Low End Gpu with High End Cpu: All You Need to Know!

Since the price of GPUs is so high nowadays, it’s tough to buy high-end GPUs. High-end CPUs are now cheaper than low-end GPUs!

The mining culture caused this inflation and oftentimes, buying a low-end GPU is the only choice. You may be in the same situation and worrying over pairing up these components. 

So, can you pair a low end gpu with high end cpu?

Yes, you can pair up a low-end GPU with a high-end CPU. Although it’s not recommended unless there are no options left. There are many performance-related consequences for this pair. For example, bottlenecks, heating issues and unbalanced systems. So, it’s better to match up your GPU and CPU! 

I’ve explained every issue you may face if you pair up a low-end GPU with a high-end CPU. I’ve also added some tips about matching a CPU with GPU.

Let’s get going then!

Is It Possible to Pair Low-End GPU with High-End CPU?

The scarcity of GPUs in the market has led people to buy low-end GPUs. A low-end GPU and a high-end CPU do not match at an initial glance. 

So you might ask, can I pair low-end gpu with high-end cpu?

The answer to this question is- yes! It’s possible to pair low-end GPUs with high-end CPUs. It can be a good strategy for people who has plans to upgrade their PC later. 

Any component of the PC can be upgraded. Now, when comparing CPU and GPU, upgrading GPUs is way easier than upgrading CPUs.

Because when you upgrade a CPU, you need compatibility between CPU and motherboard. On top of that, all the components connected to the motherboard have to support it too! So it’s very expensive and a big hassle.

Source: How-to-geek

On the other hand, upgrading your GPU won’t affect the other components of your PC. It’s just an upgrade that will improve the FPS you get from gaming and other works.

Now you might be asking, what happens if your cpu is better than your gpu? Well, I’ve discussed this issue in the next segment. Read along!

Consequences of Pairing Low-End GPU with High-End CPU

There are many consequences to pairing a low-end GPU with a high-end CPU. 

Let’s see some of them.

Bottleneck

A bottleneck in PCs is something that is often overlooked by users. Two incompatible components can easily bottleneck your PC. 

The potential of the CPU won’t come close to the low-end GPU. For instance, pairing up a Ryzen 7 5700G processor with a GTX 970 will bottleneck the processor. 

According to the bottleneck calculator, this configuration has 20.9% of the graphic card bottleneck. That means the GPU is too weak to be paired up with this CPU.

This combination of the new CPU old GPU will definitely bottleneck the system! This simply means that the processor power won’t be reached and will be wasted. 

If the situation was the other way around, the bottleneck would be much worse. Any low-end processor with a high-end GPU will bottleneck the entire system, instead of the GPU.

The bottleneck does not cause any harm to the components. If you’re aware and avoid bottlenecks, you’ll get the best value and performance for your money!

Unbalanced System

From the earlier segment, we know that it’s possible pairing up these 2 components. However, the balance will be ruined if you do so.

This simply means that you cannot expect great performances from your computer. Since the GPU and CPU aren’t compatible, they won’t sync well. 

The GPU tends to stop working if there isn’t balance in the whole system. Here’s a sufferer who paired a Ryzen 7 3700x with a GTX 970, which often stops working.

A commonly asked question is- can a good cpu make up for a bad gpu? 

Well, it can’t. CPU and GPU are two totally different components with different objectives. The best a CPU can do is help the GPU push its performance by roughly 10-15%. 

Yet, it cannot necessarily make up or replace the GPU at any cost. 

That’s why when it comes to the importance of cpu or gpu for fps, GPU wins. Because the CPU cannot aid with the graphics input. 

It’s the same if you were wondering, can gpu compensate for cpu? A GPU will only enhance the graphics driver. It cannot help the processing unit of your computer.

Heating Issues

Since the CPU is the alpha component here, your GPU may face pressure. This mainly happens when you use the CPU and GPU together.

For example, the GPU has to keep up with the CPU when you’re video editing. As a result, the GPU may get hot. Note that, it’s a very rare case.

Let’s take the previous example of pairing Ryzen 7 5700G processor with a GTX 970. Here the GPU is utilized 100%. That means it will be doing everything to its capability to maintain working.

This means it’ll be packing a punch over its basic limit. So, it’s normal to heat up after some heavy work.

Don’t worry though, there are many GPU cooling ideas out there. GPU AIOs, GPU backplate heatsink, etc can help you cool the card off.

Here are some good-quality AIO and heatsinks to help you out. However, the GPU cooler that comes with the GPU is perfectly sufficient. But if you need some additional cooling then choose from these coolers and heatsinks.

By using these AIO and heatsink, you can ensure efficient cooling!

Will There Be Any Component Damage?

Since low-end GPU and high-end CPUs aren’t a good combo, you may be scared. The central point of fear should be about component damages. 

So, does pairing up low-end GPU with high-end CPU cause component damage?

The answer is- no. There won’t be any component damage if you pair these two up. It’ll only cause a bottleneck. It restricts the potential of the CPU basically.

For instance, pairing up a 150W PSU with a high-end computer may cause component damage. The power will first fry the PSU chip and pose the risk of getting to the motherboard as well.

Yet, the case with the GPU and CPU is a bit different. This is mostly a compatibility issue more than a power issue. 

If the CPU is not compatible with the GPU, it won’t cause any harm. The CPU will only be unable to reach its full potential.

Note that by this combination, the GPU will be used more than the CPU. So, the GPU will degrade quicker than usual. PC component degrading is quite a common thing. 

Many components degrade over time. For instance, case fan, CPU, and PSU degradations are something which is heard of!

Now, this bottlenecking can be avoided if you know how to match GPUs with CPUs. Compatible matches between the CPU or GPU will help you use both of these components properly. 

Let’s see how to properly match GPU with CPU to dodge the bottleneck in your system.

How to Match Gpu with Cpu?

There are a couple of simple methods you can follow to match your CPU and GPU. I’ve included them below. Have a look.

Method 1: Bottleneck Calculator

There are many calculators you can find on the web; which are similar to this. These calculators take the input of your CPU and GPU. 

Then, these determine if there will be bottlenecks or not. Most calculators allow a 10-15% bottleneck, which is the standard amount.

You can use the Bottleneck Calculator from PC builds.

So, you can use a bottleneck calculator to match your GPU and CPU properly!

Method 2: CPU Slightly Powerful Than GPU

While this is something that matches compatibility, it’s also a safe method. Getting a CPU slightly more powerful than your GPU is a good way to match them. 

For instance, if you’re buying a $100 GPU, buy a $125 CPU. That’s how this method works. When it comes to GPU and CPU, if your GPU is weak, it won’t bottleneck. 

But weak CPU paired up with a strong GPU can create a bottleneck. That is why it’s a safe option.

FAQs

Do AMD CPUs have integrated graphics?

Yes, the G series of AMD CPUs have internal graphics built-in. For instance, the Ryzen 5600G, 3400G and others. If you connect a GPU to your computer, a higher graphics source will be used. Like you may pair up 4GB of graphics with 2GB of integrated graphics. In this case, the system will use 4GB of graphics.

Does enabling all cores increase FPS?

It does not necessarily mean that enabling all cores will increase FPS. Actually, it depends on the software. If your software can use up all the cores of your system, you can increase FPS. But, if the software thread is limited to a single core, you won’t see noticeable performance bumps.

What is the most expensive GPU?

The most expensive GPU on the market is the Titan Z by Nvidia. This is a staggering 3,000$ worth of GPU. The Titan Z GPU has 5760 cores and 12 GBs memory. When calculating the price-value ratio, this isn’t the best choice. But, it packs a lot of power! This dual GPU can power 4K multimonitor setups.

The Final Words

This is the end of this article. We hope that you know when to pair up low end gpu with high end cpu.

If you’re unsure of any compatibility between PC components, don’t worry. You can easily consult a computer engineer and double-check it!

All the best!