Minimum processor to take advantage of the 4870x2?

[mattmuffinman]

I want to build a gaming rig that cuts back on cost. I saw a good bundle deal on a Athlon64x2 5200 plus a motherboard and ram. Would this processor be able to get the most out of the higher end graphics cards?

I know that most of todays games are heavily GPU dependant, but to what extent? How would Crisis run with the previously mentioned processor and the video card in the topic?

Cheers

Matt

 

[OCGuy]

The real question is:

"What is the minimum resolution in order to take advantage of the x2"?

 

[mpilchfamily]

Pretty much any recent dual core CPU will be decent paired with that card. But i would sugest getting something better. You don't want to pair a nice card like that with a bunch of cheap components.

 

[chizow]

Ya, pairing up an X2 or any of the faster single GPUs in a multi-GPU solution with a slow processor like that would be a massive waste of GPU resources. If you look at some of the recent reviews with Core i7, all of the X2/SLI/CF solutions are still bottlenecked with the fastest CPUs on the planet OC'd to 3.6-3.8GHz. There's basically no difference between the parts from 1280 to 1920 with 4xAA. Only once you get to 2560 do you start to see GPU limitations come into play and parts start dropping off and distinguishing themselves. If you paired these solutions up with a slower CPU, you might not even see a difference between single and dual GPU performance as the CPU simply isn't fast enough to generate more FPS.

 

[masteryoda34]

Originally posted by: chizow
Ya, pairing up an X2 or any of the faster single GPUs in a multi-GPU solution with a slow processor like that would be a massive waste of GPU resources. If you look at some of the recent reviews with Core i7, all of the X2/SLI/CF solutions are still bottlenecked with the fastest CPUs on the planet OC'd to 3.6-3.8GHz. There's basically no difference between the parts from 1280 to 1920 with 4xAA. Only once you get to 2560 do you start to see GPU limitations come into play and parts start dropping off and distinguishing themselves. If you paired these solutions up with a slower CPU, you might not even see a difference between single and dual GPU performance as the CPU simply isn't fast enough to generate more FPS.

QFT

You'll have a better overall system if you get a C2D and say a 4870 1GB or GTX 260 Core 216 55nm.

 

[imported_Asianman]

keep with AMD, they will be easier to upgrade in a couple of year. Get yourself a nice 4870