3570k or Graphics upgrade?

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kidstechno

Gawd
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Dec 14, 2005
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Was contemplating upgrading my rig (specs in sig) and was wondering if a new mobo + a 3570k + existing 6950 2GB would be a better upgrade over keeping the same mobo/processor and upgrading the 6950 to something like a 7950 or 660 TI.

Currently gaming on a 24 inch at 1920x1080 and most games are fine at that resolution but definitely notice some slowdowns here and there, thinking my 965 is starting to bottleneck.

Any suggestions/thoughts?
 
Overclock the 965 to 4 ghz, get the graphics upgrade. You'll most likely see more benefit from a GPU upgrade than a CPU upgrade, since most games are GPU bound rather than CPU bound.

What games are you playing?
 
I tried everything under the sun when I got it to overclock to at least 3.8 but I can only squeeze 2 extra GHz out of it without random lockups. Not sure if it's the ram or the mobo, the temps were fine. Maybe I'll revisit it later.

My current crack of choice is World of Warcraft but I play whatever I get my hands on. I noticed some slowdowns most recently in Spec Ops: The Line, and I know my system cant handle Witcher 2 maxed out. Arkham City is another one I definitely had some slowdowns in and had to reduce a couple options to play smoothly.
 
I had a very similar rig to yours which I just upgraded from to what's in my sig. It was a 965 on an Asus M4A89GTD PRO/USB3. I am still running the MSI 6970 that was in that setup as well as the same ram and Hard drives. I had no problem running the Witcher 2 at max settings, no ubersampling, with that rig, and that was at the stock 3.4ghz. In fact, there is no game that was not playable at max settings. Like you I was never able to get mine to overclock very well. 3.6 was about as far as I could go and as I never saw any advantage to the overclock I left it at stock. I can't honestly say that the new rig plays any games smoother or faster than what I had.

I might suggest overclocking the 6950 if you have not done so. This might resolve your issues. What do you have to lose? Its free.
 
Tighten up your memory, go at least Cas 8 with that shit. 1-4 percent speed up imo for free.

IMO if you want notably higher FPS go for the Graphics upgrade. Simple as that and, if you want slightly faster loading and slightly higher than current fps go CPU.

My AMDx3 is unlocked and is really comfortable @ 3.75 so I know what your saying. (it won't do any more) I can post and some light stuff @ 4.0 or 4.125 but yeah for intense programs 3.75 does the best for what I want, the heat is quite low also. I want rock solid never crash performance, so I rest on that setting.

Tough call, your call.
 
Yea I might take a day and try to maximize some options.

I'm just trying to get the most bang for the buck/future proofing. When I look back, I realize I should have spent more for an i5 when my mobo blew but I've been relatively surprised by the 965 as a budget CPU. I only wish I had picked up an AM3 board, so I could have saved couple hundred on a new motherboard and just plunked in a FX-8350.

I also did some research as far as maybe picking up another 6950 for cheap but the consensus is a 7950/7970 is much less hassle and more future proof.

Thanks for the input, I may hold off another few months and see where things are.
 
In my opinion get the graphics upgrade. Haswell is around the corner, so after the graphics upgrade (7950 is an amazing value right now) save up and when haswell drops in price pick up a mobo/CPU combo from micro or someone on a forum.
 
If you are gaming, going to an Intel 3570k+- will get you an immediate increase unless you're at CPU limited resolutions or you're running a PoS card.

Intel is that much better at gaming at the moment than AMD, sadly.
 
Get the graphics card and free games now, then wait and see about Haswell. You are in a perfect position for this. The 7950 won't be outdated/replaced until the holidays, so right now is a great price-static time to upgrade video cards.

I had an x4 965 as well and went to a 2500k simply because it was good deal. I didn't notice any huge difference with my 6950 2gb at higher res.
 
atp1916 said:
If you are gaming, going to an Intel 3570k+- will get you an immediate increase unless you're at CPU limited resolutions or you're running a PoS card.

Intel is that much better at gaming at the moment than AMD, sadly.
Click to expand...

It's not that much better. It's only significantly better in high-end SLI/Crossfire setups.
 
atp1916 said:
If you are gaming, going to an Intel 3570k+- will get you an immediate increase unless you're at CPU limited resolutions or you're running a PoS card.

Intel is that much better at gaming at the moment than AMD, sadly.
Click to expand...

If you MUST upgrade now and don't want to wait, then yes the 3570k is in the sweet spot right now for gaming performance. Although, again, I vote graphics upgrade, you'll be able to see more of a difference in games than upgrading the processor.
 
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