CPU vs. GPU on 4k Performance

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
hendrickhere

hendrickhere

Reputable
Feb 26, 2016
121
0
4,710
Greetings community,

I understand that when resolutions move from 1080 to 4k display the GPU does most of the heavy lifting. My question is – how much of the heavy lifting?

Background: I have an FX 8370 overclocked to 4.5Ghz and that has taken me a long way with an R9 390 for 1080P. I’ve never had an issue. I like my set up and I have a ton of programs/games/SSDs, etc in that build that I’m not ready to give up. I do plan, however, on purchasing an RX Vega as soon as it appears on the market (barring some kind of let down in performance). I’ll game on that in 1080 for a few months until I get a 4k monitor. This is my plan unless the aged 8370 just can’t do 60fps (or at least 50fps) at 4K with an advanced GPU.

What do you think? I know the true answer is to just build a new system but I really don’t want to do that quite yet.

Thanks for your help!
 
Solution
synphul
As others said, the cpu requirements for the game are the same. Some games are more cpu intensive than others and will continue to be at higher resolutions. Stronger gpu's are making higher resolutions possible without sacrificing fps so much but part of the reason for people suggesting that cpu matters less at higher resolutions is due to higher chance of gpu bottlenecking than at 1080p or lower resolutions.

An example, you might see a game at 1080p with a gtx 1070 gpu. An i7 getting 110fps and the fx cpu getting 80fps. You might find that the same two cpu's are matched evenly and the i7 is getting 61fps while the fx is getting 60fps at 4k. Not because the fx is just as strong, but because it's strong enough to maintain those fps -...
Sort by date Sort by votes
B

boosted1g

Titan
Jun 12, 2013
14,846
8
74,965
You are right that your GPU does the heavy lifting, it is the GPU that makes the difference between 4K and 1080p.

So in a nutshell your 8370 at 1080p with a GTX-1060 will get the same fps as it will at 4k with a GTX-1080ti.
I am a little concerned the 8370 wont be able to do the fps you are wanting in CPU intensive games, but whatever it is doing now with the 390 it can do with a 1080ti at 4k.
 
Upvote 1 Downvote
synphul

synphul

Champion
Mar 11, 2011
9,477
7
54,965
As others said, the cpu requirements for the game are the same. Some games are more cpu intensive than others and will continue to be at higher resolutions. Stronger gpu's are making higher resolutions possible without sacrificing fps so much but part of the reason for people suggesting that cpu matters less at higher resolutions is due to higher chance of gpu bottlenecking than at 1080p or lower resolutions.

An example, you might see a game at 1080p with a gtx 1070 gpu. An i7 getting 110fps and the fx cpu getting 80fps. You might find that the same two cpu's are matched evenly and the i7 is getting 61fps while the fx is getting 60fps at 4k. Not because the fx is just as strong, but because it's strong enough to maintain those fps - and it's the 1070 that can't push any more than 60fps give or take at the higher resolution. Still respectable frame rates, in that scenario the cpu become less important - if the gpu is hitting its limits.

This is all just theoretical, not saying the 1070 can achieve 60fps at 4k or referencing any particular game. Just pointing out that the gpu, even stronger gpu's are liable to hit a limit with the eye candy turned up at such a high resolution. They may not necessarily bottleneck but will match the cpu requirements for the game which is optimal. It won't be a bottleneck in terms of shoving fps clear down to 25fps or anything. The actual cpu requirements for the game don't change though. A cpu capable of less fps won't be as noticeable paired with a higher resolution where the gpu can't push higher fps either.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom