CPU or RAM upgrade: which one should I prioritize?

Hey guys, I've got my current build laid out here and I'm trying to figure out if I should drop some cash on a new CPU or just upgrade the RAM.
Basically, whenever I'm grinding PUBG or playing G.Skill Trident Z Apex, my processor hits 90-100% usage and just stays there.
Even without an overclock, it feels like I'm totally bottlenecking my GPU.

Intel Core i5-6600K @ 4.2GHz
MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X
ASUS Prime Z170-A MSI Gaming Plus
Kingston HyperX 16GB 2133MHz

Everything is running off an SSD.
I'm leaning towards grabbing an AMD Ryzen 7 2700X since it comes with its own cooler and isn't too crazy on the wallet.
What do you all think? Any chance the RAM is the culprit here?

The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X is overpriced right now. You're better off grabbing either the newly released AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or just the standard 2700
The non-X version comes with a Spire cooler, which actually does the job decently enough.
The 3600 comes with Stealth, I think—it’s nothing special, but that chip doesn't pull much power. If you aren't planning on overclocking, it doesn't matter much; it runs fine at stock and still leaves some headroom if you decide to push it.
For gaming, the 3600 is likely your best bet. It works perfectly fine on B450 motherboards; there's zero need to jump up to an AMD X570 Chipset.
If you aren't strictly gaming, the 2700 is a solid choice.

Don't sweat the RAM. 16GB is plenty, and if you stay with Intel, RAM speed isn't nearly as critical.

But first, what kind of performance are we talking about here?
What's your monitor's refresh rate? What kind of FPS are you actually pulling?
If you're running at 60Hz, your Intel Core i5-6600K is probably already pushing north of 60FPS, so you wouldn't even notice the difference.

Just asking because I stumbled upon an $667 AMD Ryzen 7 2700X bundled with a cooler and a warranty.
Honestly, my heart is set on grabbing an i7-8700K if I can find a decent deal somewhere in the States.
I’m running a 144Hz monitor, and PUBG usually sits somewhere between 90 and 150 fps.
Let's just say I'm averaging around 120fps, though those annoying little stutters definitely have a way of ruining the vibe.

If you're playing at 144Hz, I’d be hunting down an Intel Core i7-9700 if I were in your shoes. Otherwise, maybe just hold out for the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X.

swiftfalcon89 said:If you're running a 144Hz monitor, I’d be hunting for an Intel Core i5-9600K or an Intel Core i7-9700K. Otherwise, just wait for the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X.

Honestly, the 3700X isn't a massive leap over the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 if you overclock the latter to match the 3700X's clocks.
It's like how the 2600(X) wasn't really any better than the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X in most games.

Go with either the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or the Intel Core i7-9700. That's my take.

Thanks for all the advice
So, if we're talking pure gaming performance, that Intel Core i7-9700 is definitely the way to go.

fadedviper26 said:Thanks for all the advice
That Intel Core i7-9700 is definitely the way to go if you're serious about gaming.

So, after messing around with it for a bit, I think I figured out how to squeeze every last drop of performance out of this Intel Core i5-6600K.
Basically, you just fire up PUBG, pop open the Task Manager, and crank the priority setting to High—it’s wild, I'm seeing like a 20fps jump and the stuttering is totally gone, making it feel like I'm playing a completely different game, and the same thing works for Apex too.
Honestly, I might just hold off on buying that new CPU for a little while longer because this is working just fine for me.
Just a heads up though, you really can't have Google Chrome or any other background junk running while you're mid-match in PUBG, otherwise the CPU load just kills you. 👍

Google Chrome tends to hang out in your RAM and just stays there even when you aren't actively using it, though you can definitely tweak your settings to stop that from happening... also, if you happen to be running any non-genuine versions of Microsoft Windows, Microsoft will actively try to block those unauthorized patches, which ends up eating through your CPU cycles in the background. It really looks like you were dealing with a massive amount of background tasks cluttering everything up...

Grabbed an original copy of Microsoft Windows 10 off eBay
Everything seems to be running smooth so far.

👍👍👍👍

Just ride it while it lasts.

If you're dead set on an upgrade, the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a solid buy and gives you a decent upgrade path later on.

I’m definitely gonna pull the trigger on an upgrade in a few months, no doubt about it.
👍 if you're looking for a solid recommendation