Poll: CPU Performance in games

[Marinatall_Ironside]

Do CPUs really increase your framerates in games? I know that I've seen benchmark videos that say so otherwise, but the argument that CPUs never increase your framerates has been raging for a very long time now and I personally had this argument with people before where they're really close-minded about computer hardware.

[TheKDub]

They can have quite an impact on framerates, for an example, if your original CPU bottlenecked your GPU, and your new CPU no longer bottlenecks it, you could see some very large increases in performance, especially in games that are more cpu-demanding.

 

Overall, it really comes down to what the setup is, and what games are being played.

[Comessy]

The correct answer is : Depends on your GPU

[JefferyD90]

Didn't they just do a video on this???

[blackadder]

I feel like the first choice is the most correct. This does have limits though.

[Enderman]

they do affect fps

it depends on the game though, some are affected more than others

but there is no case where a 4 core AMD CPU will perform better than a 4 core i5, so yes the CPU matters

[Faceman]

Depends on the game, and the GPU being used.  Overall, they make a big impact on performance.

[han_han08]

i feel like the question is very broad..for most cases, cpu's will increase FPS objectively..

 

i just cant remember where i saw a 5820K performing less than the 4790K..i will have to guess that is just on stock

[Marinatall_Ironside]

Didn't they just do a video on this???

It really doesn't matter if the videos prove so. The problem is people's observations on CPU performance is sometimes wrong. Their preferences on CPU choice? A mix of I can care on brand name and I can care less on the same brand depending on what the end-user is after.

[Opcode]

There's one way of looking at it that will always remain true even ten years from now. CPU performance whether or not influences your maximum frames it will always influence your minimal frames. So CPU performance will always be a key factor in gaming as software workloads always fluctuate depending on what's happening.

[MoonDoggy-X]

This video...?

 

https://youtu.be/PVl8Eupbr_E

[typographie]

Faster CPU's "raise the bar" for your video card, so in games where the CPU is not fast enough to allow your GPU to meet your preferred framerate cap, then yes, a CPU upgrade would increase your framerates. There's not going to be a difference in every game, it just depends on how it distributes it's workload.

 

I don't the point of a poll here, this isn't really a matter of opinion.

[sgloux3470]

If you're GPU limited it doesn't have any effect.  If you're not, it can have a miniscule effect (i5 vs i7) or a larger effect (FX vs i7)

 

Very rarely is a game completely unplayable due to a CPU bottleneck.  

 

It used to be much more relevant but it's slowly becoming less and less important.

[Marinatall_Ironside]

This video...?

 

https://youtu.be/PVl8Eupbr_E

I get your point. But did you also read my post quoting JeffreyD90's post?

[MoonDoggy-X]

I get your point. But did you also read my post quoting JeffreyD90's post?

To my understanding, cpu matters most for online games. Espicially MMOs. I definitely notice a drop a drop in fps when there are a lot of players onscreen.

In general, the cpu doesn't increase framerates as muchas it does/doesn't bottleneck framerates. An underpowered cpu will bottleneck the gpu outpute, but once that bottkeneck is overcome, you get diminishing returne from anything better. That is why, when gaming is concerned, the i5 4690k if virtually equal to much more powerful processors. For now, at least. Dx12 is supposed to allow higher end CPUs to really dtretch their legs ingame...

[Opcode]

If you're GPU limited it doesn't have any effect.  If you're not, it can have a miniscule effect (i5 vs i7) or a larger effect (FX vs i7)

 

Very rarely is a game completely unplayable due to a CPU bottleneck.  

 

It used to be much more relevant but it's slowly becoming less and less important.

It still makes a difference in minimum frames. Here's an example I posted from an overclock (same concept more CPU performance = higher minimum frames).

 

Just ran these numbers on my 6800k and HD 5870

 

Mafia 2 @ 1080p max settings (V-Sync + PhysX off).

• 6800k @ 4.1 GHz = Avg: 94.623 - Min: 62 - Max: 123
• 6800k @ 4.8 GHz = Avg: 99.618 - Min: 77 - Max: 128

[sgloux3470]

It still makes a difference in minimum frames. Here's an example I posted from an overclock (same concept more CPU performance = higher minimum frames).

 

The way most people measure minimums (as an absolute value) is useless.

 

The best way I've seen it done is by measuring the 1% lowest frames and 0.1% lowest frames.  This gives a better idea of actual real world performance.  Small gap between 0.1% and 1% is very good, as well as how much each of those deviate from average.

 

There is absolutely some difference, but not as much as people would have you believe.

 

 

Those absolute minimum framerates are often statistical outliers in performance.  Much like how looking at the floor for 120 FPS gives no indication of how the game performs on a given GPU, a small spike in framerate isn't a big deal.  Unless it happens frequently, which means it will show up in the 0.1% or even 1% minimums.  (Or otherwise reduce those values significantly)  

[JefferyD90]

Do CPUs really increase your framerates in games? I know that I've seen benchmark videos that say so otherwise, but the argument that CPUs never increase your framerates has been raging for a very long time now and I personally had this argument with people before where they're really close-minded about computer hardware.

 

 

The correct answer is : Depends on your GPU

 

 

It really doesn't matter if the videos prove so. The problem is people's observations on CPU performance is sometimes wrong. Their preferences on CPU choice? A mix of I can care on brand name and I can care less on the same brand depending on what the end-user is after.

 

 

This video...?

 

https://youtu.be/PVl8Eupbr_E

 

 

I get your point. But did you also read my post quoting JeffreyD90's post?

No, quite literally JUST did a video on this...

[vembutech]

Hopefully it depends cpu and gpu and mostly it depnds on the game.