APU + GPU Question

[CharlesBarkley]

My son purchased a computer a while back with a APU. Although he likes it, he wants a bit more power. I was thinking of getting him a R9-270x to go into his system for some better performance. Here are his specs:

Amd A8-6600k

8gb Hyperx memory

430 watt psu

Will the gpu be able the crossfire with the intergrated graphics, or will the apu work as a good cpu with the gpu running the games?

[dragoon20005]

My son purchased a computer a while back with a APU. Although he likes it, he wants a bit more power. I was thinking of getting him a R9-270x to go into his system for some better performance. Here are his specs:

Amd A8-6600k

8gb Hyperx memory

430 watt psu

Will the gpu be able the crossfire with the intergrated graphics, or will the apu work as a good cpu with the gpu running the games?

you can't X-Fire the 270X with the iGPU only supported Dual Graphics are only the R7 series 240 and 250.

 

but the R9 270X will perform much better than the integrated graphics it has now but the only concern is that PSU.

[Faceman]

@CharlesBarkley

I think the PSU will be fine.

 

This guy has an

and it works just fine.  Here is another video by JayzTwoCents showing

 

What games does your son play?  Before answering the question to the best of our abilities, we need to know what specific games he plays, as a better GPU might not be the answer.

[dragoon20005]

@CharlesBarkley

I think the PSU will be fine.

 

This guy has an

and it works just fine.  Here is another video by JayzTwoCents showing

 

What games does your son play?  Before answering the question to the best of our abilities, we need to know what specific games he plays, as a better GPU might not be the answer.

the main concern was because the system is a pre-build so I think that PSU is those brand less OEM PSU which are not even 80+ rated

 

so if I were to plug the 270X in there it will blow the PSU up along with the other components

[CharlesBarkley]

He is currently playing games like team fortress 2, however he is leaning towards battlefield 4, borderlands, rust, elder scrolls online, skyrim, fallout. I would like for him to be able to play them on med to high settings, budget wise I have around 200$ usd.

Pcpartpicker says 370 watt total for the current setup:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/CT7XYJ

@CharlesBarkley

I think the PSU will be fine.

 

This guy has an

and it works just fine.  Here is another video by JayzTwoCents showing

 

What games does your son play?  Before answering the question to the best of our abilities, we need to know what specific games he plays, as a better GPU might not be the answer.

[CharlesBarkley]

the main concern was because the system is a pre-build so I think that PSU is those brand less OEM PSU which are not even 80+ rated

 

so if I were to plug the 270X in there it will blow the PSU up along with the other components

I have heard good things about his power supply. Corsair cx430 builder If I recall correctly.

[Faceman]

I have heard good things about his power supply. Corsair cx430 builder If I recall correctly.

Thats a fine budget PSU, and is 80+ rated, you will be fine with that PSU.

 

The issue is, even if you buy a nicer GPU, your CPU will be holding you back... a lot.  Probably unplayable on an APU. 

[Faceman]

Specifically games like ESO and BF4

[dragoon20005]

oh Corsair CX430 

 

didn't noticed that I was thinking the system was a pre-built

 

A8-6600K is still no slouch, it still a quad core unlocked APU

 

you can OC it but not with the stock cooler.

[CharlesBarkley]

Thats a fine budget PSU, and is 80+ rated, you will be fine with that PSU.

 

The issue is, even if you buy a nicer GPU, your CPU will be holding you back... a lot.  Probably unplayable on an APU.

What if he got a x4 760k? Would that be better sense it is a dedicated cpu?

[piggykid1]

I would go with an EVGA 750 ti since they are around the same ptice point

[WoodenMarker]

I would go with an EVGA 750 ti since they are around the same ptice point

The 270x easily outperforms the 750 Ti and can at times contend with the 760..

What if he got a x4 760k? Would that be better sense it is a dedicated cpu?

It's not much different than the 6600k. The 6600k will be fine. 

[dragoon20005]

I would go with an EVGA 750 ti since they are around the same ptice point

the 270X performs way much better than the 750Ti thou

 

What if he got a x4 760k? Would that be better sense it is a dedicated cpu?

its possible but what mobo is the system has?

[Faceman]

What if he got a x4 760k? Would that be better sense it is a dedicated cpu?

I'm not sure if the X4 760k would be all that much better than the 6600... at least not enough to justify the $85.  It does use the same motherboard, which is nice, but again, not enough to justify the $85

 

Go for the R9 280, you can find one for $200.  That is an extremely powerful GPU for the price, and is very good for 1080p gaming.  Sometime in the future, you can address a new CPU if necessary, but for now a new GPU will be a more simple option and still provide a lot of extra power.                            

[Faceman]

@CharlesBarkley

 

XFX Double Dissipation R9 280 - $200 after rebate + 3 Free Games

[piggykid1]

the 270X performs way much better than the 750Ti thou

 

its possible but what mobo is the system has?

o ok

[piggykid1]

The 270x easily outperforms the 750 Ti and can at times contend with the 760..

It's not much different than the 6600k. The 6600k will be fine. 

somebody said that didn't know that thought thanks

[WoodenMarker]

I'm not sure if the X4 760k would be all that much better than the 6600... at least not enough to justify the $85.  It does use the same motherboard, which is nice, but again, not enough to justify the $85

 

Go for the R9 280, you can find one for $200.  That is an extremely powerful GPU for the price, and is very good for 1080p gaming.  Sometime in the future, you can address a new CPU if necessary, but for now a new GPU will be a more simple option and still provide a lot of extra power.                            

@CharlesBarkley

XFX Double Dissipation R9 280 - $200 after rebate + 3 Free Games

I wouldn't suggest running a 280 off of a cx430. It's doable though..

[Faceman]

@WoodenMarker

@CharlesBarkley

 

PcP Calls for 389W

 

Also this video shows a guy running an

&

using a 3770k OC(77W stock) and GTX 680 OC(195W stock) and 8GB of RAM thats OC'd, and watercooling system, and 11 fans, etc.. etc.. only pulling ~350W

 

I'm not too familiar with APUs, but maybe he can disable the graphics portion of it when he gets the 280, and bring the TPD down from 100, but even so, I think 430W will be plenty for an A8 6600k + R9 280.

[WoodenMarker]

PcP Calls for 389W

Also this video shows a guy running an i7-4770k + 780 on only an RM450 & JayzTwoCents  using a 3770k OC(77W stock) and GTX 680 OC(195W stock) and 8GB of RAM thats OC'd, and watercooling system, and 11 fans, etc.. etc.. only pulling ~350W

I'm not too familiar with APUs, but maybe he can disable the graphics portion of it when he gets the 280, and bring the TPD down from 100, but even so, I think 430W will be plenty for an A8 6600k + R9 280.

The cx430 is hardly of the same caliber as the rm450.

[Faceman]

The cx430 is hardly of the same caliber as the rm450.

No, definitely not, but he is using much more demanding equipment in that video, and Bronze to Gold rating is only about a 10% difference in efficiency.

[WoodenMarker]

No, definitely not, but he is using much more demanding equipment in that video, and Bronze to Gold rating is only about a 10% difference in efficiency.

It's not about efficiency but the quality of the unit. 

A standard 80 plus psu and a 80 platinum psu of the same wattage should be able to output the same wattage. However, this is generally not the case due to difference in build quality. 

[MEC-777]

My son purchased a computer a while back with a APU. Although he likes it, he wants a bit more power. I was thinking of getting him a R9-270x to go into his system for some better performance. Here are his specs:

Amd A8-6600k

8gb Hyperx memory

430 watt psu

Will the gpu be able the crossfire with the intergrated graphics, or will the apu work as a good cpu with the gpu running the games?

Yes, just add the R9-270X. The PSU will be just fine and the A8-6600K will not bottleneck that graphics card - not much, if at all. This will make a for a fairly decent quad-core gaming rig. 

 

One thing people need to understand is that times are changing. The recent API and driver optimizations (like Mantle etc.) that have been in the works have been shown thus far to have a significant impact on reducing CPU overhead for gaming. This means we can now run more higher-end graphics cards with lower-end CPUs than ever before. This trend is only going to increase. Will we eventually be able to run an R9-290X or GTX 780Ti with a Sempron dual core or Intel Celeron and have no bottlenecking? Certainly not. But as it stands, the A8-6600K can and will run an R9-270X just fine.