Help reducing a 100% bottleneck

[Damsen]

Hey everyone, i'm looking to reduce a literal 100% bottleneck caused by my very old CPU.

But i don't want to just reduce it, i want the CPU that reduces this the most, the best processor for my video card. So what is the one?

 

Current build:

GPU: GTX 660 (2012)

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Processor - 3.20 GHz - (2008)

RAM: 6.00 GB

OS: Windows 10 Professional - 64-bit

[SorryBella]

19 minutes ago, Damsen said:

ey everyone, i'm looking to reduce a literal 100% bottleneck caused by my very old CPU.

Where do you find this stat, bottleneck "calculator"?

 

Honestly i would just go for a full on platform upgrade to something like Intel Core i3 10100 or a 10400F (or its AMD counterpart of 5600X) if you can spare it, then you can throw in a good used GPUs later when we all returned to sanity and GPU prices goes down again.

[AdamBGames]

23 minutes ago, Damsen said:

Hey everyone, i'm looking to reduce a literal 100% bottleneck caused by my very old CPU.

But i don't want to just reduce it, i want the CPU that reduces this the most, the best processor for my video card. So what is the one?

 

Current build:

GPU: GTX 660 (2012)

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Processor - 3.20 GHz - (2008)

RAM: 6.00 GB

OS: Windows 10 Professional - 64-bit

Honestly for a 660, any intel chip from the 2000 series onwards will do fine. Seems like a waste to go any newer than 3rd or 4th gen with that kind of system.

 

But as Claire above said, at this point even a cheaper new intel system will far exceed what that system is providing. 

[AdamBGames]

My main advice honestly would be to just go for a full new system, keep the 660 since GPUs are hard to get right now, but the rest is just not up to par now. The Phenom was pretty weak even when it came out. Plus 6GB of RAM is just not going to cut it now.
If you want advice on a new system, I or many other members of this forum are willing to help you.

[gal-m]

24 minutes ago, SorryClaire said:

Honestly i would just go for a full on platform upgrade

 

19 minutes ago, AdamBGames said:

My main advice honestly would be to just go for a full new system

I agree with @SorryClaire & @AdamBGames, however you must realize that upgrading platforms and keeping your current GPU might leave you waiting for a COUPLE of more years, which will in turn render your upgraded platform feeling last gen/old. That might matter depending on what you want your computer to do for you. If you're looking for an all rounder PC or looking to game at high refresh low res (1080p), then upgrading the CPU, MOBO, RAM, etc. might render it slower than you'd like in a few years. Now, I'm basing this on the fact many people are speculating this crisis might last for two or even three more years. 

Again, this depends on where you live, what you need your computer to do for you and most importantly, your budget. In my opinion, even when availability rises and demand begins to drop we just aren't going to be seeing GPU prices dropping down to what we were used to, aka. around $300 for a 60 series Nvidia GPU.

 

I'd recommend going for an 2600k or even better - X79 platform. Something like a nice X79 board, 16GB of DDR3 RAM and a 3930K 6-core CPU will be a FANTASTIC upgrade, if you manage to get the parts I mentioned at around $150-$200!

 

IF you decide on getting a newer and faster GPU (faster than an RX 580) @low resolutions, then a CPU like the 3930K might start to bottleneck you. Be advised -> upgrading platforms and managing to find a GPU at a fairly decent price is not only going to be difficult, but also VERY costly @Damsen - configurations featuring an RTX 3060 and a decent Intel or AMD platform combo might end up costing around $2000 and maybe $500 less for equivalent hardware in a few years.

 

Up to you though  

[SorryBella]

6 minutes ago, gal-m said:

Now, I'm basing this on the fact many people are speculating this crisis might last for two or even three more years

But the thing is, if you assume that, then why dont we go even further and wait until DDR5 based CPU hit the mainstream? I made assumption that this is going to be until Q1 of 2022, which is not gonna be so far gone that something like a comet/rocket lake or Zen 3 CPUs would not have gone rotten obsolete.

[Damsen]

10 minutes ago, SorryClaire said:

Where do you find this stat, bottleneck "calculator"?

I use MSI Afterburner and RTSS, and whenever i play without fps cap i see my CPU usage reach 100%, it's crazy lol. Also, i don't trust bottleneck calculator, it says it's always bottlenecked by a huge percentage.

[gal-m]

1 minute ago, SorryClaire said:

But the thing is, if you assume that, then why dont we go even further and wait until DDR5 based CPU hit the mainstream?

Which is exactly why I recommended a used X79 platform, which can or could (haven't checked in some time) be had for cheap. Now that is fantastic, since it provides users with a modern computing experience, which is what I assumed @Damsen was suggesting.

But I totally agree with you @SorryClaire.

[gal-m]

What kind of budget for upgrades are you working with @Damsen and where do you live, if you don't mind me asking ?

[Damsen]

13 minutes ago, gal-m said:

 

I agree with @SorryClaire & @AdamBGames, however you must realize that upgrading platforms and keeping your current GPU might leave you waiting for a COUPLE of more years, which will in turn render your upgraded platform feeling last gen/old. That might matter depending on what you want your computer to do for you. If you're looking for an all rounder PC or looking to game at high refresh low res (1080p), then upgrading the CPU, MOBO, RAM, etc. might render it slower than you'd like in a few years. Now, I'm basing this on the fact many people are speculating this crisis might last for two or even three more years. 

Again, this depends on where you live, what you need your computer to do for you and most importantly, your budget. In my opinion, even when availability rises and demand begins to drop we just aren't going to be seeing GPU prices dropping down to what we were used to, aka. around $300 for a 60 series Nvidia GPU.

 

I'd recommend going for an 2600k or even better - X79 platform. Something like a nice X79 board, 16GB of DDR3 RAM and a 3930K 6-core CPU will be a FANTASTIC upgrade, if you manage to get the parts I mentioned at around $150-$200!

 

IF you decide on getting a newer and faster GPU (faster than an RX 580) @low resolutions, then a CPU like the 3930K might start to bottleneck you. Be advised -> upgrading platforms and managing to find a GPU at a fairly decent price is not only going to be difficult, but also VERY costly @Damsen - configurations featuring an RTX 3060 and a decent Intel or AMD platform combo might end up costing around $2000 and maybe $500 less for equivalent hardware in a few years.

 

Up to you though  

Sorry but i don't want to go hardcore with a damn 2600k, i don't care at all about future-proof builds, all i want is to balance a build around my GTX 660, so i want the CPU that's just as powerful as this GPU so both can go on their full potential.

[Damsen]

1 minute ago, gal-m said:

What kind of budget for upgrades are you working with @Damsen and where do you live, if you don't mind me asking ?

No budget, i want to learn PC building and my only needing upgrades are CPU, RAM and a good SSD, that's all. I'm new at pc building.

[gal-m]

6 minutes ago, Damsen said:

Sorry but i don't want to go hardcore with a damn 2600k, i don't care at all about future-proof builds, all i want is to balance a build around my GTX 660, so i want the CPU that's just as powerful as this GPU so both can go on their full potential.

@Damsen a 2600K isn't nowhere near hardcore nowadays. It was the enthusiast choice back in the day and held it's own until recently, however the 2600K and it's surrounding platform is at the end of it's lifespan, as it has really begun showing it's age, especially in modern titles.

Either way a 2500K or 2600K would go PERFECTLY with your GTX 660, since that's what people paired with GTX 660's, 670's and 680's back in the day. They're fantastic little CPU's and can overclock like hell too.

If you want something that feels much more modern, with similar memory bandwith as systems nowadays, go with a 3930K and X79 platform - trust me, they seriously feel just as "snappy" as modern day systems for the majority of tasks  (coming from a 5900X, 2700K and 3930K owner).

[gal-m]

11 minutes ago, Damsen said:

No budget, i want to learn PC building and my only needing upgrades are CPU, RAM and a good SSD, that's all. I'm new at pc building.

Glad you're finding yourself in our mutual hobby @Damsen  and welcome, however you'll soon find out there's no such thing as "no budget" in the PC building world. The term you described almost always, quite simply, doesn't exist. There is always a budget.

[Damsen]

7 minutes ago, gal-m said:

@Damsen a 2600K isn't nowhere near hardcore nowadays. It was the enthusiast choice back in the day and held it's own until recently, however the 2600K and it's surrounding platform is at the end of it's lifespan, as it has really begun showing it's age, especially in modern titles.

Either way a 2500K or 2600K would go PERFECTLY with your GTX 660, since that's what people paired with GTX 660's, 670's and 680's back in the day. They're fantastic little CPU's and can overclock like hell too.

If you want something that feels much more modern, with similar memory bandwith as systems nowadays, go with a 3930K and X79 platform - trust me, they seriously feel just as "snappy" as modern day systems for the majority of tasks  (coming from a 5900X, 2700K and 3930K owner).

Wait, you mean an i7 2600K? Just to clarify and not misunderstand. Because that one seems to be way over-the-top for a GTX 660 as far as i looked.

And also, what are platforms? Did i say i'm new at pc building?

[Damsen]

5 minutes ago, gal-m said:

Glad you're finding yourself in our mutual hobby @Damsen  and welcome, however you'll soon find out there's no such thing as "no budget" in the PC building world. The term you described almost always, quite simply, doesn't exist. There is always a budget.

I don't have a job, no money, hence, no budget. It's an hypothetical upgrade.

[SorryBella]

11 minutes ago, Damsen said:

I don't have a job, no money, hence, no budget. It's an hypothetical upgrade.

If i were being honest, if you dont have any budget, then use the amount of money you likely gonna have in the future and use that as your budget.

[Damsen]

3 minutes ago, SorryClaire said:

If i were being honest, if you dont have any budget, then use the amount of money you likely gonna have in the future and use that as your budget.

Yes, that's what i plan to do. But forget about money being a factor here, don't worry about it, i'll take care of it. I just want to know the best balance for my GTX 660 so both GPU and CPU can work at 100% or at least the closest to it. I don't plan on upgrading anything other than my CPU. I don't need the ideas you guys are throwing, just the needed CPU to make full use of my GPU.

[SavageNeo]

you can try to look for Phenom II X6s I have found them at 20-25 euros so around 30 dollars in USA. i would not invest more money on such old platform.

[gal-m]

20 minutes ago, Damsen said:

I don't need the ideas you guys are throwing, just the needed CPU to make full use of my GPU.

I understand you now @Damsen, but you should have clarified yourself way earlier instead of sort of dismissing us in this way. I think all of us were trying to be helpful, but the help we give depends on the info you provide, which you have not.

17 minutes ago, SavageNeo said:

you can try to look for Phenom II X6s I have found them at 20-25 euros so around 30 dollars in USA. i would not invest more money on such old platform

Absolutely 100% agree with @SavageNeo. It simply makes no sense investing money in such an old platform (in general platform = everything that can plug in/is compatible with your motherboard - main thing being the CPU and RAM).

 

The sad truth is that it's basically very difficult to get something quite good for almost nothing, especially nowadays. So ultimately it's going to be up to you @Damsen  

[Damsen]

11 hours ago, SavageNeo said:

you can try to look for Phenom II X6s I have found them at 20-25 euros so around 30 dollars in USA. i would not invest more money on such old platform.

Wouldn't the six-core FX 6100 have more balancing with the GTX 660 than the Phenom II X6s? I looked for benchmarks between that CPU and GPU and they both work in balance, it's perfect for what i was looking for.

[Glenwing]

42 minutes ago, Damsen said:

Wouldn't the six-core FX 6100 have more balancing with the GTX 660 than the Phenom II X6s? I looked for benchmarks between that CPU and GPU and they both work in balance, it's perfect for what i was looking for.

No, the FX-6100 performed worse than the previous Phenom II X6 line.

[Damsen]

9 minutes ago, Glenwing said:

No, the FX-6100 performed worse than the previous Phenom II X6 line.

Worse than a Phenom II X6 1100T? Because that's the best of the series apparently.

List of AMD Phenom microprocessors - Wikipedia

[Glenwing]

6 minutes ago, Damsen said:

Worse than a Phenom II X6 1100T? Because that one's the best of the series apparently.

List of AMD Phenom microprocessors - Wikipedia

Yes, if the 1100T is overclocked to around the same frequency.

[Damsen]

4 minutes ago, Glenwing said:

Yes, if the 1100T is overclocked to around the same frequency.

But only for a 0.1 GHz difference as far as i'm seeing. 3.7 GHz for the Phenom and 3.6 GHz for the FX.

Does that 0.1 really make the difference?

And in the official site it shows up to 3.9 GHz for the FX

[Glenwing]

1 hour ago, Damsen said:

But only for a 0.1 GHz difference as far as i'm seeing. 3.7 GHz for the Phenom and 3.6 GHz for the FX.

Does that 0.1 really make the difference?

And in the official site it shows up to 3.9 GHz for the FX

No, I didn't remember the specific speeds, just that at equal frequencies the Phenom II CPUs perform better core-for-core.