Will my CPU bottleneck Nvidia 970?

[ibanezs470dx]

So I have an old intel i3 540 3.07ghz and I plan to upgrade to a EVGA Nvidia 970 SC from my AMD HD5770 some time in the future. I have overclocked my CPU to about 3.4ghz using the stock cooler (I don't want to go any further without a custom cooler like a CM 212 or something).

Would my CPU bottleneck the Nvidia 970 when I do upgrade and by how much?

Also would it be worth my money investing in a new CPU and Motherboard because of the bottleneck or not?

Thanks

 

[clutchc]

It will indeed. Can't say how much. That will depend on the game, and if it is CPU or GPU limited. But that is too much money to spend on a card for the old i3-540 dual core.

 

[bcr1231]

Hello ibanezs470dx

The I3 is a great processor even know it is limited to being duel-core. As long as you are only running 1-2 background programs and a game there will be no noticeable bottleneck. If you are planning on recording or running duel monitors i would grab an upgrade

Hope this helps

 

[ibanezs470dx]

It will indeed. Can't say how much. That will depend on the game, and if it is CPU or GPU limited. But that is too much money to spend on a card for the old i3-540 dual core.

I do plan on upgrading my CPU in the future, just don't have the funds for it atm. I was thinking of getting a good gpu and then upgrading my cpu later on in the line rather than splitting my cash and getting a mediocre cpu, mobo and gpu.

If anyone knows about how long until the inevitable point in which my cpu must be upgraded please tell me 😛

And cheers for the reply

 

[ibanezs470dx]

Hello ibanezs470dx

The I3 is a great processor even know it is limited to being duel-core. As long as you are only running 1-2 background programs and a game there will be no noticeable bottleneck. If you are planning on recording or running duel monitors i would grab an upgrade

Hope this helps

Ahh I see. I don't have a dual monitor setup or plan to record any time soon.

Thanks for the reply

 

[clutchc]

It will indeed. Can't say how much. That will depend on the game, and if it is CPU or GPU limited. But that is too much money to spend on a card for the old i3-540 dual core.

I do plan on upgrading my CPU in the future, just don't have the funds for it atm. I was thinking of getting a good gpu and then upgrading my cpu later on in the line rather than splitting my cash and getting a mediocre cpu, mobo and gpu.

If anyone knows about how long until the inevitable point in which my cpu must be upgraded please tell me 😛

And cheers for the reply

You'll have to upgrade the motherboard too, unless you plan on buying a used 1st gen i7-8xx CPU off ebay. That will not be a bad match for the GTX 970. But as long as you are planning on a future CPU/MB upgrade, there's no reason to not get the GTX 970. Otherwise, you are better off with a GTX 750 Ti or R7-265 if you want to avoid CPU bottle neck.

 

[ibanezs470dx]

It will indeed. Can't say how much. That will depend on the game, and if it is CPU or GPU limited. But that is too much money to spend on a card for the old i3-540 dual core.

I do plan on upgrading my CPU in the future, just don't have the funds for it atm. I was thinking of getting a good gpu and then upgrading my cpu later on in the line rather than splitting my cash and getting a mediocre cpu, mobo and gpu.

If anyone knows about how long until the inevitable point in which my cpu must be upgraded please tell me 😛

And cheers for the reply

You'll have to upgrade the motherboard too, unless you plan on buying a used 1st gen i7-8xx CPU off ebay. That will not be a bad match for the GTX 970. But as long as you are planning on a future CPU/MB upgrade, there's no reason to not get the GTX 970. Otherwise, you are better off with a GTX 750 Ti or R7-265 if you want to avoid CPU bottle neck.

I will consider these options. What cpu and mobo would work well with the 970 from the current range??