CPU or GPU

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23 Dec 2008
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I am not saying it is a problem specific to COD5, it's just a good example to illustrate my point here.

What makes me difficult to understand is that both COD4 and COD5 are using the same graphics engine, but the frame rates I am getting from both games are different, given the same graphics settings. What I have noticed is that in COD4, I can manage to obtain around 60 fps running my Q6600 @ stock speed which is 2.4GHz without overclocking it. But then fps bleeds bitterly when running COD5 which givesme somewhere around 30 ~32.

I am actually amazed at how my HD 3850 performs having said all that. After migration from my prvious system which was only a Pentium D945 with ATi X1950Pro (AGP version) to my current rig which is a C2Q Q6600 with a PCI-Express HD 3850, the following games run pretty good with frame rates capped at 100 fps (no AA, no AF):

Battlefield 2
Battlefield 2142

Even talking about AA and AF applied, I can still manage to get 77~80 fps for both games with BF 2142 slightly lower.

My question being, is the Quad CPU at stock speed already suffices the need for good performance, or the HD 3850 GPU is contributing to the high fps so obtained?

Are leafs hurting the fps, COD5 is more outdoors with lots of jungle scene, whereas COD4 is pretty much like indoors with less leafs to deal with thus making HD 3850 stands out?
 
In the last couple of days, I have observed using HWMonitor Pro, that the 3850 was doing 71 degrees at max when I was playing COD5. Is it over the threshold of "safe temperature"?
I can afford getting a 4850 and 4870, but I standby the idea of Cross Fire another 3850 because I doubt the effectiveness of CF or SLI still.
I thought about 4870*2 but it was far too expensive. Yesterday, I read about another thread somewhere, the chap made a very good point. Today's PC games are poorly coded that even using an expensive card like the 4870*2 doesn't guarantee the expected image quality and frame rates. My opinion is the same, in additions, getting such a high end card just for 1 or 2 new games like Crysis and GTA IV is not worht the money.

What you reckon?
 
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