Identifying issues with your new GPU and understanding bottlenecks and PSU requirements.
Identifying issues with your new GPU and understanding bottlenecks and PSU requirements.
I recently purchased an RX 6700 XT and occasionally notice lower frame rates than before in games. My current configuration includes an Intel Core i7-10700K and the new card, which needs two PSU cables—one main 8-pin and another from a different connector not shown. Previously, my RTX 2060 used just one PSU cable. I’m wondering if this setup might be creating a bottleneck. Thanks for any advice!
No there's no bottleneck. 6700 XT peaks at around 220 watts. If we assume the video card's gonna take around 50w through the pci-e slot, then it means it's gonna take around 170 watts through the two 8 pin pci-e connectors - each one is rated for 150 watts and the 8 pin going into the power supply is good for 300w or even more than 300w. So you're taking less than 100w through each 8 pin connector. RTX 2060 peaked at around 160 watts. Some games are more optimized for 2060, or maybe they auto configured graphical settings based on VRAM amount and other things - for example, maybe game configured graphical settings based on 2060 having 6 GB or 8 GB VRAM so maybe some quality settings are set to medium or high , while on 6700XT it sees 12 GB and sets the same quality setting to high-ultra. Those particular settings set on high-ultra could cause stutters or lower fps from time to time.
You're welcome on the clarification. For a PSU recommendation, consider your specific needs and budget. As for the bottleneck question, these sites often estimate based on averages, but real-world performance depends on your system's configuration and workload.
Your power supply should handle your system needs. The earlier commenter suggested you don’t need to worry about cables melting because the new GPU won’t draw more than 100W per 8-pin connector. Bottleneck calculators can be tricky—think of them like estimating fuel use without knowing the driving conditions. There’s always a limiting factor, whether it’s the CPU, GPU, SSD, or whatever you’re using. It really depends on what game or task you’re running. Hope this clears things up!