A few days ago we explained to you why we don’t need the same processor to play in 1080p, 1440p and 2160p resolution if we want to make the most of a certain graphics card. In that guide we delved into very important issues , we saw how by raising the resolution the workload that the GPU must support increases exponentially, and we understood that this is what frees up the CPU.
Thus, when playing in 1080p with an RTX 3080 and a Ryzen 5 1600, we will have a significant bottleneck caused by said processor. At that resolution, the RTX 3080 is on the loose , needing the processor to work flat out to supply it with the data it requires to maximize FPS (frames per second) and unleash its full potential.
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The Ryzen 5 1600 does not have enough IPC , nor does it work at a high enough speed for said NVIDIA solution to be able to run full machine at that resolution. However, the impact of the CPU will be minimized if we increase the resolution to 4K, due to the enormous load that the GPU would have to support, as we explained to you at the time.
After publishing that guide, I realized that many users have doubts about what processor they need to optimally move different graphics cards, and for this reason I have decided to make this new guide, in which we are going to answer this question in a clear way. , direct and practical, so that all our readers, even those with less knowledge, can solve their doubts.
What processor do I need: preliminary considerations
Before launching into the center of this guide, it is important to put on the table some basic considerations that are essential to understand everything that we are going to say in this guide. The first thing to keep in mind is that bottlenecks always exist, no matter how hard we try to fine-tune a PC, we will always end up facing bottlenecks. It is impossible to achieve the perfect balance, although the important thing, in the end, is that the impact of these bottlenecks is minimal.
So that we understand each other better, and for explanatory purposes, we could differentiate between minor, medium and serious bottlenecks :
Mild Bottleneck: This is a type we’ll run into even on well-balanced teams. It is usually caused by the dependency of certain applications and games on a specific component, and they have a minimal impact. We shouldn’t worry about them.
Medium bottleneck: These are the ones that should start to worry us, although in most cases they are tolerable. They occur, in this case, when there is a considerable imbalance between the processor and the graphics card, but without crippling performance in such a way that the experience is negative. We will have a good performance, we will be able to play without problems, but the graphics card will not be developing its full potential.
Serious bottleneck: this occurs when the graphics card is so underutilized that we have a performance well below what it is capable of offering, or when we have a good performance but there are jerks, stuttering problems due to poor synchronization of frames per second, a consequence of high rendering times between frames.
We are going to put three practical examples of each type of bottleneck so that you can better assimilate all this theory. A slight bottleneck would occur, for example, when using a Core i5 10400F processor with an RTX 3080 . On the other hand, we would have a medium bottleneck when combining an RTX 3080 with a Ryzen 5 1600 processor , due to its lower IPC and lower working frequencies. An example of a serious bottleneck would be combining a Core i3 7100 with an RTX 3080.
Always keep in mind the issue of resolution and its impact on that processor-graphics card binomial, since, as we have told you before, a Core i7 4790 can generate a serious bottleneck when combined with an RTX 3080 if we play in 1080p , but this practically disappears when raising the resolution to 2160p (4K).
Low-end graphics cards: what processor do I need?
We are talking about all those graphics cards that are designed to play games in 1080p and medium or low qualities. For example, the GeForce GTX 960, Radeon R9 280 series and equivalents fall into this category. If you have doubts about the equivalences of NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards located in different generations, take a look at this guide .
To be able to move these graphics cards optimally, we do not need a very powerful processor, a Core i5 2500 or an FX 6350 is enough . However, keep in mind that by using a more powerful processor we will be improving the frame rate per second due to the impact this has on 1080p and lower resolutions.
We just need a four-core, four-thread CPU that has an IPC at or very close to the Sandy Bridge architecture level, or otherwise compensates for it with high operating frequencies. However, it is important to remember that in those titles that require a minimum of eight threads to function optimally, having a Core i7 2600 or an FX 8350 can make a significant difference.
If you have doubts about the equivalences at the CPU level you can rest easy, in this guide you will find all the information you need, summarized and exposed in a very simple way.
