Upcoming PC before November – CPU tips and suggestions
Upcoming PC before November – CPU tips and suggestions
Hi there, you're planning a major upgrade before November for two upcoming games—Cyberpunk and Shadowlands. Your current setup uses an i7-6700k with a GTX 970, which is pretty old. You're thinking about getting an RTX 3080 when it drops, ideally right out of the box. Your main concerns are handling the CPU bottleneck and figuring out the best path forward.
You’re considering three options:
1. **Upgrade to a cheaper CPU** like a Ryzen 3—good for now but might not last long before the Ryzen 4000 arrives.
2. **Buy the RTX 3080** with your current i7-6700k—this could be a good short-term solution, though it may create a bottleneck if you push settings high in Shadowlands.
3. **Purchase a Ryzen 9 or 7 now** and upgrade later if needed. This seems like the most flexible path, especially since the Ryzen 4000 lineup is limited.
Given your timeline and the games you want to play, I’d suggest evaluating these options carefully. If you’re set on playing Shadowlands with max settings, the RTX 3080 might be the best immediate choice, but you’ll need to monitor its launch date. If you prefer a more stable setup for Cyberpunk, the Ryzen 4000 could work—but keep in mind it’s likely to be the last generation for your socket.
Feel free to reach out if you want more detailed advice or help comparing specific models. Thanks for reaching out!
I question the availability of the Ryzen 4000 in November (unless referring to APUs), which aligns with the period when I anticipate finding 3080s in sufficient supply. Opt for the 3000 series along with the GPU at that time, or even test the 3080 on the 6700k to assess overclocking potential for overcoming bottlenecks.
Consider upgrading to the RTX 3080 while keeping your i7-6700K. In a few months, when the Ryzen 4000 is released and tested against it, you can evaluate whether the performance boost justifies the cost.
However, I wouldn't expect to have a 3080 ready by the time you plan to start building. We still lack information about stock levels. It might sell out quickly and become unavailable. WoW runs smoothly even at maximum capacity—it isn't overly demanding visually. I'm actually a bit surprised you can't achieve it with your current setup.
Thanks for your response! I've never adjusted any overclock settings before, but I'm curious if it might be simpler than I think. My motherboard includes an auto-overlock feature in the BIOS, but when I tried it, Windows would freeze into a blue screen after just a few minutes. With more expansions, WoW is becoming increasingly demanding, and I can now experience slight performance drops even at higher settings. Shadowlands will support RTX fully, which is exciting. I'm eager to upgrade to a 2K or 4K monitor, so building the new PC before its release would be ideal.
Check for the 3080 release. With a good cooler, you might boost your CPU speed without hitting a big limitation. If you think the upcoming Ryzen chips will help, consider getting one.
Auto OC works by the board simply applying a specific profile to the CPU without considering variations among each one. It’s quite straightforward to set up yourself, and you should keep an eye on your memory since newer games demand more speed.