Good AMD CPU for 7800GTX

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1000

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 2, 2005
Messages
426
HI all.

I'm upgrading at the moment and have decided to get a 7800GTX in my new rig. I MIGHT get a second one depending on how a single card performs over the first few months.

I am also upgrading to an Athlon 64 processor. THe two I am considering are:

1. Athlon 64 3800+ x2 dual cire
2. Athlon 64 4000+ single core

My question is, will either CPU bottleneck a 7800GTX or 7800GTX x2 in SLI ?

1000
 
I'd probably go with the X2 for it's non-gaming benefits.
 
But if he were going 2 7800's he would prolly be going towards gaming.
 
Just to be clear, you are correct, GAMING is the number one priority here.

I'm looking to ensure I don't CPU bottle-neck myself when I chuck in one or more 7800GTXs

1000
 
I would go X2 3800+ and overclock

Processor bottlenecks are generally a myth at playable resolutions.
 
x2 hands down..............Smoother all around computing even in games
 
I have a 4000+ and 7800's in SLI with no problems. However, with the gains people are seeing off NVs beta 80.xx series drivers and dual core I would go with the 3800X2.
 
A month or two ago I'd recommend an X2 for most people, and a 4000+ or so for the really avid gamer....now, I'd recommend an X2 3800+ as nVidia is already starting to work on dual-core drivers, and if you want or need more power, a simple overclock up to 2.2 or 2.4GHz would increase your gaming experience, even thought an X2 3800+ is two 3200+'s in one processor.
 
Neither will limit your gpu. With the 7800gtx, I'm assuming you will be gaming at around 1600x1200 at which point even two of your cards aren't going to keep enough fps churning out to keep your cpu busy. Are you into ocing? If you are not into ocing, I would go with the x2, at stock speeds with the new drivers you will see a good benefit. If you are into ocing, I would actually step it down to the 3700+ and oc it to around fx-57 speeds, as most of them will. At around 2.7 to 2.8ghz and 1mb of cache, you will see a better gaming experience, even without the dual core optimizations.
 
wadec22 said:
Neither will limit your gpu. With the 7800gtx, I'm assuming you will be gaming at around 1600x1200 at which point even two of your cards aren't going to keep enough fps churning out to keep your cpu busy. Are you into ocing? If you are not into ocing, I would go with the x2, at stock speeds with the new drivers you will see a good benefit. If you are into ocing, I would actually step it down to the 3700+ and oc it to around fx-57 speeds, as most of them will. At around 2.7 to 2.8ghz and 1mb of cache, you will see a better gaming experience, even without the dual core optimizations.
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why not just OC the X2 and have 2 4000+s :cool:
 
wadec22 said:
Neither will limit your gpu. With the 7800gtx, I'm assuming you will be gaming at around 1600x1200 at which point even two of your cards aren't going to keep enough fps churning out to keep your cpu busy. Are you into ocing? If you are not into ocing, I would go with the x2, at stock speeds with the new drivers you will see a good benefit. If you are into ocing, I would actually step it down to the 3700+ and oc it to around fx-57 speeds, as most of them will. At around 2.7 to 2.8ghz and 1mb of cache, you will see a better gaming experience, even without the dual core optimizations.
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Overclocking a 3700+ to 2.8GHz is by no means a guarentee. Hell, if you're telling someone to go to FX-57 speeds, I'd tell them to stick with the 4000+ as they aren't nearly as expensive as they used to be.
 
with the impending offical 81.XX drivers released soon, I would definately go the X2 route.
 
ocing the x2 will typically only get you to around 2.4/2.5ghz, plus a lot of people under estimate 1mb cache anymore, responsiveness in all applications is noticeably better. ocing the 3700 and the 4000 will yield near identical results as they are the exact same core, no reason to buy the 4000 when the 3700 will do the same speeds. on average the 3700 seem to hit 2.7, a good deal of them hit 2.8, remember its based on the same core of the fx 57. of course you could hold out for the s939 opterons which are cheaper yet and hitting 2.7+ on air, and 3+ on water. :)
 
Since the 4000+ is a san diego core, there is a chance you might be able to OC to FX-57 speeds with proper cooling.
 
Bona Fide said:
X2 without a doubt. It'll last you much longer than a single-cored 4000+.
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again it depends on if you plan on ocing.... ghz/cache is still king over dual core when it comes to gaming. drivers can be optimized for dual core, but games won't see that kind of optimization for a long time. Gabe Newell for Valve has stated that it is extremely difficult to program a game with dual core in mind.
 
Go with the X2. You'll see nice gains from the 8x.xx drivers, and the system will run much smoother in general.
 
wadec22 said:
again it depends on if you plan on ocing.... ghz/cache is still king over dual core when it comes to gaming. drivers can be optimized for dual core, but games won't see that kind of optimization for a long time. Gabe Newell for Valve has stated that it is extremely difficult to program a game with dual core in mind.
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you can OC an X2 too and Gabe Newell is moron
 
i'm aware you can oc an x2 as well :) however, on average, the san diego core oc's well beyond the x2 3800, and you get 1mb cache, at a cheaper cost i might add.
 
wadec22 said:
i'm aware you can oc an x2 as well :) however, on average, the san diego core oc's well beyond the x2 3800, and you get 1mb cache, at a cheaper cost i might add.
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2.5 is still very fast and i wouldnt miss the extra 512K at that speed any way
and remember with a dual core even if the game doesnt use it Windows still can and that means less over head
 
wadec22 said:
again it depends on if you plan on ocing.... ghz/cache is still king over dual core when it comes to gaming. drivers can be optimized for dual core, but games won't see that kind of optimization for a long time. Gabe Newell for Valve has stated that it is extremely difficult to program a game with dual core in mind.
Click to expand...

I would have to agree that Gabe Newell is a moron. He has no idea what he's talking about. If companies like Eidos and Bethesda (Unreal 3 and Oblivion) can program games to run using two cores, why can't he?

Dual-cores are going to outstrip single-cores as early as this Christmas, when U3 and ES4 make their debuts. I'm glad I didn't buy a 4000+ San Diego.
 
Bona Fide said:
I would have to agree that Gabe Newell is a moron. He has no idea what he's talking about. If companies like Eidos and Bethesda (Unreal 3 and Oblivion) can program games to run using two cores, why can't he?

Dual-cores are going to outstrip single-cores as early as this Christmas, when U3 and ES4 make their debuts. I'm glad I didn't buy a 4000+ San Diego.
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dont for get Black and White 2 uses dual core AND its out now
 
at this point its all speculation, as none of us can see the future, at least you can see the argument for both chips and make your own choice now. :)
 
Elios said:
dont for get Black and White 2 uses dual core AND its out now
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I would seriously be very interested in seeing what kind of real world benchmarks have been done to show that the optimizations for the game make a real difference. Seen any?
 
wadec22 said:
I would seriously be very interested in seeing what kind of real world benchmarks have been done to show that the optimizations for the game make a real difference. Seen any?
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runs fast for me but havnt messed with it much as to dual core vs. single core
and im using the 81.xx drivers so im not a good test bed for it

i would like to see a stock 3200+ venice Vs. a stock 3800+ X2 benchs on the same mobo if any has the chips to swap in
 
Elios said:
2.5 is still very fast and i wouldnt miss the extra 512K at that speed any way
and remember with a dual core even if the game doesnt use it Windows still can and that means less over head
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Hit the nail on the head.....
 
Well.. I bit the proverbial bullet and decided that if I am going to do this upgrade I'm doing it properly the first time.. no compromises. For that reason, I just plonked down an an Athlon 4600+ x2. Twice the price, but the best of both worlds.. no overclocking to worry about.

Thanks for all the advice guys.

1000
 
I have an fx-55 with gtx sli and I'm still finding myself cpu-bound in some instances. I'm waiting for the next speed bump in the dual-core procs before I upgrade.
 
I'd go with the 4000+ chip in the San Diego core. So far all the ones I've seen will hit 2.8 GHz (FX 57 speeds) easily on stock cooling. I have mine running right now 280 X 10 on stock cooler. The 4000+ will be much better in gaming as well.
 
eastvillager said:
I have an fx-55 with gtx sli and I'm still finding myself cpu-bound in some instances. I'm waiting for the next speed bump in the dual-core procs before I upgrade.
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Really?? Even with a 55? Wow....What do you guys recommend for me to get...an opty OCed like crazy, or a 3800 and OC that? Im a big gamer so what do you think. I know the future is going to be all multicores so what should I do? I mean I dont wanna spend a lot cuase i know M2 is coming out soon
 
DangerIsGo said:
Really?? Even with a 55? Wow....What do you guys recommend for me to get...an opty OCed like crazy, or a 3800 and OC that? Im a big gamer so what do you think. I know the future is going to be all multicores so what should I do? I mean I dont wanna spend a lot cuase i know M2 is coming out soon
Click to expand...
Well, to be honest, I compared my 3DMark05 score on this Venice @ daily speeds (2.7GHz) and my memory at a mild overclock, since it's giving me issues, and it runs faster than a stock FX-55, which for as cheap as this chip was, is a good feeling. :cool: An X2 3800+ @ anything over 2.4GHz is gonna feel beautiful. Hell, even at 2.2GHz it's a 4200+. Now, time for my 144 Opteron to get here with it's FX-57 batch code....:D
 
I hate you :mad: So what is a good recommendation? Get a cheap opty and OC it or go for an x2? even though I dont have enought money for an x2 right now. Can a 3800 reach 2.4GHz?
 
DangerIsGo said:
I hate you :mad: So what is a good recommendation? Get a cheap opty and OC it or go for an x2? even though I dont have enought money for an x2 right now. Can a 3800 reach 2.4GHz?
Click to expand...

my 3800+ X2 hit 2.5 just fine
 
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