The computer's performance is significantly lower than expected.
The computer's performance is significantly lower than expected.
So let's begin fresh. I've owned this computer for some time, and despite having top-tier specs compared to most friends, it consistently delivered the same or worse results. I've only recently considered upgrading, so I bought a new graphics card. Previously, I had an Nvidia GTX 1080 with 8GB of memory, and now I own an AMD Radeon RX 6800 with 16GB. Of course, I expected a clear improvement, but it didn't materialize. After selling my old card to a friend—whose setup was almost the same except for an older GPU (GTX 950 or 980)—I tested performance using GTA 5's built-in benchmark. With the RX 6800, I achieved around 80 to 60 frames per second, whereas my friend with the 1080 managed steady 140 FPS. Since our builds were nearly identical, the only difference was the GPU itself. Then I began investigating other potential problems: I swapped out RAM, the motherboard, power supply, and added more fans. I also checked various PC forums, but most suggestions didn't help much, and none of them solved my issue. So far, I haven't altered anything else from my original configuration—only the CPU and case remain unchanged. My concern now is whether to buy a new CPU, given how significant this investment is, especially if it won't fix the problem. I'm still running Windows 11 64-bit, which was also on Windows 10 64-bit, but the issue remains.
System specs:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (6-core)
- RAM: Single stick DDR4 16GB at 3600MHz
- GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6800 16GB
- PSU: Fractal Design Ion Gold 850W
- Motherboard: ASUS TUF GAMING B450-PLUS II
The configurations match perfectly during the in-game test. All details remain consistent.
I think 80-60 is a good range for the R5-3600. Your i5-11500 is close too. Does your friend have the same processor? Edit: It's a bit lower than what GN mentioned in their review of the chip. Their results don't match the 140fps you're seeing. This is your problem.
We reached their limits. It seems they were identical in performance. My friend’s system features a Ryzen 5 3600 with 4.2Ghz and six cores, according to my understanding. I asked if he could provide a screenshot of the Task Manager showing CPU stats, but he hasn’t replied yet—I’ll add that to my next update. I’m unable to clarify this myself, though I observed it directly. It might be that the benchmark numbers don’t reflect real-world performance; during actual gameplay, my FPS averages around 60 without v-sync. Still, the graph shows much higher values. When I play games instead of running benchmarks, my FPS is about 60 as well. Regarding RAM, Task Manager lists a speed of only 2400MHz, even though I own 3600MHz units. I didn’t mention this before, but while troubleshooting components, I discovered my motherboard appears faulty—there are black marks on it, close to the CPU—but after replacing the board and inspecting the socket, no visible damage was found. The CPU itself seems intact. Could there be some hidden issue causing underperformance?
Using your RAM in a single channel always impacts performance. Online tests confirm this trend. Two 8GB modules work better than one 16GB stick. Even with two 4GB modules totaling 8GB, performance improves if your game doesn’t rely on the page file. I once played GTA on 8GB without issues on my 6600k/1070 system. You’ll need to adjust the speed in your BIOS to 3600MHz manually. That setting might not suit the R5-3600’s memory controller. 3200MHz is ideal for Ryzen 3XXX and earlier chips. Enable XMP/A-XMP/DOHP/DOCP in your BIOS, then test it briefly. If you see blue screens, revert to the same settings but lower the speed to 3200MHz. Slower speeds can ease stress on tighter timings in DIMMS. It’s a possibility, but not common.
It means purchasing another 16GB stick would provide a performance increase even if you don’t require 32GB total. Would this then create a problem? Some forum members mentioned that adding more RAM could cause speed issues because your current RAM is 3600MHz while your CPU only supports 3200MHz. Adjusting the BIOS settings might resolve this, wouldn’t it? I’ll proceed with that. Got it, I’ll work on eliminating the bottleneck now—upgrading the CPU seems essential either way.
You checked different BIOS profiles to find a stable boot. Profile #2 at 3000MHz works fine and shows correct memory speed. The 3200MHz figure might be an estimate—stick with the confirmed 3000MHz setting unless you have further diagnostics.
I leave it as is. My RAM runs at 3000 and everything works fine. If you attempt to boost it by another 200MHz, you’d need to change profile 1 first. Then adjust the overclock settings manually, lowering the frequency from 3600 to 3200. The 3600 setting offers more flexibility, but 3200MHz might be too tight for that speed. I prefer tighter timings over higher speeds, and it hasn’t caused any problems so far. That’s why I stick with the 3000MHz profile on my PC.
I understand you're staying at 3000MHz. It seems the issue might come from having just one 16GB RAM stick and your CPU being a bottleneck. I'm confused because I previously had two 8GB sticks in different channels, which was supposed to help speed things up without any real improvement. Also, it feels odd that my PC is underperforming compared to others, especially since my GPU should be better. When I compare it to the average frame rate graphs you showed, it's even more puzzling. Your response confirmed we have the same CPU, but I believe it runs at 3.6GHz instead of the claimed 4.2GHz, with an overclock setting up to 4.2GHz.