Absolute Best GPU for the AMD Athlon X4 860K?

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Bee_Lyte

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Aug 22, 2015
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I've seen a couple threads on this topic, but I don't feel like there's been a clear answer. Good questions about specific GPU's and their bottleneck potential, but I'm asking a slightly different question. As the title questions; what is the absolute best graphics card I can get with the 860k before I start experiencing bottlenecks?

Current Build: TMI I'm sure, but just being thorough..

MSI A88XM Gaming
AMD Athlon X4 860K
8gb of G.Skill RAM (Currently 1600mhz)
I have the GT 730, but it's time to upgrade, hence me question (theres a pirate living in me..)
SB 1TB HD
 
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bootcher

bootcher

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Feb 22, 2013
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Up to the R9 280/380 or GTX 960 the X4 860K will perform well, the GPU's above them will underperform if compared to same GPU's combined with more powerful CPU's. The 'amount' of this bottleneck however varies a lot, from not noticeable to very noticeable, depending on the game being played. Some games are very CPU-dependant, and in these types of games the x4 860K will suffer.
 
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Onus

Onus

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Jan 27, 2006
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I don't believe there is a single "correct" answer to your question. It will really depend on the games you want to play, their settings, and your resolution. Some titles put a lot more stress on the graphics card than on the CPU (e.g. single-player FPS titles), and others weigh down the CPU more (MMORPG titles with lots of players/mobs running around). If you want to fold on your graphics card, or do other GPGPU processing, a CPU bottleneck simply won't matter. If you want to stream while gaming, you'll be loading the CPU a lot more. In general though, IMHO, for a single 1080p monitor, a GTX960 or GTX970 should do well for you.
Make sure your PSU is up to the demands of a new card.
 
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Bee_Lyte

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Excellent! Thank you for the speedy answer! I keep reading elsewhere (and here) that the Direct 12 update is going to have a major impact on AMD's infamous CPU mismanagement, which, my limited understanding makes me reason that some of the bottlenecking we see in CPUs paired with higher end cards may lessen in severity, or even altogether disappear. Is there any truth to this at all?
 
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blazorthon

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Yes, there is truth in that, but it only applies to games that end up supporting DX12. Most of today's games probably won't support it and many games yet to come out for the next few years probably won't support it either. It often takes a few years (or more) for game devs to move over.
 
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Bee_Lyte

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Aug 22, 2015
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I operate off of two monitors, at 1920x1080, and currently play the following games; Heroes of the Storm, Pay Day 2, DayZ, War Thunder, Worms Revolution, Aliens Vs Predator, Evolve, Rocket League, and Star Craft 2. I'd also like to play Star Wars Battlefront, Battlefront 4, and Fallout 4 in the near future.

I'm not sure exactly how to determine how much a particular game utilizes the CPU, or how much is too much even if I did. What are your thoughts seeing they mixed style of gaming I participate in? Are they mostly GPU intensive?
 
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Onus

Onus

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I don't believe most of those are particularly demanding, but Fallout 4 is. You can look at CPU usage in Task Manager.
Depending on the amount of money you want to spend, a GTX950 / R9 380 at the low end and a GTX970 / R9 390 at the high end would all be reasonable. When considering what you have now, even a GTX750Ti could be a substantial upgrade, although that really doesn't answer your question.
 
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Bee_Lyte

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Aug 22, 2015
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Wow. Sorry for briefly lowering your IQ asking where to see the CPU usage! Duh!

I would love to purchase the R9 390, I'm just concerned about bottle necking the CPU. Seeing a list of the games I play, do you feel this would occur? Or is the R9 Overkill anyways?

 
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Onus

Onus

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It is the GPU that might be bottlenecked. In most of your games, I believe it would be substantial overkill. I've not seen Fallout 4 personally though. It would certainly offer some future-resistance, and/or be movable if you ever decide to upgrade your entire system.
Once again though, make sure your PSU can handle that card. What brand and model (not just wattage) is it?
 
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Bee_Lyte

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Currently I have the CORSAIR CX500M. I'm planning on getting the 600M after Christmas depending on how much spending money my wife and I have left after the holidays.
 
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blazorthon

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CX series is somewhat subpar. You'd be better off replacing it with something like a 550W XFX/Seasonic unit or similar from Antec, EVGA, or another better model line. Corsair's high end units can be great, but their low end CX series is kinda crappy, especially if you want to push more power through.
 
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Bee_Lyte

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Aug 22, 2015
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Oh bummer to hear! I'll look into some of those others. Thanks for the heads up!

How does this one look to you guys? Sorry a little off topic at this point :/

http://
 
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Bee_Lyte

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Aug 22, 2015
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Thanks guys for all your responses! I ended up getting the R9 380 over the GTX 960. Nearly everywhere I read stated it preformed better benchmarks. Plus I've always been a fan of the underdog companies. I'll be sticking with this build for a couple years, so no need to spend the extra $150 to get a card that isn't being fully utilized! Thanks again!
 
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