Best GPU, with Athlon 6000+ bottleneck?

[videogames101]

I normally build new systems, so I'm not sure exactly what card to suggest. He has a 6000+, but only a 7300 le for a GPU, and I'm surprised games even run on that. Whats the best card to upgrade too without being massively CPU bottlenecked?

Budget is pretty much unlimited, as long as the GPU won't run away from the rest of the PC, which essentially limits the budget anyways.

 

[cbn]

I normally build new systems, so I'm not sure exactly what card to suggest. He has a 6000+, but only a 7300 le for a GPU, and I'm surprised games even run on that. Whats the best card to upgrade too without being massively CPU bottlenecked?

Budget is pretty much unlimited, as long as the GPU won't run away from the rest of the PC, which essentially limits the budget anyways.

How is your CPU going to be a bottleneck? This is a video card forum.

Talk to us about what resolution, detail settings and IQ you want to run. Then we will tell you if the video card is a bottleneck to that or not.

P.S. A slow/medium/fast processor is going to be a slow/medium/fast processor no matter what. A new video card is not going to be able to change that.

 

[lopri]

If you're running 2560x1600, you can still appreciate a uber high-end video card like an HD 5870. For 1920x1200, Maybe an HD 4870/GTX 260 is the highest I'd consider. Below that, you can pretty much choose anything around $100 such as a GTS 250 or an HD 5750.

 

[videogames101]

I did forget to include resolution, although I forgot to ask as well, so, haha. Anyways, it's 1280x1024, but obviously IQ settings will be on the most they can be with acceptable frame rate.

I agree with you lopri, but isn't a 5750 a little overkill? ~$140

 

[lopri]

My bad. For some reason I thought HD 5750 was $100. Change that to an HD 4770 or an HD 4850 plz.

What Just Learning says is true, however. If a game is bottlenecked by the CPU, it'll be bottlenecked at any resolution. If the FPS is in a playable region, however, you can increase the amount of eye-candy as you go higher bins on the GPU side.

 

[garritynet]

Back when I used a 6000+ I determined that the best card to compliment my CPU would be the 9800GTX/GTX250 so I agree that the 4770 is a good option.

If nothing else, just turn up the AA until the CPU catches up.

 

[Painman]

Back when I used a 6000+ I determined that the best card to compliment my CPU would be the 9800GTX/GTX250 so I agree that the 4770 is a good option.

If nothing else, just turn up the AA until the CPU catches up.

+1 on the 4770. Seems to be a good match and they're right around $110.

 

[SlowSpyder]

The 6000+ is a 125watt CPU? Maybe even 140? I would think that if the motherboard could handle the 6000+ it could handle a PhII as well, maybe? If that's the case, since his budget sounds like it would allow for it, I'd get a somewhat better video card with the idea that one day the CPU may be upgraded as well. If I were buying today I'd probably want a DX11 capable video card since they are available, and at that resolution I would imagine a 5770 would be plenty of horsepower. Just my $.02.

 

[toyota]

The 6000+ is a 125watt CPU? Maybe even 140? I would think that if the motherboard could handle the 6000+ it could handle a PhII as well, maybe? If that's the case, since his budget sounds like it would allow for it, I'd get a somewhat better video card with the idea that one day the CPU may be upgraded as well. If I were buying today I'd probably want a DX11 capable video card since they are available, and at that resolution I would imagine a 5770 would be plenty of horsepower. Just my $.02.

unless you have concrete plans to upgrade the cpu soon then it doesnt make sense to pay a lot more for something you cant even utilize. if he doesnt upgrade the cpu for 6 months or more then he will have better choices in video cards to chose from at that time. using your logic I could have bought a gtx260 when they cost 300 bucks and bottlenecked the shit out of it for several months with my 5000 X2. instead I waited till i got an E8500 and at that time the gtx260 was only 180bucks. I would have spent way more than 100 bucks more for something I couldnt even utilize during that time. instead I bought a 4670 and sold it when I upgraded the cpu and only lost 10 bucks from when it was new.

 

[cbn]

unless you have concrete plans to upgrade the cpu soon then it doesnt make sense to pay a lot more for something you cant even utilize. if he doesnt upgrade the cpu for 6 months or more then he will have better choices in video cards to chose from at that time. using your logic I could have bought a gtx260 when they cost 300 bucks and bottlenecked the shit out of it for several months with my 5000 X2. instead I waited till i got an E8500 and at that time the gtx260 was only 180bucks. I would have spent way more than 100 bucks more for something I couldnt even utilize during that time. instead I bought a 4670 and sold it when I upgraded the cpu and only lost 10 bucks from when it was new.

The trouble with what you are saying is that some people don't mind low frame rates on RPG FPS like Fallout 3/Stalker Clear sky. The eye candy is worth it especially with strong GPUs being so cheap now.

With a twitch online shooter and 120 Hz Samsung....things are a little different.

 

[toyota]

The trouble with what you are saying is that some people don't mind low frame rates on RPG FPS like Fallout 3/Stalker Clear sky. The eye candy is worth it especially with strong GPUs being so cheap now.

With a twitch online shooter and 120 Hz Samsung....things are a little different.

sure if its only a few bucks more for something faster then why not? I am saying theres no point in spending much more money now for something you cant even come close to fully using now. the example I just gave should have that pretty clear.

 

[cbn]

sure if its only a few bucks more for something faster then why not? I am saying theres no point in spending much more money now for something you cant even come close to fully using now. the example I just gave should have that pretty clear.

Just wondering what you consider to be fully utilizing a GPU?

How much drop from maximum frame rate? 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%....or more than this? Or is minimum frame rate more important?

 

[toyota]

Just wondering what you consider to be fully utilizing a GPU?

How much drop from maximum frame rate? 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%....or more than this? Or is minimum frame rate more important?

well every game and situation is different. it really depends on what cards the person is looking at and the exact system they are using. if its only a few bucks more for a faster card then i usually so go for it if they can get 70-80% out of it. again it just depends on the circumstances and sometimes even the specific games they want to play.

 

[BFG10K]

We need all the facts to answer this question.

Firstly, according to XBit, a 6000+ is about the same speed as an E6600: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/athlon64-x2-6000_4.html#sect0

Secondly, I witnessed practically no difference when moving from an E6600 to an E6850 on an 8800 Ultra at the settings I gamed at: http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve...65/m/492007078831?r=492007078831#492007078831

On this basis, if he was gaming at something like 1920x1200 with 4xAA, I’d recommend the equivalent to an 8800 Ultra, which is a 5750 or GTS 250 without hesitation.

At 1280x1024 however, I wouldn’t bother going higher than a 4670 or 9600 GT, unless he plans on using high AA levels such as super-sampling or 24xAA. But I’m guessing not since he tolerates 1280x1024.

 

[garritynet]

I upgraded my 9800GTX to a GTX295. There was a big difference but not near what I had expected. It was not until I dropped in the PII 940 that it really shined.

Depending on what he wants to play, a quad may help. GTA4 and DAO for example.

That said he can always grab a 5770 once they become a bit easier to find, and then upgrade the processor to whatever his MB's latest bios allows. If he can gets AM3 support then the 620 is a nice upgrade for $100. If he only gets AM2+ support then he can get the 940 for $165. I have that combination and I think its very nice. Not a bad boost for $250 to $300(ish). Neither one of those parts are really gonna drop in price anytime soon.

Of he could just get a 4890 and a Hanns G 22" monitor for $300. That would be a huge upgrade.

 

[SlowSpyder]

unless you have concrete plans to upgrade the cpu soon then it doesnt make sense to pay a lot more for something you cant even utilize. if he doesnt upgrade the cpu for 6 months or more then he will have better choices in video cards to chose from at that time. using your logic I could have bought a gtx260 when they cost 300 bucks and bottlenecked the shit out of it for several months with my 5000 X2. instead I waited till i got an E8500 and at that time the gtx260 was only 180bucks. I would have spent way more than 100 bucks more for something I couldnt even utilize during that time. instead I bought a 4670 and sold it when I upgraded the cpu and only lost 10 bucks from when it was new.

I suggested a 5770 level card... it's not an overly expensive waste of money. I would agree with what you said had I suggested a GTX295 or 5870, but I think a 5770 would be more than enough for his resolution, would be enough for some time into the future, and supports the latest DX version which I think has a lot of potential to be important down the road. They are not all that expensive so that's why I suggested it. If they were $500 cards than that would be a waste. But for as low as $170 on Newegg it's not like a super pricey high end card that would be a waste of money.

 

[MarcVenice]

We need all the facts to answer this question.

Firstly, according to XBit, a 6000+ is about the same speed as an E6600: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/athlon64-x2-6000_4.html#sect0

Secondly, I witnessed practically no difference when moving from an E6600 to an E6850 on an 8800 Ultra at the settings I gamed at: http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve...65/m/492007078831?r=492007078831#492007078831

On this basis, if he was gaming at something like 1920x1200 with 4xAA, I’d recommend the equivalent to an 8800 Ultra, which is a 5750 or GTS 250 without hesitation.

At 1280x1024 however, I wouldn’t bother going higher than a 4670 or 9600 GT, unless he plans on using high AA levels such as super-sampling or 24xAA. But I’m guessing not since he tolerates 1280x1024.

You've got to be kidding? A 9600gt, even for 1280*1024? I'd recommend a HD 4870 512mb or maybe a HD 5770 1GB. A 9600GT is going to struggle with games like CoD: MW2, NFS: Shift, Dirt 2, etc etc. A HD 4870 or 5770 won't.

 

[toyota]

You've got to be kidding? A 9600gt, even for 1280*1024? I'd recommend a HD 4870 512mb or maybe a HD 5770 1GB. A 9600GT is going to struggle with games like CoD: MW2, NFS: Shift, Dirt 2, etc etc. A HD 4870 or 5770 won't.

well a 9600gt isnt bad at all for that res but something a bit faster shouldnt be too much of an issue with his cpu. a 4850 would be plenty for 1280 and with that cpu anything more would really be a waste.

 

[happy medium]

You've got to be kidding? A 9600gt, even for 1280*1024? I'd recommend a HD 4870 512mb or maybe a HD 5770 1GB. A 9600GT is going to struggle with games like CoD: MW2, NFS: Shift, Dirt 2, etc etc. A HD 4870 or 5770 won't.

He might be right here. My 8800gt plays NFS and Moderwarfare 2 at high setting @ 1280x1024 but it does stutter once in a while when alot of enemies or cars are on screen.

I'd suggest 4850 1gb or gts250 1gb. I wouldn't invest in a 512mb card at this point. I just bought a used 9800gtx+ 1gb for 85$ shipped! A used card might be a good option. There is a guy on the forums selling a used gtx260 for 130/140$ shipped.

I also here the Amd 6000 is = to a e6600 ,so that cpu will play any game at a resonable framerate. I see no diffrence going from stock cpu @ 2.7 to 3.6 with my overclocked 8800gt.

 

[lifeblood]

I play at 1440x900 which is roughly equivilent to 1280x1024. My 4830 512mb handles Aion, L4D, Mass Effect, etc on high settings with ease at that resolution. For newer games I would think a 4850 or 4770 should be sufficient.

 

[GaiaHunter]

I find this an interesting article, named "Building A Balanced Gaming PC". It is only the first part, which includes only Intel processors, Pentium E6300, Core2Duo E8400, Q9550 e i7 920, paired with ATI 4850/4890/4870x2 and NVIDIA GXT260/285/295.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-balanced-platform,2469.html

As you can see, this gives quite mixed results - a 4850 is hardly bottle necked, and even GTX260 and 4890 most of the times get no improvement from going from a E6300 to a i7 920.

Cards like GTX 295 and 4870x2, on the other hand, generally get the most benefits.

If you have a E6xxx or an Athlon X2 6000+ or better, I would easily say a 4850 or a GTS250 as minimum and would even look on something like a 4870 and/or GTX 260, even for a resolution as low as 1280x1024.

Only for cards of GTX285 or higher would I start looking for bottlenecks.

 

[happy medium]

After doing some pricing on newegg, I see the cheapest 4850 1gb is 116$ shipped.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814129138

Cheapest gts 250 1gb is 130$ free shipping with 20 rebate=109$ (this one has a nice cooler, MSI twin Frozr).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127445

Cheapest 4870 is 155$ shipped and is the 1gb version. For some odd reson the 512mb cards are higher? This card seems to have a problem with overheating according to some reviews.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150436

The cheapest gtx 260 is 164$ + shipping. I wouldn't go this route.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814162039

If the 5750 1gb was still selling for 129$ I would have suggested that,but 144$? No thanks!

Notice with the charts that were linked by Gaiahunter that the 4850 512mb was not even included with the GTA IV chart because of lack of video ram.


I don't think for the price of the 4870 155$ (40$ more) you'll see enough benifits with your cpu over the 4850/gts250 1gb.

So i'd choose between the 48501gb for 116$ shipped and the gts250 1gb $130-$20=$110
shipped. These cards are about even in performance but the gts250 runs cooler, likely will overclock more and uses less power,it would also make a good Physx card later on when you choose to upgrade.


I give the edge to the gts250 1gb.

Hope this helps.

 

[MrMatt]

so if I'm at 1280x1024 and I'm using a Phenom II 955 x4, does it really matter what video card I get? Would a 4890 be sufficient, or even overkill?

 

[happy medium]

so if I'm at 1280x1024 and I'm using a Phenom II 955 x4, does it really matter what video card I get? Would a 4890 be sufficient, or even overkill?

Well you would be able to play all games at high settings for the next year with the hd4890 @ 1280x1024, but the 4870 1gb and gtx260 will do also and can be had for less money.
I noticed the 4890's price going up though. It's not such a great deal anymore to me.

 

[tcsenter]

Keep in mind he's upgrading from a GF 7300LE!! Just get the best card available for an even $100 and the improvement will be massive.