A serious question about CPU/GPU bottlenecks.

  • Thread starter The_Absolute
  • Start date
In summary, the Core i7 @ 4.5 GHz will not have any bottleneck with a Radeon HD 5870. However, the ability of that GPU will be severely limited if you are using a Phenom II X4 965 BE @3.4 GHz. You will need to spend another $1,000 to buy a Core i7 rig with an X58 motherboard and water cooling.
  • #1
The_Absolute
174
0
At the end of this month, I am building a gaming desktop computer with the following specifications. I was told that the ONLY CPU capable of not having any bottleneck with the Radeon HD 5xxx series is a Core i7 @ 4.5 GHz. How badly will a Phenom II X4 965 BE @3.4 GHz bottleneck a single Radeon HD 5870? Will the ability of that GPU be severely limited limited by that bottleneck? Do I have to spend another $1,000 to buy a Core i7 rig with an X58 motherboard and water cooling after trying to get it to that ludicrous speed?

Off topic, I heard that the first revision of the Sapphire HD 5870 has been discontinued, but is there any way of getting a hold of One anymore? The 2nd revision runs about 20 *C hotter both idle and load, due to cheaper circuitry than the 1st revision.

If you can't get the 1st revision anymore, it's a damn shame. Sapphire should be ashamed of themselves.

Also, what is the maximum theoretical graphical settings I could play Crysis on and still get a playable frame rate?

* Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition
* ASUS Crosshair III Formula AM3 socket motherboard.
* 4GB of 1333 or 1600 MHz DDR3 RAM
* Sapphire Radeon HD 5870 Vapor-X
* 850W or greater PSU
* CoolerMaster HAF 932 full tower case
* DVD-RW ROM
* 1TB 7200 RPM HDD
* Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
  • #2
I'd have a read of this article:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/balanced-gaming-pc,review-31741.html?xtmc=balanced_pc&xtcr=1
In general, most games are GPU limited once you have a fairly decent processor (eg. i5 750, phenom 965). The i7 often performs no better than these ones since it's set up to run 8 threads but most games aren't that well threaded. That build looks pretty good, I'd look through some of the benchmarks/reviews on tomshardware to get an idea of what it's capable of doing... should definitely play crysis at most resolutions.
 

1. What is a CPU/GPU bottleneck?

A CPU/GPU bottleneck refers to a situation where either the central processing unit (CPU) or the graphics processing unit (GPU) is not able to keep up with the demands of the other component, causing a decrease in overall performance.

2. How do I know if my system is experiencing a CPU/GPU bottleneck?

You can check for a CPU/GPU bottleneck by monitoring the usage of both components while running a demanding task, such as playing a graphics-intensive game. If one component is consistently at or near 100% usage while the other is not, it could indicate a bottleneck.

3. What causes a CPU/GPU bottleneck?

A CPU/GPU bottleneck can be caused by a number of factors, including an outdated or underpowered component, poor optimization of software or drivers, or a mismatch between the capabilities of the CPU and GPU.

4. How can I prevent or fix a CPU/GPU bottleneck?

To prevent a CPU/GPU bottleneck, it is important to have a balanced system with components that are able to complement each other's performance. If you are experiencing a bottleneck, upgrading one or both components and ensuring they are properly optimized can help to fix the issue.

5. Can a CPU/GPU bottleneck be beneficial in any way?

In some cases, a CPU/GPU bottleneck can be beneficial if it occurs in a specific part of the system, such as the RAM, which can help to improve overall performance. However, in most cases, a bottleneck will result in a decrease in performance and should be addressed if possible.

Similar threads

Replies
9
Views
7K
  • Computing and Technology
Replies
2
Views
4K
  • Computing and Technology
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
10
Views
4K
  • Computing and Technology
Replies
11
Views
6K
  • Computing and Technology
Replies
5
Views
3K
Replies
27
Views
5K
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • Computing and Technology
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • Computing and Technology
Replies
2
Views
3K
Back
Top