Change CPU or GPU first

[josephfley]

Hi,

I want to upgrade my machine, but dont think I can change both the cpu and gpu right now, so guys what do you think would give me the best results right now?

I currently have:
AMD X6 1055t @ 3.8ghz
AMD 5850

and want to change to:
Intel 3570K
AMD 7950

EDIT: Resolution 1080

So, should I change the gpu or mobo/cpu first? I use the machine mostly for games and low threaded applications.

Thanks

 

[aaksheytalwar]

Gpu first.

 

[ElFenix]

Cpu. tHe 5850 is still a pretty darn good graphics card. In amd's current numbering it'd be a 5950. Check anandtech's bench tool for more info

 

[aaksheytalwar]

He is gpu bottlenecked more than CPU bottlenecked.

 

[Termie]

With a single HD5850, there's almost no chance the OP will see a performance improvement in any game by upgrading to a new CPU.

Moving from an HD5850 to an HD7950, he'll see at least a 50% jump in performance (but not the 100% jump he would with an i5 platform).

 

[moonbogg]

Gee Pee You first.

 

[Hmoobphajej]

Definitely GPU first. It's your biggest bottleneck in your system.

 

[josephfley]

Well looks like I will be getting a new gpu then, thanks for the help.

 

[Face2Face]

GPU. I came from a 6870 and noticed a big jump.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Another vote for GPU. Especially if you are at 1080p or higher.

Shame on you guys, no one asking his resolution

 

[Face2Face]

Another vote for GPU. Especially if you are at 1080p or higher.

Shame on you guys, no one asking his resolution

I guess we all assume it's 1080P. Good call though

 

[lopri]

I have been running 2500K and X6 1045T side-by-side for almost 3 years now. Both heavily overclocked. My gaming machine is 1045T. ^^ (N.B. 2560x1600)

So yes, I would go for GPU upgrade first. Besides which, it's easier and GPUs are more portable.

 

[3DVagabond]

The GPU will give you the most performance improvement. You can run for a while yet with that CPU. You're probably already running out of VRAM, assuming 1080P, in some of the modern games with the 5850.

 

[SlowSpyder]

I went from a 5870 to a 7970 on a 1090T @ 4GHz and saw FPS improvements in the games I tested at the settings I play at. I'm sure my CPU is holding me back in some areas and my upgrade wasn't all it could have been with a better CPU/platform, but I felt like the 7970 was still a good upgrade.

 

[SickBeast]

GPU.

You should wait for Haswell in terms of a CPU.

 

[Shmee]

agreed on GPU. Still, what is your resolution?

 

[josephfley]

Sorry about not posting it, my resolution is 1920 x 1080.

 

[josephfley]

GPU.

You should wait for Haswell in terms of a CPU.

When is that family expected to be launched? Is that much better than Sandy/Ivy?

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

If no one has said it, GPU first

 

[Gryz]

Even if your CPU will hold back your new GPU a bit to reach very high framerates, there is another benefit. You will probably be able to enable additional graphics features, with very little penalty on your framerates. More or better AA modes, high res textures, SSAO, tesselation, etc. Stuff you can not enable now without taking a huge dive in framerates. With a faster GPU, you can probably enable a bunch without any penalty.

At least, that is what I saw when I upgraded from a Intel E8500+gtx260 to a E8500+gtx680.

Of course, a few weeks later I bought a i5-3570K. And then framerates went up some more again. But I was surprised how well the gtx680 did with my (slow) E8500. I would definitely suggest to upgrade GPU first.

 

[lehtv]

When is that family expected to be launched? Is that much better than Sandy/Ivy?

It's expected in Q2 2013 as far as I know. It should be 10-20% faster than Ivy Bridge, but its integrated graphics will be much improved, its power consumption will be optimized (especially at idle) and, as it's a whole new architecture, it will incorporate many new features. Hopefully, its overclockability will be improved.

Read about Haswell here.

 

[frozentundra123456]

Another vote for GPU. Especially if you are at 1080p or higher.

Shame on you guys, no one asking his resolution

He did add an edit comment that it was 1080p.

I would agree with most of the posters, upgrade the GPU first, definitely. Not sure he needs to go all the way to a 79xx though. A 7870 might be a good upgrade.