video or processor?

J

Jlynn

Guest
While I am waiting for P3 BHAH to arrive I have decided to upgrade my Computer a little. I want an opinion on if I should upgrade my processor to a Core 2 3GHz or go to a new GTX 280 video card. I now have a Core 2 2.4 GHz processor and a Nvidia geforce 7900 GT video card. I am installing 4 gig of new memory also. Thanks for your help . John
 
Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 and gtx 280/285 is the best combo at the moment I believe. Theres always second opinion though

Good luck
 
Speeeeeeeeddddddd

OK, so I'm getting a single core microprocessor, as it is faster for this application, @ 3.8 GHz, only OC are faster. This will be paired with a XFX NVidia GeForce 8800GTX 512 MB. Processor speed is it, as it determines what your vid card can do. Ok, you do need a card with at least 512, but more is a waste. I would like the 260, but the 8800 is fast. and I want the upfront speed. It will also make everything else your PC does, fast.

Cheers,

british_eh

PS I'm no Parky, but that's the best info I have, as my buddy is building me a new system:friday:
 
Couldn't afford the E8600 and GTX280, so I "settled" for an E8500 3.16Ghz and an 8800GTX, but it came well recommended by one of the devs. Should do just fine. I guess I'll know in a few days, if that freakin' mailman would hurry!

CJ
 
It does come in an aray of different specs

as my buddy tells me. I do remember him saying that the 768 will likely be the one that he ends up getting.
 
Single core? British, enlighten me plz. I also heard that nvidia 8800's cards are better for MS flight sims(that if 280's series is outta budget)
 
Intel I7 Quad Core, which will be overclocked to 3.+ GHz and an XFX GTX260. Hopefully I'll have OFF loaded and running tonight, if Amazon get's me my CFS3 copy.

I'll let you know how it goes. :)

OvS
 
Cameljockey said:
Couldn't afford the E8600 and GTX280, so I "settled" for an E8500 3.16Ghz and an 8800GTX, but it came well recommended by one of the devs. Should do just fine. I guess I'll know in a few days, if that freakin' mailman would hurry!

CJ
Click to expand...

Depending on the motherboard, that CPU can EASILY run over 3.5Gz with the stock Intel cooler... overclock time!
 
Jlynn said:
While I am waiting for P3 BHAH to arrive I have decided to upgrade my Computer a little. I want an opinion on if I should upgrade my processor to a Core 2 3GHz or go to a new GTX 280 video card. I now have a Core 2 2.4 GHz processor and a Nvidia geforce 7900 GT video card. I am installing 4 gig of new memory also. Thanks for your help . John
Click to expand...

To answer your question. I would go for the video card upgrade. Your not gaining much by upgrading from a Core 2--2.4 to a Core 2--3.4 Ghz.

You still will be limited by what your GPU (video card) can handle. Your Core 2 2.4 cpu can handle any video card out right now, but if you upgrade to a faster Cpu, you still have a outdated low end video card, so your still not gaining anything from the CPU upgrade.
 
;)

british_eh said:
PS I'm no Parky, but that's the best info I have:friday:
Click to expand...

Well I'm not sure where you got it, but most of that info is either inaccurate or dead wrong.

OK, so I'm getting a single core microprocessor, as it is faster for this application, @ 3.8 GHz, only OC are faster.
Click to expand...

Any of the dual core or quad core cpu's (particularly the i7 because of it's superior memory controller and DDR3 support) will run circles around your single core processor when clocked to the same or even similar speeds. This is mostly due to improved overall chip architecture and the fact that an additional core or 3 are able to take on some (or all in some cases) of the other tasks related to basic system operations, leaving a single core to run your app of choice (OFF for instance). Core affinity tweaking may come into play here, but the potential for optimization of multiple core based systems is indeed a reality at this point.

This will be paired with a XFX NVidia GeForce 8800GTX 512 MB
Click to expand...

Doubtful. The 8800GT and the 8800GTS were available with 512 MB of onboard memory. The 8800GTX came with 768 MB as far as I know.

Processor speed it is (sic), as it determines what your vid card can do
Click to expand...

That's accurate in that a fast enough CPU will allow your GPU to realize it's full potential without the CPU being the bottleneck. Best to have a balanced setup though. No sense running a GTX280 with a single core Pentium or Athlon clocked at whatever 'cause your cpu will choke the living snot out of your graphics card. Same as if you were to pair an i7 965 up with an Nvidia 5700. The system will only process information (or generate graphics) as fast as the slowest piece of hardware will allow for, and I don't care if Microsoft's flightsims are more cpu bound. You need a balanced approach to realize your hardware's full potential....period.

Ok, you do need a card with at least 512, but more is a waste
Click to expand...

Not sure who told you that, but basically it's utter nonsense. Additional RAM on a video card can be a huge advantage in a number of different situations. Comes in real handy, particularly if you're running a large monitor at extremely high resolutions.


Cheers,

Parky
 
GaryR said:
Depending on the motherboard, that CPU can EASILY run over 3.5Gz with the stock Intel cooler... overclock time!
Click to expand...

I use an Abit IN9 32X MAX 680i SLI which has been called an "overclocking monster". The E8500 has been o/c to 4.25Ghz on air, albeit not the stock one. I use a Thermaltake,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106087 which keeps it cool. I really haven't had to o/c yet, (I am new to overclocking and don't want to risk frying my hard to come by hardware) and run Phase 2 at 5,4,4,5,1 and have framerates between 40 and 60fps steady. We'll see how it performs with BHAH.
 
Understand, but there is little to no chance of hurting anything if you watch your CPU temperature and keep the multiplier within reason. Use Core Temp - http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/ - to monitor it.. If your memory can't handle it and you don't want to mess with timings then it will usually just revert back to default settings on boot.. I think P3 is a little more demanding, and I jacked up air activity a notch too add to it..
:ernae:
 
I'm running 2Gb DDR2800 (planning on 2 more) so they should be all right. I just haven't tried it much. I've been reading up on it. I downloaded a good article from Tweakguides on the Nvidia motherboard chipsets and GPUs, also articles on overclocking the C2D. I'll try it in earnest when I halfway know what I'm doing.

CJ
 
Thanks for clearing up the "single-core-theory" and other strange details, that got me confused a bit, PARKY.
I'm one of those people who want their car to get them from here to there, without understanding, how a carbourettor works.
I'll have to update my rig too. Do you (or anyone round here) know, which of these cards would be preferable for BHaH:
NVidea GeForce 9800 GT or Sapphire 4870 (1 GB) ?
 
ovs said:
Intel I7 Quad Core, which will be overclocked to 3.+ GHz and an XFX GTX260. Hopefully I'll have OFF loaded and running tonight, if Amazon get's me my CFS3 copy.

I'll let you know how it goes. :)

OvS
Click to expand...

Hum!!! do I read this right: you never had OFF running on your computer because you did not have CFS3 or running it on an cracked CFS3.
 
Thanks, CJ; if you want, you can make more proposals (I'd be grateful), but it shouldn't go over 250,- Euro (now, don't ask me, how much that is in dollars - I really don't know).


DUTCH - perhaps you should wipe out your last line?
 
I'm an Nvidia man myself, but a lot of folks swear by the 4870. The 4870 X2 is the good one.
Too bad you don't live in the states. I bought my 8800GTX recertified, not brand new, for $129 US. Now Newegg.com has these.......

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130402

I'd like to have it myself, but I'll have to go with what I have now, as it would never get approved by the appropriations committee.

Just to help you decide, take a look at this Graphics Card Hierarchy chart. It will give you an idea of what you might want.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card,2064-7.html

CJ
 
260

Oddly, the 260 isn't on the chart.. too new? but otherwise a very handy ref chart as long as viewers remember the big difference on some of these boards bet 512 memory and higher.
 
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