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As we already understood at the offset of this project, high refresh rate gaming is tough on gaming hardware even beyond just the graphics card. Pushing past 120 FPS on average can often require higher levels of CPU performance, whether that comes in the form of increased clock speeds or extra cache capacity.
Interestingly, we saw some instances where a technically faster graphics card actually performed worse than a technically slower graphics card with certain CPU combinations. Intel's highly clocked, Skylake-based 10th processors are typically able to extract more performance from a graphics card at high FPS levels.
This highlights the importance that the CPU also plays into the high refresh rate gaming equation.
Of course, increasing the pixel count to 2560×1440 will push any combination of hardware to the limits when trying to drive a 165Hz monitor such as Gigabyte's FI27Q. We saw even the class leading RTX 3080 brought to its knees in some titles.
The increased graphical demand placed on the GPU at 1440p also reduced the emphasis placed on the CPU's abilities. This is simply because frame rates at 1440p tend to be lower than 1080p to the point where the CPUs that we tested can generally keep up.
Is the Core i9-10900K still a tangibly faster gaming CPU than the Ryzen 9 3950X? Yes. Is it head-and-shoulders above the 16-core Zen 2 chip's performance like it often is at 1080p? Not as often.
There we have it. If you want to run AAA gaming titles with high levels of image quality at 1440p and triple-digit refresh rates, you're going to need enthusiast level hardware on the graphics card front and a relevant partnering CPU. If you are still happy with 1080p but want to often see 144+ FPS levels, the choice of CPU to partner your high-end graphics card is more imperative.
Gigabyte's RTX 3080 Eagle OC graphics card is a performance powerhouse. It proves itself as an excellent choice for 1440p high refresh rate gamers, even if you will have to keep an eye on IQ settings in some titles. We were also impressed by the performance offered by the RTX 2080 Ti, especially as Nvidia's suggestions of comparable performance from the upcoming RTX 3070 should make this level of power more obtainable to an enthusiast audience.
Thanks to Gigabyte for providing the hardware necessary to support this project. You can buy the excellent Aorus FI27Q 1440p 165Hz IPS monitor from Overclockers UK for £450. The accompanying test hardware including graphics cards and motherboards is also available at Overclockers UK.
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KitGuru says: Hopefully this information and test data will be useful in helping you specify a balanced gaming system for high-resolution, high refresh rate gaming with AAA titles.
