Is my CPU bottlenecking my 7970's Xfire?

Goat-

Goat-

Goat-

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11 Dec 2012
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105
Hi,

For the last few days since I've got my 7970's in Xfire mode up and running I've had terrible performance, I've seen little to no increase in performance at all.

I've tried everything, fresh drivers, fresh install of windows, different Xfire bridge etc. Nothing works and I've ran out of solutions to try.

Is my CPU majorly bottlenecking my GPU's?

I'm using i5 3450 @ 3.1Ghz

Both cards works fine separately on their own, tested both extensively so it's not a card issue.

Here is an example of my average performance:

(Open in new window/tab for full size)

With Crossfire enabled
bf3_2013_02_03_15_00_13_194_zps331e4ba2.png


Single GPU enabled
bf3_2013_02_03_15_05_38_449_zps1566bc50.png


As you can see, little no difference in performance.

So what's the problem?
 
It's an i5 matey, not an i3.

It's the same when playing all games, not just Battlefield 3 though, even in games such as Black Ops 2 which is barely demanding at all I'm getting 5-10fps increase at the most. Crysis and crysis 2 are the same also, no performance increase.
 
Sorry op, misread the cpu spec. At stock speed though, the cpu will bottlekneck xfired cards. Had similair with a stock i7 920 and sli gtx 470's. Oc'd the cpu to 4.0ghz, this eliminated the problem.
 
So it's definitely my CPU then? Planning on getting a 3570k tomorrow if it is, just want to be 100% the CPU is the bottleneck before buying one as my 3450 runs like a dream with a single card.
 
Goat- said:
So it's definitely my CPU then? Planning on getting a 3570k tomorrow if it is, just want to be 100% the CPU is the bottleneck before buying one as my 3450 runs like a dream with a single card.
Click to expand...

What motherboard and what PSU,CPU cooler and motherboard are you running??

Moreover,you can use the additional multiplier bins the CPU has,to do a mild overclock.
 
Goat- said:
So it's definitely my CPU then? Planning on getting a 3570k tomorrow if it is, just want to be 100% the CPU is the bottleneck before buying one as my 3450 runs like a dream with a single card.
Click to expand...

as a trial you could try overclocking your current CPU (if it is possible) to see if there's an increase in performance. If there is then it is likely the 3570K would solve the problem. Especially as it can be overclocked to 4.5Ghz ish.
 
With a stock 3570k, i was getting about 88% gpu usage in bf3. Oc'd the cpu to 4.5ghz a few days ago, a constant 98% gpu usage. Gtx 670 @1320/7586.
 
It will run fine if your happy enough with a stock setup. But it can run a bit better if you overclock.
 
CAT-THE-FIFTH said:
What motherboard and what PSU,CPU cooler and motherboard are you running??

Moreover,you can use the additional multiplier bins the CPU has,to do a mild overclock.
Click to expand...

MSI Z77A-G45 mobo
750w XFX Core Edition
intel stock CPU cooler

Cooler sucks, but I doubt would cause such a massive hit in performance.
 
Op, go into your bios and set the multiplier as high as it will go, 41 I think is the highest on your non k i5, then save and restart, then check using cpuz.
 
Goat- said:
MSI Z77A-G45 mobo
750w XFX Core Edition
intel stock CPU cooler

Cooler sucks, but I doubt would cause such a massive hit in performance.
Click to expand...

I was using the Intel stock cooler for my Xeon E3 1220, which has a 80W TDP, and moving to a budget low profile cooler actually reduced temperatures by over 10C on average.


Martini1991 said:
95% of gamers don't care much for performance :p
Click to expand...

TBH,I am more concerned about how smooth a game runs. I only upgrade when I feel that gameplay or performance in other applications is lacking.

From my experience of the Crysis3 MP Alpha and Beta that game seems relatively CPU heavy though.
 
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