Do I really have to replace my 4800 x2?

[duffbeer666]

I am currently running the spec in my signature and I get the feeling that it is upgrade time as my games are suffering and I cannot play Crysis smoothly.
I was originally just going to buy a GTX 260 but a few people have said that my CPU is going to really limit the performance.

The 4800 x2 is dual core, 64 bit and running at 2.4ghz (as I'm sure you know) but I see the new quad and dual cores are only a little quicker, am I really going to see much improvement?

I just don't understand!

 

[Greebo]

It's like chalk and cheese. And as always with cpus, Ghz speed doesn't tell the full story.

Here's an article to give you a feel about cpu limited albeit with a 4870x2

http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=770&p=5

I will say that when I went from a 4200+ x2 running at 3Ghz to a q6600 running at 3.4Ghz I saw an 11fps gain in crysis with my 8800GTS 512Mb going from 29fps to 40fps.

The GTX260 is even quicker than my old 8800GTS and I'm sure you maybe aren't running your 4800x2 at 3Ghz anyway so the gain will be even greater.

I held out for ages like you but when the new graphics cards came out and I bought one, I felt I wasn't getting the performance I should for the money I had spent.

And heres another review of a qx9770 top of the range chip but it lists other processors.

http://www.sharkyextreme.com/hardware/cpu/article.php/3261_3712036__10

As you can see, in some games the framerate difference is double with the same graphics card.

Like all things in life, you need a balanced system.

Yes, you will see a gain (you don't state your current graphics card) but not as much as you should or could.

 

[duffbeer666]

Thanks for such a detailed reply.
Those links were very interesting - I did not realise just how much difference the CPU makes to the framerate.
My graphics card is listed in the signature - an 8800 GTS 640mb.

So my next question is do I go for a E8600 @3.33ghz or the Q9300 @2.5ghz?
Both of these are roughly the same cost.

 

[Iraklis F.C.]

i would suggest either E8600 or a Q6600 also will you overclock?

 

[duffbeer666]

No overclocking for me - it's just to much hassle.

I chose the Q9300 rather than the Q6600 because it is the newer 45nm chip. I think I prefer the extra clock speed of the E8600 but I am worried that quad core supported software will really start to take off soon and I will have to upgrade again!

 

[Iraklis F.C.]

not really , get the E8600

 

[Greebo]

Sorry duff, i was writing your reply so I couldn't see your sig.

As Iraklis says, do you plan to overclock?

Do you mainly game?

If you mainly game the dual core will be the best buy.

If you don't overclock at all, then get the E8600 if you can afford it.

If you do overclock at all then save money and get the E8500 or E8200 - both will overclock to the stock speeds of the E8600 and more.

 

[flinco]

its a crime not to overclock that chip, you could at least get it to 3ghz and it would be very noticeably faster and you wouldnt notice that much of an increase in temps, you might not even need to get an aftermarket cooler. if you definitely arent going to overclock you should go for the E8600 as its already at quite a high clock speed.