Upgraded My PC After Bottleneck Check, Still Slow – Intel CPU Issue?

[Hooke1992]

Hey everyone,

I recently ran a bottleneck calculator before upgrading my gaming PC. It suggested I should upgrade my Intel CPU to better match my GPU.

So I upgraded to a mid-range Intel CPU and added some extra RAM. At first, I thought it would fix the lag, but now:

• Some games still drop FPS
• Load times are longer than expected
• Overall performance feels slower than what I expected

I’m wondering:

• Did I misinterpret the bottleneck tool results?
• Could my GPU, storage, or other components still be holding back the Intel CPU?

Has anyone else experienced something similar after upgrading based on a bottleneck check?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Hooke1992,

Thank you for reaching out regarding the performance issues you're experiencing with your gaming PC after upgrading your Intel CPU and adding extra RAM. I understand how frustrating it can be when the expected improvements don't materialize, and I'm here to help you troubleshoot the situation.

To assist you better, could you please provide a System Support Utility (SSU) report? This report will give us detailed information about your system configuration and help identify any potential bottlenecks. If you're not comfortable generating an SSU report, please provide the following details:

1. CPU model
2. GPU model
3. Motherboard model
4. RAM specifications
5. Power Supply Unit (PSU) model
6. If it's a laptop, please specify the model

For faster communication and assistance, I am available for a phone call. Please let me know a convenient time for you, and I'll ensure we connect promptly to discuss the issue further.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Best regards, 

Dean R. 

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[Hooke1992]

Hi Dean,
Thanks for getting back to me. Here are my system details:

• CPU: Intel Core i5-12400F

• GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3060 12GB

• Motherboard: MSI B560M PRO-VDH

• RAM: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz

• PSU: Corsair 650W 80+ Bronze

I’ll try generating the SSU report as you suggested and share it soon. Before upgrading, I also used a bottleneck calculator  to check the CPU/GPU balance, which is why I thought the i5 would be a good fit. Hopefully this info helps in narrowing down the issue.

Appreciate your support!

[Hooke1992]

Hi Dean,
Thanks for getting back to me. Here are my system details:

• CPU: Intel Core i5-12400F

• GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3060 12GB

• Motherboard: MSI B560M PRO-VDH

• RAM: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz

• PSU: Corsair 650W 80+ Bronze

I’ll try generating the SSU report as you suggested and share it soon. Before upgrading, I also used a bottleneck calculator (https://bottleneckcal.com/) to check the CPU/GPU balance, which is why I thought the i5 would be a good fit. Hopefully this info helps in narrowing down the issue.

Appreciate your support!

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Hooke1992,

Thank you for sharing your system details and for your proactive approach in using a bottleneck calculator before upgrading your gaming PC. I appreciate your efforts in trying to optimize your setup, and I'm here to provide some insights into achieving a balanced build.

Based on the information provided, your system appears to be relatively well-balanced for gaming, with an Intel Core i5-12400F CPU paired with an NVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU. This combination should generally provide a good gaming experience without significant bottlenecking, as both components are mid-range and complement each other well.

However, other factors could contribute to performance issues:

1. Your system has 16GB of DDR4 RAM, which is typically sufficient for modern gaming. However, if you're multitasking heavily (e.g., running multiple applications alongside gaming), this could impact performance.
2. Ensure that your games and applications are installed on an SSD rather than a slower HDD, as this can lead to longer load times and stuttering.
3. Other applications running in the background could consume resources and affect gaming performance.
4. Make sure all drivers, especially for the GPU, are up to date to optimize performance.
5. High graphics settings can strain the GPU, potentially leading to FPS drops. Adjusting settings to better match your system's capabilities can help.

For more detailed information, you can refer to this article: What Is Bottlenecking My PC?

I hope this helps you better understand how to achieve a balanced build. If you have any further questions or need assistance, please feel free to reach out.

Best regards, 

Dean R. 

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[Hooke1992 · Accepted solution]

Hi Dean, thanks for the detailed response!

I think you’re right that my system is fairly balanced, but I was still curious if I might have overlooked something. To double-check, I tried using an online Bottleneck Calculator  again with my exact specs (i5-12400F + RTX 3060 + 16GB RAM). Interestingly, it showed that the GPU is usually the limiting factor in my setup, which matches what you explained.

This was reassuring and also confirmed that storage and background apps might be bigger reasons for the slowdown rather than just CPU/GPU imbalance. I’ll also test moving my games onto my SSD as you suggested.

Appreciate your guidance—it really helped clear things up!

[Hooke1992]

Hi Dean, thanks for the detailed response!

I think you’re right that my system is fairly balanced, but I was still curious if I might have overlooked something. To double-check, I tried using an online Bottleneck Calculator  again with my exact specs (i5-12400F + RTX 3060 + 16GB RAM). Interestingly, it showed that the GPU is usually the limiting factor in my setup, which matches what you explained.

This was reassuring and also confirmed that storage and background apps might be bigger reasons for the slowdown rather than just CPU/GPU imbalance. I’ll also test moving my games onto my SSD as you suggested.

Appreciate your guidance—it really helped clear things up!

[JamesNuttall]

Hey everyone,

I had a very similar situation. Before upgrading, I ran a bottleneck calculator to check my setup. It suggested my old CPU was holding things back, so I upgraded to a mid-range Intel processor and also added more RAM.

At first, I expected big improvements, but I’m still noticing:

• Random FPS drops in certain games
• Load times that feel slower than they should
• Overall performance not quite where I thought it would be

It makes me wonder if I misread the bottleneck results, or if other parts like storage (still using a SATA SSD) or my GPU could be contributing.

For reference, this is the bottleneck tool I used:

@ https://bottleneckcal.com/

And here’s Intel’s official guide on performance troubleshooting which I found useful:
@https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/gaming/resources/gaming-performance-guide.html

Has anyone else here experienced the same thing after upgrading based on a bottleneck check?

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Hooke1992,

I'm following up to find out if you experience any issues. I'm not able to get any response from you regarding the needed information. 

Hi JamesNuttall,

I appreciate your efforts for sharing this to the thread however, to avoid further confusions I suggest that you create a new thread.

Best regards, 

Dean R. 

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Hooke1992,

As you have been unresponsive, I will proceed to close this thread. If you wish to continue the discussion or need further assistance, please feel free to create a new thread. This will help us provide focused support and ensure your concerns are addressed effectively. 

Best regards, 

Dean R. 

Intel Customer Support Technician