So why is your experience so different to Antony101, who has a superior graphics card too? - "I played Far Cry 3 with a Q6600 and a MSI GTX 670 Power Edition, it managed but ran quiet badly."
Intel Q6600 @ 3.6 ghz, time for upgrade?
- Thread starter HotRabbit
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So why is your experience so different to Antony101, who has a superior graphics card too? - "I played Far Cry 3 with a Q6600 and a MSI GTX 670 Power Edition, it managed but ran quiet badly."
Probably the biggest improvement I noticed to performance was installing two solid state drives; one for the OS and swap file, the other for games. Loading times are minimal. That's why I'm thinking that my trusty Radeon HD 5870 still has life in it and could offer more if it has more room to breathe in an updated CPU/mobo/ram combination.
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I've read good things about the FX6300, especially as I'm thinking of overclocking it to around 4.5 ghz. I'm also hoping frequency and number of cores increase will give good performance in applications other than games. And it's at a good price at the moment.
I also have reservations about Crossfire/SLI. Maybe I should eliminate that feature to reduce the cost of a new mobo? Put the funds towards a GPU/CPU/mobo/ram upgrade. But then it's getting expensive...
It's up to you in the end, I'm sure the FX6300 is likely capable but on benchmarks it comes nowhere close to an i5 and in some is actually worse than the Q6600.
A 2500/3570/4670k will be a definite improvement and a very solid platform for future GPU upgrades.
Buying something just because you can afford to now is never a good way to build a PC. If you can afford to save then do so. If not then obviously spend what you can afford to.
Obviously cost comes into it and I understand if it's just to much to spend, but if it is possible it's what I would definitely recommend. The k series i5s are also fairly good overclockers.
A 2500/3570/4670k will be a definite improvement and a very solid platform for future GPU upgrades.
Buying something just because you can afford to now is never a good way to build a PC. If you can afford to save then do so. If not then obviously spend what you can afford to.
Obviously cost comes into it and I understand if it's just to much to spend, but if it is possible it's what I would definitely recommend. The k series i5s are also fairly good overclockers.
Fair enough, but that doesn't explain the black and white difference between the comments of "I can play Far Cry 3 at maximum settings with 2xAA at adequate frame rates" and "I played Far Cry 3 with a Q6600 and a MSI GTX 670 Power Edition, it managed but ran quiet badly."
They give very different views of performance, especially given the latter is even with a superior graphics card to the former
Fair enough, but that doesn't explain the black and white difference between the comments of "I can play Far Cry 3 at maximum settings with 2xAA at adequate frame rates" and "I played Far Cry 3 with a Q6600 and a MSI GTX 670 Power Edition, it managed but ran quiet badly."
They give very different views of performance, especially given the latter is even with a superior graphics card to the former
It is a bit odd. Maybe there's other things to consider in our systems? Maybe different people's perception of 'adequate frame rates' differs? All I can say was my experience was okay for me.
CPU upgrade, motherboard and 8 Gb of RAM and keep your 5870 for now and the SSD, Your Q6600 is bottlenecking your 5870 as it is, I had a Q9650 @ 4Ghz and that was bottlenecking a 5870.
I would get yourself a second hand i7 2600k or i5 2500k, 2600k will be anywhere from £100-£115 or a 2500k from £85-£95. Then buy a new motherboard and RAM. I don't gamble on second hand motherboards unless I buy on here from the members market from the good guys I can trust, so don't buy second hand motherboards from ebay they will most likely have some fault and that's why some are passing them on there and hoping you don't notice the fault.
A second hand CPU either works or doesn't, simple as that really.
RAM I would only buy again from the guys here on the members market if second hand and make sure the RAM has a warranty, most come with life time warranty.
If you take this route you will have a much better system than the one you mention, the games will run nicer and photoshop will fly and be as smooth as silk.
I would get yourself a second hand i7 2600k or i5 2500k, 2600k will be anywhere from £100-£115 or a 2500k from £85-£95. Then buy a new motherboard and RAM. I don't gamble on second hand motherboards unless I buy on here from the members market from the good guys I can trust, so don't buy second hand motherboards from ebay they will most likely have some fault and that's why some are passing them on there and hoping you don't notice the fault.
A second hand CPU either works or doesn't, simple as that really.
RAM I would only buy again from the guys here on the members market if second hand and make sure the RAM has a warranty, most come with life time warranty.
If you take this route you will have a much better system than the one you mention, the games will run nicer and photoshop will fly and be as smooth as silk.
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How do know that out of interest? And surely it depends on the game too?
