly, at least.
It seems you're not facing any major issues, at least the 6990 isn't a top-tier card. I'm not sure it will remain in good condition for three to five years either. The games are becoming more challenging each year, and the market can't keep up quickly enough.
Well, you're close—your conclusion seems accurate. I used an FX-8320 @ 4.6GHz with a GTX 780, but the GPU struggled in most titles. Intel chips from that era feel outdated compared to modern CPUs. If gaming is your main focus, a core i5-4690K works well; extra threads from an i7 can help occasionally, though not for every game. Unless budget isn't an issue, skip the i7-4790K and GTX 980—they offer too much power for the performance gain. Go with i5-4690K and GTX 970 instead.
Looks like you might consider Intel in the future. Real-world results often outperform expectations, and despite the numbers, AMD’s CPU can still beat some Intel i5s.