• Competitor rules

    Please remember that any mention of competitors, hinting at competitors or offering to provide details of competitors will result in an account suspension. The full rules can be found under the 'Terms and Rules' link in the bottom right corner of your screen. Just don't mention competitors in any way, shape or form and you'll be OK.

What does "Bottleneck" mean?

Gimpymoo

Gimpymoo

Gimpymoo

Soldato
Joined
31 May 2005
Posts
15,640
Location
Nottingham
My rig is in need of an update and I may have the funds to get a new graphics card so am looking at the 4870 X2's to give me better visuals over my X1950 PRO untill a few months time when I build a new rig.

Now, if a CPU causes a "Bottleneck" does this just mean the card will not work to its "fullest" or will it make it run worse than the X1950?

My understanding is it will still destroy the X1950, bottlenecked or not.

Thanks.
 
I think it means it will be restricted, so it wont be able to work to its full potential.

It will be restricted by the power of the CPU, not been able to cope.
 
When something is poured from a bottle, the neck of the bottle restricts the flow of liquid. Hence bottle neck. In PC terms this would be a part of your system which slows the rest down, such as a slow CPU or memory.
 
The system can only run as fast as the slowest component. if you have a good card, but a rubbish CPU, the CPU will 'bottleneck' the system. Likewise, if you have a rubbish card with a good CPU, the card will be the bottleneck.

As games are generally more dependent on graphics card power than CPU power, if you have to cut back on one compent it's best have a poor CPU (obviously within reason - you'll not get far with a Pentium II, whichever card you use :P ) with a good card than the other way round.
 
What does "Bottleneck" mean?
Click to expand...
752015beerbottleneckti5.jpg
??
 
Gimpymoo said:
My rig is in need of an update and I may have the funds to get a new graphics card so am looking at the 4870 X2's to give me better visuals over my X1950 PRO untill a few months time when I build a new rig.

Now, if a CPU causes a "Bottleneck" does this just mean the card will not work to its "fullest" or will it make it run worse than the X1950?

My understanding is it will still destroy the X1950, bottlenecked or not.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Aye, imagine people leaving a train through one door. The x1950 is the first train with 2 people on. Train stops, people get off nice and easy. Train 2 is the 4870x2. This time it's crammed with like 200 people. The door is the same size so it just takes longer.
 
A better analogy IMO would be to say that you've got a train with 4 doors.
Train 1: No limitation on how many people can disembark at once, 2 people leave immediately
Train 2: Only 4 people can get off at once, rather than all 200. But your throughput of people is still higher than on train 1 (4 people rather than 2), even if you are still limited and ideally would have 200 doors.

Equating this to graphics cards, what this means is that a 4870x2 will still be faster than a x1950pro apart from in a few extreme situations (say, when you are playing in very low resolution - the equivalent of the train pulling up at a very short platform where only 2 doors can be used)
 
Bottleneck means something that limits the rest of the system

- in the case of a bottle, no matter what you do the the bottle, if the neck of it is the same size, the water will come out at the same speed

- in the case of a computer, a graphics card can only process frames as fast as the cpu can hand them to it

what is your current cpu?
 
The Analogys in this thread are great, thanks.. they did raise a smile :)

The current CPU is a 939 x2 4200+

Will be upgrading the rig over the next 4 months, along with a 28" Monitor.

Obviously, could do with some more graphical horse power at the moment. The 1950 was a great card but is now showing its age if you want eye candy. Am currently running at 1680x1050 and as allready mentioned, the majority of games at the moment are still more GPU than CPU intensive so thought may as well upgrade the VGA card and PSU First and get some graphical benefits while I await the other components.
 
Last edited:
Are you waiting because of money constraints or are you hoping to get a cheaper nehalem system in a few months?
 
Last edited:
Gimpymoo said:
Money constraints.
Click to expand...

Buy HD 4870 now and then another HD 4870 later? That way you wouldnt be wasting too much money on a card which isnt being fully utilised for the time till then.

edit: wow havent looked at prices in ages, the hd 4870s cost £230 each for the 1GB cards.
 
Yeah, thats what swung me to be honest. Im actually considering waiting for the Gainward Rampage to be honest.

Once upon a time, the 4870 1GB's were about £180-£190.

£230 now only buys you the bog standard reference cards too.
 
jas07 said:
Can i jump in here and ask would a Q6600 @ 3Ghz limit it? Im fairly sure it wont but id like to be sure :)
Click to expand...

no

in some games, having a 2ghz vs 4 ghz Q6600 will make fk all difference, in others like supcom it will make all the diff, what do you play?
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom