CPU bound with 5870/GTX 480

[LARGE-SARGE]

Hi, first time poster with a couple questions. Looking to upgrade GPU in my cuurent rig to get me thru until my next build early next year.

Current specs,
E8600@4.2 on air
ASUS P5Q deluxe
ATI sapphire 4870 (512mb)
PC power&cooling 750W
Antec 1200

I run at 1680x1050 on a ASUS 22 monitor
Mostly play BFBC2, Empire/Napoleon TW, Supreme Commander 1&2, Bio Shock 1&2

My question, would a 5870/GTX 480 be overkill at 1680x1050, and leave me CPU bound with my E8600? Would I be better off with 5850/GTX470. I want to somewhat future proof my current rig for upcoming games until I upgrade in early 2011.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[pmurgs]

BC2 loves quads, you'll see a decent fps improvement even with your 4870 if you get an quad core and overclock it. Empire TW is single threaded though, so more cores won't help you there at all. I don't play the other games you listed, so I can't comment there.

I'd personally go with a 5850 (reference design) since they so easy to overclock to 5870 (at stock) performance using MSI afterburner with a voltage bump. If you are big BC2 player like me, then you want a quad core cpu as well.

 

[happy medium]

I'd go with a q9550 and sell your e8600. Your 4870 will last you a little while longer.
Wait for some price drops and go for a real upgrade to a 5870 or better.

 

[faxon]

Definitely look at getting a quad core CPU first as others have said. Benches I have seen show a drop in min FPS with anything lower than an I7 on the 470/480. The 5870 will show this as well but it isn't anywhere near as bad. If you have a microcenter near you you can get a 9550 for $200

 

[f4phantom2500]

i find it pretty hard to believe that you can't run all or almost all of those games at the highest or almost the highest settings at 1680x1050 with good framerates; i think the 4870 is a great fit for that resolution right now. why do you feel so compelled to upgrade right now, and then upgrade again in a year?

 

[LARGE-SARGE]

i find it pretty hard to believe that you can't run all or almost all of those games at the highest or almost the highest settings at 1680x1050 with good framerates; i think the 4870 is a great fit for that resolution right now. why do you feel so compelled to upgrade right now, and then upgrade again in a year?

Your right my frames arent too bad right now, I just want to upgrade this rig a bit for future games. I plan to build another complete rig later and pass the current one down to kids. So far its looking like I will drop a 9550 cpu and a 5850 gpu in for now.

Thanks to all who responded with advice!!

 

[deaffob]

9550 is around $300. Why would you spend that much money on something that was released several years ago? Buy I5-750 or go I7. You can get 930 at $199@Microcenter.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Rig 3 and quality settings on high + 8 AA & 16 AF i get some noticeable slow-downs

EDIT: if you were going to do a card, go with a 480

 

[Supersonic64]

9550 is around $300. Why would you spend that much money on something that was released several years ago? Buy I5-750 or go I7. You can get 930 at $199@Microcenter.

Jesus friggin' Christ, not everyone lives near a goddamn Microcenter. I wish I did. :thumbsdown:

 

[Wag]

Jesus friggin' Christ, not everyone lives near a goddamn Microcenter. I wish I did. :thumbsdown:

eBay.

And why is a Q9550 $300? I picked up a brand new one on eBay about a year ago for $220. You should be able to find one for less than that now.

 

[Termie]

Given your situation (resolution-limited, plan to build a new comp soon), I'd just hold on to what you've got. I would not get a 9550. Your 8600 will be awesome for the kids, and you'll want i7 in your new rig. If you must get a new GPU now, I'd probably just go for the 5850. It's the best value right now. If you can hold off until later this year, you'll get more power and a better-balanced rig when you upgrade. And unless you plan on getting a new monitor, you probably won't need more power than the 5850 provides for several years.

 

[RussianSensation]

If you feel like upgrading, then get a 5850 or GTX470 as they are are much better suitable for 1680x1050. In fact, even a GTX275/4890 will easily play most games maxed out at such a low resolution. If you are itching for an upgrade, I would grab the 5850 for $290 (or if you can find a deal on the GTX470).

Here is some hard data:

Supreme Commander 2: http://www.legionhardware.com/articles_pages/supreme_commander_2_performance,6.html
CPU performance: not demanding at all
http://www.legionhardware.com/articles_pages/supreme_commander_2_performance,11.html
GPU performance: not demanding at all.
Conclusion: Two cores are enough. 8AA performance exceeding 60 frames per second with 9800GT 512mb or 4770 512mb. Waste of $ for you to upgrade the cpu or gpu.

Napoleon: http://www.pcgameshardware.com/&menu=browser&image_id=1251642&article_id=705532&page=1&show=original
Conclusion: Napoleon: Total War – Two cores are enough. Waste of $ for you to upgrade the cpu. For 4x AA, get a GTX 275 or 5850 at least at 1680x1050.

Bioshock 2: http://www.gamespot.com/features/6251034/p-4.html
Conclusion: Dual Core + 8800GT gets 55 fps at 1920x1200 Maxed out. Waste of $ to upgrade GPU or CPU.

From the games you listed, the only game that would benefit from both a quad core and a GPU upgrade is BF:BC2.

The recommendation for GTX480 is completely unfounded.

I will also add that upgrading a videocard for the future is a noob mistake.

1. Software gets delayed. Half Life 2 or Starcraft 2?? etc. Other than Medal of Honor in October and Crysis 2 in the fall, what future demanding games are you upgrading for?
2. New hardware gets released all the time. In 6 months we will have ATI's latest cards and something new from NV. Why upgrade now for no performance benefit based on the games you listed just to "future proof"? when those future games come out and you are unhappy with the performance, what you can get for the same amount of $ today will most likely be a better graphics card offering.