Is the upgrade worth it for better FPS?
Is the upgrade worth it for better FPS?
Hi,
I currently have the following system:
i5 9600k
Asus Prime z390m-plus
16GB DDR4 4200Mhz
Asus RTX 2070 SUPER
I plan to play Starfield and other games at 1440p. I’m thinking about small upgrades to boost FPS without spending much. A GPU upgrade isn’t an option, so I’m considering a CPU upgrade, possibly to an i513600. I’ve seen some YouTube videos suggesting that changing the CPU alone can significantly improve performance. I might also look into RAM, but I read that DDR5 won’t have such a big effect...? What do you think?
Upgrading past the 10th Generation will likely mean transitioning to newer generations, which typically involves a new motherboard while keeping your existing RAM configuration. If you're targeting DDR5, consider a DDR5 kit that matches your upcoming CPU and motherboard, aligning with AMD's AM5 platform.
Please share your budget for this upgrade, along with your location and preferred purchasing site.
CPU: i5 9600k
CPU cooler: Cooler master hyper 212 rgb black edition
Motherboard: Asus prime z390m-plus
Ram: G skill trident z rgb 16gb 3200mhz
SSD/HDD: 2TB Samsung 860 SSD
GPU: MSI Geforce RTX 2070 SUPER OC 8GB
PSU: Corsair PSU Vengeance 750M 80 Plus Silver (from 2019)
Chassis: Phantek P400S
OS: Windows 11 64bit
Monitor: Asus Rog Swift PG278QR 1440p 165Hz 1ms
Location: Sweden, purchases mainly from webhallen, komplett, or netonnet.
Budget for CPU and motherboard, with the rest fitting on the new board, is approximately 500 USD / 5000 SEK. Adding DDR5 would require an extra 150 USD.
A CPU upgrade represents a significant improvement.
Your i5-9600K features six processing threads and a passmark score of 10914. This indicates maximum utilization when all threads are active, which is rare during gaming. More relevant for gaming is the single-thread performance rating of 2809. A similar score for an I5-13600 would be around 20 threads and 33524/4061 passMark.
Intel Core i5-13600 pricing typically ranges from $250 to $300.
You might consider alternatives like the i5-13400 or i5-13600K within that budget.
If you already have DDR4 RAM installed, it’s best to retain it.
Upgrading beyond 16GB is unnecessary unless gaming demands it and multitasking occurs simultaneously.
An LGA1700 B760 motherboard with DDR4 support should cost under $150.
MATX boards will be more affordable.
A different LGA1700 socket may require an adapter for your hyper212.
Alternatively, a more powerful cooler could suit the 13600K better.
Lastly, ensure your Windows license remains valid if it’s OEM and linked to your original motherboard.
In short, if you upgrade the components and keep your DDR4 RAM, you should notice a noticeable improvement in FPS. For games like Ghost Recon Breakpoint, where I play at high settings in 1440p, my average is around 30 to 40 FPS, which could rise to 50-60 FPS. Similar gains are likely for other games, with increases of more than 20-30 FPS possible.
A very good question.
Some games work best on GPU, others on CPU.
Run your games but reduce resolution and visual effects.
This helps the graphics card perform better.
If your FPS improves, it means your CPU is strong enough for a better graphics setup.
If your FPS doesn’t change, you’re probably more CPU-limited, and upgrading the CPU would be beneficial.
Hey there,
For a significant boost in FPS, you'd need both a new CPU and GPU. Any of those Intel chips would work well. The 2070 is the issue. Although powerful back then, it only supports up to 1080p now for new AAA titles, and 1440p will be even less. The CPU sends pre-rendered frames to the GPU, so a faster CPU helps the GPU process data more quickly. Going up to around 13500 can add a few FPS, but without a GPU upgrade, that's the limit.
When you operate your games using the desired configurations, observing CPU/GPU activity can indicate which parts require assistance.
Tried 3 games ...
Played Ghost Recon Breakpoint at 1440p Ultra – CPU and GPU usage stayed around 99%, FPS averaged 45-55.
Hitman at 1440p Ultra showed CPU usage 90-99% and GPU 99%, FPS around 60.
God of War in 1440p Ultra had CPU between 85-99% (often over 90%) and GPU 99%, FPS 70.
Downgraded to 1080p in Breakpoint with Ultra settings – CPU and GPU consistently at 98%, FPS rose to 55-65.
Seems the upgrade might not be worth it.
I think your GPU might be restricting your performance right from the start.
In the latest gamer nexus video, they tested Starfield on older cards and found that a 2060 model was struggling below 40fps at medium settings with 1080p. The CPU used was a 12700k.
This suggests the issue is likely GPU-related. You might see slightly better results with FRS/DLSS, but it seems you'll need more powerful systems than what they claim is the minimum requirement.