What is the top choice of GPU for a Xeon 1270v3 that avoids bottlenecks?
What is the top choice of GPU for a Xeon 1270v3 that avoids bottlenecks?
On the Haswell platform, it's wise to keep things as they are or use an RTX2060, but with the resolution you've described, you're missing out on performance. You haven't noted the brand, model, and age of your power supply unit.
The power rating isn't as important as the quality of the PSU. Don't worry about bottlenecks either. Devices that are older than a GTX 1660 won't receive driver updates for better performance. On the AMD side, anything older than the RDNA 1 cards like the 5700xt also won't get updates.
The maximum I'd aim for is an RX 6600 (XT) or RTX 3060. You'll likely hit the CPU limit, but those GPUs should still deliver most of their power. A few options come to mind:
GTX 1070
GTX 1080
GTX 1080 TI
RTX 2070
RTX 2080
RTX 3060
RTX 3060 TI
RX 5700
RX 5700 XT
RX 6600
RX 6600 XT
RX 7600
RX Vega 56
RX Vega 64
The Xeon 1270v3 performs similarly to the I7 4770 when considering it as a reference point.
A RTX 3060ti offers a reasonable price at the moment too.
If budget is a priority, consider a GTX 1080ti with 11GB of memory, though it may be older or even less expensive.
GTX 1660ti is an option for those seeking lower costs, but you might face limitations with 6GB GPU memory.
Everyone's view on what's limiting performance varies.
I use older Xeon CPUs paired with a Nvidia card matching the GTX 1080ti. Everything functions smoothly without the usual gaming issues or bottleneck delays.
Nothing wrong with having a GPU idle a bit waiting on the CPU. It will just run lower power and cooler. Increase graphics settings to the point the GPU can't keep up, and bottlenecks are as gone as they can be.
CPU sets the 1% lows and the maximum possible FPS, generally. GPU just determines what resolution and settings you can run.
Some visual settings rely on CPU performance though.
Minimal or no "bottleneck" isn't what you should focus on.
Actual gains are what matter most.