CPU Bottleneck

[tuberolector]

Yesterday, I installed a Radeon 7950 into my secondary gaming system. This system runs off a Core 2 Quad Q6600 (overcloced to 3.2 Ghz). I was experiencing some extreme CPU bottlenecks to the point where games like Battlefield 3 were unplayable on the settings recommended by the "AMD Gaming Evolved" program. Is there any way that I can lessen the botteneck? I can't overclock anymore because the CPU is already at its max, but is there anything else I can do besides upgrading?

Thanks for your help.

[nokturrduk84]

Overclocking won't help much. You need new CPU with new architecture (intel core i5).

[SeanAngelo]

ocing the cpu wont help, you might need to upgrade to a new cpu.

[SkilledRebuilds]

Use a lower resolution to save CPU taxation.

Close background programs and even maybe set BF4.exe to have a higher priority.

But Resolution first   If your monitor is "1920x1080p" and your trying to drive something that high, lower it to 1280x720/1400x900 just to see how it goes and if it helps the CPU being taxed so much.

 

Maybe find a sweet spot in between if it helps.

[tuberolector]

Use a lower resolution to save CPU taxation.

Close background programs and even maybe set BF4.exe to have a higher priority.

But Resolution first   If your monitor is "1920x1080p" and your trying to drive something that high, lower it to 1280x720/1400x900 just to see how it goes and if it helps the CPU being taxed so much.

 

Maybe find a sweet spot in between if it helps.

The game is always the only thing running when I am playing. Lowering the resolution would probably help, but if I did that, it would make having the 7950 worthless. I could push 720p on my old card (GTX 550 Ti).

[deathjester]

Yesterday, I installed a Radeon 7950 into my secondary gaming system. This system runs off a Core 2 Quad Q6600 (overcloced to 3.2 Ghz). I was experiencing some extreme CPU bottlenecks to the point where games like Battlefield 3 were unplayable on the settings recommended by the "AMD Gaming Evolved" program. Is there any way that I can lessen the botteneck? I can't overclock anymore because the CPU is already at its max, but is there anything else I can do besides upgrading?

Thanks for your help.

 

Multiplayer likes single core performance. Some games will run well on FX now that they are being better optimized. Some games really want a Sandy on a OC or up. Single player the Q Quad should still be "ok".

 

Duo Core met it's match last year. Q Quads on a OC are hitting their match this year. Use the Q Quad as a Internet rig or give or sell it to someone who needs it for that purpose. Q Quad is still a great computer for that use. Save up for a Z97 and the new I5 and some new ram. 

 

If you have a Microcenter near buy it there. Should be some deals with the new chips coming out or if you can wait til Black Friday you get ridiculous deals. I got a 4770k and a motherboard for 260 before tax last year. The I5k was like 220 on a combo. 

 

Your GPU is fine for modern 1080p gaming. In fact? You could run Ultra Textures on Watch Dog's 3 with 3 GB VRAM so that is better then some idiot who just bought a GTX 770 like me not to long ago with 2 GB VRAM. 

 

Q/E's are just old for multiplayer. Look at it this way. You got like 6-7 years out of that bad boy. Time to put it out to pasture as a internet computer for the kids, wife, or aunt. Maybe make it a Hackintosh and put a SSD in it. That is what my E8400 is doing at 4ghz. It had a good run. 

[tuberolector]

Multiplayer likes single core performance. Some games will run well on FX now that they are being better optimized. Some games really want a Sandy on a OC or up. Single player the Q Quad should still be "ok".

 

Duo Core met it's match last year. Q Quads on a OC are hitting their match this year. Use the Q Quad as a Internet rig or give or sell it to someone who needs it for that purpose. Q Quad is still a great computer for that use. Save up for a Z97 and the new I5 and some new ram. 

 

If you have a Microcenter near buy it there. Should be some deals with the new chips coming out or if you can wait til Black Friday you get ridiculous deals. I got a 4770k and a motherboard for 260 before tax last year. The I5k was like 220 on a combo. 

 

Your GPU is fine for modern 1080p gaming. In fact? You could run Ultra Textures on Watch Dog's 3 with 3 GB VRAM so that is better then some idiot who just bought a GTX 770 like me not to long ago with 2 GB VRAM. 

 

Q/E's are just old for multiplayer. Look at it this way. You got like 6-7 years out of that bad boy. Time to put it out to pasture as a internet computer for the kids, wife, or aunt. Maybe make it a Hackintosh and put a SSD in it. That is what my E8400 is doing at 4ghz. It had a good run. 

I can't wait too long because I plan to take this system to college with me in the fall, which is why I set it up again anyway (main system has an i5). I was considering getting Devil's Canyon when it comes out, but I really don't have all that much money to put into it. 

II was planning to use this system for a year and then upgrade to Broadwell, but I don't think that's going to work. 

[Trophywolfe]

i have the same cpu and i get bottlenecks with a 750ti ftw so you really need a new cpu

[shiftberry]

get a new mobo because that CPU you have is a LGA 775 socket, purchase a new mobo and a new CPU!

[tuberolector]

Is there anything on the AMD side that would be cheaper than an i5 and a z97 motherboard but comparable? I don't really want to spend that much money right now, so a better alternative would be greatly appreciated. 

[shiftberry]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128514

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113285

 

there you go

[Faa]

A q6600 oc'ed to 4.5GHz gets close to a 2500's stock performance. 2500K's are around 17K youtube.com/watch?v=G_edoUhC_xI

Just monitor your gpu loads first, if youre averaging around 70% that means you just have 30% left in fps

[tuberolector]

A q6600 oc'ed to 4.5GHz gets close to a 2500's stock performance. 2500K's are around 17K youtube.com/watch?v=G_edoUhC_xI

Just monitor your gpu loads first, if youre averaging around 70% that means you just have 30% left in fps

It's unstable over 3.2 Ghz. As for GPU usage, in Battlefield 3, it was using around 40% (getting as high as 50%, I think) while the CPU was in the 90s.

[deathjester]

Cheapest option, but not a good chip for MMO's, Day Z, Rust. Will play BF4 fine and AMD Mantle puts the chip at close to a I5. Will OC to at least AMD 8350 speeds and prob a little past that. On a dead platform so nowhere to go as an upgrade.  Will play single player titles great and BF4 great with your GPU, and should play all "next gen": console ports great. Planetside 2 should be fine. Intel is better but AMD is playable. The older the FPS the more Intel is ahead because optimization was horrible.

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3OasN

 

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3Rg6g

 

^ If you can't wait for Devil's Canyon. Will play everything well. Z97 motherboard that will take another r9 280 (7950) in Xfire when you need more graphics power, and can upgrade to a new generation chip. Will go from 4.1-4.5 ghz on the cooler. All depends on the chip. Devil's canyon will prob cost 40-50 more and oc better, but 4.1-4.5 ghz is very fast on a Haswell.

 

You could also go with a non I5 K and a cheap h81 Asrock MATX board or something, but that also will not run a second R9 280 and you are on a dead platform. You can put a I7 non K Haswell in there later, but thats about it. 

 

On the cheap build go with the I5 non K if playing MMO's and the AMD if not. You can also splurge another 10 bucks for 1866 Gskill cl9 ram or something. Won't make a huge difference though. I gave you the cheapest ram option. 

 

All depends what you play. With a OC on BF3 the AMD should be fine though. Might play BF4 better than BF3 but the AMD should be fine in BF3. 

[tuberolector]

^ If you can't wait for Devil's Canyon. Will play everything well. Z97 motherboard that will take another r9 280 (7950) in Xfire when you need more graphics power, and can upgrade to a new generation chip. Will go from 4.1-4.5 ghz on the cooler. All depends on the chip. Devil's canyon will prob cost 40-50 more and oc better, but 4.1-4.5 ghz is very fast on a Haswell.

Do you (or anyone else) know when Devil's Canyon will be available. Will it be within the next few weeks or months or will it be like 6 months?

[AndersT2]

I would my homework really good to not get into the same trouble as I did when I went for a AM3+ setup. The MB linked to here has 5 revisions out. Newegg doesn't show which one they sell (I didn't find it). If it's Rev 4.0, there is no problem. If it's Rev 3.0, you might not get it to work with that CPU, since it got supported on a later bios than what the board might ship with.

 

That was my problem. The CPU I went for wasn't supported in the Bios, all I needed was a Bios update. But since the board I went for didn't allow to update the bios without a running CPU, I got nowhere. I didn't know anybody with a CPU to loan, and no shop had one of the cheap ones I could get to do the task either. Fastest solution, send it back, and get an Intel setup instead. This is the problem with AMD keeping the sockets too long. I haven't had this problem with Intel,ever. I had this problem once before, but it let me get into bios to update. The AMD board I got didn't.

[deathjester]

Do you (or anyone else) know when Devil's Canyon will be available. Will it be within the next few weeks or months or will it be like 6 months?

 

Last I heard it was June 2nd. But it looks likes we may not get our hands on them til September. WCCFTECH isn't the greatest source for news, but it may be accurate here.

 

http://wccftech.com/intel-paper-launch-devil-s-canyon-2nd-june-retail-availability-planned-late-september-desktop-broadwell-pushed-q2-2015/

 

Don't be afraid that a non Devil's Canyon chip isn't fast enough though.

 

An I5 K now will run that r9 280 that you have or 2 of them as fast as they can go. The build I posted has a z97 so it will take Broadwell. Now is Broadwell (slightly faster clock for clock) going to be faster than Devil's Canyon on top clocks? Maybe, maybe not. I would bet probably not, unless they also make a highly binned Broadwell. 

 

The AMD build gives you good enough now, but you may regret it in the future. The I5 build will perform great now and allows you to upgrade in the future. The only games that need a OC I5 are like MMO's or bad ports anyways. Even a moderate OC I5 plays them extremely well. 

[Faa]

Do you (or anyone else) know when Devil's Canyon will be available. Will it be within the next few weeks or months or will it be like 6 months?

They said midyear Q3. Midyear = 2 june and its the first day in Q3.