Running high-end games or intensive programs on the PC often exhausts the potential of the system to perform better. And since the motherboard and CPU are the heart and soul of the system, it gets affected the most. From time to time, the processes and performances of the CPU reveal a lot about how fast and efficiently the system is working.
Bottlenecking, compatibility, and many more issues come up with programs and software you run on the system, which has one major underlying solution – upgrading the CPU. However, upgrading the CPU needs to be done only when you experience some massive issues in the system, or else the upgrade can take a wrong turn and impact your PC.
So, if you’re wondering when to upgrade CPU, here’s our detailed guide on it. This will help you overcome the issues with your PC.
When to Upgrade the CPU?
Before we tell you when to upgrade the CPU, you must know a few things more. As mentioned above, the CPU and the motherboard are the most vital parts of a PC, and with time, it comes to a point where every CPU needs an up-gradation. Be it the CPU’s high utilization percentage, processing status, or low speed, these aspects determine whether the CPU requires an upgrade or not. You can check these by opening the Task Manager tab in your system.
Apart from these, there are several other instances, which indicate that the CPU needs an upgrade. So, take a look at these reasons to have a better understanding of the CPU’s performance.
- When CPU Bottlenecks the PC’s Performance: Such a circumstance, wherein the CPU bottlenecks, is quite common if you’re a gamer. Gaming requires an efficient graphics card as well as a high-end processor. But if you’re still using an old processor with a new graphics card, then bottlenecking is expected. In such cases, upgrading the CPU becomes mandatory to avoid lags during gaming.
Moreover, to be sure about the CPU bottlenecking, you can check your CAM Dashboard to get an idea of how much power the processor is using. If this number is nearly 100%, then the CPU requires an upgrade and lower than 50% means the CPU works well. You can also check this number through the Task Manager in the system.
- When a PC Needs a New Motherboard: Since the motherboard is the heart of the system, any fallout in it, unarguably, affects the PC’s performance. In case you’re using an old motherboard, you’ll surely face lags, as the processor and other hardware are also outdated. Even though simple tasks won’t experience many problems, but new applications or games would require more power. Hence, it’s a hint that your processor needs an upgrade alongside other hardware. An upgraded processor and motherboard will give a new life to your PC and enable you to run power-hungry software and intensive games with much more ease.
- When Building a New PC: It’s a no-brainer that if you’re building a new PC (assembling it), opting for the latest version of the processor is the smartest choice to make. However, it is also true that most of you cannot afford the latest version. In such a situation, you can upgrade to any quality processor. Upgraded CPUs are the most vital for a PC, as you don’t have stress out due to bottleneck issues. Moreover, when building a new PC, you get the time to analyze your computing needs, which will help you select the hardware including an upgraded processor.
Well, these 3 reasons will help you to determine whether and when to upgrade your CPU. But you can also upgrade the CPU in case you want to switch to Ryzen from Intel processors. Also, when you want to get the latest processor that suits your gaming needs, upgrading the CPU becomes a good option.
Now that you know when to upgrade the CPU, we’re hopeful that you will be able to identify the lags and bottleneck issues and successfully upgrade the processor. Besides, we suggest that from time to time, you must also check with the Task Manager to understand the performance of your PC better.
Read also:
6 Best CPU Liquid Coolers of 2021.
Best Stand Mixers in the U.S. That Are Selling Like Hot Cakes 2021
I hope you love our product recommendations! Just so you know, Protechlists may collect compensation and commission from the links on this page! If there is anything we can improve, please let us know!