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.
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?
Because developing country market. Also idc about the "features".
Ok lol you do you. In that case, you can also completely ignore any CPU bottleneck potential. There's no real downside to a CPU bottleneck for you, then.