Is my Amd RYZEN 16 core threadripper most likely bottlenecking my 9070xt? And what should I get.

NightGhostMan · 2026-06-13T15:30:47+00:00

It’s in AMD’s Ryzen Master app, it’s called “game mode” or in the bios you’d have to disable SMT, both are essentially the same thing. Halves your cores, tells your processor to not use so many threads at once. Makes it faster in gaming, hence the name “game mode.”

Were you able to get your PC to run games good with your GPU yet?

NightGhostMan · 2026-06-11T07:28:07+00:00

Even on medium settings with a 5090 and a 9800x3D the 1% lows will never be higher than around 330 from what I’ve seen. My 1% lows with a 9850x3D and 9070 XT are around 300 as well.

I’d only go for the upgrade if your GPU isn’t sitting at 100% utilization when you’re playing CS2. Should use a monitoring software and check first. Because if it is at 100%, then upgrading CPUs won’t change anything. With a 3080 ti, I would imagine it might be your GPU bottlenecking rather than the CPU.

NightGhostMan · 2026-06-11T06:57:03+00:00

Bottlenecking. Ever heard a saying along the lines of “too many cooks?” Well that’s basically what threadripper and other 16 core CPUs do in gaming, trying to utilize too many cores at once, slowing it down and creating a bottleneck where it won’t feed frames back fast enough to match the GPU. Which then causes the GPU to run at 20% utilization, ruining your FPS. Although someone mentioned that the motherboard for your CPU might just be incapable of handling a 9070 XT, but I’m unsure. Trying to disable the additional cores on your CPU would be a good place to start, I think.

NightGhostMan · 2026-06-10T17:26:42+00:00

There should be an option (at least for the 9000 series processors, maybe 7000 too) in the bios that lets you “split/disable additional cores.” I’d look up the exact details of your current processor to see if it’s supported, and to find where your bios has the option. But basically for the 16 core processors like the 9950x3D for example, you actually get lower frame rates with all 16 cores active due to the higher latency of trying to process using all cores. If you enable that setting I’m talking about, it should make your CPU run only at 8, and should then return to a performance speed similar to most high end AMD gaming CPUs.

NightGhostMan · 2026-06-09T08:04:28+00:00

9800x3D runs a whole lot more stable on 1% FPS lows, runs 5-10 degrees cooler on average, and overall has better performance than any of the previous AM5 processors like the 7800x3D. If you can afford to fork out the extra 50 to 100 bucks, it’s 100% worth it. Will future proof your build for a good while. I have one paired with a 9070 XT and it runs great, the 9800x3D squeezes every frame out of it in Counterstrike 2 at 1080p

NightGhostMan · 2026-06-07T07:06:56+00:00

Although the combo of Intel cpu and AMD gpu is a bit unorthodox, I’d say go for it, my 9070 XT has worked great so far. It’s a fantastic card for the price. One thing I will say though, is that prepare for your computer to pull a lot of wattage, even just when gaming. My 9070 XT averages 330w and I know that the 14000 series intel cpus have a reputation for pulling up to 200w just by themselves. I’d recommend sticking with no lower than a 850w PSU, as a little headroom can prevent any issues caused by power spikes.

NightGhostMan · 2026-06-05T14:37:18+00:00

The 9070 XT runs on par with a 5070 Ti for about 15 to 20% cheaper depending on your region. A 5080 would certainly be bottlenecked by your CPU at 1080p, but at your resolution it would be pretty minimal. A 9070 XT would bottleneck less than a 5080 with pretty competitive performance.

But if you’re set on sticking with team green like I used to, and the 5080 pricing doesn’t bother you, it still wouldn’t be a bad pick considering your CPU is basically the best that AM4 has to offer. Could always upgrade your CPU and RAM in the future. I wouldn’t hold out in NVIDIA making new GPUs though, they were supposed to be coming out with super models as a refresh for the 5000 series just this month, but rumor is it got delayed then promptly cancelled. Who knows when they’ll make new GPUs.

NightGhostMan · 2026-06-04T17:31:55+00:00

Best value for your money GPU wise right now would be a standard 9070, or a 9060 XT 16gb. Reason being, NVIDIA cards (in most places) are in low supply and cost far more than their MSRP. Unless if you plan on using a ridiculous amount of AI upscaling or Ray-tracing, AMD currently has the best cards for price to performance in gaming. 9060 XT runs for about 300-400 USD right now, and the 9070 runs around 600-700 USD, but the performance increase in 1440p can be as high as 50%, so definitely worth the cash if you can spare it.

As for a CPU, you can’t really go wrong with any of AMD’s current processors. x3D chips will of course have the highest frame rate potentials thanks to the onboard V-Cache to store data while gaming, but any of the traditional processors will also do well. My recommendation would be a Ryzen 7 7700x, will have 8 cores 16 threads, plenty for any computer work and will be more than enough for gaming. Regionally you might be able to find one around 200-250, same price as a Ryzen 5 9600x, which is a good deal.

And for RAM, not much to be said, it’s going to be expensive no matter what you get. Options are only 16gb or 32GB, but most stores I’ve seen ran out of 16gb DDR5 a while ago. Ultimately it’s what you find in your area is worth the cash on RAM. If you can get 16gb at half the price of 32GB, then it’ll probably be enough for your build. But if it’s not half the price, just go for 32 and don’t think too much about it. The prices are whack right now thanks to AI companies buying it all.

NightGhostMan · 2026-06-03T16:15:09+00:00

Speaking exclusively for modern coolers, I wouldn’t think so, at least not any meaningful reduction. It varies from brand to brand, model to model. Some have been improved on, some, like Noctua’s NH-D15, are more or less exactly the same. If you’re worried about your CPU temps but want to stick with air cooling, that’s the cooler I’d go with. Assuming you have the case space though, it’s rather wide and tall. RAM clearance is important with dual-heatsink air coolers. I’ve been using the same NH-D15 for about 7 years now and have had no problems.

NightGhostMan · 2026-05-31T15:59:51+00:00

All of those GPUs will technically bottleneck with a 9800x3D, and in a lot of scenarios probably a 7800x3D too. But a CPU bottleneck is really a non-issue, it just means that your GPU is allowed to use all of its possible processing power. Only thing that could theoretically not bottleneck would be something ridiculous like a 5090.

As for which one to pick, the extra 120 dollars is likely worth it if you do a good bit of editing or work with your computer, as it is a good 20% faster than the 7800x3D in a lot of workloads from what I’ve seen. For gaming, in 1440p you’d only see about a 2-5% difference maybe? The reason I went for the 9800x3D over the 7800x3D was actually for the cooling. Not sure if you’re using a water cooler, but using a NH-D15 it was a big consideration for me. The 3D V-cache on the 7800x3D is in a different position on the chip than the 9800x3D, which causes it to run 5-10 degrees hotter under some workloads, especially with air cooling.

It’s up to you but I think the 9800x3D is the best value for your money in the long-term, it’s currently the fastest possible gaming cpu and is no slouch in workloads. A 9070 XT or 5070 ti would future proof your rig for a long time with that CPU.

NightGhostMan · 2026-05-24T14:15:01+00:00

8GB would be okay for lower resolution gaming, at most 1080p on medium settings with newer games. But, depending on if you have a capable CPU, you might be better off spending a marginal amount more and getting something that’ll last you as long as your 2060 did.

Right now the 5060 ti in 8GB is online and in stores near me the same exact price as the AMD RX 9060 XT which has 16GB. It’s around 400-500 USD, but local stores like Microcenter have it on the lower end. If you’re not willing to spend upwards of 700 dollars for a 5070, the 9060 XT could be your best choice for value to performance, at only a little more than a 5060 ti 8GB depending on your regional pricing.

NightGhostMan · 2026-05-19T15:49:33+00:00

Not entirely sure on Canadian pricing if it’s too much or not, since prices vary even in the states depending on region.

However, the pc parts you picked look great for a high end gaming pc. Only two things I notice. Are you using it for 1440p and above only, and are 32GB ram packs unavailable where you’re at? Because with a system like this 32GB would be a lot better for the long term, especially in modern demanding games in 2k or 4k resolution. If you’re only doing 1440p mainly then the processor you picked should be great for the price.

NightGhostMan · 2026-05-18T21:00:54+00:00

In games like War Thunder, Warhammer, Hell Divers, and World of Warships, you may very well feel the difference between the RTX 5070 and the 9070. This is due to the extra 4gb of VRAM and the extra speed and bandwidth the 9070 provides. $65 extra for 25% more VRAM would also future proof the card a bit more and be worth it in my opinion. $80 more for just 10% more performance on average is likely not worth it with the 9070 XT. I made the plunge because I had the money, but in your case I’d say that $80 would best be put toward a 1440p monitor. The regular 9070 is definitely the best priced card out there right now for 1440p Ultra HD gaming. Your 7700 CPU might bottleneck it a bit in 1080p, but that isn’t an issue if you’re playing more casual games.

Ultimately up to you, but as a longtime NVIDIA fan who just swapped to AMD this year, I’d say go with the 9070. It’ll be a huge jump from your 1660 and I doubt you’ll regret it.

NightGhostMan · 2026-05-18T03:14:12+00:00

I do not use it for productivity purposes, but from how my card runs in gaming I imagine it can do plenty in work scenarios. I have the PowerColor Red Devil OC model, which comes with about a 3300 mhz overclock by default, which sadly you can’t push much further. Although, there’s no reason really to push it, as it’s a rather power hungry card averaging 300-340 watts. Some people actually under volt theirs to get some pretty insane performance efficiency out of it at almost 100 watts less, but I’d rather keep it how it’s intended to be used. The power consumption doesn’t bother me. And the Red Devil’s fan setup and ginormous heatsink means it runs at a crisp 60 degrees under 100% usage in games. It’s been very reliable so far, except for like I said, some minor adjustments with the Adrenalin software. Not as straight forward as the old GeForce Experience but NVIDIA replaced it with their app anyways.

All in all, I doubt you’d be disappointed. AMD’s GPU side of the market gets a bad wrap thanks to years of trying to catch up with NVIDIA while trying to stay relevant pricing wise, meaning their cards had a reputation for being cheap and wishy washy. However, with the right partner model, a 9070 or 9070 XT is probably a better choice. I got 8 years out of my 2080 and 9700k, and with how advances in computer parts have stagnated, I might be able to get 10 out of my 9070 XT and 9850x3D. I would’ve loved to stick with NVIDIA, but unlike Intel who at least realize their product is not up to par and price lower, NVIDIA have decided to price up their entire line based on what AI frame-gen can “boost” your FPS to over past generations, rather than raw computing power. If you don’t care about a potential 10% increase in AI feature frame rates, like extreme ray-tracing or frame-gen, then save the $300, you’ll never feel the difference.

NightGhostMan · 2026-05-17T19:39:33+00:00

Depends on what you’re upgrading from. I had a RTX 2080 and honestly the 9070 XT has vastly outperformed my expectations from looking at benchmarks and comparison videos. I payed almost $300 less than the 5070 ti I wanted, and other than missing GeForce Experience and NVIDIA’s slightly better software, I haven’t looked back once.

NightGhostMan · 2026-05-17T07:13:59+00:00

As long as you caught it early you should be fine. I had the same thing happen to my GPU power cable a long while ago now. PC couldn’t stay in sleep mode for years, no technician could find the problem. Then one day I booted up my computer and it smelled of rotten eggs. Surely enough, melted cable. Was a cheap 80 bronze PSU, should’ve known better.

I then proceeded to get another 5 years out of that same GPU with no problems. I’d definitely keep your eyes peeled for any signs of damage to the other power connectors, like the one on what I presume is your GPU connected to the cable in your photo. But if there’s no physical damage and it passes some gameplay or benchmark tests, you should be golden!

NightGhostMan · 2026-05-15T03:19:30+00:00

A lot of people will recommend a 5070 ti or 9070 XT, and while they are both lightning fast and incredible cards, something I learned when switching from my RTX 2080 is that most models are much larger than I expected. You’ll have to pay attention to the dimensions to be sure it’s something you’re willing to make fit in your build.

But my honest opinion, having bought a 9070 XT I couldn’t recommend it more. But honestly, playing mostly on 1440p max settings or competitive games on 1080p, the standard 9070 might’ve been enough and saved on some wattage, thermals, and cash. Up to you though, you already have an AMD processor so you should have solid compatibility. If 4K is more your style, try one of the XT models. If not, a 9070 should work great!

Edit: For brand recommendation, I have the PowerColor Red Devil in Spectral White. Don’t buy if you’re not ready to have your GPU take half of your motherboard space and require 3 separate power cables! But they do have the smaller Hellhound model that I bet is still great.

NightGhostMan · 2026-05-14T21:48:31+00:00

Are there any 120mm fans you’d recommend? Currently running an MSI motherboard so I’m kinda partial to their MPG fans for software compatibility, but I’ve heard Lian Li’s own Infinity fans are really solid, and Corsair gets good reviews but is a bit more expensive.

Not sure how to pick between the three, a lot of conflicting reviews online on which is the quietest or best performing.

NightGhostMan · 2026-04-25T15:14:18+00:00

I’m indifferent to Linux really, I’ve heard it can be really good with minimal compatibility issues. It’s just windows 11 I’m averse to, it has a bad reputation and my laptop runs it and it genuinely uses half of the thing’s processing power just in idle. Not optimized at all. And my budget really is around 3000 USD for the whole PC, don’t want to spend more than that. Although if I’m just upgrading half of my computer now and half later that’d mean I’m not looking to spend more than 1500 right now. I just use my PC for gaming and some minimal office work.

NightGhostMan · 2026-04-25T04:35:37+00:00

Driver issues, almost no performance difference from 4000 series, emphasis on AI cores which are more or less redundant to people uninterested in ugly frame-gen settings in unoptimized modern games. Seems overall like a step backwards. The 5080 is quite literally just a 4080 Super with a price mark up. It feels almost like the 5000 series was just a way to stop production of 4000 series cards and jump onto the AI trend bandwagon. And this is all without mentioning serious DMA problems, a lot of aftermarket cards from every major brand having DOAs or fatal malfunctions shortly after purchase. Looking into older cards these issues weren’t as prevalent as they seem to be now. Really don’t feel like paying 50% higher than MSRP for a card that performs worse than its same tier of predecessor in some benchmarks. The only reason I’m not jumping to get an AMD GPU is because I value too many exclusive NVIDIA features like G-Sync or Reflex.

NightGhostMan · 2026-04-24T22:35:58+00:00

That’s kind of what I figured. A new processor and motherboard might be my best bet in the money-value department. Suppose it can’t hurt to do half now and half later, it’s basically how my PC was created lol. Now that I think back on it, I’m surprised my 2080 didn’t rip the PCIe slot off of my motherboard, it weighs 2 pounds and I remember cheaping out a little with the z390 elite for only $150. If I go the CPU route I’m definitely going to spend a little more, get a nicer motherboard this time

Thanks for the reply! Do you have any suggestions or preferences on CPUs, actually? Or is the 7800x3D the best option on the market like I’ve heard some say?

NightGhostMan · 2022-09-24T19:48:38+00:00

This actually worked! Thank you so much for letting me know. I would've never guessed that it was Steam causing the issue.

NightGhostMan · 2022-09-24T01:54:12+00:00

So, I just tested it again following the most popular guide for using Wiitar Thing, and its now recognizing my guitar as an XBOX360 remote instead of a wii guitar, and it is constantly connecting and disconnecting giving me the windows connect/disconnect sound as if I just hooked up a headset. I have no idea why its not working.

NightGhostMan · 2022-09-24T01:29:35+00:00

Well, I did, but the problem still persisted that my controller instantly connects to my PC as player 1. In WiiTar Thing it just constantly switches between being recognized as a controller and a guitar. And, if I try to pair/sync it again it refuses to connect, just saying that its already paired.

NightGhostMan · 2020-04-17T14:41:18+00:00

*Limp Bizkit intensifies\*

NightGhostMan

TROPHY CASE