GPU upgrade advice

[Mick17]

Hello All

I am looking to temporarily upgrade my GPU until I have money to build a new PC entirely. I am saving for my wedding at the moment so I won't be able to consider an entirely new rig until at least the end of next year. My current GPU, an RTX 2060 Super, is starting to struggle every now and then with newer titles on high settings, and also only has 8GB of VRAM which has started to be a bit limited for some new games. I don't want to have to deal with this for a whole year and a half plus, whilst I wait for a full PC upgrade, but I also don't want to commit to a GPU for the eventual new PC now. It would likely be bottlenecked by the rest of my system anyway and will also be fairly old by the time I can build the rest of the system, and better alternatives will be available.

My current PC build includes:
- Aforementioned RTX 2060 Super
- Intel i7 9700K
- MSI Z390-A Pro
- Other similar level components (don't think details are necessary for the rest, will provide if needed)

My current idea is, sell the RTX 2060S for some cash, then buy a new, better GPU that will carry me to the end of next year. I am specifically looking for one with 12GB+ of RAM as to me that is the biggest concern for the next year or so. Also worth mentioning that I have been considering moving up to a 1440p monitor which backs up my higher VRAM requirements.

I considered an RTX 3060, which is pretty much a sideways move in terms of raw performance but gets me to 12GB VRAM and also gets me an extra generation for when I want to eventually sell, whilst being fairly cheap.

I have also been considering testing out team Red (AMD). I am a bit of an Nvidia fanboy, but I know I'll get much more bang for my buck with an AMD card and perhaps this "temporary upgrade" gives me a chance to test them out without hard committing to a more expensive GPU. For team Red I was looking at an RX 6700; a bit cheaper than the RTX 3060, also slightly better performance, only 10GB of VRAM though so almost defeats the point. I can also spend a bit more to go all the way up to an RX 6750 XT; 12GB of VRAM and will be a significant upgrade to my current GPU. This is definitely my favourite option, but I want some advice from those who are more experienced with PC builds before making a decision because for all I know this whole upgrade is a dumb idea for reasons I may not be aware of! 😄

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

 

[thecurto]

Howdy and welcome to Carbonite!

If you're planning on upgrading down the line I would recommend getting a second-hand GPU to bide your time and save the extra cash for the 1440p monitor or another future upgrade.

Your best bang for the buck would be a 6700 XT and you can grab one for around R5,500 on Carb. It will save you at least R1,000 over a new 3060 or 6700 non-XT and you'll get much better performance (it's around 35% faster than the 2060 Super).

Here's a good place to start looking: https://carbonite.co.za/index.php?t...0-xt-challenger-pro-phantom-reference.482959/

 

[Mick17]

Hello and thank you for the warm welcome!

I hadn't actually really considered second hand, but I guess it makes perfect sense as a temporary card. I was actually just playing RDR2 (I see your profile pic) and it crashed twice with some run out of memory issue so I now I'm very much wanting the upgrade!

I will have a look at the link provided, thanks!

 

[Yasin]

I am saving for my wedding at the moment so I won't be able to consider an entirely new rig until at least the end of next year.

I hadn't actually really considered second hand, but I guess it makes perfect sense as a temporary card.

The last brand new gpu I purchased was all the way back in 2011 and I've been through a lotta gpu's since then. 2011 was also the year I got married. Coincedence? I think not

 

[goldfritter]

Hello and thank you for the warm welcome!

I hadn't actually really considered second hand, but I guess it makes perfect sense as a temporary card. I was actually just playing RDR2 (I see your profile pic) and it crashed twice with some run out of memory issue so I now I'm very much wanting the upgrade!

I will have a look at the link provided, thanks!

Hmm, I played through the whole of Red Dead with an 8GB 3070Ti and didn't have that crash.

Might be worth trying to Google and troubleshoot that issue before committing to an interim GPU.

My 2c, it's not worth the money to do an interim upgrade. I'd save up for the eventual GPU that you're going to put in the new PC and just buy that. There's no reason to not put the nice GPU, that you were going to buy anyway, into your current PC. Why buy twice when you can buy once?

 

[Mick17]

Hmm, I played through the whole of Red Dead with an 8GB 3070Ti and didn't have that crash.

Might be worth trying to Google and troubleshoot that issue before committing to an interim GPU.

My 2c, it's not worth the money to do an interim upgrade. I'd save up for the eventual GPU that you're going to put in the new PC and just buy that. There's no reason to not put the nice GPU, that you were going to buy anyway, into your current PC. Why buy twice when you can buy once?

I don't believe it was Red Dead itself taking all the VRAM, it actually seems like a simultaneous Discord stream was the problem since it didn't happen when I stopped the stream (but the error itself was an RDR2 error, not just a general crash). It also was happening as the game loaded in the middle of Saint Denis so it is the most extreme scenario possible. I am not even certain it was VRAM related at all but that was just an annoyance, really I want the extra VRAM for 1440p and games like Hogwarts: Legacy which are maximizing 8GB even at 1080p.

My first instinct was 100% to just save a bit for the better GPU that will go in the next build, but I have a few reasons why I no longer want to do that:
1. I will have to wait quite a while, it is less about physically having the money and more about justifying the cost to my fiancé when we are meant to be saving.
2. By the time I build the new PC the next generation of GPUs will likely be a few months into release and I'll have regrets and want the latest options (I believe you guys call this C.U.D.? )
3. I will want to sell my current PC in it's entirety when I upgrade, so having a newer and better GPU in there will make it a much more attractive deal, I think I can recoup the entire cost of the interim GPU here, or at least most of it
4. I am very happy to spend R5k-R6k now to upgrade (and sell the 2060S to get some of that back) and carry me till end of next year. If it was going to be more like R10k+ for the interim, then yehh I'd probably just save a bit longer and get like a 4070Ti.

Appreciate your advice though and happy to hear counter arguments if you still think it is not worth it?

 

[goldfritter]

Ok, since you asked for counter-arguments

I don't believe it was Red Dead itself taking all the VRAM, it actually seems like a simultaneous Discord stream was the problem since it didn't happen when I stopped the stream (but the error itself was an RDR2 error, not just a general crash). It also was happening as the game loaded in the middle of Saint Denis so it is the most extreme scenario possible. I am not even certain it was VRAM related at all but that was just an annoyance, really I want the extra VRAM for 1440p and games like Hogwarts: Legacy which are maximizing 8GB even at 1080p.

I reckon if you want to upgrade for HogLeg and the new, very demanding games, then the interim upgrade makes even less sense; at 1440p you'll be much gladder for the "end-game" GPU than an interim GPU.

My first instinct was 100% to just save a bit for the better GPU that will go in the next build, but I have a few reasons why I no longer want to do that:
1. I will have to wait quite a while, it is less about physically having the money and more about justifying the cost to my fiancé when we are meant to be saving.
2. By the time I build the new PC the next generation of GPUs will likely be a few months into release and I'll have regrets and want the latest options (I believe you guys call this C.U.D.? )
3. I will want to sell my current PC in it's entirety when I upgrade, so having a newer and better GPU in there will make it a much more attractive deal, I think I can recoup the entire cost of the interim GPU here, or at least most of it
4. I am very happy to spend R5k-R6k now to upgrade (and sell the 2060S to get some of that back) and carry me till end of next year. If it was going to be more like R10k+ for the interim, then yehh I'd probably just save a bit longer and get like a 4070Ti.

Appreciate your advice though and happy to hear counter arguments if you still think it is not worth it?

Buying the end-game GPU nowish and putting it in your current PC costs you less overall, and delays you less from getting to your end-goal, than buying an interim GPU and then buying a full PC later.

Your 9700K will still enable you to enjoy the lion's share of performance something like a 4070Ti, especially at 1440p. So if you get that nowish, you get more months of awesome performance instead of a few months of slightly-better performance.

Why sell the whole rig and then buy a whole rig? Upgrading and selling things one at a time means you get better value - people struggle to sell full PCs at their asking price and end up splitting them anyway. Selling and then upgrading parts individually also means you don't have that one single massive expense at one go, and you get the benefit of more feedback scores for more sales on Carb. EDIT: this also allows you to keep an eye out for sales/discounts on specific parts.

As to the new GPU will be just into release - CUD law dictates that the next big thing is always just around the corner. If you're upgrading next year CUD might be whispering to you "ah, but if you wait just a bit longer, you can get an even better thing."

Overall I'd save a bit more now to get the end-game GPU first, then save up to upgrade CPU/Mobo/RAM later down the line, and keep everything else (assuming you have a decent PSU, case, SSD etc.).

Obviously I don't have insight into your relationship with your fiancé and how it works with justifying expenses to her. So, if that is the restricting factor, then all the above falls away. And if you're aching for an upgrade now and can't wait, well, we've all felt that feeling around these parts, so nobody would judge you for going that way.

 

[Mick17]

Ok, since you asked for counter-arguments

...

This was really helpful!

My reasoning for wanting to sell the whole rig was that I thought it would sell better as a whole unit and I thought the 9700K might be a bit of a bottleneck with much more GPU power (which then means new MOBO too, and then would want new RAM). Since neither assumption is actually true I might then do it bit by bit instead. I would probably need a new PSU with a 4070Ti+, have a 650W currently which seems to be right on the edge?

Anyway, I agree with your overall reasoning here, probably makes more sense to do it piece by piece. To be honest I probably will still go for the interim GPU even if it will end up being more expensive overall. I am not super convinced by the 40 series (the reasonably affordable ones at least) but I would like to stick with Nvidia for the big upgrade, so want to see what the 50 series brings, and if they suck at least the 40s will be cheaper by then. Although I think I'm just making excuses at this point because I mostly have just made myself excited and now I have the itch to upgrade

Thanks for the help!

 

[heinreich]

not super convinced by the 40 series

The 4080 is ridiculous. I haven't bothered with a 4090 yet, but numbers seem grotesquely better. Performance aside, the power consumption and cooking once undervolted is mindblowing.

 

[Mick17]

The 4080 is ridiculous. I haven't bothered with a 4090 yet, but numbers seem grotesquely better. Performance aside, the power consumption and cooking once undervolted is mindblowing.

Absolutely! From what I have read/watched there's a clear separation: 4080 and 4090 are so good that they are basically worth the price if you can afford them. It is the rest that just seem a bit pricey for the performance and Nvidia's weird stinginess with VRAM is...well weird. Don't get me wrong, before this whole thread I was strongly considering a 4070, and if I did go for the "end-game GPU" as discussed above, that would be the one (maybe bump to 4070 Ti, but money). I just mean that it feels like the lower models could have been better for the price and had more VRAM to play with.

I'd love a 4080 but my soul would bleed spending that amount of money on a GPU, I am a relatively casual gamer after all. One day when I am a big baller CTO, I will go for the big ones...

 

[Mick17]

Not sure if I should be starting a new thread for this but it is fairly related so I'll ask here first...

So, RX 6700 XT is on its way! I was researching what I should be doing in preparation for switching from Nvidia to AMD and the question of PSU cables came up. Now currently my GPU uses a single 8-pin connector, and the new one requires 2 x 8-pin connectors. The PCI-E cable currently being used is one of those double ones that has two 6+2 connectors. I was planning on just using the same single cable and plugging in both connectors, but after some research that looks to be a bad idea? Apparently it is better to use two separate cables?

Unfortunately, all my PCs component boxes seem to have been thrown away (not by me) and they contained my spare PSU cables (PSU is fully modular), screws etc. 😭 so if I do need two cables, I need to go buy a new one, and I am not clued up as to what is important to consider when buying replacement cables not made by the same manufacturer.

Essentially looking for advice on:
- Do I definitely need to use separate cables?
- If so, do they have to be cables made by the same manufacturer?
- Where is best to find good replacement cables?

PSU is an Antec HCG fully modular 650W 80+ Gold

EDIT: Alternatively, I could also just buy a set of sleeved cables, been wanting to for a while anyway. They would just have to be full length and not extensions. Anybody got a good source? Seem to be fairly scarce in SA, have never found nice ones in stock.

 

[thecurto]

Not sure if I should be starting a new thread for this but it is fairly related so I'll ask here first...

So, RX 6700 XT is on its way! I was researching what I should be doing in preparation for switching from Nvidia to AMD and the question of PSU cables came up. Now currently my GPU uses a single 8-pin connector, and the new one requires 2 x 8-pin connectors. The PCI-E cable currently being used is one of those double ones that has two 6+2 connectors. I was planning on just using the same single cable and plugging in both connectors, but after some research that looks to be a bad idea? Apparently it is better to use two separate cables?

Unfortunately, all my PCs component boxes seem to have been thrown away (not by me) and they contained my spare PSU cables (PSU is fully modular), screws etc. 😭 so if I do need two cables, I need to go buy a new one, and I am not clued up as to what is important to consider when buying replacement cables not made by the same manufacturer.

Essentially looking for advice on:
- Do I definitely need to use separate cables?
- If so, do they have to be cables made by the same manufacturer?
- Where is best to find good replacement cables?

PSU is an Antec HCG fully modular 650W 80+ Gold

EDIT: Alternatively, I could also just buy a set of sleeved cables, been wanting to for a while anyway. They would just have to be full length and not extensions. Anybody got a good source? Seem to be fairly scarce in SA, have never found nice ones in stock.

Firstly, congrats on the GPU upgrade!

Secondly, that is definitely a rookie error! I did a quick search and Antec replacement cables are hard to come by.

I would start by creating a Wanted thread for the missing Antec VGA cable first to see if there are any kind-hearted Carbies who could hook you up with a spare one.

If you do buy some custom cables, be absolutely certain that your PSU is supported. The rule of thumb is that cable extensions are fairly universal but cables that plug directly into the PSU need to be compatible. Mixing and matching cables is one of the quickest ways to fry a PSU.

I think the maximum wattage that a single 8-pin cable can carry is 150W and a 6700 XT will pull upwards of 200W so it's not advisable to use a single cable. I stand to be corrected though.

 

[thecurto]

On a separate note (and once you've found another 8-pin cable), use this software for a seamless transition from Team Green to Team Red.

It will remove all the old Nvidia software and give you a nice clean slate to get started with AMD:

Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) download version 18.0.7.6

Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) - Remove AMD/NVIDIA/INTEL Graphics Drivers Cleanly - DDU is a driver removal utility that helps you completely uninstall AMD/NVIDIA graphics card drivers and packages from your system, leaving no leftovers behind, including registry keys, folders, files...

www.guru3d.com

 

[goldfritter]

Not sure if I should be starting a new thread for this but it is fairly related so I'll ask here first...

So, RX 6700 XT is on its way! I was researching what I should be doing in preparation for switching from Nvidia to AMD and the question of PSU cables came up. Now currently my GPU uses a single 8-pin connector, and the new one requires 2 x 8-pin connectors. The PCI-E cable currently being used is one of those double ones that has two 6+2 connectors. I was planning on just using the same single cable and plugging in both connectors, but after some research that looks to be a bad idea? Apparently it is better to use two separate cables?

Unfortunately, all my PCs component boxes seem to have been thrown away (not by me) and they contained my spare PSU cables (PSU is fully modular), screws etc. 😭 so if I do need two cables, I need to go buy a new one, and I am not clued up as to what is important to consider when buying replacement cables not made by the same manufacturer.

Essentially looking for advice on:
- Do I definitely need to use separate cables?
- If so, do they have to be cables made by the same manufacturer?
- Where is best to find good replacement cables?

PSU is an Antec HCG fully modular 650W 80+ Gold

EDIT: Alternatively, I could also just buy a set of sleeved cables, been wanting to for a while anyway. They would just have to be full length and not extensions. Anybody got a good source? Seem to be fairly scarce in SA, have never found nice ones in stock.

The 6700XT is not an enormously power-hungry card. So a pigtailed 2*(6+2) cable should be fine. If you run into issues then that would be a target for troubleshooting but it's not super vital that you use separate cables from the start.

If it doesn't work and you conclude that the cables are the issue then I'd probably just sell the current PSU and buy the PSU you were going to get for your new PC. No sense spending a bunch of time and money on a PSU you're planning to replace soon.

 

[Areola Grande]

I'll just add my 27c here. I run a 3070 on a daisy chained (ie, both plugs, same cable) cable and it works perfectly. It certainly can be an issue, especially with higher draw cards. My card draws around 230W under load and it's been perfectly stable, no issues whatsoever. That's with a 650W Super Flower fully-modular PSU. Technically it is not the recommended way of doing things, but with the lower-class cards it's not really an issue.

Of course if yours bursts into a ball of flames, that's on you.

 

[Switch]

I think the maximum wattage that a single 8-pin cable can carry is 150W and a 6700 XT will pull upwards of 200W so it's not advisable to use a single cable. I stand to be corrected though.

A single pigtailed 8 pin would technically work for 200w, you get 150w from the cable and 75w from the board pcie slot. Problems occur when the amount goes higher, most likely due to transient spikes that triggers the ocp (or your psu just fries).

 

[Areola Grande]

A single pigtailed 8 pin would technically work for 200w, you get 150w from the cable and 75w from the board pcie slot. Problems occur when the amount goes higher, most likely due to transient spikes that triggers the ocp (or your psu just fries).

But if your PSU doesn't fry, you're golden!

 

[Mick17]

Thanks a bunch guys, you lot are awesome!

Secondly, that is definitely a rookie error! I did a quick search and Antec replacement cables are hard to come by.

Yehh I was mildly annoyed to find that my boxes had vanished, as I wanted to sell my current GPU with original packaging. That annoyance has turned into extremely annoyed when I realised my spare PSU cables were gone! I also did a bit of a deep dive and it is even more scarce than I initially thought, seems virtually impossible to find compatible ones, can only find Corsair ones and could see they were not compatible.

I would start by creating a Wanted thread for the missing Antec VGA cable first to see if there are any kind-hearted Carbies who could hook you up with a spare one.

I will do so and see what turns up, thanks!

The 6700XT is not an enormously power-hungry card. So a pigtailed 2*(6+2) cable should be fine. If you run into issues then that would be a target for troubleshooting but it's not super vital that you use separate cables from the start.

Of course if yours bursts into a ball of flames, that's on you.

Assuming I test this out, what is the worst that can happen? And how likely is "the worst" vs just losing power? I saw in some Reddit thread that someone who tried this was losing GPU power (black screen) but after switching to two cables everything was fine, i.e. GPU and PSU didn't die...

I'll just add my 27c here. I run a 3070 on a daisy chained (ie, both plugs, same cable) cable and it works perfectly. It certainly can be an issue, especially with higher draw cards. My card draws around 230W under load and it's been perfectly stable, no issues whatsoever. That's with a 650W Super Flower fully-modular PSU. Technically it is not the recommended way of doing things, but with the lower-class cards it's not really an issue.

That's at least reassuring, 3070 similar power draw to the 6700 XT. Also my PSU is "A-tier" so that makes me think it might be fine, assuming these are ranked based on factors that include ability to supply heaps of power per rail, but if I'm honest I really don't know much about the specifics of how PSUs deliver their power...

If it doesn't work and you conclude that the cables are the issue then I'd probably just sell the current PSU and buy the PSU you were going to get for your new PC. No sense spending a bunch of time and money on a PSU you're planning to replace soon.

Yepp 100% my intention unless I can easily source a spare cable...PSUs aren't exactly hugely expensive and good ones will outlast basically everything else anyway. On that, assuming my next build has say a 5070Ti (yes we can only speculate what this might be), and matching CPU and matching other components in terms of performance/level of build, what would you suggest as a safe bet PSU? I'm thinking 850W Gold? Not sure on best brands?

On a separate note (and once you've found another 8-pin cable), use this software for a seamless transition from Team Green to Team Red.

Thank you kind sir! I was not sure about when to do this, do I first remove the Green GPU, then do driver stuff, then insert Red?

 

[Areola Grande]

Assuming I test this out, what is the worst that can happen? And how likely is "the worst" vs just losing power? I saw in some Reddit thread that someone who tried this was losing GPU power (black screen) but after switching to two cables everything was fine, i.e. GPU and PSU didn't die...


That's at least reassuring, 3070 similar power draw to the 6700 XT. Also my PSU is "A-tier" so that makes me think it might be fine, assuming these are ranked based on factors that include ability to supply heaps of power per rail, but if I'm honest I really don't know much about the specifics of how PSUs deliver their power...

Theoretical worst-case is that you don't trip any limits, something overheats from over-current, gets super hot, melts plastic, starts fire. But I'd say your chances of that are miniscule, wouldn't even worry about it.

More likely is you trip over-current protections (OCP) on the PSU. That would cause the PC to shut off. Otherwise the GPU just doesn't behave as expected, black screens, instability etc.

The ratings (Gold, Platinum etc) are mostly a marketing gimmick. Theoretically they refer to the efficiency of the PSU - how much overhead there is in doing the power conversions and thus how much power it uses vs. supplies. The higher tiered PSUs are generally better quality with better protections, cooling, features. But a 750W Bronze and 750W Platinum PSU should have the same power delivery targets and abilities. A 750W shouldn't be able to do 950W of power draw because the supporting components aren't designed for that, it should trip at that much higher power draw. This was the issue with the Gigabyte PSUs, they just kept supplying juice when the other components couldn't take it, instead of tripping.

 

[goldfritter]

A single pigtailed 8 pin would technically work for 200w, you get 150w from the cable and 75w from the board pcie slot. Problems occur when the amount goes higher, most likely due to transient spikes that triggers the ocp (or your psu just fries).

Remember this is the spec on the GPU side. The PSU side can be specced higher to account for the fact that there's a pigtail on the other side. The PSU side is proprietary to the manufacturer and they can basically run any spec they want over and above the minimum spec.

I've run four 2 * 8 pin GPUs in a row (or maybe five , can't remember how many pins my RX480 had) on a pigtailed cable and never had a day of trouble. Only switched because I got a custom cable kit, which was for aesthetics rather than functionality.

 

[Mick17]

The ratings (Gold, Platinum etc) are mostly a marketing gimmick. Theoretically they refer to the efficiency of the PSU - how much overhead there is in doing the power conversions and thus how much power it uses vs. supplies. The higher tiered PSUs are generally better quality with better protections, cooling, features. But a 750W Bronze and 750W Platinum PSU should have the same power delivery targets and abilities. A 750W shouldn't be able to do 950W of power draw because the supporting components aren't designed for that, it should trip at that much higher power draw. This was the issue with the Gigabyte PSUs, they just kept supplying juice when the other components couldn't take it, instead of tripping.

Yehh I wasn't referring to the PSU efficiency ratings necessarily (although I wasn't aware of whether this factored in), but rather to this: [EOL] PSU Tier List rev. 14.8. I have seen various people use it (at least I assume it is the same list) as a reference for "these are good PSUs, these are not" etc. TBH this is the first time I have ever even looked at it as I never cared before, so I have no idea what it really MEANS to be A-tier, I just assume it means the PSU won't catch fire at the first sign of problems.

Remember this is the spec on the GPU side. The PSU side can be specced higher to account for the fact that there's a pigtail on the other side. The PSU side is proprietary to the manufacturer and they can basically run any spec they want over and above the minimum spec.

I've run four 2 * 8 pin GPUs in a row (or maybe five , can't remember how many pins my RX480 had) on a pigtailed cable and never had a day of trouble. Only switched because I got a custom cable kit, which was for aesthetics rather than functionality.

After some (more) reading, I found some articles that back this up. Basically, the PSU can theoretically supply way more power on a single cable than you'd need, and likewise the GPU will simply request the power it needs, neither will consider what is in between them (i.e. the cable). The issue is basically what the cable can actually supply without melting. Since melting cables is bad, the ATX standards for the cables are well below their theoretical limits for safety reasons. As an example, an 8-pin connector has 3 x 12v pins and each pin should be able to handle up to about 8A (depends on wire gauge). 3 x 8A = 24A x 12v = 288W so it should be more than fine. I guess it comes down to moving out of the recommended limits at my own risk!

 

[Switch]

Remember this is the spec on the GPU side. The PSU side can be specced higher to account for the fact that there's a pigtail on the other side. The PSU side is proprietary to the manufacturer and they can basically run any spec they want over and above the minimum spec.

I've run four 2 * 8 pin GPUs in a row (or maybe five , can't remember how many pins my RX480 had) on a pigtailed cable and never had a day of trouble. Only switched because I got a custom cable kit, which was for aesthetics rather than functionality.

Yea but unfortunately this is up to the manufacturer, it's not a reliable feature to lean on for every psu. Great if they do over engineer the cable, not so great if they go bare minimum, the ATX specifications would/should be the point of reference.

 

[CarboVan]

A very mild undervolt should drop you down to comfortable power figures, with lower heat and sometimes even better performance.

 

[Mick17]

Ahh yehh good point, I'll probably monitor it and do an undervolt if it seems to be having issues

 

[Neo_Geo]

I have a 8700K with a 6700XT and the CPU bottleknecks the GPU a bit like 89% to 92 % usage but that is with light testing so just know that. With the 9700K you should be better off yeah going any higher might result in you needing a better CPU if you want the best performance

 

[JollyJamma]

I have a 8700K with a 6700XT and the CPU bottleknecks the GPU a bit like 89% to 92 % usage but that is with light testing so just know that. With the 9700K you should be better off yeah going any higher might result in you needing a better CPU if you want the best performance

There will always be a bottleneck

OP is getting married

Weddings are expensive.

I’m sure OP will upgrade his CPU later on, he/she/they are pretty open about the age and performance of the system.

OP did well to go AMD!

 

[JollyJamma]

Ahh yehh good point, I'll probably monitor it and do an undervolt if it seems to be having issues

Undervolting does help power draw and almost always doesn’t hurt performance that badly and with AMD 5000 series, actually improved performance.