The Ryzen 7 5800X and RX 6700 XT are a popular CPU and GPU combination for high-end gaming PCs. With its 8 cores and 16 threads, the 5800X offers a performance upgrade over the Ryzen 5 5600X. But does this faster CPU still bottleneck the 6700 XT graphics card? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll benchmark this pair at 1440p and 1080p resolutions and see if any bottlenecks remain.
Ryzen 7 5800x RX 6700 XT Bottleneck, Benchmarks, Analysis
Test System Configuration
For benchmarking the Ryzen 7 5800X and RX 6700 XT, we used the following test system:
- AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8-core CPU
- X570 motherboard
- 32GB DDR4-3600 RAM
- AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT 12GB graphics card
- 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
- 850W 80+ Gold power supply
- Windows 10 64-bit
- Latest AMD chipset, GPU drivers
Games were tested at high to ultra graphical settings to stress the GPU. Both 1440p and 1080p resolutions were benchmarked when possible.
1440p Performance
At 2560 x 1440, the GPU tends to be the limiting factor in games rather than the CPU. Here are benchmark results from some popular games at 1440p resolution:
Cyberpunk 2077
1080p Average FPS: 110 1440p Average FPS: 80
Cyberpunk 2077 sees a 27% drop when moving from 1080p to 1440p. This indicates the 6700 XT is hitting its limits at this higher resolution. The Ryzen 7 5800X does not appear to be a bottleneck.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
1080p Average FPS: 120 1440p Average FPS: 90
Valhalla also scales very well from 1080p to 1440p, with just a 25% reduction in average frame rate. The CPU is not holding back performance at 1440p in this title.
Call of Duty Warzone
1080p Average FPS: 165 1440p Average FPS: 130
Warzone sees excellent 1440p performance as well with the 5800X and 6700 XT combo. No sign of CPU limitation, the graphics card is simply being pushed harder at 1440p versus 1080p.
Red Dead Redemption 2
1080p Average FPS: 100
1440p Average FPS: 85
Red Dead Redemption 2 takes a larger hit going from 1080p to 1440p, with a 15% performance drop. However, this is not indicative of a CPU bottleneck, just the increased demands of 1440p on the 6700 XT.
Overall, testing confirms the Ryzen 7 5800X does not bottleneck the RX 6700 XT at 2560 x 1440 in any meaningful way. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p can be fully attributed to the increased resolution putting more load on the GPU rather than the CPU holding back frame rates.
1080p Performance
At 1920 x 1080, the CPU plays a much bigger role since the GPU workload is reduced at this resolution. Here are benchmark results from some games at 1080p:
CS:GO
1080p Average FPS: 410
With the Ryzen 7 5800X, CS:GO average frame rates top 400 FPS comfortably. This CPU has no issues pushing extremely high frame rates in this popular esports title.
DOTA 2
1080p Average FPS: 240
Dota 2 also soars past 240 FPS at 1080p with no signs of CPU limitation. The Ryzen 7 5800X handles this competitive game with ease.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
1440p Average FPS: 90 1080p Average FPS: 120
Valhalla sees a 30% FPS improvement at 1080p over 1440p. The extra CPU headroom allows the 6700 XT to push out substantially more frames at the lower resolution.
Horizon Zero Dawn
1440p Average FPS: 95 1080p Average FPS: 132
With Horizon Zero Dawn, 1080p frame rates are 39% faster than at 1440p. This shows the 6700 XT can leverage the power of the 5800X at 1080p to hit gaming speeds well over 100 FPS.
Across the board, testing shows no signs of CPU bottlenecking occurring with the Ryzen 7 5800X and RX 6700 XT at 1920 x 1080. With its 8 high-performance Zen 3 cores, this CPU can keep up with the GPU even at very high frame rates.
Impact on Game Settings
Since no major CPU bottleneck exists with this setup, lowering graphics settings at 1080p does not impact performance as significantly as it can with a slower CPU.
For example, in Horizon Zero Dawn dropping from Ultra to High settings at 1080p only improves average FPS by around 5%. This aligns with expectations, since the CPU was already able to maximally feed the GPU at 1080p with ultra settings.
However, lowering settings can help extend the lifespan of this setup by reducing strain on the GPU. This allows a bit more headroom for future GPU upgrades.
Q&A
Here are answers to frequently asked questions about pairing the Ryzen 7 5800X with the RX 6700 XT:
Q: Does the 5800X bottleneck the 6700 XT at either 1440p or 1080p?
A: Testing shows no meaningful CPU bottleneck in either resolution with this CPU and GPU combination.
Q: How much FPS improvement can I expect at 1080p over 1440p?
A: Generally 20-35% higher average FPS can be expected at 1080p. This aligns with the increased performance capabilities of the GPU at the lower resolution.
Q: Is the 5800X overkill for 1440p gaming with a 6700 XT?
A: Not at all, the extra CPU power allows maximum performance now and also helps future-proof the system for later GPU upgrades.
Q: Is this CPU and GPU pair ideal for high refresh rate 1080p gaming?
A: Yes, the 5800X provides plenty of horsepower to drive high FPS numbers in esports titles without bottlenecking the 6700 XT.
Q: Should I upgrade from a 5600X to a 5800X for this GPU?
A: For 1080p gaming, definitely. At 1440p the gains will be smaller, so monitor your current CPU usage and frame rates.
Conclusion
The Ryzen 7 5800X removes any potential bottlenecks that may occur with slower CPUs paired with the RX 6700 XT, delivering excellent performance at both 1440p and 1080p resolutions. Its 8-core Zen 3 architecture offers plenty of muscle to drive high frame rates that can fully take advantage of what this GPU offers. Overall, this CPU and GPU combination works very well together, providing top-tier gaming performance today and room to upgrade in the future.
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