CPU or GPU bottlenecking?

brenoakiy

Reputable
Feb 15, 2014
6
0
4,510
so, I've been considering upgrading my gaming desktop lately but I'm not sure what would be the best way, getting a new CPU or a GPU.
my specs are:

Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 3.16GHz
ATI Radeon HD 4850
Corsair 8GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM

both are really old, I should probably just upgrade both, but still I'd like to know which would make the biggest difference, for an initial upgrade.
below are graphs showing CPU and GPU usage in Dark Souls and in Tribes Ascend
Screen_Shot073.jpg


Screen_Shot074.jpg

I'm not really sure what to make out the first one, both CPU and GPU are not on full load, and yet I get low FPS...
as for the second one, I guess they are pretty much equal, with minor bottlenecking?
 
Solution
If it were me, I'd upgrade your gpu. Reason being that down the road when you get around to buying a new motherboard and cpu you can save some money and bring over the gpu. Additionally you can actually purchase a brand new gpu and have it work with your current rig. If you upgraded your cpu you'd be limited to an old, overpriced core 2 quad, which wouldn't even give you much of a performance boost, and would have to be essentially discarded when you upgrade your full system down the road.

rakadedo

Distinguished
Nov 14, 2012
67
0
18,660
If it were me, I'd upgrade your gpu. Reason being that down the road when you get around to buying a new motherboard and cpu you can save some money and bring over the gpu. Additionally you can actually purchase a brand new gpu and have it work with your current rig. If you upgraded your cpu you'd be limited to an old, overpriced core 2 quad, which wouldn't even give you much of a performance boost, and would have to be essentially discarded when you upgrade your full system down the road.
 
Solution

brenoakiy

Reputable
Feb 15, 2014
6
0
4,510


yeah, I guess that's the way to go
thanks!