To prevent frame degradation, consider upgrading your system components.
To prevent frame degradation, consider upgrading your system components.
For a budget build focused on Call of Duty, prioritizing the GPU is recommended due to the game's CPU intensity. The GTX 1660 Ti Gaming 6GB is a suitable choice, but consider upgrading to a higher-end model if your budget allows. Addressing potential bottlenecks with a faster processor and ensuring adequate RAM (16GB) will also improve performance. Monitor resolution and refresh rate are secondary considerations for optimal gaming experience.
To resolve your concerns, prioritize upgrading your core components – specifically, the motherboard, processor, and RAM. Given that your existing AMD FX processor is nearing obsolescence for demanding games, transitioning to a modern platform like an AM4 motherboard with a compatible CPU and DDR4 RAM would significantly enhance your gaming experience. Furthermore, while maintaining your current GPU is suitable, addressing the foundational components will provide a more substantial performance boost. Regarding the monitor, it’s advisable to postpone this upgrade until the system foundation is established.
Hi,
so your issue is almost certainly the AMD FX processor - those are really at the end of their life for gaming these days (especially with online multi player stuff that is typically pretty CPU demanding). The GPU you have is fine for modern games so you should be ok to stick with that.
With respect to the monitor I would leave that for now and get your machine sorted out first.
What I would recommend is to get a platform upgrade, i.e. Motherboard, CPU and Ram (you will need new ram as the FX line uses older DDR3 whereas all current machines are on DDR4).
I would suggest looking at an AMD socket AM4 motherboard - there are a lot of options depending on budget. If you can, try and get something from the new 500 series of boards (either B550 or X570) as these have the best support for all the CPU's AMD offers and are slated to get updates to newer models when they come out. If you can't find a board in your price range then the older B450 and X470 boards are also fine, look for a "Max" version of these to make sure it has Ryzen 3000 series support out of the box. The MSI B450 Tomahawk Max is a really popular choice as a price vs performance pick and is capable or running any of the Ryzen 3000 cpu's including the 16 core, 32 thread 3950X should you want a future upgrade.
CPU wise, the best choices for AMD gaming cpu right now are the Ryzen 3 3300X (4 core, 8 threads) and the Ryzen 5 3600 (6 cores, 12 threads). You don't typically gain anything going for more than 6 cores in current games, and in fact the Ryzen 3 performs pretty much as well as the 5 in most current titles (although I would say the 6 core options is probably a safer bet if you want to keep the cpu for a while). The higher core count Ryzen cpu's (8, 12 and 16 core version) are more important for work tasks (video editing / encoding, 3D animation, code compilation and so on).
Ram wise, get a 16 gb kit (i.e. 2 x 8gb) of DDR4 3200 mhz ram and you should be fine.
Edit: Upgrade option using X570 (for future upgrade options):
PCPartPicker Part List:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/V3qtjy
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor ($167.00 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI MPG X570 GAMING PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard ($169.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $399.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-06-01 05:08 EDT-0400
Price vs Performance option (less upgrade options / future proof but still good):
PCPartPicker Part List:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/b4Bp4n
CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3300X 3.8 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($119.99 @ B&H)
Motherboard: MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Best Buy)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $297.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-06-01 05:10 EDT-0400
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Older FX processors are unsuitable for contemporary gaming, and you may be experiencing issues due to utilizing a 125-watt central processing unit alongside a basic motherboard. This was frequently encountered with the FX series, where prolonged operational periods, such as those involved in gaming, would cause the motherboard's voltage regulation modules to overheat. To prevent damage, the motherboard would reduce the CPU’s operating frequency, leading to repeated fluctuations in performance until the VRM’s reached their thermal limits once more.
Several years prior, I encountered a similar problem with an FX 8320 processor. This presented difficulties even on higher-end motherboards, causing games to heavily utilize all eight cores. A platform upgrade appears to be the more suitable solution, given that AM3+ motherboards remain significantly inflated in price and the FX 8320, when operating at its best, would still limit the performance of a 1660ti graphics card.