Computer Benchmark Tests

[Jerry1]

Of course I’m not going to win an argument with my 16 year old “genius” grandson who knows everything about computers, but I’m hoping someone can get me pointed in the right direction.

He has a low end gaming computer. I forget the specs but we bought it 2 years ago from Costco and it did what he wanted at the time. Now, he wants to upgrade the processor and the video card. I’m trying to tell him that he’s not going to get the increase in speed he thinks and that the money would be better spent elsewhere. Elsewhere to me is a car, but sticking with computers, elsewhere would mean a new computer that’s dialed in for gaming.

My question is, is there a sight where I can put in his current equipment and get a baseline rating and then put in “virtually” his proposed equipment and see what the difference would be? Maybe I’m wrong, but I think the upgrade will be negligible. And, maybe a better bang for the buck is more memory. Not sure, but would like a way to model. Is there anything like that?

 

[jollystomper]

From a CPU perspective, I use this site to compare processors: https://www.pcbenchmarks.net/

They have many other benchmark there (systems, memory, disks), but I have not used those. But given how well the CPU benchmarks have worked for me, the other benchmarks are likely to be very good.

 

[Al18]

Please list more details on the computer. What is the CPU, amount of system memory, GPU, video memory? Typically current high end games don’t push CPU that hard, typically using 50%-70% of CPU power. Games really more on the GPU and video memory.

3DMark will give you a good benchmark indicator. Run the Firestrike benchmark.

Steam (gaming service) monitors the computer hardware used for gaming and publishes a summary monthly. Just Google Steam hardware survey.

 

[Jerry1]

I’ll have to get specifics from him. The current system will be easy. Not sure what he intends to replace the current components with.

 

[Al18]

The most popular PC gaming system according to Steam is a 6 core CPU running at 2.3-2.69 GHz with a 6 year old Nvidia GTX 1060 graphics card with 8 GB of memory - not cutting edge.

 

[USGrant1962]

You asked where you could see potential performance differences (you can't run Firestrike on a proposed purchase). I usually refer to Tomshardware.com. As others have said, the CPU has only a small effect on gaming performance.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-cpus,3986.html

As far as upgrading an existing rig, AMD has used the same CPU slot for years. I just upgraded my 5-year-old rig to a Ryzen 5 5600X. Intel tends to change their slot hardware more often so less likely you can do a drop-in upgrade.

GPUs can make a big difference, but even though prices have normalized they can still be a lot of dough. After a lot of scrolling you can see the comparison charts in this article.

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gpus,4380.html

You need to consider what resolution monitor he is using and look at those reference charts. Also, watch out for power requirements - higher end GPUs might require more power than a low-end Costco computer can provide. Anything from an RTX 3070 up has a pretty high power draw that needs better than the typical 400W to 550W generic PSU found in low-end pre-builts.

EDIT - you might want to also look at userbenchmark.com You can compare by component and it has a "build" feature (top right menu) that I've never used but might fit your bill. Some PC snobs turn their noses up at userbenchmark because it is kind of quick and dirty, but I use it before and after upgrades and tweaks to see the effects.

MORE EDITS - I just saw on userbenchmark.com that after you run it on your rig you can scroll down and "explore upgrades"

 

[Jerry1]

I just saw on userbenchmark.com that after you run it on your rig you can scroll down and "explore upgrades"

Thanks. I’ll be over to his house tonight or some time this weekend and try this out.

FWIW, his processor is an i5. He texted me the components this morning, but it only showed that he doesn’t really know what he’s doing. He said he has an i5 but didn’t add the speed/version. He couldn’t describe his memory other than “two sticks of 8gb”. He did know that his graphics card is a GTX 1660.

I’ll try to get him to understand the concept of a bottleneck and try to figure out what he’s actually trying to accomplish.

 

[easysurfer]

Of course I’m not going to win an argument with my 16 year old “genius” grandson who knows everything about computers, but I’m hoping someone can get me pointed in the right direction.

He has a low end gaming computer. I forget the specs but we bought it 2 years ago from Costco and it did what he wanted at the time. Now, he wants to upgrade the processor and the video card. I’m trying to tell him that he’s not going to get the increase in speed he thinks and that the money would be better spent elsewhere. Elsewhere to me is a car, but sticking with computers, elsewhere would mean a new computer that’s dialed in for gaming.

My question is, is there a sight where I can put in his current equipment and get a baseline rating and then put in “virtually” his proposed equipment and see what the difference would be? Maybe I’m wrong, but I think the upgrade will be negligible. And, maybe a better bang for the buck is more memory. Not sure, but would like a way to model. Is there anything like that?

Maybe it's a good idea to let him follow his train of thought to later come to the same conclusion as you of after his sought after upgrades, the gains aren't really that big. Then the "genius" might think grandpa does know what he's talking about after all . Letting him get into a dead end and discover he isn't correct may be money well spent.

 

[Jerry1]

Maybe it's a good idea to let him follow his train of thought to later come to the same conclusion as you of after his sought after upgrades, the gains aren't really that big. Then the "genius" might think grandpa does know what he's talking about after all . Letting him get into a dead end and discover he isn't correct may be money well spent.

Appreciate what you’re saying. What I’m trying to do is help him figure this out. What I’m not going to do is control the situation. If he wants to spend the money, that’s his choice. If he learns a lesson the hard (expensive) way, so be it. Unfortunately, at 16, you think you know everything (I thought I did). It’s not until much later in life that we learn that those that came before have knowledge we don’t have, even if it doesn’t directly match the situation, that we can build on. Oh well, as they say, that’s life.

 

[Qs Laptop]

USGrant1962 explained it very well.

A new graphics card will have more of an impact on improving gaming speed than a new CPU will have. As was mentioned, a higher end GPU will need a better power supply, probably in the range of 750 watts or better. Also as USGrant1962 said, if your grandson wants to upgrade his CPU he needs to be sure his motherboard will accept the new CPU. Most AMD processors use the same motherboard socket, so no problem upgrading. However, Intel changes them quite frequently so watch out for that.

I will add that with the demise of crypto-mining (and the crypto-miners checkbook balance) has led to a lot of miners selling off their PC's. By necessity crypto miners need high end gear. It's more profitable to part out the internals so it is possible to get a used high-end GPU for quite a discount. While there are risks in doing this it can be rewarding. Make sure you see sales receipts for the used GPU so you can verify its age.

One more thing-- make sure any replacement GPU can physically fit onto the computer mother board and fit inside the computer PC case. Most high-end GPU's are large (longer) in size and might not fit your grandson's box/system. The same advice applies to a replacement power supply. Make sure it can fit. I would also recommend getting one that is "fully modular", meaning it won't come with a rat's nest of cables preinstalled, instead you only install the necessary cables for your setup. This makes the replacement process a whole lot easier.

 

[OldShooter]

If it isn't already clear from the respoonses here, I'll say it: Performance depends on many things. As H. L. Mencken told us: “For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat and wrong.”

One thing not mentioned is the performance drag of background processes. IIRC the Microsoft Edge installs itself as a background app so that it appears instantly to a user, making the user think it is a fast applications. Other apps stay active and call the mother ship from time to time. So one cheap performance enhancement is a really good scrub of startup apps.

Another factor is internet responsiveness -- not just raw speed. A lot of the delays we see on the internet are due to low responsiveness from the servers we're trying interact with. Most of it, IMO, now that we have a nominal 100meg connection. So it is possible DS's game provider is or will become the limiting speed factor.

Any time we're trying to improve speed we are really working in the dark.

 

[mountainsoft]

Of course I’m not going to win an argument with my 16 year old “genius” grandson who knows everything about computers, but I’m hoping someone can get me pointed in the right direction.

He has a low end gaming computer. I forget the specs but we bought it 2 years ago from Costco and it did what he wanted at the time. Now, he wants to upgrade the processor and the video card.

I am not a gamer, so take my advice accordingly. However, one of the biggest speed improvements for most common tasks is to switch from a standard hard drive to a solid state drive (SSD). Going to a M.2 NVME drive can be even faster, IF you have an M.2 slot available AND the M.2 drive doesn't use a SATA connection.

I don't know how much games use the drives, but that would be my first step. From there I might add more RAM, or possibly even a newer graphics card. Again, I'm not a gamer, but my old fanless graphics card does everything I've ever wanted. Heck, I know many people play games using the built-in CPU video (no dedicated graphics card at all).

Keep in mind upgrading the processor "may" require a motherboard upgrade also. For example, if your current CPU uses an LGA1200 then you might be able to swap in a newer CPU of recent generation.

Also, a faster CPU will probably run hotter, which may require a better CPU cooler. Otherwise the CPU may overheat, and throttle back, negating the speed improvement you were after.

A faster CPU may also need more power, which may or may not require a larger power supply.

It can all grow out of hand quickly. "Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go".

 

[Aerides]

The game I play has a good benchmark but it doesn't allow you to run speculative, only current - you download and run it. This will tell you if he has a decent setup and probably where there are issues. (a two year old PC from costco probably isn't it, and he likely needs a custom newer build like from alienware or something).

https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/benchmark/

 

[Al18]

For reference, an Intel i5 desktop CPU released in 2018 (ie i5-8xxx, 9xxx, 10xxx or newer) are all 6 core processors that run at somewhere between 2.6 and 4.1 GHz depending on the model. Assuming your grandson has 16 GB of RAM and is gaming on a 1080P monitor, this CPU is more than sufficient to run any game on the planet IMHO.

The Nvidia GTX 1660 is a very good, midrange gaming card that typically shipped with 6 GB of VRAM. This card was released in 2019. Your grandson should be able to run any game on the planet at very good frame rates at 1080P. Depending on the game, he may have to turn down the game details settings from very high or high to medium to get playable frame rates.

Some newer games released in 2019 or newer support raytracing, which is an enhanced graphics detail setting not supported on the GTX 1660. Whether you notice the difference is debatable. You’ll need a newer high end graphics card such as the Nvidia RTX 2xxx, RTX 3xxx or RTX 4xxx or equivalent AMD Radeon. The good news video card are widely in stock, the bad news is Nvidia cards are a lot more expensive than their AMD equivalent.

 

[Jerry1]

switch from a standard hard drive to a solid state drive (SSD).

His machine does have a 520GB SSD. It also has a 1TB HD.

where there are issues. (a two year old PC from costco probably isn't it, and he likely needs a custom newer build like from alienware or something).

This is my belief as well. I'm sure he could do better than his current machine, but I think to get any noticeable difference, it will cost him more than he's willing to spend. I think messing with his components is just wasted money.

Assuming your grandson has 16 GB of RAM and is gaming on a 1080P monitor, this CPU is more than sufficient to run any game on the planet IMHO.

The Nvidia GTX 1660 is a very good, midrange gaming card that typically shipped with 6 GB of VRAM.

Nvidia cards are a lot more expensive than their AMD equivalent.

Thanks for confirming my thoughts on the CPU and game card. The machine was bought knowing it was a mid range gaming rig. Without any facts, I just feel that putting money into it is a losing proposition and that the only way to get a noticeable improvement is to get a higher end machine. Given that his parents are frugal by necessity, they don't have the greatest internet. If that's the bottleneck, then for sure he'd be wasting money.

A learning moment for sure. Thanks for the advice/help.

 

[Freedom56]

Of course I’m not going to win an argument with my 16 year old “genius” grandson who knows everything about computers, but I’m hoping someone can get me pointed in the right direction.

He has a low end gaming computer. I forget the specs but we bought it 2 years ago from Costco and it did what he wanted at the time. Now, he wants to upgrade the processor and the video card. I’m trying to tell him that he’s not going to get the increase in speed he thinks and that the money would be better spent elsewhere. Elsewhere to me is a car, but sticking with computers, elsewhere would mean a new computer that’s dialed in for gaming.

My question is, is there a sight where I can put in his current equipment and get a baseline rating and then put in “virtually” his proposed equipment and see what the difference would be? Maybe I’m wrong, but I think the upgrade will be negligible. And, maybe a better bang for the buck is more memory. Not sure, but would like a way to model. Is there anything like that?

You can run a Passmark test to benchmark the PC.

https://www.passmark.com/products/performancetest/index.php

Just run it as a trial version.

 

[Jerry1]

You can run a Passmark test to benchmark the PC.

https://www.passmark.com/products/performancetest/index.php

Just run it as a trial version.

That’s a good first step. Then I’d need something to model his proposed changes.

 

[Al18]

FYI the Nvidia RTX 2060 is a 6 GB card that’s a good upgrade over the GTX 1660. They are in stock for around $280, which is a very good price considering they were selling for $450 over the past two years and were mostly out of stock.

 

[Jerry1]

FYI the Nvidia RTX 2060 is a 6 GB card that’s a good upgrade over the GTX 1660. They are in stock for around $280, which is a very good price considering they were selling for $450 over the past two years and were mostly out of stock.

Thanks. If there was a noticeable difference in performance that cost ($280) wouldn’t be bad.