What is the maximum GPU a E8400 can handle?

[Mr136]

I have a E8400, not overclocked and I don't plan to. What is the best GPU I can get that won't be limited by my CPU?

 

[Quiksilver]

How's the rest of your system? PSU? What resolution? What games? What OS?

 

[Mr136]

1920x1200 resolution

750 watt PSU

Windows Vista Basic

4 gb ram

 

[Tempered81]

GTX 260 / 280 , 4870 1GB, 4870x2, gtx295.

When you start crossfiring, sli-ing, you may want to overclock, get a quadcore overclocked, or get an i7 to help eliminate bottlenecks. i7 in particular for dual and triple sli.

Why are you not OCing?

 

[Mr136]

All I have for the E8400 is the stock fan, and I have never overclocked before. Also, I only have 1 case fan that blows air out the back, so I don't really want to mess with things too much. Would I gain that much of a performance boost by overclocking?

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Don't do anything until you made the case less restrictive.

 

[Mr136]

Originally posted by: BTRY B 529th FA BN
Don't do anything until you made the case less restrictive.

Even if I'm just changing my video card to something like GTX 280? I thought the dual slot venting makes it so I don't need another case fan.

 

[yh125d]

You're fine to get a video card with that cooling, but it wouldn't hurt to have a vent-ier case

 

[TemjinGold]

Especially something as hot as the GTX 280. You'll cook that card with a case like that.

 

[DaveSimmons]

You shouldn't need to overclock with a single card, and no need to add the extra heat into the case.

If you have a 120mm exhaust fan that should be more than enough for a single 4870 1GB.

 

[poohbear]

to the OP, you wouldnt be limited by your cpu regardless of the videocard u get. It's a modern cpu that can handle most anything u throw at it, i think the marketing is getting to you that you have to upgrade. Where'd you get that an 8400 would limit what video card u can get??

 

[Denithor]

GTA 4 benchmark - GTX 280 on multiple CPUs

Even an e8400/e8500 at 4GHz is going to hold you back in GTA 4.

GTX 280 at 1280x1024 no AA

QX6850 @ 3.0GHz 37fps
E8500 @ 4.0GHz 32fps
Q6600 @ 2.4GHz 29fps

We are starting to see the shift toward heavily multi-threaded games that really do take advantage of more than two cores. Still not widespread but it's certainly increasing.

 

[bdubyah]

yes, and that is at 1280x1024. he will be running 1920x1200. much more reliant on the video card at that res.

 

[Tempered81]

Originally posted by: Denithor
GTA 4 benchmark - GTX 280 on multiple CPUs

Even an e8400/e8500 at 4GHz is going to hold you back in GTA 4.

GTX 280 at 1280x1024 no AA

QX6850 @ 3.0GHz 37fps
E8500 @ 4.0GHz 32fps
Q6600 @ 2.4GHz 29fps

We are starting to see the shift toward heavily multi-threaded games that really do take advantage of more than two cores. Still not widespread but it's certainly increasing.

Yes if all games performed this way, everyone would want Quad core cpus.

 

[BlueAcolyte]

Originally posted by: jaredpace

Originally posted by: Denithor
GTA 4 benchmark - GTX 280 on multiple CPUs

Even an e8400/e8500 at 4GHz is going to hold you back in GTA 4.

GTX 280 at 1280x1024 no AA

QX6850 @ 3.0GHz 37fps
E8500 @ 4.0GHz 32fps
Q6600 @ 2.4GHz 29fps

We are starting to see the shift toward heavily multi-threaded games that really do take advantage of more than two cores. Still not widespread but it's certainly increasing.

Yes if all games performed this way, everyone would want Quad core cpus.

GTA4 sucks CPU power, right?

 

[Modular]

Originally posted by: BlueAcolyte
GTA4 sucks CPU power, right?

Yes. To date, it is the most CPU intensive game.

 

[imported_Asianman]

interesting, especially considering it came from XBOX and PS3. still, get whatever card you want as long as it doesn't have dual GPUs, then it will be a waste in GPU power

 

[Fox5]

Originally posted by: Asianman
interesting, especially considering it came from XBOX and PS3. still, get whatever card you want as long as it doesn't have dual GPUs, then it will be a waste in GPU power

A part of the reason is that GTA4's max settings ruthlessly increase system requirements while adding little to the graphics. The game looks almost identical at min settings (and probably is how the ps3 and 360 look), yet runs so much better.

 

[ibex333]

I wouldn't judge a PC by how well it can run GTA IV. For me this game does not exist. It stopped existing as soon as I read the review. It is a poor, lazy console port, and a poorly optimized game. That being said, it looks better than Xbox360 version even at low settings on the PC, so unless you really want the best of everything when it comes to PC gaming, there's no reason to upgrade.

 

[nyker96]

i think it can do GTX295 even provided you are running very high rez so the gpu will be the bottleneck in the system. perhaps even turn on physx if the game got it.

 

[mindless1]

Even when you find games where the CPU becomes a bottleneck, that tends to be a bottleneck of running at FPS higher than you need. GTA4 is a poorly designed exception. Video card on the other hand will sooner cause stuttering below the minimum, and sooner a reduction in eyecandy to keep FPS up. Buy the best your budget will allow, PCI-E isn't going anywhere soon so at worst you have a longer viable lifespan for the card after upgrading the rest of the system someday.