7900gt = bottleneck on a 3.0ghz Prescott?

xtasyindecay

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 28, 2005
Messages
427
I'm considering another upgrade when my tax returns come so I'm wondering if the 7900gt is too much for a 3.0ghz Prescott. I game @ 1280x1024 (LCD native) and I can typically play FEAR on high settings, but with no AA or AF. Same for Oblivion. Would this card allow me to do AA and AF?
 
Reading the CPU article they did, they said you need at least a 3.2 Intel processor to eliminate bottleneck. Obllivion is diffrent though, because that game is very dependent on the GPU. I can run it on my system that is a 2.8 Intel Processor at all high, view distances maxed, shadows on, and all the fade options close to half way and still get tolerable performance. I also run 2x AA for Oblivion. I typically only run 2xAA though because I really dont need that good AA and save all the GPU power for other things.
 
xtasyindecay said:
I found THIS CPU comparison from X-bit labs. I'll go for the card

Nice find. Confirms that you have to have a seriously cr@ppy CPU for all the games tested before you have to be concerned about a bottleneck.
 
That means building a new system can be alot cheaper, but I think everyone knows that on here anyway.
 
maybe look into getting a nice overclocking motherboard and bumping they 3.0 up a little. hell i think it would be fun anyways though.

honestly what you could/should do imo would be to do the step up with evga to the 7900gt. see how that preforms and then if you notice bottlenecking/lag i'd upgrade to some type of amd platform or just a new motherboard to OC a little
 
Vulcanworlds said:
maybe look into getting a nice overclocking motherboard and bumping they 3.0 up a little. hell i think it would be fun anyways though.

honestly what you could/should do imo would be to do the step up with evga to the 7900gt. see how that preforms and then if you notice bottlenecking/lag i'd upgrade to some type of amd platform or just a new motherboard to OC a little

This is truely becoming a dilemma because I have an old intel 915P board (which does not allow OCing)... and with Vista and Conroe around the corner, I don't know what to do. I know something needs to change. My considered new upgrades and budget are:

$350

1) A clearence 3.6ghz (non-64 bit) Prescott @ Microcenter for $256, and use current card (6800gs PCI-e). I should be able to stretch this option and go for another Gig of ram for 2 gigs total.

2) Keep current 3.0ghz Prescott, using current 1 gig of ram and upgrade to 7900gt.

3) An OCing mobo, which cuts into the budget I have to afford a 7900gt but allowing for another gig of ram.

The bottomline: I think for the fact that I only research/surf the net, write papers, and play games on my PC, the 7900gt on my current system is the best option. FEAR gets choppy as fuck @ 1280x1024 with maximum settings all around with no AA or AF and with upcoming games, would like to be able to play at the highest settings at 1280x1024 (LCD native res.).

Damn that was alot writing. Give me more opinion wise ones :)
 
I would definitely get the 7900GT. Its a really awesome card and can overclock like no other. Volt mod the thing and bam, insane OC's. The 3.0ghz is fine. I have a 2.8ghz and really dont notice that much of a problem. If you get the 7900GT would you be able to get a another gig of rams. A 7900GT, 3.0 ghz and 2 gigs of ram would be the best route. Definetely get a 7900GT and then go from there.
 
Lazy_Moron said:
I would definitely get the 7900GT. Its a really awesome card and can overclock like no other. Volt mod the thing and bam, insane OC's. The 3.0ghz is fine. I have a 2.8ghz and really dont notice that much of a problem. If you get the 7900GT would you be able to get a another gig of rams. A 7900GT, 3.0 ghz and 2 gigs of ram would be the best route. Definetely get a 7900GT and then go from there.

What is your current setup?
 
Way too much waffle gets thrown around about 'CPU bottlenecks'. A 7900GT in your current rig would get you better gaming than you currently have, and that's all that really matters.


So what if someone down the road can get a bit better benchmarks than you get? The so-called 'CPU bottleneck' will only ever stop you attaining the highest possible benchmarks for the display card. It won't stop you getting the framerates at high detail which you desire to have.
 
xtasyindecay said:
What is your current setup?

Right now its
Intel 520 2.8Ghz
Some HP mobo by Asus(really not that bad, stable as anything)
1 gig of Corsair Value Select
BFG 7900GT
Some HP 300 watt power supply(I know I know, im working on it!!) - this is not a lie either, Ill take pics for the proove. No stablility problems either. No random restarts or anything. Im shocked myself.
200 gig Maxtor Hard Drive
Windows XP Pro
 
The major OEM system assemblers generally include reliable PSUs in their systems. they may limit upgrade capabilities in BIOS but they don't want to see customers with systems which blow up.

33W may be pushing it a tad, I guess, but even top-end cards don't really need more than a 350W PSU if the unit is decent quality and there isn't too many drives etc. installed in the system. 350W has no trouble handling a top-end display card, an optical drive and a couple of hard drives.
 
Catweazle said:
Way too much waffle gets thrown around about 'CPU bottlenecks'. A 7900GT in your current rig would get you better gaming than you currently have, and that's all that really matters.


So what if someone down the road can get a bit better benchmarks than you get? The so-called 'CPU bottleneck' will only ever stop you attaining the highest possible benchmarks for the display card. It won't stop you getting the framerates at high detail which you desire to have.

What about tossing in a 3.4-3.6ghz chip and a another gig of ram w/ the 6800gs. Would this cure hiccups in Oblivion and FEAR? Oblivion will jerk around outdoors when loading areas, but I don't know if that's CPU, memory, or hard drive related. I know FEAR relies on the video card mostly, but would 2 gigs of ram smooth out my subsystem combined with a higher-end chip? In all honesty, FEAR looks awesome, @ 1280x1024, all maximum settings and x8 AF, no AA, but there are quick frame drops throughout the level or what I'd call slight pauses, but it never "lags." I think the CPU increase and memory might cure the problem. The uber speed of 7900 might stop the problem and allow the use of AA but if system hiccups persisted, then I'd be pissed I bought the 7900gt.

upgrade consideration:

Ram (running two of these currently): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220114

CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819116196
 
I would definately get the 7900GT at this point and wait until funds allow for upgrading the rest of your system. If I were in your shoes, I would go in this order:

1. Vid Card
2. 2GB total memory
3. Power supply
4. MB and CPU
 
RAutrey said:
I would definately get the 7900GT at this point and wait until funds allow for upgrading the rest of your system. If I were in your shoes, I would go in this order:

1. Vid Card
2. 2GB total memory
3. Power supply
4. MB and CPU
I'd reorder that to:

1. PSU
2. Video card
3. 2GB RAM
4. Mobo and CPU
 
DaCoOlNeSs said:
I'd reorder that to:

1. PSU
2. Video card
3. 2GB RAM
4. Mobo and CPU
He already HAS a decent PSU, why another one? You don't need a 1kw fo ra 7900gt.

;0
 
bLaCktIGErs91 said:
He already HAS a decent PSU, why another one? You don't need a 1kw fo ra 7900gt.

;0
300W?? I doubt that would power a 7900GT. There is a HUUGE difference between "1kw" and 300w. I'd get at LEAST 400W, maybe 500W to be more future proof.

Antec and Enermax 400-480W PSU's are at most like $60-80. Surely that isn't a prohibitive cost for you if you are considering a 7900GT.

Get a new psu, THEN a 7900GT.

And anyone who talks about CPU bottlenecks with an even remotely modern processor is stupid. ALL new games are GPU limited even with 7900 GTX SLI at high resolutions.
 
Russ said:
300W?? I doubt that would power a 7900GT. There is a HUUGE difference between "1kw" and 300w. I'd get at LEAST 400W, maybe 500W to be more future proof.

Antec and Enermax 400-480W PSU's are at most like $60-80. Surely that isn't a prohibitive cost for you if you are considering a 7900GT.

Get a new psu, THEN a 7900GT.

And anyone who talks about CPU bottlenecks with an even remotely modern processor is stupid. ALL new games are GPU limited even with 7900 GTX SLI at high resolutions.

I have a 500 watt Antec Smart Power (which is SLI ready); I think you are referring to LazyMoron's setup of a 7900gt on a 300 watt HP psu... which yes, is risky I think.

But, your comment goes back to what I said earlier about not really needing a lot of processor b/c I don't do anything intensive other than gaming, and going in the order of video card, 2gb ram, mobo & cpu makes a lot of sense.

Thanks dudes.
 
QFT from the xbit article on cpu performance. I think you will be just fine with your 3.0 prescott and a 7900 GT. I have an A64 3700+ and I am getting the 7900 GT CO SC next week.

Jeff
xbitlabs said:
It is true: you don’t need a high-end processor for real gaming with realistic settings and high image quality. The gaming performance will still be limited by the graphics card. The recommended system requirements mentioned by all the game developers are absolutely correct. Do not be surprised that the game developers mention Pentium 4 3GHz+ and Athlon 64 2GHz+ processors as the minimum suitable CPUs for comfortable gameplay, even though today we can get 3.8GHz Intel CPUs and 2.8GHz AMD CPUs easily. It is true that faster CPUs than those mentioned in the minimum system requirements do not really stimulate and significant fps rate increase. So, the slower processors models from the Pentium 4 and Athlon 64 processor families can cope easily with the latest generation 3D shooters. So, if you already have one of those CPUs in your home system, then you shouldn’t worry about upgrading them for your gaming needs.
 
xtasyindecay said:
What about tossing in a 3.4-3.6ghz chip and a another gig of ram w/ the 6800gs. Would this cure hiccups in Oblivion and FEAR? Oblivion will jerk around outdoors when loading areas, but I don't know if that's CPU, memory, or hard drive related.4[/url]

More related to the fact that, according to most discussions you';ll read anyways, Oblivion doesn't get 'smooth' maxxed out in outdoor settings unless you have the best of the best graphics solutions currently available. If you play games which are designed with tomorrow's technology in mind, it can be a bit unrealistic to expect you're gonna realize their full potential with today's tech!

If you are a person who just isn't satisfied unless every setting available is at maximum levels, then you throw together a system which has a pair of the best graphics cards currently available. If you can't afford to do that then you gotta change the thinking and settle for lower settings where you need to use them. Doesn't matter what else you do to your system, you can't make a single 7900GT do things that a better card or card combination can't do.
 
You're right, plus I'm in college and money isn't exactly plentiful... so when I get some extra cash i'm inclined to upgrade.
 
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