Do I Need To Upgrade My CPU?

[Mikey520]

So basically I have a Dell XPS 730x. It's an older system and I've had it for a long time, but it still runs great without any problems.

My question and only big concern is that my CPU speed runs at 2.67GHz (tested at 2.93GHz max) There are a lot of next gen games I want to buy that require 3.3GHz minimum. I scanned my system on "Can I Run It" and everything else on my system checks out except my processing speed. Can I somehow get away with running games that require 3.3ghz or higher?

I've heard rumors from research that just because your system doesn't meet the minimum requirements (my CPU in this case) doesn't mean your PC can't necessarily run the game. They say all PC's run differently. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated : ) I'm pretty new when it comes to CPU stuff. Here are my specs..

Manufacturer - DELL XPS/Dimension 730x
Processor - Intel Core i7 CPU 920 @ 2.67GHz (tested at 2.93Ghz) (8 CPUs), ~2.7GHz
Motherboard - Intel X58 Chipset
Memory - 12GB RAM
GPU - NVIDIA GTX 960
Operating System - Windows 7 Home Premium

 

[theonerm2]

What games are you wanting to run?

 

[Barty1884]

3.3GHz is a 'general' idea - and not consistent across generations/brands.

An i7-920 should still be able to play any title. You'll most likely have to turn down some settings compared to a modern i7 + 960 pairing, but almost everything should be playable.

 

[gillhooley]

i7 920 is a bit dated, but it is still pretty strong CPU. It matches well with your GPU and should allow you to run even modern games well, just not at the highest or Ultra settings

 

[Mikey520]

Reply to the theonearm2 - Basically wondering if I can run next gen games, Yooka-Laylee in particular, Doom, Witcher lll etc.

 

[theonerm2]

Yooka-Laylee Yes no problem. Doom Yes. Witcher lll Yes.

As far as that goes have you checked out the Potato Masher? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcrotHUVFN0&t=645s

It has a weaker CPU in it than yours.

 

[Mikey520]

3.3GHz is a 'general' idea - and not consistent across generations/brands.

An i7-920 should still be able to play any title. You'll most likely have to turn down some settings compared to a modern i7 + 960 pairing, but almost everything should be playable.

If I wanted to upgrade my GPU to a GTX 1060 for ex. would i be able to pair it with my i7 920 so I can run higher video settings?

 

[Barty1884]

I would imagine you'll be fine... most of the time.

The i7-920 is pretty dated though, so it wouldn't surprise me if it held back a 1060 in certain situations.

 

[theonerm2]

3.3GHz is a 'general' idea - and not consistent across generations/brands.

An i7-920 should still be able to play any title. You'll most likely have to turn down some settings compared to a modern i7 + 960 pairing, but almost everything should be playable.

If I wanted to upgrade my GPU to a GTX 1060 for ex. would i be able to pair it with my i7 920 so I can run higher video settings?

Yes. Did you not see the Potato Masher video? Someone in that video is using a GTX 1060 with an i5 750 and it works pretty well. Overclock your CPU if you have good cooling.

 

[Mikey520]

3.3GHz is a 'general' idea - and not consistent across generations/brands.

An i7-920 should still be able to play any title. You'll most likely have to turn down some settings compared to a modern i7 + 960 pairing, but almost everything should be playable.

If I wanted to upgrade my GPU to a GTX 1060 for ex. would i be able to pair it with my i7 920 so I can run higher video settings?

Yes. Did you not see the Potato Masher video? Someone in that video is using a GTX 1060 with an i5 750 and it works pretty well. Overclock your CPU if you have good cooling.

I saw the video. Pretty impressive. I feel better knowing that my CPU should still hold up well considering how old it is. I've never overclocked a CPU before. I know that I have server grade fans in my system if that makes a difference. If you look up XPS 730x on Wikipedia it tells you a lot more about the fans installed than I could. I just know it has front/rear CPU fans, PCI cage fan, and HDD fan.