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e6400 - Still kicking?

V

voip!

n00b
Joined
May 21, 2007
Messages
15
Hey all, just got a fairly simple question that hopefully someone who's been in a similar situation can assist with.

My specs are as following:
e6400 (2.13Ghz)
Intel DP965LT
4GB DDR2-800
Asus HD4870 512mb
Zalman 500W Ultra Efficient PSU

Basically my dilemma stems from the fact that some newer games are beginning to push my system to the limit with games like Empire Total War and Arma 2 being unplayable at high/very high settings at 1920 x 1200.

I'm wondering if another GPU upgrade would be worth it on that processor, or should I look at keeping my 4870 and replacing or even rebuilding a system from scratch. I would have been overclocking but my motherboard doesn't allow it (it was picked up off an unused server at work).

Thoughts?
 
I would say that if you upgrade either part you'll be bottlenecked by the other. If you get a better CPU, you'll probably still have trouble maxing out some of the most taxing games out there (I hear that ArmA2 is a real system hog). However, if you upgrade your video card, you'll probably end up being CPU-limited. Ideally, you should upgrade both.
 
I had the e6400 + DP965LT exact combo!!! [So i pretty much had your situation]
Fairly low stock clocked processor + Non Overclockable board = great! (nope)

Went i7 about 3-4 months ago and didn't look back.

I recommend a CPU upgrade! usually RTS games tend to use CPU more (can't say too much about E:TW)
Arma2 hit everyone in the face with a baseball bat, a lot of machines out there can't run it well, but those with i7's have higher scores on the ArmaII-Mark benchmark test (you can find it on the Bohemia Interactive forums)

So depending on your budget, you should go i7 > Q9xxx > e8400/e7600 > e7400
quads get a higher rank because of future-proofing
 
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I have an E6400 and a Gigabyte GA-965P-S3.

Your set-up is fine, but I would give the CPU a mild OC if possible to ~2.6Ghz, which should not need a voltage boost, nor extra cooling.

At 1920x1200, you are more GPU limited than anything, so the CPU does not play much of a role in that res. I read an article showing CPU clock speed vs frames, and in most cases anything above 2.5GHz on a dual or quad core shows no gains in resolutions above 1920x1200.

Here's the article results of CPU Hz vs fps with a GTX 280 --> http://vr-zone.com/articles/effects-of-cpu-frequency-on-fps-single-gtx-280-/7160-2.html?doc=7160

However, if you are persistent, you can go for a Q6600 or Q6700 upgrade for a few bucks.
 
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arma II is unplayabe for me with my i 7 at 4ghz and sli 260 oh high settings 1920 1200 maybe there is some settings i need to change but i dont think anything but the most extreme computers can run this on very high
 
Thanks for the input everybody, I think I might just hold off and make my decision after i5 comes out.

Not worth spending money if you're not going to get 100% benefit from it.
 
theman7233 said:
arma II is unplayabe for me with my i 7 at 4ghz and sli 260 oh high settings 1920 1200 maybe there is some settings i need to change but i dont think anything but the most extreme computers can run this on very high
Click to expand...

Lower your settings, Arma2 is not like other "FPS" games, it a open sandbox game, of cource it's going to be heavy.

Also make sure your SLI is enabled as a single 260 is no where near enough for ArmA2 in all it's glory.
 
I've just had been made a good offer for a 4850X2 and am considering replacing my 4870 with it.

Do you think my CPU will make it worthwhile?
 
I know you said your motherboard doesn't overclock, but I think you'd be able to do the BSEL mod. Might want to ask around though.
 
Jospeh said:
Buy a p5q pro for 130$ so you can OC.
Click to expand...

To be honest, replacing the motherboard is a massive chore and will undoubtedly require a clean format. I've got almost 300gb of files installed on this PC which are critical for university & work.

I'd rather wait and build a decent overclocker on a current platform like X58/55.
 
I think its smart to wait to see what core i5 has to offer before you make any decisions. Amd might have some surprises by then too.
My specs:
E6400 (2.13Ghz)
Asus P5Q Pro
XFX 4890
4gigs ddr2 1066
PC power & cooling 750
 
I still rock the e6400. You will for sure need to give it a minor kick in the butt. Im running mine at 3.2 ghz @ 1.2675v. It makes quite a difference too.

My opinion is, wait a little bit to see what the i5 is all about like LostStorm said. You're pretty much in a tight position because of the motherboard you have.
 
LostStorm said:
I think its smart to wait to see what core i5 has to offer before you make any decisions. Amd might have some surprises by then too.
My specs:
E6400 (2.13Ghz)
Asus P5Q Pro
XFX 4890
4gigs ddr2 1066
PC power & cooling 750
Click to expand...
speaking of being smart or actually not smart(lol), you are throwing about 30-35% of that cards performance right down the drain with your cpu at 2.13. the E6400 at 2.13 would be like my E8500 at 2.0 which takes a massive hit on performance. your 4890 is even stronger than my gtx260 so thats even more fps thats not being realized. if you were not going to oc that cpu then you should have just went with a 4850 as that would have given you basically the same results especially if you are below 1920.
 
cannondale06 said:
speaking of being smart or actually not smart(lol), you are throwing about 30-35% of that cards performance right down the drain with your cpu at 2.13. the E6400 at 2.13 would be like my E8500 at 2.0 which takes a massive hit on performance. your 4890 is even stronger than my gtx260 so thats even more fps thats not being realized. if you were not going to oc that cpu then you should have just went with a 4850 as that would have given you basically the same results especially if you are below 1920.
Click to expand...

I will overclock it soon, just been to lazy to do it. But this pc temporary my main, as soon as I see what core i5 can do. This pc goes in the living room for htpc and card gets change with 4850 or 4770. As soon as game comes out in near future , I want to play I will see how far I can oc it
 
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OP Here:

In typical fashion, my inner impulse-buyer went ahead without my consent and decided on an i7 920 upgrade.

I actually managed to get an Asus P6T Deluxe with 3 x 1GB G.Skill 1600Mhz ram for AU$350.
Convert that to american dollars and it'd be something like $220 (electronics in America is much cheaper than our exchange rate of 1 AUD = 0.81 USD).
Considering I can sell my e6400, DP965LT and 4GB of ram for about $200, I thought it was a good deal.
Now all I need to find is a well priced i7-920!

Hopefully my 500W Zalman PSU should hold up until I get a chance to replace it and OC to 4ghz!
 
Arcygenical said:
Which is why he said, "IMO" and not "indefinitely"

But... yknow...
Click to expand...
He said IMO, but he also made a blanket statement. In essence, what he said was that it is his opinion that an i7 system is a waste of money for anyone.
 
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