How bad is my Phenom X4 945 bottlenecking me with 280x CF?

d3lit3

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So I have a Phenom x4 945 @ 3.7Ghz, sitting at 1.45v, and I am aware that my CPU is probably bottlenecking the crap out of my crossfire 280's, but I am wondering how bad? If it's 10-20 FPS @ 1080p I wouldn't even mind and hold off on upgrading to a FX 8320 but I'm not really sure how to gauge and thus asking for your help.

I ran the Unigine Heaven 4.0 benchmark and my results are as so:

66.7 FPS
1680 Points
1920x1080
AA x8
AF x16
Tesselation: Extreme
Quality: Ultra

This is with both cards in crossfire.

Thank you TH!
 
Solution


Don't...

d3lit3

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:( How bad is the bottleneck?

I mean, newer games I play probably run 40FPS instead of 60FPS, but my eyes cannot distinguish a difference above 35FPS.

I play relatively old games such as Alpha Protocol and Just Cause 2 as well as indie games such as Ether one, might be a problem for Watch Dogs though.
 

VenBaja

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You should be running newer games at way over 60fps with CF 280x's. I run BF4 64 player at around 90fps on most maps as an example. You're 945 is probably a huge bottleneck for you right now. But it also depends on what you're playing and whether it's singleplayer or multiplayer that you're concerned with. Either way, even one 280x is going to be bottlenecked by that 945...so the money you spent on that second one is pretty much going completely to waste.
 

d3lit3

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Yeah I know it would of been wiser to buy a new CPU and a single r9 280x, however it also doubles as a mining rig and I opted for better hashrate as opposed to better processor.

I also play no multiplayer games whatsoever and instead play like Telltale's The Wolf Among Us and TWD.

I guess I'll just have to wait until I can cash out my mining profit and buy a CPU with that :) Cheers.


 

VenBaja

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Oh it sounds like you have a legitimate use for it then. So it's still a huge bottleneck, but at least you knew that going in and didn't spend all kinds of extra money on the wrong component.
 
It's a pretty big bottleneck. I have a Phenom II 955 one step above yours, and GTX 660 which is much weaker than your GPU, and I still get bottlenecked in several games by my Phenom II. I haven't upgraded because I cap at 30 fps, and it's always able to keep it above that at least.

But yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if your framerate was getting cut down to 50%-60% in CPU heavy games.
 


Good news is, you won't have to replace your motherboard. Bad news is, your CPU isn't very good.
If you want to keep above 35 fps, and you can consistently do that, there's no reason to worry about it right now. But once you start to fall below 35 fps consistently in games, and once you have money, it'll be time to look at upgrading to an FX-8320.
 

DukiNuki

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oh what ? Phenom X4 945 & 280x CF ?

Phenom X4 945 can totally ruin your experience with even one 280x bro . it did to my old AMD 6870 :|

& if you need an amount or word to know how bad is the bottleneck . i would say HORRIBLE

reasons why :

1. Phenom X4 945 is so OLD
2. AMD always had problem with SLI & crossfire
3. Heat & bottleneck problems in AMD cpus are way too high
4. you have 2 high end gpus crossfired & you really need some serious CPU power to push it ahead & dont expect that Phenom X4 945 will do magic :D

go for GOOD intel cpu . K series CPU & Z board . to get all that your crossfired setup can give :)

little bit of my own experience . you know how old is amd 6870 right ? i had phenom 955BE which is faster than your cpu . i thought im having no bottleneck & ... after a few tests & after i upgraded my Phenom 955BE to INTEL i5 3470 . i saw a night & day difference . i5 3470 it self is so strong for single gpus & dual gpu setups but many people suggest Z board + K series of i5 cpus to go for serious Crossfire or SLI setup .



 

d3lit3

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You're pretty funny.

Don't want to switch to Intel man already have amd board.

I sold my 945 and am getting a 8320. Will it botlleneck the CF 280? Is the 8350 better? Thanks.

 

DukiNuki

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:D thx

Well you might have to Overclock to get rid of bottleneck . its not that powerful anyway ( in my opinion yes it will , but it might be TOTALY WRONG , i feel much safer with INTEL cpu )

i would suggest Intel ( because you dont need to OC to get rid of bottleneck ) but you might have to if u get AMD ( no matter what kind )

IF your paying for new CPU . i suggest u to go for Powerful Intel CPU + New Board ;)

 

logainofhades

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That often means new copy of windows as well. An FX 8320 is the most cost effective upgrade, since the current motherboard supports it. Spend $150 and get at least i5 competitive performance, since it the FX 8320 can easily clock to FX 8350 speeds with just a multiplier bump to 20. Sounds better than buying a new motherboard, cpu, and windows.
 

d3lit3

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Thanks for the advice mate however I am not going to let my Gigabyte 990FX UD3 revision 4 go to waste. Will definitely consider Intel next upgrade.

I purchased a FX 8320 and overclocked that baby to 4.4 Ghz @ stock voltage, is that enough to remove the bottleneck? I only game at 1080p. Cheers.

 

Powerbolt

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Don't listen to him. The FX 8320 won't have any problem handling cross-fired R9 280's. Switching to Intel is certainly not necessary, nor would it be an improvement worth the investment. In any case you're in the market for a big performance increase over your Phenom II chip. It's probably best not to get too greedy. :)

FX 8320 OC = FX 8350 ~= i5 4670K ~< i7 4770K

All of those chips are somewhat in the same echelon of performance, each with their own distinct advantage. Yes, Intel chips would be faster in gaming due to their superior single threaded performance. However, AMD's physical HT setup makes them better than most for multi-threaded tasks (Excluding the 4770K).
 
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d3lit3

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Great!

Yes I am aware that Intel single thread performance is superior but AMD really has something when it comes to bang buck ratio with the 83xx series.

Really glad I upgraded right before Watch Dogs! Even though 280x in crossfire seems like overkill...really should of saved that money and adopted a kitten instead or something.

Oh well, live and learn :p