Is it Time to get an i7

TantrumusMaximus

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Dec 27, 2004
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Looking for some advice from gurus:

Using my sig system as a baseline....

Could my CPU be a major bottleneck for my SLI setup?

Would going to i7 platform be MUCH better platform for these 2 boards?

I'm not having any issues but I think that the scaling of the SLI isn't nearly as apparent as it should be. I'm seeing little to no bump in FPS from the second board, not even in games that are known to scale well with SLI.

SLI is enabled and I'm currently running the latest nvidia drivers.

I don't have a bunch of numbers to give you, just looking to get any ideas whether i7 is necessary to saturate these boards.

The only number I can give is that my 8800GTX SLI scored 17500, while this current config barely scored almost 19K in 3DMark06. Folks on EVGA forums say this is normal, that 3Dmark06 scale for @#$% with SLI. Games seem like I'm getting FPS from one board.
 

o1die

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Jul 8, 2001
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Core i7 is not a great upgrade for gaming. You already have a fast system. Even at $500 for an x58 board, 920 i7, and 6 gb of ddr3, it isn't worth the money if your system is used strictly for gaming.
 

apoppin

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Could my CPU be a major bottleneck for my SLI setup?

not at all except in extremely high resolutions and certain [rare] situations


4.0 Ghz is plenty for my Crossfire X-3 at 19x12 .. rig in sig
- there are diminishing returns after about 3.4Ghz

i have no experience with i7 .. yet - i am waiting for the new MBs; it appears overclocked i7 would be especially useful for 25x16 gaming with Tri-SLi - over a similar maxed out Penryn platform in a handful of PC games.
rose.gif

 

aigomorla

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Originally posted by: betasub
Originally posted by: apoppin
Could my CPU be a major bottleneck for my SLI setup?

not at all except in extremely high resolutions and certain [rare] situations

Does that include extremely low resolutions?

now why would you run all this hardware at low resolutions?
If the price budget for this hardware is in your reach, a 24+ monitor size is also very doable.
 

Idontcare

Elite Member
Oct 10, 1999
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Originally posted by: aigomorla
Originally posted by: betasub
Originally posted by: apoppin
Could my CPU be a major bottleneck for my SLI setup?

not at all except in extremely high resolutions and certain [rare] situations

Does that include extremely low resolutions?

now why would you run all this hardware at low resolutions?
If the price budget for this hardware is in your reach, a 24+ monitor size is also very doable.

I think he's pulling your chain based on the fact that usually when one wants to highlight CPU-limited effects in games one sets the resolution down to 800x600 so the GPU is less likely to be the bottleneck in reaching 400fps versus 350fps. No one plays at the resolutions or needs those fps, but the difference between 400fps and 350fps is then attributable to the differences in CPU for the two example tests.
 

LOUISSSSS

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Dec 5, 2005
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you're aware thar i7 doesn't offer much gaming performance right? this was made well known before and after i7 was released.
 

exar333

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Feb 7, 2004
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Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
you're aware thar i7 doesn't offer much gaming performance right? this was made well known before and after i7 was released.

:confused: Yeah, it's just the fastest CPU for gaming right now...definitely low on performance there...
 

cusideabelincoln

Diamond Member
Aug 3, 2008
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Yeh, Core i7 can make a difference as briefly shown in the Far Cry 2 test of AT's latest Crossfire article. And Guru3D posted the benefits of Core i7 with Crossfire and SLI setups when Nehalem was released. However in this case I think there is some other problem and SLI just isn't working correctly on his setup. So Tantrumus, do you have any hard data for us? In what games are you not seeing a difference?
 

OverVolt

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Aug 31, 2002
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Synthetic benchmarks lie!

3dmark06 is biased toward quads, which doesn't help real world gaming very much. Your playing games that don't scale very well with SLI at your resolution.

What is there to be confused about?

Edit: Hello Warhammer Alliance 2-12-09
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
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Originally posted by: betasub
Originally posted by: apoppin
Could my CPU be a major bottleneck for my SLI setup?

not at all except in extremely high resolutions and certain [rare] situations

Does that include extremely low resolutions?

you GOT to be kidding
:D

i hope
:Q

i always play at 10x7 on my 24" monitor with a 4Ghz Quad and CrossfireX-3 .. just so i get 600 FPS
:p

. .. . actually it is good for competition .. that is about it .. or for those reviews that "sell" new tech



Originally posted by: OverVolt
Synthetic benchmarks lie!

3dmark06 is biased toward quads, which don't help real world gaming very much. Your playing games that don't scale very well with SLI at your resolution.

What is there to be confused about?

Download STALKER Clear Sky benchmark and run it on a dually vs a Quad; DX10 with maxed out effects .. it CONFIRMS what you see in game

also give World in Conflict a whirl at 16x10 or 19x12 when the entire screen is in motion and particle effects are filling the screen
- i wish i had 8 cores

rose.gif


 

Tempered81

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Jan 29, 2007
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op: i have a 750i & sli & e8400

try enabling alternate frame rendering 1 or 2 in the nvidia control panel options for your particular game. Also use 181.22 whql if you aren't already. You can use rivatuner to modify the core/shader speed of your cards, and also to monitor the temperatures while your fullscreen gaming.

It's useful to look at the temps to make sure both cards are being utilized in Nvidia's AFR sli methods. If you're actually running on 1 gpu, the temperature graphs will show it.

I can run cod4 using "nvidia recommended sli method" and go back to windows to see a 10 minute graph of my temperatures at 73C gpu0 and 51C gpu1. If I enable AFR method 1, I get better frames, and see temps of 71C / 66C. If i enable AFR 2, it's slightly better framerate with 74C / 67C. Same thing goes for fear2 and moh airborne.




 

aigomorla

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Originally posted by: apoppin


i always play at 10x7 on my 24" monitor with a 4Ghz Quad and CrossfireX-3 .. just so i get 600 FPS
:p

u didnt know if you get 667fps you get a special bonus stage.

Why do you think im on quad fire?

If i7 is in your budget, get an i7.

Otherwise id keep what you have now, and wait for i5's to peak out.
 

TantrumusMaximus

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Dec 27, 2004
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Thank you for all the responses.

Regarding changing my profiles to use different SLI modes I'm doing that now. My main game is Warhammer Online which is well known to not be SLI aware, however with the correct profile it definately improves.... I got a good 5-20+FPS more with my 2nd 8800GTX (old setup) with the proper profile based on what was happening in game. Also the game is known to be a CPU hungry beast in large battles (which is a good 80% of my gaming time.)

Next, the above mentioned GTX260 SLI Guru3D graphs prompted this post.

I saw that flat FPS line across the resolutions in the FC2 test with the E8400, and a light bulb lit up over my head "20 more FPS at my res?"

Lastly my perception SLI isn't working properly is more "perception" until I get off my A@#$ and get some non-SLI/SLI numbers.

As tempted as I am... I'm going to hold off on i7 for a few, let another CPU flavor come out, see what happens. For the most part every game I play my pc is overkill for.

It's useful to look at the temps to make sure both cards are being utilized in Nvidia's AFR sli methods. If you're actually running on 1 gpu, the temperature graphs will show it.
Thanks thats a good tip. I am running speedfan now ad will watch it.

P.S. I would like to take my hat off to EVGA whom has been very quick to respond to all my questions and even accepted an RMA on my old 680i mobo that I bought in early 2007 and never registered. By their terms a product must be registered within 30 days to qualify for a lifetime warranty, outside 30 days and it is a 1 year warranty. Very happy with them they are living up to the good press I've read/heard about them on various forums/friends.

86 days left on GTX260 step up program... gonna wait couple months and see what happens.
 

IntelUser2000

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Oct 14, 2003
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Core i7 is not a great upgrade for gaming. You already have a fast system. Even at $500 for an x58 board, 920 i7, and 6 gb of ddr3, it isn't worth the money if your system is used strictly for gaming.

Currently yes, but CPU itself I'd say there's enough evidence to say its not true.

Low resolution tests put it quite good: http://www.overclockers.com.ua...ampage-extreme2/?print

High resolution tests it lacks.

But in multi-GPU setups it excels again.

What's happening is the CPU capability of gaming itself is probably much better, but something else is hindering it at high resolutions. At high resolutions, what's probably happening is that Core i7 platform's GPU performance is lower. One theory was suggested that the memory and PCI-Express controller has extra hop to go and it creates higher latency.

In multi-GPU setups the limitation is CPU again and advantage goes to Core i7.
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
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Originally posted by: TantrumusMaximus
In multi-GPU setups the limitation is CPU again and advantage goes to Core i7.

That logic right there I have seen metioned as a big boon for i7 on many sites.

Depends on what you mean by Multi-GPU :p

maybe in Tri Sli .. but not with regular Crossfire, X2 and GTX295
.. and it is rarely significant except for a few rare games at mostly high resolutions

rose.gif


 

aigomorla

CPU, Cases&Cooling Mod PC Gaming Mod Elite Member
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keep what you have and wait for i5.

That is my advice, see what i5 has to offer, and then if not decide between i7 or i5.
 

IntelUser2000

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Well, if you are getting the extreme i7, Q2 and Q3 of this year we will see i7 975 and i7 985 with 3.33GHz and 3.46GHz, maybe even 3.6GHz i7 995 at Q4.