HD6970 - Will my system bottleneck it ?

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pining

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Dec 31, 2010
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Well , I am planning on buying an HD6970 (or maybe an HD6950 as some claim they are identical)

but I have a very crappy/old system 🙁
and so I was wondering if my system would be a very annoying bottleneck for it.

I want to upgrade my gpu because I want to be able to play the latest games with reasonable/acceptable fps and ofcourse reasonable graphics with it

I have a slow cpu which I think would be the biggest problem *aside from my unknown stock motherboard*

cpu= 1.6GHz intel dualcore (no idea if it has a specific name)

I was also planning on upgrading my cpu but thats a different story *and later story*


anyways.. if anyone could tell me how bad my bottleneck would really be if I'd upgrade

thanks in advance,

Pining
 
It should work ok for now, you wont exploit the card to its potential, but it will run the games. However that cpu is in dire need of an upgrade and if you expect to remove the bottleneck and be able to play upcoming games at their limits (which these cards can do) you will need to get some cpu that is much more modern and faster. The current standards are the intel nehalem i7 930/50/etc. and 800 series, and the amd 965 black edition. At this point Id seriously consider a new cpu very soon.
 
Probably , but then I'd be wondering what I could play at what fps ? *and settings*
My previous gpu was a GeForce 9600GT .. will it be a big change ?

and besides that .. I have no idea what processor mobo or ram I should buy ? *for it to work good and maybe for it to be a good overclock system(not that I have any experience with that)*

But that'd be a question for a different section of the forums I guess ?


Thanks in advance,

Pining ~
 
Well if you still have that video card don't change anyhing. Keep this PC for media and light gaming.

Wait for sandy bridge to come out(new CPU's from Intel) and then make a new PC.
Keep reading the forums and you will learn about components and see witch you can afford and after that ask on the forum if the choices are good. Also when the new CPU's will be released there will be an article on the front page of tom's hardware.

I would just wait a little if i ware you.
 
First, you need to have a budget.

I would not recommend a fancy gpu with your present system. Knowing the details would be more helpful in giving advice. I dont think you have the PSU for a high end gpu from what I have gathered. Perhaps saving money towards a total rebuild, or partial (depending on what you presently have) would be my best advice.
 
Well if you still have that video card don't change anyhing. Keep this PC for media and light gaming.
Click to expand...

Why ? :S I can't play bad company 2 at normal fps *at normal graphics* I really dislike that (and also .. your info about a new cpu doesnt have anything to do with buying a new gpu in my eyes :S)

First, you need to have a budget.
Click to expand...

Err .. I have about 600 euros .. but obviously won't be using it all (preferably about 400)

Club3D HD6950 = 244 euros (they say it is possible to unlock this gpu to get the exact same specs as the 6590 as they say they are totally identical)

XFX 6590 = 315 euros (cheapest I could find)

I dont think you have the PSU for a high end gpu from what I have gathered.
Click to expand...

I have no idea if I have the right PSU for one ... I don't think so myself .. as I have been taping stuff together because I didn't have enough of them cables to give my gpu cooler power :/ (which I bought apart from my gpu because the stock one was broken or something)

please give me more info if you can :).

Thanks in advance,

Pining ~
 


Let me open your eyes. You will have 5-10 fps gain with the best video card on the planet with that CPU. You can spend $2k on video cards because if you use that CPU you will not have gains. The speed is really low, also small cache. My core 2 duo at 3.4Ghz is reaching it's limit these days, the games are starting to use quad cores and more then a few have big gains because of the 4 cores.

That's why i wrote that :) .

EDIT:

"
I have a slow cpu which I think would be the biggest problem *aside from my unknown stock motherboard*

cpu= 1.6GHz intel dualcore (no idea if it has a specific name)

I was also planning on upgrading my cpu but thats a different story *and later story*


anyways.. if anyone could tell me how bad my bottleneck would really be if I'd upgrade"

In a way it was an answer to this. Intel does not produce new CPU's for your type of socket(LGA 775). A new CPU for that PC would mean eider a 8000 series core 2 duo or a 9000(q9400 and up) series core 2 quad CPU.

The video cards you chose are good, if you really want to buy it and not do as i suggested post here what model and company name is written on the side of your PSU so we can tell if it can handle the video card.

The bios of the 6970 can be installed in a 6950, witch means making them almost identical. Read this: http://www.tomshardware.com/news/radeon-hd-bios-hack-6950,11852.html
 
That's why i wrote that :) .
Click to expand...

Ahh I see , thanks for the info hehe 😀

The video card you chose is good, if you really want to buy it and not do as i suggested post here what model and company name is written on the side of your PSU.
Click to expand...

I will do that when I'm home again (tommorow) I know it's in an Acer pc if that helps.

but if buying this gpu ain't such a good idea .. then I guess opgrading my cpu is better .. but do you really think waiting for this sandy bridge cpu thing is worth it ? :S

I mean it sucks to wait xD + if I'd buy an i7 920 .. and I could overclock it .. I'd be able to overclock it to the same clock speed as the i7 960 (or even better).

share your opinion about 😀

Thanks !,

Pining ~
 
Well i do not know how powerful are these new CPU's but it might also influence the prices of the current ones to go down. Also the new CPU's come with a new socket witch is not good for the i5/i7 sockets(1156 and 1366) owners. I read somewhere that intel said these CPU's will be a big leap in terms in performance but you can not take that for granted from anyone until you have the tests done on the product.

It's not a bad idea, if you want you can but the video card now and a new PSU because i think the one you have is not able to sustain the power usage and buy the rest of the new PC later on when the new CPU's arrive along with the new motherboards. You can make your decision then if you want to go with core i5, core i7 or the new CPU's.

Just don't throw away your old 9600 gt. When you have the new PC use that for gaming and the old one use it in your living room connected to your LCD/Plasma TV to watch movies or o listen to music.

Or if you really want sell it so you have more money for the new PC. (just don't sell the new PSU and video card ha ha ha).
 
Everything that ionut19 is saying is true...It's totally up to you but if you want to wait for the new CPU's it might be good in many ways.Mainly for the fluxuating price of the old CPU's will go down.

With $800 U.S. you could build a very good system.I would also second to go rebuild a whole new computer.

I myself have a XFX 6870 and i can nearly max out BFBC2 at 1600x900.Getting a 6950 is a very wise descion and they are capable of unlocking to a 6970.List some other games you play and i can give you some approximates FPS gain you would see with this upgrade.

The power supply is a big deal,and since you don't even know any other specs about your computer i would guess it's underpowered at the moment.Buying a 6950 is a HUGE upgrade from a 9600gt and a powerful quad core CPU would unleash it's full potential.

Please list everything you know about your commputer.Including RAM/CPU/Mobo/PSU and what resoultion(monitor)you have.
 
If you are willing to spend enough for an HD6970 then you have enough for something like a Phenom II x4 + motherboard + HD6850 or GTX 460 1gb. It would be a much wiser way to spend your money. You are not going to see much gain with a better GPU while you are still using your current processor.
What is your monitor's native resolution?
 
List some other games you play...
Click to expand...

Err .. xD

Battlefield Bad Company 2

Fallout 3 / New Vegas *not too heavy .. 2008 graphics .. that reminds me happy new year 😀 0:42 over here*

Starcraft 2

Just Cause 2

Metro 2033 *I expect this one is pretty heavy .. haven't bought it yet*

Fable 3 *gonna buy it .. yes it's for pc 😀*

Black ops *gonna buy this .. and expect it ain't heavy lol xD*

The Witcher 2 *when it's out lol*

lol , if you'd care to tell me the fps of the ones I have .. then I am happy already 😀 thanks.

With $800 U.S.
Click to expand...

600 euros = $803
really ain't gonna be spending all of my money though 😀

and DARN why are you guys replying so fast .. I was writing this .. and now someone replied again .. sucks I can't edit posts too !

but @ jyjjy .. I think I am going for an HD 6950 as it seems to be unlockable which is a BIG plus and cheaper 😛
native resolution (atm) is 1440x900 .. yeah pretty sucky .. prolly gonna upgrade that too (whenever I have more money hehe as I don't feel it's super relevant for my gaming experience and stuff)

Thanks , please tell me what would be wise to buy(CPU,mobo,PSU) .. *got 600 euros .. and spending like 450-500 max*

Thanks in advance !,

Bobbie(pining) ~






 
The resolution is very important. On your current monitor you will see very little benefit from an HD6950(unlocked or not) over an HD6850/GTX 460 even with a new processor. Really even that is overkill. An HD5770 would be extremely good for that resolution. It is about 70% faster than your 9600GT which is probably already being bottlenecked by your processor in most of the games you listed at low resolutions like yours. Only consider the HD6950 if you have definite plans to upgrade both the processor and the monitor.
As for upgrading the processor first tell us your current motherboard. You may not need a new one to upgrade to a decent quad core CPU. If you don't know what motherboard is in your system then download CPU-Z. It will tell you on the mainboard tab;
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html
 
err well .. I haven't used the pc for some time .. as I have a laptop which is as strong as my is now *no really .. this laptop has an i5 which obviously beats my pc* but yeah this laptop is for school..

when I had problems with my mobo I had to look it up .. which was a real pain in the ass.. and I am like 100% it doesnt support a decent (quad) cpu .. and besides .. I actually am planning on upgrading my monitor too .. but just not at this very moment

and are you sure my 9600GT is already bottlenecked .. o.o cause thats just sick man xd

if you could tell me what'd be a good AND cheap combo of CPU + mobo + psu (and prolly new ram and stuff idk) that'd be awesome ..but I am still planning on getting the 6950 xd

Thanks !,

Bobbie ~
 
Yeah, your 9600GT is actually still respectable for your current resolution. On the other hand generally you'll want at least a dual core @2.5ghz, preferably 3ghz, for a lot of current games. Your current processor is likely an E2140 which also is lacking in onboard cache which hurts in gaming.
For upgrading the system in general it really depends on what you want to spend. In the US an Athlon II x4, an ok motherboard to go with it and a PSU that can handle an unlocked HD6950 can be had for $200-250. A Phenom II x4 would be a better choice to pair with that card though and that will add another $50. With these processors there will be motherboards that use DDR3 and some that use DDR2 which is what you are likely currently using so you don't necessarily need to buy new ram. Prices will likely be more where you are I'm sure so keep that in mind. If you were in the US and wanted to spend as little as possible on a system worth pairing with the HD6950 I would recommend something like this;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103472
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157186
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371015
Use your current ram(maybe add more if you have under 4gb) and giving the CPU a nice overclock. For you specifically the best choices will depend on the availability and pricing in your area.
 
I'd say BFBC2 and Metro2033 are the most demanding games that you will play.They take some serious horsepower to max out.I have a phenom ii x4 965 @3.8ghz and it maxes it out everytime i play BFBC2.

All of the other games shouldn't take much at all to run them perfectly maxed out,espically with your low resolution.

To keep your options open for a 1080p monitor you might get in the future,i would get a mobo that is corssfore capable and a 6870/6850 so that you could crossfire when you get the new monitor.The 6850/6870 is fully capable of maxing out games at your current resoultion and just buy another one for crossfire when you get the new monitor so that you can still max out the settings.

EDIT:Acutally if your RAM works for that board that looks like a really good setup jyjjy has going there,comes out to around $250 for all that then you have another $300 for the 6950 which works out perfectly.
 
A Phenom II x4...
Click to expand...

Are there big differences between the different ones? like I am seeing different ones like Phenom II x4 925 (for 112 euros cheap huh)
and I see a Phenom II x4 955 Black edition (for 126 euros)

Now I was wondering .. is the only big difference the clock speed ? and can I just go and keep my 14 extra euros ? and overclock the 925 to the same as the 955 or even higher ? or is it wiser to immediatly just get the 955 as the price doesnt differ too much or something.

Speaking of overclocking .. is the system you (jyjjy) are recommending a (somewhat)good overclock setting so I would be able to overclock to a nice clock speed ?

hehe so many questions xd

thanks in advance,

Bobbie~


ps. the reply lay-out stuff changed ? 😛 (made my post reply button invisible :ouch:
 
Yes, the only real difference between the various Phenom II x4 processors is clock speed which you can correct with an overclock. The only thing to keep an eye on is there are a few AM2+ Phenom IIs like the 920 I linked. The AM3(DDR3) motherboards are not backwards compatible with AM2+ chips so as long as you avoid that specific combination you should be fine.

EDIT: Also there are some "black edition" versions of the processors. This means the CPU multiplier are unlocked which can make overclocking slightly easier but it isn't a big deal IMO.
 
jyjjy .. would you recommend me that black edition then ?

and also did you mean that specific mobo you linked there or do they have some specifications I have to look out for since I find it pretty hard to find on a site that ships in europe and stuff(and least I couldn't find it xD that's the problem with newegg links hehe)

haven't searched for the PSU yet though gonna do that.

EDIT: also it's too bad that mobo has only like 2 slots and one for gpu .. no idea how many slots the hd6950 actually takes in cause I still have a network/internet card I will put there for internet 😛

Also , are there big differences in those different thingies of gpu's like Club3D,XFX,Gigabyte and Asus and stuff ? if so what .. and whats best to buy? 😀

Thanks !,

Bobbie ~
 
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