Will my CPU bottleneck a new GPU?

[c_marriott]

I currently have a FX-6300 budget CPU but I want to get a mid-range GPU/high end I don't know which it is classed as.

 

I'm looking at either the 280x or the 290 (if I can get it cheap)

 

I know I need to upgrade my PSU for it but will the CPU work well with it or does it also need to be upgraded for it to work efficiently?

[thatguyyouknow75]

Yes, BUT that isnt to say you wouldnt see a huge increase in performance. it seems like no one understands what a bottleneck is. 

[Sam Z Man]

PCI is controlled by the chipset on AMD CPUs what is the motherboard your using because that will determine the GPU connectivity.

[c_marriott]

Yes, BUT that isnt to say you wouldnt see a huge increase in performance. it seems like no one understands what a bottleneck is. 

 

I understand that it will still make a huge improvement but I don't want to spend more than I need too. 

PCI is controlled by the chipset on AMD CPUs what is the motherboard your using because that will determine the GPU connectivity.

 

I'm using a gigabyte 970a-ds3p 

[Sam Z Man]

Yes, BUT that isnt to say you wouldnt see a huge increase in performance. it seems like no one understands what a bottleneck is.

Bottlenecking is probably the most overused and misunderstood term in the PC community.

It makes me happy when I see people like you who understand it.

[SkywardKkalox]

I would get the 290 or the 280x regardless BUT! upgrade CPU/mobo asap.

[thatguyyouknow75]

I understand that it won't make a huge improvement but I don't want to spend more than I need too. 

 

I'm using a gigabyte 970a-ds3p 

IT WILL MAKE A HUGE IMPROVEMENT!! what bottlenecking is, is that your cpu wont allow the gpu to reach its fullest potential, but even if it operates at 80-95% of its potential, its still an improvement! You can stick a 960 in a system with a pentium and it will do well, if you swap the 960 for a titan it will do BETTER. Your cpu will almost never limit your system to a point where an upgrade wont improve it

[c_marriott]

I would get the 290 or the 280x regardless BUT! upgrade CPU/mobo asap.

 

I probably will at some point but first on my list if a PSU then the GPU, then I can start looking into the further upgrades.

I'm currently using a 500W Elite v2 CM PSU and a Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 so they need the upgrade first

[thatguyyouknow75]

Bottlenecking is probably the most overused and misunderstood term in the PC community.

It makes me happy when I see people like you who understand it.

ESPECIALLY on this forum. People hear a negative term and think its a glass ceiling of sorts. if you think about the term itself, the context that people use it in doesnt even make sense

[Sam Z Man]

I'm using a gigabyte 970a-ds3p

Yea the 970 and 990fx are good, yes you might get an extra 1-2 fps with an Intel CPU but your setup is more than fine.

[IceCold007]

Another term I really hate on this forum is when people say its TOO OVERKILL for your system.

 

Nothing is never "overkill" for any system.

[c_marriott]

Sooo it will be worth it getting as it will only be slightly less powerful but still a large improvement?

[sgloux3470]

IT WILL MAKE A HUGE IMPROVEMENT!! what bottlenecking is, is that your cpu wont allow the gpu to reach its fullest potential, but even if it operates at 80-95% of its potential, its still an improvement! You can stick a 960 in a system with a pentium and it will do well, if you swap the 960 for a titan it will do BETTER. Your cpu will almost never limit your system to a point where an upgrade wont improve it

 

It's also going to vary a lot game to game.  Plenty of games will fully utilize it.

 

 

Another term I really hate on this forum is when people say its TOO OVERKILL for your system.

 

Nothing is never "overkill" for any system.

 

There absolutely is.  If you say you want to run 1080p/60 FPS then the point is to build a system that will do just that.  Anything beyond that is overkill.  

 

 

Sooo it will be worth it getting as it will only be slightly less powerful but still a large improvement?

 

It will be night and day from a 7770.  

 

 

[Sam Z Man]

Sooo it will be worth it getting as it will only be slightly less powerful but still a large improvement?

Unless your running a 8 year old single core CPU with a PCI 1X 2ed gen GPU connection you will see a difference of around 0-5%.

[typographie]

You can stick a 960 in a system with a pentium and it will do well, if you swap the 960 for a titan it will do BETTER. Your cpu will almost never limit your system to a point where an upgrade wont improve it

 

All of this is very dependent on the game. Some, like Tomb Raider, almost ignore your CPU. You have to go out of your way to find a CPU bottleneck in a game like that, even if the CPU used is poor.

 

Some, like Cities: Skylines and some MMOs, tend to be CPU-bound seemingly no matter what hardware you've got. The GPU workload is so light that your CPU is typically going to be the earliest limitation on performance.

 

Both of those scenarios are extremes, but in my experience (Core i5-750/P55 system here) most games—even new ones—have little trouble reaching 60 FPS if your GPU is well-matched to your gaming resolution and you've got at least a mediocre processor from the last few years.

[c_marriott]

A secondary question I have, as you are all around is, should I get a refurbished R9 290 off eBay or a brand new R9 280X off eBuyer? I know the 290 is more powerful but would it be better to play it safe and get the 280X new?

[thatguyyouknow75]

All of this is very dependent on the game. Some, like Tomb Raider, almost ignore your CPU. You have to go out of your way to find a CPU bottleneck in a game like that, even if the CPU used is poor.

 

Some, like Cities: Skylines and some MMOs, tend to be CPU-bound seemingly no matter what hardware you've got. The GPU workload is so light that your CPU is typically going to be the earliest limitation on performance.

 

Both of those scenarios are extremes, but in my experience (Core i5-750/P55 system here) most games—even new ones—have little trouble reaching 60 FPS if your GPU is well-matched to your gaming resolution and you've got at least a mediocre processor from the last few years.

it was intended to be used as an example to demonstrate what a bottleneck is. I wasnt suggesting that anyone use either of those setups or analyze them from game to game. It was just supposed to make a point

[thatguyyouknow75]

A secondary question I have, as you are all around is, should I get a refurbished R9 290 off eBay or a brand new R9 280X off eBuyer? I know the 290 is more powerful but would it be better to play it safe and get the 280X new?

290 will draw more power and require a larger psu (assuming yours isnt enough as it is) but theres always a risk when buying used components as you dont know how they were used previously

[c_marriott]

290 will draw more power and require a larger psu (assuming yours isnt enough as it is) but theres always a risk when buying used components as you dont know how they were used previously

 

I'm currently looking at a CX600M which I expect will be enough for it all? That was my main concern, I don't know how well it will run but its also the same price refurbished as the 280X

[thatguyyouknow75]

I'm currently looking at a CX600M which I expect will be enough for it all? That was my main concern, I don't know how well it will run but its also the same price refurbished as the 280X

600 *should* be fine, but 700 is probably best. i dont like refurbished because it usually means something was wrong to begin with, what is your budget and location?

[c_marriott]

600 *should* be fine, but 700 is probably best. i dont like refurbished because it usually means something was wrong to begin with, what is your budget and location?

 

I'm hoping for around £170 if possible but can stretch up to £200. I live in the UK, England. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

[thatguyyouknow75]

I'm hoping for around £170 if possible but can stretch up to £200. I live in the UK, England. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-video-card-r9290aedfd(r9 290 just over 200)

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-video-card-r9280xtdfd  (280x at 170)

[c_marriott]

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-video-card-r9290aedfd(r9 290 just over 200)

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-video-card-r9280xtdfd  (280x at 170)

 

Is the XFX the best brand for these models, I do like the look of the MSI options.

[thatguyyouknow75]

there is no best brand, xfx offers the same performance at affordable pricing. If you can find an MSI card in your budget then grab that one, it comes down to opinion and preference at that point

[Blackie Sheen]

IT WILL MAKE A HUGE IMPROVEMENT!! what bottlenecking is, is that your cpu wont allow the gpu to reach its fullest potential, but even if it operates at 80-95% of its potential, its still an improvement! You can stick a 960 in a system with a pentium and it will do well, if you swap the 960 for a titan it will do BETTER. Your cpu will almost never limit your system to a point where an upgrade wont improve it

Of course, but the problem with doing soemthing like it is that although average fps will be higher, minimum will probably much lower and there will be more instances of stuttering. Personnally, I would do anything to avoid stuttering since it impacts the gaming experience even more than a lower end graphics card.