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GTX 580 bottlenecking my CPU?

D

dakrat

n00b
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
Messages
40
hello guys, I am still rocking the Q6600 @ 3.7ghz w/ 1660 DDR3 and would like to upgrade my video card. I am thinking of either the GTX 580 or HD6970. I am using a 1900x1200 monitor. is my CPU going to be a bottleneck with this setup? I am holding off for the SB CPU :) thanks!
 
While a faster CPU will probably lead to higher frame rates and general performance, a Core 2 at 3.7GHz is going to work nicely with a GeForce GTX 580 or Radeon HD 6970. Where the Core i7's really shine is in multi-GPU setups and resolutions of 2560x1600 or greater such as those used in multi-monitor configurations. A system with a slower CPU still benefits from GPU upgrades. Though obviously at some point you reach diminished returns on your "investment."
 
at 1920x1200 you could run any single gpu with your Q6600 at 3.7. a gtx570 or 6970 might make the more sense than a gtx580 though if you are looking for more bang for buck with your current system. and the extra 150 bucks saved could go towards that Sandy Bridge upgrade.
 
Dan_D said:
While a faster CPU will probably lead to higher frame rates and general performance, a Core 2 at 3.7GHz is going to work nicely with a GeForce GTX 580 or Radeon HD 6970. Where the Core i7's really shine is in multi-GPU setups and resolutions of 2560x1600 or greater such as those used in multi-monitor configurations. A system with a slower CPU still benefits from GPU upgrades. Though obviously at some point you reach diminished returns on your "investment."
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thanks Dan, nice to know my rig is still up to the tast ;)
 
Well even Dan is generally right i think that i7 clocked at same settings will result in quite a bit higher fps. So yes there will be bottleneck but it will be still playable. how did you get to 3.7 btw? very nice OC.
 
cannondale06 said:
at 1920x1200 you could run any single gpu with your Q6600 at 3.7. a gtx570 or 6970 might make the more sense than a gtx580 though if you are looking for more bang for buck with your current system. and the extra 150 bucks saved could go towards that Sandy Bridge upgrade.
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very good advice, I will take a hard look at those two. if you have to pick between those two, which one would you pick and why?
 
dakrat said:
very good advice, I will take a hard look at those two. if you have to pick between those two, which one would you pick and why?
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well I personally prefer Nvidia for many reasons but the 6950 at 50 bucks cheaper seems like a good deal. what card do you have now?
 
dakrat said:
hello guys, I am still rocking the Q6600 @ 3.7ghz w/ 1660 DDR3 and would like to upgrade my video card. I am thinking of either the GTX 580 or HD6970. I am using a 1900x1200 monitor. is my CPU going to be a bottleneck with this setup? I am holding off for the SB CPU :) thanks!
Click to expand...

Dan summed it up nicely so let me add that the 580GTX is a waste of money for you. a 570GTX or a 6950 would be fine. (max out most everything) right now a 580GTX is close to 200 dollars more then the 570GTX, and its around 50 bucks more then a 6950 (that will match or beat it in real world game play) and on a 2.3mp screen (1920 by 1200) you will rarely if ever see the difference. so if you want a nvidia card I would look at the 570GTX (JMO)

now if you plan on going multi monitor or upgrading to a 4mp screen then I could almost see it except for another c note you can get a pair of 6950s that would kill it. (or again a pair of 570GTX and still do better on the bang for the buck)

at the current price point the only justification for the 580GTX is someone wanting all in balls out 12mp setup. and that would be in a nvidia favored game as the extra fame buffer on the 6900 might serve better according to some forum members feedback
 
very helpful fellas, I am still stuck with a GTX 280 ;). currently using 700w power supply. still very stable with OC CPU and GPU. will is PSU be ok with the newer cards?
 
http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-480-3way-sli-review/13

Get this, our Core i7 965X processor is overclocked at default at 3750 MHz, and man .. it's just not enough to satisfy three GTX 480 cards most of the time. And that makes sense as it's just such a truckload of raw GPU horsepower. I mean that's 9 billion, yes nine BILLION transistors that need to be fed by the processor with some juicy data. The equivalent would be say roughly six GeForce GTX 285 cards. Severe CPU bottlenecks, we see it time after time in 3-way SLI setups.
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they talk about the 3-way SLI but I guess you can conclude that the 2-way and single configuration is far from being bottlenecked by a core 2 @ 3.7
 
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