1w ago

Is a CPU bottleneck really that bad?

Recently I asked about a new PC build. I got helpful responses about the topic but also a suggestion of just upgrading my GPU to a 3080 (from 3050). I looked deeper into it and it looks like I can do it easily even right now. Then I saw a 3080 FE for sale and I've always been a fan of how they look so now I want one.

However I also discovered that my CPU (i5-11400F) will be a severe bottleneck in that configuration. I don't really mind decreased GPU utilization and I'm pretty sure my CPU cooler will keep up just fine (tested in benchmarks and UE5) but will it give me any serious issues such as freezes or full on crashes? My resolution is 1080p btw (with the monitor itself actually being 768p but I increase resolution in games beyond that for better quality) but I might as well upgrade it to a 1440p one soon if necessary and use it for the new build when I undoubtedly waste my money on it.

32 comments

Depends on the game. Bottleneck shouldn't give you increased stuttering or anything i don't think, but you're just leaving potential performance on the table cause the gpu can't fully stretch its legs. When i went from a vega 64 to a 6950xt, at 3440×1440, i noticed an uplift but depending on the game it wasn't as big as i thought it would be. Then i upgraded my cpu from a 3900x to a 5800x3d and in gta online my fps doubled. Went from barely hitting 60 to 100+ fps
It depends on the program. If it's a CPU intensive program, it will matter a lot.
- Meh I basically only play AAA games on this system. I have a separate machine for work and that kind of things.
  
  Games can be CPU-bound, too.
  Helldivers 2 is one.
I have an i5 10600k and a 3060 and I haven't noticed any sort of cpu bottlenecking. Mostly I just play indie games, but I can play the oblivion remaster with most settings on high with a few on ultra as well.
- Well 3080 is probably like 70% faster (don't wanna check now) so it's a whole different story. Though my current CPU handles games at 120 FPS (or even 240 in competitive titles) so I think it shouldn't be much worse if I keep the same framerate and crank up the settings (specifically path tracing lol). And in older titles I can underclock the card I guess?
Bottleneck location depends on the game you're running. There will always be a bottleneck - don't worry about it it'll be fine
If the price is right it’s a good upgrade. I always alternate upgrading CPU and GPU.
Games shouldn’t crash, but you’ll probably run into stutters/frame rate inconsistencies. And those drive me insane. But if you adjust your settings so you still get decent FPS then you’ll be fine. If you set an FPS limit you should be fine. I’d imagine an i7 or i9 should be pretty cheap. That would be a nice upgrade, but still bottleneck.
Also idk if I’d want a 1440p monitor with a 3080 at this point. Only 10/12 gigs of vram is pretty dire for such a nice GPU.
- Unfortunately I can't upgrade the CPU due to some very important reasons. And I don't need it either as I'm planning to get a new machine next year.
You're not going to get crashes or anything like that, it's just usually a waste of money if you're optimizing for gaming (though it might be different if you catch a good sale). Also, upgrading your CPU is usually harder - you often need to buy a new mainboard and RAM as well, and you'll have an easier time selling a GPU than a CPU on the secondhand market.
- I mean, what's the point of getting a worse GPU (for example 5060 Ti or 3070 Ti) for the same price? 3080 seems to be of good value here and not too much of an unnecessary waste like 3080 Ti.
  
  As I said, "it might be different if you catch a good sale". Also, I assumed you were buying a new CPU instead of using the one you already have, but that seems to have been a misunderstanding.
As always it depends on the price you pay for your upgrade. Why the 3080 specifically? What kind of performance uplift are you expecting? A 3080 is probably gonna fall asleep at 1080p.
A CPU bottleneck won't give you crashes by itself, unless there's something else wrong with your system. It just means that as you reach higher framerates (whatever the cause, better GPU, lower settings or resolution etc.) your CPU will be the limiting factor. For most games that might still be comfortably within your expectations, even if your GPU isn't being fully utilized. The main outliers are mostly esports games on lower settings and resolutions. If you play graphically demanding games on high settings or want to upgrade to a higher resolution at some point, then knock yourself out I guess. I find it kinda hard to guesstimate how "efficient" a GPU upgrade will be, since it depends on so many factors. If you can, then you may as well just give it a try, see how you like it and send it back if you're disappointed (assuming that's easy to do where you live).
- That's just about what I thought. Thank you for confirmation.
I would definitely not recommend buying a 3080 in 2025 for 1080p gaming, unless it's basically free.
You'd probably be much better off with something like 9060 XT 16GB, which would be good for 1080p now and good to use with a future 1440p upgrade, or 9070 XT if you want to splurge
- I'm not gonna upgrade this PC. I'll get a whole new one when I need it. It's just I have money to spare so might as well throw a new GPU in for now. Also I chose 3080 because it's very good value here. Even AMD side doesn't offer much better. I could get a 3080 Ti but that's just asking for trouble in my case.
  
  Why is a 5 year old card designed for 4K gaming a good value and offers more than new and cheaper cards designed for 1080p and 1440p gaming?
but will it give me any serious issues such as freezes or full on crashes?
More probable that you will get low fps or that your strategy game turns into a crawl if the CPU can't keep up.
I doubt you'll be able to get a new cpu that fits your motherboard socket though, so unless you find one second hand you'll end up replacing the motherboard and your memory too if you try to upgrade.
Not all bottlenecks are created equal.
In the case of all CPU bottleneck, a relatively overpowered GPU might allow you to have better effects and resolution without increasing frame rates or loading times if those are held up by the CPU. But also turning down those features won't improve frames like they probably would with a more posmwerfull CPU. Like you might possibly get the same frames at 1440 with the new card, but it is also possible that something else on lile the mobo/RAM might be a bottleneck for loading textures or some other game related feature.
It won't hurt anything to get a good deal on a GPU if you plan on upgrading the rest in the not too distant future to get the real benefit out of it.
- Yea that's what I thought. Thanks for your reply.

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