Am i bottlenecked?

jwh9983

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E8400 intel core 2 duo 3.0ghz

Graphics card Nvidia GTX 560 TI

4 gigs of ram

500gb HD

My followup question is this...I have a nforce 650i motherboard. So i cannot use the new processors such as the i5 or the i7. But since it supports my intel core 2 duo will it support an intel core 2 quad? And would that fix my bottleneck issue

Would this be worth getting?

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Q8400-Processor-Socket-LGA775/dp/B002654FQM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322682230&sr=8-1

Is it still relevant? Will this be compatible with my nforce 650i motherboard?
 

Welve

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http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-overclocking,3077-5.html

there is a good resource for determining where your CPU stands, as I recall Tom's says it is almost worthless to upgrade less than 3 tiers of improvement.

That said, judging by the price you would pay for that processor, 250 dollars, it is an utter and complete waste, you could buy a AMD 955 BE (125 dollars) plus an AM3+ mobo (80-200ish depending on what you want) and jump up 5 tiers instead of 1.

As far as whether or not you are bottlenecking, I don't honestly know, but if you are not getting anywhere near the framerates that the 560 is benchmarked to have or you can't run the latest titles, they are bottlenecked and it looks like your CPU is your oldest and most limiting component.
 
No...

It makes no sense to me to pay $250 for an older quad when you can buy a 2500K for $200 or so.
Even if you have to pay $100 for a P67 or Z68 motherboard and $40 for 8gb of ram, that is the way to go if you need more cpu power.

I presume you are not happy with your gaming.

To help clarify your options, run these two tests:

a) Run your games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.

b) Limit your cpu, either by reducing the OC, or, in windows power management, limit the maximum cpu% to something like 70%.
If your FPS drops significantly, it is an indicator that your cpu is the limiting factor, and a cpu upgrade is in order.

It is possible that both tests are positive, indicating that you have a well balanced system, and both cpu and gpu need to be upgraded to get better gaming FPS.
 

jwh9983

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Is a Nvidia GTX 560 TI optimized and capable to run okay on an AMD processor and motherboard?
 

Welve

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It can be, check out the "how to build a new computer video" on newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Store/Computer.aspx?name=Computer-Hardware

I recommend you get a friend that has done it before and have him or her help you out. If none of your friends have built a computer before, have one or two help anyway, it is nice to have a second pair of hands to screw stuff in and bounce ideas back and forth with.

As far as putting it together, make sure all the posts are in, but that shouldn't be an issue if you are building in the same case. The scariest part for a lot of people is mounting the CPU on the motherboard, but that is notched and you just have to be extra careful and gentle. Finally, be careful that you get nothing on the motherboard before you start it up, pieces of metal, plastic, etc. touching the mobo are bad! It isn't too hard, watch the videos!
 
Assuming a Q8400 is supported by your motherboard, you can find one on e-bay for about $100.
But, since it has a slower clock, you need to be certain that your games really need more cores vs. faster cores.
Few games today use more than two cores.
If you need few fast cores, look at a i3-2120.
If you need 4 fast cores, the 2500K is as good as it gets.
If you need 4 cores, and can't afford a 2500K, then the amd X4 chips are ok.

Here is an article on <$200 gaming cpu's:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gaming-cpu-core-i3-2100-phenom-ii-x6-1075t,2859.html

The physical installation of a motherboard is no big deal.
Re-installing the os and associated stuff is.
 

Welve

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the Q8400 is not worth it even for 100 judging by the Tom's hierarchy, and that chart you linked is out of date, the pricing for most of those is completely wrong, the hierarchy has good CPUs listed for every price range in Nov 11.

The 2500K is great, but I was referencing that the 955 BE was much better and easily acheivable for the 250 he would pay on amazon for the Q8400. Assuming 250 is his budget though, the Phenom II X4s are a great option, not just ok. Performance will improve drastically for a reasonable price, but that doesn't mean it is the end all for performance.
 


Not good.

The cpu is a 2500, not a 2500K The "K" is what lets you overclock, giving you a performance from the stock 3.3 to 4.0-4.5 with ease.

If you are near a microcenter, they will sell you a 2500K for $180. Otherwise it is about $220, only $10 more than the 2500.

Here is a M-atx Z68 based motherboard for $90:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157270

A 8gb(2 x 4gb) kit of DDR3-1600 ram:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314
 

Welve

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2500 isn't necessarily bad, if he doesn't want to mess with overclocking he doesn't have to, but there is no need for a high end board if you don't want to OC

I personally prefer standard ATX over micro