Nvidia1060(6GB) bottlenecked by Phenom II 965BE?

[JamesConnor]

Hello, I have some "old" hardware and wondering if it will be "bottlenecked" if I upgrade my GPU.

Current CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition
Current GPU: AMD Radeon 6950 2GB
Motherboard: Asrock 880G Pro 3

I am considering purchasing an Nvidia 1060 6GB GPU and so the question is whether or not the new GPU will be bottlenecked by the older AMD processor.

Any constructive criticism and/or suggestions of alternatives are welcome.

Thank you very much,

Philip

 

[RCFProd]

The X4 965 isn't enough for most games in general, it just lacks the single core performance that's needed in most modern games. The GTX 1060 6GB will usually be held back by lack of CPU power in most games.

 

[elbert]

yes it will bottleneck but how long do you intend to use the old Phenom? If you have plans to upgrade in the next year I see no problem in facing some bottlenecks now. I would suggest you look at the 1050ti which is also faster than your 6950.

http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1050-Ti-vs-AMD-HD-6950/3649vs3152

 

[JamesConnor]

yes it will bottleneck but how long do you intend to use the old Phenom? If you have plans to upgrade in the next year I see no problem in facing some bottlenecks now. I would suggest you look at the 1050ti which is also faster than your 6950.

http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1050-Ti-vs-AMD-HD-6950/3649vs3152

Thanks so much for the fast replies. I guess the time has finally come to say goodbye to my old friend. Considering my motherboard has an AM3+ socket, are there any compatible CPUs that you guys would recommend to pair with a powerful GPU like the 1060?

 

[JamesConnor]

The X4 965 isn't enough for most games in general, it just lacks the single core performance that's needed in most modern games. The GTX 1060 6GB will usually be held back by lack of CPU power in most games.

 

[RCFProd]

Oh It's AM3+, yeah It's possible.

This CPU:

CPU: AMD FX-8300 3.3GHz 8-Core Processor ($113.36 @ Amazon)
Total: $113.36
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-13 16:54 EST-0500

 

[JamesConnor]

Considering I use a single screen at 1080P, perhaps this is all a little overkill. I'm looking at all of these AM3+ chips and it's tough to decide. If you were doing 1080P gaming on a single screen what kind of a CPU and GPU would you recommend. In this case is it better to focus on higher CPU speed and less cores? Or is more cores always better?

 

[RCFProd]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD FX-8300 3.3GHz 8-Core Processor ($113.36 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 470 4GB ARMOR OC Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $283.35
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-13 16:55 EST-0500

I think these will be pretty good upgrades. The GPU especially is well priced.

 

[JamesConnor]

Oh It's AM3+, yeah It's possible.

This CPU:

CPU: AMD FX-8300 3.3GHz 8-Core Processor ($113.36 @ Amazon)
Total: $113.36
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-13 16:54 EST-0500

Thanks! That's definitely in my price range. Funny after all these years I'd be buying a CPU with a lower "CPU speed" than my previous Phenom II. I guess that goes to show how many other factors contribute to the performance of a processor.

 

[elbert]

yes it will bottleneck but how long do you intend to use the old Phenom? If you have plans to upgrade in the next year I see no problem in facing some bottlenecks now. I would suggest you look at the 1050ti which is also faster than your 6950.

http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GTX-1050-Ti-vs-AMD-HD-6950/3649vs3152

Thanks so much for the fast replies. I guess the time has finally come to say goodbye to my old friend. Considering my motherboard has an AM3+ socket, are there any compatible CPUs that you guys would recommend to pair with a powerful GPU like the 1060?

None for the AM3+. You could either get an i5 now or wait for AMD's AM4 Zen combo at CES this January.

 

[RCFProd]

Intel processors are a lot better, but the FX-8300 for 110 dollars isn't a bad upgrade.

 

[JamesConnor]

Decisions. Decisions. I'd have to do some research on the release price of the AM4 CPUs. I'm not looking to spend over 300 Canadian dollars on a processor which is approximately 225 US dollars. The cost of me purchasing a new motherboard to support an Intel chip is also a factor. I suppose it comes down to either settling for a slightly less powerful GPU and upgrading within the AM3+ category, Or to fork out some more dough and go up to the next level.... hmmm