High End GPU with Low End CPU... Good or Bad?

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BarneyIX

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Nov 8, 2013
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Historically I've built Intel only budget PC's with a greater focus on CPU/MOBO... the GPU received much less love...

I was considering reversing this trend and spending a lot on a GPU and skimping on the CPU.

How insane would it to pair an AMD FX-6300 with an AMD R9-290?

I'm assuming that CPU would bottleneck the GPU but I'm not sure of the severity of the impact.

Any insight is greatly appreciated.
 
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nitrium
Generally, you'll in no way shape or form tap out that CPU with a R9-290. The severity of the impact of that CPU on the GPU would be zero, or effectively zero (it WILL definitely depend on the game) - particularly if you're willing to overclock it just a smidgeon.
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nitrium

nitrium

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Generally, you'll in no way shape or form tap out that CPU with a R9-290. The severity of the impact of that CPU on the GPU would be zero, or effectively zero (it WILL definitely depend on the game) - particularly if you're willing to overclock it just a smidgeon.
 
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Swordkd

Swordkd

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Oct 3, 2012
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Not true. You'd get better performance in games with an Intel I5 than the fx6300. However, it would be much cheaper to replace the fx6300 with a better cpu, than spending money on an Intel I5, and having to replace the video card later. Last I heard, AMD was still going to use socket AM3+ for their next Cpu's, so getting a fx6300 and a 990fx(or 970) chipset motherboard isn't a bad decision.
 
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nitrium

nitrium

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That might be true for SOME games (and imo it is certainly UNTRUE for ALL games). But how much would it be? The FX 6300 (@3.5 GHz) is about the same speed as a i5 750 (@2.4 GHz), so really which games in particular do you think would really benefit from a faster CPU? For
example, if you're wanting to play last-gen console ports at high resolutions, this combination will be adequate.

 
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palladin9479

palladin9479

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Jul 26, 2008
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Not true. You'd get better performance in games with an Intel I5 than the fx6300
Click to expand...

Why stop at a measly i5, just get a i7-4960x and it gives you better performance.

See how that works. He's asking about whether it's better to allocate more budget to the GPU or the CPU. The general logic is give more money to the GPU and ensure the CPU is just good enough to do what you gotta do. The fx-63xx is really cheap for it's performance level, which leaves a bigger budget for to nab a good GPU. You won't be bottlenecked in most situations as your not buying dual titans or anything. Something like a 760 or 770 pairs really well with a fx6300.
 
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guraldunix

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Nov 7, 2013
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I find myself thinking "the GPU is all that matters for gaming." While that statement is technically incorrect, the sentiment is essentially correct.

While there are various components in your system that may become a bottleneck under certain circumstances, the GPU is vastly more important for gaming.

If you want to play games, FX-6300 is more than enough to provide the fundamentals necessary for the R9 290 to shine.
 
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