Removing bottleneck...

[bl@ckadder]

Hi,

I'm in the market for a new video card, and had it narrowed down to either:

GTX 460 1gb

OR

HD 6850

However, a complication arose before I could actually buy either..

I'm told my current setup (see sig) would cause a bottleneck should I pair it with either of the above cards.

Since an upgrade to Sandy Bridge is in the works (once price and availability stabilize), I don't want to upgrade my entire rig atm.

I'd like some CPU recommendations that would remove (or substantially decrease) the bottleneck.

My choices are a bit limited due to by mobo being unable to support the last generation of C2Ds and C2Qs.

Would a Q6600 do the trick?

Another factor to note is that until next month, when I get a new dislpay, I will be restricted to a 1280x1024 resolution.


bl@ckadder

 

[lowteckh]

Changing out your video card from the 7300SE will do a near infinite more to your frame rates than a change in your CPU will. Changing out the CPU on an EOL system when you're already planning to overhaul your rig is a stupid waste of money.

Get the card, skip the Q6600.

Whatever your expectations are on Sandy Bridge, you're wasting your own time hoping for price drops; they're not inflated right now and they're certainly not undersupplied.

 

[bl@ckadder]

Changing out your video card from the 7300SE will do a near infinite more to your frame rates than a change in your CPU will. Changing out the CPU on an EOL system when you're already planning to overhaul your rig is a stupid waste of money.

Get the card, skip the Q6600.

That's what I'm going for. Hence, I decided on the two GPU options, so it could be moved into my new rig when it's built.

That was my plan, until a thread I'd made asking for recommendations between a GTX 460 and a 6850 turned into a 'upgrade system first, else bottleneck' thread.


The reason I ask is that there are (second-hand, even third-hand) Q6600s going for dirt cheap online, therefore would it be worth it to get one as a temporary measure.

Whatever your expectations are on Sandy Bridge, you're wasting your own time hoping for price drops; they're not inflated right now and they're certainly not undersupplied.

In India, SB hasn't arrived yet, and won't till early Feb. While CPU prices are more or less equal to their US counterparts, the mobos are horribly overpriced (although these are based on estimated launch rates).

Thus the reason for waiting a while even after launch.

 

[lowteckh]

This was my plan, until a thread I'd made asking for recommendations between a GTX 460 and a 6850 turned into a 'upgrade system first, else bottleneck' thread.


The reason I ask is that there are (second-hand, even third-hand) Q6600s going for dirt cheap online, therefore would it be worth it to get one as a temporary measure.

People generally see any system with lower than a anything below a billion GHz and a billion Cores with a trillion Threads are gonna cry "upgrade system" without looking at the bigger picture... and that bigger picture is the 7300SE. Your CPU will bottleneck sure, but let's look back again at the canvas: your current video card holds you back more than absolutely anything.

That's for you, your financials, your outlook, etc. to decide what you should do. I see no point in temporary solutions when you already have decided on the solution (new system) itself. Of course that also depends on how long you're going to wait to jump on that solution; do you really want to be pouring money on bandaging something you're going to throw away (so to speak) soon anyways?

 

[bl@ckadder]

People generally see any system with lower than a anything below a billion GHz and a billion Cores with a trillion Threads are gonna cry "upgrade system" without looking at the bigger picture... and that bigger picture is the 7300SE. Your CPU will bottleneck sure, but let's look back again at the canvas: your current video card holds you back more than absolutely anything.

That's for you, your financials, your outlook, etc. to decide what you should do. I see no point in temporary solutions when you already have decided on the solution (new system) itself. Of course that also depends on how long you're going to wait to jump on that solution; do you really want to be pouring money on bandaging something you're going to throw away (so to speak) soon anyways?

Not really.

Thanks for the advice...

I will go ahead with my original plan and get just the card for now...

Cheers,
bl@ckadder