Should I consider replacing my CPU?
Should I consider replacing my CPU?
On my system I have an i5 7400 and a RX 580. I'm weighing selling the graphics card versus buying a new CPU. Should I upgrade to a 2060S or stick with the current CPU? Also, how long should I expect the i5 to last in games?
I’d prefer the 2060s. You won’t notice much improvement in games by just increasing the CPU. My old Ryzen 7 1700X went from a 1050Ti to a 2070s and it changed everything. It felt like a totally new setup.
The 580 is considerably stronger than the 1050 ti And the 1700x has twice as many cores and SMT....in modern game that will be more helpful than a GPU upgrade on a locked 7400. OP, I'd upgrade the CPU to something modern; you can hold out on that RX 580 fora little while. Anew GPU now might improve maximum FPS but a new CPU now will improve your gameplay experience.
The 9400f pairs well with a 2060 in many OEM PCs and laptops, so they should work together. The 7400 is pretty solid too. You might be missing around 3 frames per second, but Intel’s CPUs have only seen updates over three generations, so there’s not much to gain. Overall, it seems fine.
The 7400 trails significantly behind the 9400, which offers better performance by about half. Numerous evaluations confirm that 4/4 is a frustrating experience mainly due to stuttering in newer titles rather than just low FPS. Frequent lows of 0.1% and long frame times make 4/4 CPUs nearly outdated in gaming. This becomes even more problematic when paired with a 2070. While options like the 7600k or 8350k might help with threading through overclocking, tests consistently show they hit their limits. A 580 seems reasonable, but combining it with a 2070 isn't ideal.
However, games typically rely on no more than four threads. In those cases, things tend to stay fairly consistent.
Of course they're superior. If you aim for the strongest performance, a 9900k is necessary. The 7400k works well with a 2060super. It's not the best setup and won't cause any bottleneck issues. However, the situation differs. Running Ofcourse or city skylines on that chip likely won't be great. Those titles are tough even for systems with just six cores. Most games should run smoothly on the 7400k without problems.
The 7400 seems nearly fully utilized with the 580. Including a 2070 doesn't make sense since most new games would leave the GPU underused, turning it into a waste. Upgrading to a faster CPU for a 580 at least should help reduce stuttering, if not boost maximum FPS.