Upgrade advice, please (CPU or GPU?)

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busta_cap

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Messages
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The system in my sig has been good to me for a while, and I'd like to do a minor upgrade in anticipation of Left4Dead 2 in a couple of months. Right now I play quite a bit of Left4Dead (1680x1050) and some BF2, but I have my eye on a few upcoming (and recently new) games.

So what do you suggest:

- upgrading the video card to an EVGA GTX 260 (which comes with Batman: Arkham Asylum)

or

- upgrading the CPU to a AMD Phenom II X4 940 AM2+

They both work out to about $175. Which do you think would give the best bang for the buck?

I'd normally get both, but in the past month and a half I've had to drop an un-budgeted $1300 on a new fridge, and $850 copay on a root canal/crown (which, by the way, sucks).

Thanx! :D
 
I recently upgraded everything but my GPU, and it did result in much better gaming performance, and allowed me to set my graphics settings considerably higher.

On the other hand, the same cash on (a) GPU(s) would have resulted in a significantly higher gaming benefit. Also, the GPU could be used in a new system if you decide to rebuild sometime soon. The CPU's socket is outdated, and won't be used again.
 
If you are still going the CPU route, then:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103696

is 5 USD cheaper (while it's not BE, it does have a 95W TDP, therein is runs cooler and more it is power efficient).

It runs at the same stock speeds, however, as your choice.

I'd recommend a CPU upgrade, as new GPUs are due out this and over the comming months, making any GPU upgrade now a little pricier (especially so, before a major GPU launch) per worth/value of the card then it normally would.

The GTX 2xx series are about to become last generation (technology and DX11, though performance wise, may barely hang in there for smaller displays).
 
asyork said:
I recently upgraded everything but my GPU, and it did result in much better gaming performance, and allowed me to set my graphics settings considerably higher.

On the other hand, the same cash on (a) GPU(s) would have resulted in a significantly higher gaming benefit. Also, the GPU could be used in a new system if you decide to rebuild sometime soon. The CPU's socket is outdated, and won't be used again.
Click to expand...

Then your GPU was being limited by your CPU.

Most games these days are more GPU limited than CPU limited, especially at resolutions above 1280x1024 (1680x1050 or higher).
 
jeremyshaw said:
If you are still going the CPU route, then:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103696

is 5 USD cheaper (while it's not BE, it does have a 95W TDP, therein is runs cooler and more it is power efficient).

It runs at the same stock speeds, however, as your choice.

I'd recommend a CPU upgrade, as new GPUs are due out this and over the comming months, making any GPU upgrade now a little pricier (especially so, before a major GPU launch) per worth/value of the card then it normally would.

The GTX 2xx series are about to become last generation (technology and DX11, though performance wise, may barely hang in there for smaller displays).
Click to expand...

Yeah, that CPU is an AM3, while the Biostar MB has socket AM2+; the Phenom II X4 Deneb is the only later generation quad core that'll still fit. This motherboard has been perfectly fine since I bought it 2 years ago and I don't really want to do an unnecessary MB swap.

Re: the GPU; would a 1gb Radeon 4890 be a better, more future-proof choice, do you think?
 
I'd say GPU also. The X2 6400+ at 3.2ghz is not really bad. It's still a decent cpu. But, that EVGA Geforce GTX 260 for $195 is pretty expensive. I would go cheaper than that for your setup. The Radeon HD 4870 1GB for $145 would be more reasonable and a good performance boost over the 8800GT card. But, since the new cards are on the horizon, I think you can afford to wait. Plus, as asyork just mentioned earlier, you can pop in the new GPU in a new build with a faster cpu. This will benefit the card even more.
 
busta_cap said:
Yeah, that CPU is an AM3, while the Biostar MB has socket AM2+; the Phenom II X4 Deneb is the only later generation quad core that'll still fit. This motherboard has been perfectly fine since I bought it 2 years ago and I don't really want to do an unnecessary MB swap.

Re: the GPU; would a 1gb Radeon 4890 be a better, more future-proof choice, do you think?
Click to expand...

AM3 is fully compatible with AM2/AM2+.

AM3 cpu in a AM2/AM2+ slot looses it's built-in memory controller advantage, and HT is limited to AM2+ speeds (or AM2).


New Athlon II X4 are supposed to come out soon.... (though not sooner then ATi?).

45W TDP, quad core, AM3.

The only thing they lack is the l3 cache (I think...).
 
Well, at your screen resolution(1680x1050) you wouldn't profit much from a new gpu. That 8800gt is still an awesome card. Also your cpu is the bottleneck, even for your card now, not to mention gtx 260. If you want a performance boost, go with the cpu upgrade. I've had that phenom 2 x4 940 and it went to 3.6 ghz with stock cooling. 3.8 with scythe ninja 2, but that purchase was definately a bad idea. At 3.6 it will give enough to boost your gpu. I'd say around 17000 3dmark 06 if that means anything to you. Ceirtanly more then enough to play left4dead.
 
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Nah, I doubt that CPU, at 3.2Ghz and 1680x1050, is bottlenecking an 8800GT much at all, if any. Though, you can prove me wrong. :D If the res were lower (1280x1024 or lower), then yes, the CPU would be a larger factor, but at and above 1680x1050... doubt it.
 
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