Will my cpu bottleneck my new 7900 GT?

[mfh6375]

My current specs are:

P4 3.6ghz w/ HT
1gb DDR2 4200
6800 GTo

My new video card arrives tomorrow. It is an eVGA 7900 GT CO Superclocked. Will it be bottlenecked by my cpu? If so, will it bottleneck it alot or just a little? Just curious.

 

[JPB]

A little, but not much at all

 

[moonboy403]

it depends on the resolution you play at

i'm guessing that you'd be playing at 1280x1024 most of the time w/ 2aa/8af

in this case, your cpu will NOT be bottlenecking you system....yes, it maybe a little slower than the amd counterparts, but that's not bottlenecking.

 

[deadseasquirrel]

Like others have said-- it depends on the game, your resolution, and settings you choose. Too many people are worried about their CPU bottlenecking them. If you're feeling bottlenecked, crank up the resolution. If you're on an LCD, slide on up to 4xAA 16xAF. You'll find out quickly that your CPU isn't holding ya back.

Here are some results from FEAR, running at 1024x768 with 4xAA on a 7800GT: (source)

AMD FX-57.............44fps
Sempron 2800+.....43fps

COD2 (1024x768 4xAA):

AMD FX-57.............41.1
Sempron 2800+......37

Quake4 and BF2 show better results, but as you can see, you're CPU is right there in with the pack. These next-gen games, for whatever reason, are very GPU-hungry.

 

[moonboy403]

FEAR and COD2 aren two of the most gpu dependent games ever, the cpu won't really affect the perfermance (i mean a decent one)

as for games like half life 2, it's a lot more cpu dependent

so if you wanna see how your cpu fare against the amd counterparts, try looking at half life 2

 

[n7]

I love the frequency with which this question of bottlenecking gets asked...

And how it gets asked when we have no idea what resolutions, settings, games, etc. the OP will be running.

How come no one comprehends that bottlenecking is a normal situation?

You will always have something limiting something, whether it be CPU, RAM, GPU, HDD, etc, etc.

In UT2k4, everything maxed, even at 1600x1200, CPU is still a bottleneck for me... (if the max fps isn't enough )
In FEAR, with same, it's the GPU.

I guess i kinda understand that the people asking this just want assurance that the upgrade they want to do makes sense, but i kinda don't think they understand what they are asking in the first place.

It's the way of things. I don't get how people don't understand this.


Meh, i'm tired...so ignore this...

 

[moonboy403]

it's true that there would always be bottleneck, however, the real question is: how much is it bottlenecking relative to the card?

there comes a point in which the cpu is fast enough and fps would not benefit much or if anything at all
basically the bottleneck is relative to what you're using

say if you have a xp 3200 with a 7900 gtx, obviously your cpu would hinder much of your performance
say if you have a fx-60 with a 6800 gs, the cpu obviously isn't gonna bottleneck you card

 

[mfh6375]

Originally posted by: deadseasquirrel
Like others have said-- it depends on the game, your resolution, and settings you choose. Too many people are worried about their CPU bottlenecking them. If you're feeling bottlenecked, crank up the resolution. If you're on an LCD, slide on up to 4xAA 16xAF. You'll find out quickly that your CPU isn't holding ya back.

Here are some results from FEAR, running at 1024x768 with 4xAA on a 7800GT: (source)

AMD FX-57.............44fps
Sempron 2800+.....43fps

COD2 (1024x768 4xAA):

AMD FX-57.............41.1
Sempron 2800+......37

Quake4 and BF2 show better results, but as you can see, you're CPU is right there in with the pack. These next-gen games, for whatever reason, are very GPU-hungry.

So, I take it that the Sempron 2800+ is comparable to my cpu? Part of my problem is that I'm not sure which AMDs are similiar to which Pentiums. I've just seen some threads where people thought their AMD was bottlenecking their cards, and was curious how my Pentium would do. I know AMD is generally better for gaming, and thought that if they were having problems, maybe I was in trouble.

As for resolutions, that depends. Games like FEAR and COD2 with 4xaa would have to be 1280x1028 max for good FPS. Doom3 , Quake 4, HL2, and Farcry can do very well at 1600x1200 4xaa. But, you lose about 20 fps. So, maybe 1280x1028 is better. The visuals are good enough.

 

[deadseasquirrel]

Originally posted by: mfh6375
So, I take it that the Sempron 2800+ is comparable to my cpu?

I wouldn't say that. My point was to show how 2 of the latest games are completely GPU-dependent. Is this the wave of the future? Will the Source engine continue to be affected by the CPU like HL2 was? What will the Unreal engine be like for UT2007? I really don't know.

My other point is that CPU bottlenecking can almost always be overcome by increasing graphics settings-- whether that be resolution or AA, AF, etc.

I've just seen some threads where people thought their AMD was bottlenecking their cards... and thought that if they were having problems, maybe I was in trouble.

That's because, as n7 pointed out, they don't know what they're talking about.

 

[mfh6375]

Originally posted by: n7
I love the frequency with which this question of bottlenecking gets asked...

And how it gets asked when we have no idea what resolutions, settings, games, etc. the OP will be running.

How come no one comprehends that bottlenecking is a normal situation?

You will always have something limiting something, whether it be CPU, RAM, GPU, HDD, etc, etc.

In UT2k4, everything maxed, even at 1600x1200, CPU is still a bottleneck for me... (if the max fps isn't enough )
In FEAR, with same, it's the GPU.

I guess i kinda understand that the people asking this just want assurance that the upgrade they want to do makes sense, but i kinda don't think they understand what they are asking in the first place.

It's the way of things. I don't get how people don't understand this.


Meh, i'm tired...so ignore this...

I understand that there is always something bottlenecking something else. And I know that "bottlenecking" is just a fancy word for limiting. And you're right, I just wanted some assurance. I thought maybe I was getting too much GPU for my CPU.

 

[mfh6375]

Originally posted by: deadseasquirrel
My point was to show how 2 of the latest games are completely GPU-dependent.

Ok, I can understand that.

That's because, as n7 pointed out, they don't know what they're talking about.

Yeah, that's a bit of a problem for me. I come here for info/ tips, but there are a lot of people talking nonsense. Then I get confused and don't know what to believe. Or who.

 

[Dethfrumbelo]

Yeah, if your CPU is bottlenecking, just turn up the settings/resolution until the GPU becomes the bottleneck. Your CPU won't bottleneck at anything less than 60 fps in most games, so it really doesn't matter anyway. Minimum fps is what really counts, and that's almost always due to the GPU when you're hit with lots of efffects, shadows/smoke, etc.

 

[n7]

How 'bout i put it this way:

Your new 7900GT will pwn with your 3.6 GHz P4, & i'm being serious

It's a nice balanced fit, though if you do run @ 16x12 then you can pretty much always use more GPU power with the newer games.