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GTX 1060 3GB Compatibility

Will_J

Will_J

Will_J

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Joined
13 May 2016
Posts
6
Hi,

I'm looking to buy my brother a GTX 1060 3GB, but I suspect his desktop's hardware might be too old to support it. Would you be able to confirm?

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
Mobo: Gigabyte EG45M-DS2H
Current Card: AMD Radeon HD 7800

Even if it does run, would the CPU be a significant bottleneck? He games at 1080p.

Thanks in advance.

Will
 
The GPU would be a bottleneck for modern games as 3gb is not enough.

The 6gb 1060 is a far better card.

As to the Q6600, there would be some bottlenecking but this can in part be countered by keeping the game settings high.
 
I'd go with 6GB, I have a 3GB in a laptop but it's not handicapped like the desktop version compared to the 6GB and it seemed to run games fine at 1080p. That CPU is showing it's age though and probably would be a bottleneck as said above. Probably slowly do incremental upgrades, GPU would be a priority.
 
This is the fastest Timespy benchmark on 3D Mark with a Q6600 overclocked to 3.6ghz and also a heavily overclocked 1060 3GB. Bear in mind you probably won't be able to reach the same GPU core and mem speeds and its likely to be unstable in games anyway at those speeds.

https://www.3dmark.com/spy/1164435
 
Will_J said:
Hi,

I'm looking to buy my brother a GTX 1060 3GB, but I suspect his desktop's hardware might be too old to support it. Would you be able to confirm?

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
Mobo: Gigabyte EG45M-DS2H
Current Card: AMD Radeon HD 7800

Even if it does run, would the CPU be a significant bottleneck? He games at 1080p.

Thanks in advance.

Will
Click to expand...
Simple answer is, compatibility will be fine assuming the PSU is up to the job.

In terms of bottleneck it depends on the game and resolution. You will probably be if you're keeping settings high to load the GPU heavily.

A worthwhile upgrade as when it comes time to upgrade the CPU, the 1060 will be worth keeping.
 
Wouldnt pair anything higher than a 1050ti with it unless he planned on upgrading the CPU . bottleneck city with a 1060 in every scenario .
 
All you need from the CPU is to get playable fps that the monitor supports, if this can be achieved then you can use any card from entry level to a Titan V.

The only difference between any of the cards that can be used is the faster cards can use higher settings.

A CPU bottleneck is something that stops you getting the fps that the monitor supports.
 
Kaapstad said:
All you need from the CPU is to get playable fps that the monitor supports, if this can be achieved then you can use any card from entry level to a Titan V.

The only difference between any of the cards that can be used is the faster cards can use higher settings.

A CPU bottleneck is something that stops you getting the fps that the monitor supports.
Click to expand...

Really ? I would have considered a CPU a bottleneck the moment it doesn't allow the GPU to be utilized fully . regardless it would be abit daft chucking more money at a GPU then needed unless planning an upgrade .
 
MasterOC said:
Really ? I would have considered a CPU a bottleneck the moment it doesn't allow the GPU to be utilized fully . regardless it would be abit daft chucking more money at a GPU then needed unless planning an upgrade .
Click to expand...

More modern CPUs do have better IPC and higher clockspeeds which does bring improvements that can lead to higher fps.

The problem is if the monitor only supports 60fps it does not matter if the CPU is good for 90 or 110 or 200.

Better to make sure you can get the required 60fps and use the extra GPU performance to maximise settings.
 
Yes it will bottleneck at certain points, but he'll be getting at least the same fps he had with the old card, and most likely more with the ability to increase the graphic settings a lot.

Yes a 6GB is better than the 3GB, so if the budget can reach that it would be worth it. Or look at the AMD RX 580 8GB cards.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/sapp...ess-graphics-card-11265-09-20g-gx-37q-sp.html

Please note none of these new cards support VGA, you need a digital input on the monitor.


Just because a GPU is bottlenecked doesn't mean you won't get a significant performance increase. My jump from a GTX 1080 to GTX 1080ti show a decent increase even though my 2600K bottlenecks them both at certain points.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies. This is a birthday present so it's up to him to upgrade the CPU should he wish to. The desktop allows him to easily make incremental changes.

My main concern is the pci-e compatibility with the motherboard, but you're saying that's okay?

He is currently playing Overwatch on 20-25 fps. Was hoping to lift that to 50 at least.

Thanks again!

Will
 
The compatibility is there. In terms of bandwidth, PCIe 1.1 to PCIe 3.0 can have as much as 10%+ impact at 1080p in gaming. That said, I read those figures from a GTX 1080 article so might be a lot better with a 1060. Also obviously the CPU may limit things before the PCIe bandwidth does.

I think it'll be ok for a while and then any future CPU upgrade will unlock even more potential.
 
Will_J said:
Thanks everyone for the replies. This is a birthday present so it's up to him to upgrade the CPU should he wish to. The desktop allows him to easily make incremental changes.

My main concern is the pci-e compatibility with the motherboard, but you're saying that's okay?

He is currently playing Overwatch on 20-25 fps. Was hoping to lift that to 50 at least.

Thanks again!

Will
Click to expand...
I highly recommend upgrading the CPU first. Adding a 1060 will do nothing on its own. The gpu he has already is capable of gaming at 1080p with medium to high settings at very good fps. I'm assuming he has either the 7850 or 7870? Well even the 7850 with an Intel 2500 is getting 70fps maxing out overwatch.

 
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