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im running a e6400 core 2 duo @ 2.13 (stock) and i just got a gtx 280. i was wondering if my cpu is bottlenecking and if i needed to overclock it.
Even if you hit 3.4 it will barely enough for that video card. Get either Thermalright ultra 120, thermalright true cooper, sunbeam core contact, or Xigmatek 1283. Sunbeam is the best choice unless you use 2 fan push-pull on other fans. And it is $29 after $10 MIR
arlight. i just ordered a xigmatek 1283.
what exact speed is enough for the 280?
another question: lets say i bought a quad 2 core that ran at 2.5, would i than also need to overclock that to 3.4+ or does it get an exception because its quad core?
Even if you hit 3.4 it will barely enough for that video card. Get either Thermalright ultra 120, thermalright true cooper, sunbeam core contact, or Xigmatek 1283. Sunbeam is the best choice unless you use 2 fan push-pull on other fans. And it is $29 after $10 MIR
What are you whacked?
3.0GHz is more than needed for the 280 gtx and to play games at max settings.
Op OC the CPU to 3.2GHz, (FSB400x8multy) RAM set 1:1,and you will be golden!
What are you whacked?
3.0GHz is more than needed for the 280 gtx and to play games at max settings.
Op OC the CPU to 3.2GHz, (FSB400x8multy) RAM set 1:1,and you will be golden!
Im going to have to counter this by saying that my GTX280 sees benefit when I OCd(more) my E7200 from my normal overclock of 3.6ghz to slightly more extreme 3.8ghz.
For a newbie overclocker he should probably try to get a few hundred at a time while watching temps, as he eases himself into overclocking. Check out the Overclocking forumns
What are you whacked?
3.0GHz is more than needed for the 280 gtx and to play games at max settings.
Op OC the CPU to 3.2GHz, (FSB400x8multy) RAM set 1:1,and you will be golden!
arlight. i just ordered a xigmatek 1283.
what exact speed is enough for the 280?
another question: lets say i bought a quad 2 core that ran at 2.5, would i than also need to overclock that to 3.4+ or does it get an exception because its quad core?
I would have to disagree. My E6600 @ 3.3GHz was bottlenecking my 8800GTS 512. I'd get 100% CPU usage in Left 4 Dead, and don't even get me started on more CPU intensive games like SupCom. Of course, the bottleneck wasn't very big, but still. Now keep in mind that a GTX280 is at least twice as powerful as a 8800GTS 512...
I would have to disagree. My E6600 @ 3.3GHz was bottlenecking my 8800GTS 512. I'd get 100% CPU usage in Left 4 Dead, and don't even get me started on more CPU intensive games like SupCom. Of course, the bottleneck wasn't very big, but still. Now keep in mind that a GTX280 is at least twice as powerful as a 8800GTS 512...
The fact that you're getting 100% cpu usage in L4D doesn't mean your CPU is bottlenecking anything. It may just be the way the game is coded. For example, I still play Jedi Knight 2 (JediOutcast) and that game says 100% cpu usage even though my AthlonXP 1800 ran it perfectly fine back in the day. I find it hard to believe that an E6600 at 3.3 would bottleneck a GTS 512. Would an E6600 at 3.6 show some improvement with the same card? Yes, a few FPS here and there but nothing monumental.
As for bottlenecks, there will always be bottlenecking of some sort. In order for there not to be any, all elements of hardware communication would have to be on a 1:1 basis. What I mean is that for every instruction that the GPU sends, the CPU is able to process it at the exact same speed. But since GPU's and CPU's vary, one or the other is always lagging behind.