Could my processor be slowing down my GPU's?

[metbandit1]

Ok i posted a couple of days ago asking for advice on what to upgrade to from 2 GTX 260s in SLI but took advice to wait for a while closer to when BF3 comes out.

Then i thought, what if my CPU is bottlenecking my gfx cards. my cpu is a Q6600 G0 clocked to 2.66GHz could it cause a bottle neck? along with the old RAM i have?

Also what equivalent do my 2 cards add up to in new spec terms? (1 GTX 470 for example)

any other details i have missed out just shout at me for!

thanks!

 

[metbandit1]

annoyingly the BIOS is really confusing on this board.
ASUS P5N-D, also it wont give me any option to change the bus speed. only ever the FSB speed..

I was thinking when i get my uni bursary through i just buying a new mobo/ram/cpu and upgrading.

but i presume that my CPU as it is, is slowing them down?

 

[metbandit1]

A quick and dirty test for cpu bottlenecking is to compare the benchmark of a game at maximum and minimum graphical settings. If the difference is minimal you're likely being bottlenecked by the cpu in that particular game.

Thanks! Ill give that a try and see what comes up!

 

[metbandit1]

OK just benchmarked on BFBC2 and my average FPS on LOW settings was 30 FPS on the net with dual SLI 260s it runs at High with 4x AA it was 55.6 FPS.

so something slowing it down....

 

[metbandit1]

the benchmark of tests on the internet says with the GTX260s in SLI it should run on 55.6 FPS.

however when i did my tests to compare. on high mine ran 20FPS and on low it only ran 30FPS

 

[metbandit1]

http://3dmark.com/3dm06/15492184

theres my 3D mark score...

i might just wait until i get my uni bursary and buy a new setup haha, ill put up with the Bad FPS until then....

it doesnt give me the option to change the Bus speed on my BIOS.

only my FSB speed.
(the larger number isntead of the 3 digit one)

can i change the FSB and still get an overclock?

 

[metbandit1]

FSB (Front Side Bus) speed is the bus speed.

so im fine to adjust it from there then? lol. (im new to this you see hah)

ill give it a go. but im upgrading soon anyways so then ill be fine!

 

[metbandit1]

i dont have the option to put 370 in....

the only option i have is to change my RATED FSB speed. so the number which is 1172.3MHz instead of the one that is currently 293 MHz....

 

[metbandit1]

my VID is currently 1.1625 but thats with me doing nothing...it changes when the CPU becomes busy

 

[metbandit1]

ok something isnt right. i just ran 3dmark and i got a score of 10500 (standard cpu clock)

yet my friend ran 3d mark on his computer which is a q6600 same as mine.
UNDERCLOCKED to 2.2GHz and with a 9800GT GFX card and he got 11500 in 3Dmark..

i think something is wrong with my processor.

I did have a problem a while back where it was running extremely hot after my local PC store fitted an aftermarket cooler for me.
heres what i found when i took the cooler off :

yes that is the protective sticker over the cooler...yes it was fitted with that on..

do you think it would have damaged my cpu and seriously inhibited performance?

 

[metbandit1]

just need to add IT WASNT ME THAT DID IT. haha

 

[metbandit1]

total fail with the aftermarket cooler, some nerd had no idea what he/she was doing....

lucky it didn't melt and wreck your mobo

yep! i know and i cant believe i paid for that **** service.

Do you think it would have damaged the internals of my CPU causing it to run slower than an underclocked CPU thast the same?

 

[metbandit1]

yeh i got a new cooler anyways and fitted the V8 instead of the TX3, but ive had everything out my case given it all a good clean up and re fitted it with some cable management so all seems well so far!