CPU to match my GPU

[igorm]

Hi guys,

I currently have a very old Q6600 G0 overclocked at 3.2GHz and GPU is MSI HD 7950 Twin Frozr III Boost Edition: https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18502458

It's time to upgrade my ancient CPU, Ram and Motherboard. All of those will be dependant on what CPU I will pick.

My GPU is probably the most powerful component in my PC and it would be great if my CPU will be a match, or even slightly more powerful than my GPU.

Getting a very powerful CPU would be a bit senseless, as in that case I believe my GPU will massively bottleneck the performance of the PC. So I wanted to pick something with a good price/performance balance that is close to my GPU.

The majority of confusion for me is caused with the fact that the GPU is almost 3 years old, but by the looks of it, still have a decent performance according to http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

Thanks a lot,
Igor

 

[BluD]

I would go for a quad core again, just get an i5 so your good for future gaming.

The q6600 is still capable today cause games make use of the 4 cores now where as when it came out most games were using single or dual core.

 

[AiiR]

I would go for a quad core again, just get an i5 so your good for future gaming.

The q6600 is still capable today cause games make use of the 4 cores now where as when it came out most games were using single or dual core.

The Q6600 will definitely show its age for games these days, in the newer titles anyway.

OP the 7950 is still a good card at 1080p and there's no use upgrading it because whatever you get will be held back by your cpu. I'd get one of the value Skylake bundles (i3 or i5 depending on budget) then try and grab a 2nd hand r9 290x or wait.

 

[jbh110tdi]

when I upgraded to my 4690k I was still running with the same GPU as youre using.

I went from the FX8350 which died to the phenom 1090t then to the 4690k once I had funds for a bundle. it really let the card show its best. I would say I saw an improvement over the 8350 with the 4690k.

if your not planning on dropping a fortune on a build I would seriously consider it.

 

[joeyjojo]

Which games are you having trouble with? People seem to get decent performance out of the Q6600 in plenty of modern games. E.g. Fallout 4 ultra settings with a GTX 970 (much more powerful than your 7950):

 

[BluD]

Yeah thats the reason i mention it before because I've seen Linus choose a q6600 and 7950 combo a few times when hes been making second hand budget builds, but like i said just grab a new i5 if ya wanna future proof, see if any bundles are on offer like Aiir said, theyre often a cheaper option than buying seperate.

 

[igorm]

My biggest bottleneck is my Ram - 8gb DDR2. To improve it there's no point to get DDR2 anymore, but to upgrade to DDR3 or DDR4 I need a new motherboard. If I will get a new motherboard it will be with a modern slot, rather than LGA775, so that's the main reason to upgrade the CPU.

If there's a better way around it - would love to hear any suggestions.

 

[AiiR]

DDR2 is probably still fine, it'll be your cpu's IPC performance and clockspeed. A Skylake i5 clocked at 4.4GHz will blow it out of the water and give you access to sata3, usb 3 and ddr4 aswell.

Upgrade the base of your system now, then get a new gpu when/if you find a game that warrants it. You'll get an fps boost from an i5 anyhow.

 

[igorm]

Looks like, as I initially though, this option is the best choise: https://www.overclockers.co.uk/8pac...locked-quad-core-gaming-bundle-bu-050-as.html isn't it?

 

[RockoSRI]

Just upgraded from a trusty Q6600 and 2x 8800GTX's in SLI to an i7 5820K and an R9 390. the Q6600 were pretty good chips tbh mine is still going after 8 years or so I plan to use it for server based stuff when I get round to it. You could look at skylake as above all depends on you're budget really

 

[BluD]

yeah that bundle looks good Igorm, its cheaper than you could buy all the parts and its pre overclocked for ya.

If ya want a few more opinions just go to the general hardware section and start a "Spec me a Mobo,CPU Ram" thread with your budget and what your using it for and im sure people will find you some nice deals.

 

[implosiveturnip]

The Q6600 will definitely show its age for games these days, in the newer titles anyway.

OP the 7950 is still a good card at 1080p and there's no use upgrading it because whatever you get will be held back by your cpu. I'd get one of the value Skylake bundles (i3 or i5 depending on budget) then try and grab a 2nd hand r9 290x or wait.

This.

the OC'd i3 would be what I was looking at if you don't want to spend a tonne but still get really good performance. I'd say if you play a lot of multiplayer, the i5 may possibly be the better bet.