The video compares an older PC with a Ryzen 3900X and 3070 Ti against a high-end Star Citizen PC, demonstrating that a more powerful CPU and faster RAM significantly improve gameplay performance and reduce bottlenecks in Star Citizen. It concludes that for optimal performance, players should prioritize CPU strength and memory speed alongside a capable GPU, especially for demanding game scenarios.
In this video, the creator compares the performance of an older PC against a high-end Star Citizen PC (SCPC) to evaluate how each handles the demanding game Star Citizen. The older system features a Ryzen 3900X CPU, 32 GB RAM, and an NVIDIA 3070 Ti graphics card with 8 GB VRAM, running Windows 10. The SCPC, on the other hand, is equipped with a much more powerful 9800 XQD CPU, 48 GB RAM, and a 5700 Ti GPU, running Windows 11. The goal is to see the real-world differences in gameplay performance across various scenarios within Star Citizen.
Initial tests at 1080p resolution in areas like Checkmate Station show that the older PC is bottlenecked by its CPU, specifically the main thread of the game engine, resulting in lower frame rates and underutilized GPU resources. In contrast, the SCPC’s faster CPU significantly reduces this bottleneck, allowing for much smoother gameplay with frame rates in the 60-70 FPS range, while the GPU remains under less strain. Increasing the resolution to 1440p on the older machine does not shift the bottleneck to the GPU as expected; instead, the CPU remains the limiting factor, highlighting the importance of CPU power in Star Citizen’s performance.
More demanding environments, such as exterior asteroid fields and outposts on the Pyro planet, present heavier loads on both CPU and GPU. The older system struggles to maintain playable frame rates, especially at 1440p where the GPU becomes a bottleneck and frame rates drop to unplayable levels around 20 FPS. The SCPC handles these scenarios much better, maintaining high frame rates and balancing the workload between CPU and GPU effectively. The video also notes that the 3070 Ti’s 8 GB VRAM is becoming a limitation in Star Citizen, as the game often approaches this VRAM usage, causing performance dips.
Further testing in different game areas, including quantum travel and space environments, confirms that the older system is often CPU-bound in less GPU-intensive scenarios and GPU-bound in more demanding ones, while the SCPC consistently delivers superior performance. The creator emphasizes that upgrading from a mid-range system like the Ryzen 3900X and 3070 Ti combination to a more powerful CPU with fast RAM and a stronger GPU can yield significant improvements in smoothness and playability in Star Citizen.
In conclusion, the video recommends that players considering an upgrade or a new PC build for Star Citizen prioritize a strong CPU and fast RAM to avoid bottlenecks. While the GPU is important, especially for higher resolutions and detailed settings, the CPU often dictates performance in many parts of the game. The creator also suggests community resources like their Discord server for personalized build advice and highlights the SCPC as a ready-made option for those wanting a high-performance Star Citizen PC without the hassle of building one themselves.