fastest cpu not required

[gomerpile]

we all know if a faster processor is installed we gang more but dont go buy a new cpu if you already have a 2gig, you can still use your cpu with the 8800. That article 8800 NEEDS the fastest CPU is telling us what we already know and miss leading label.

Nvida states any express mb with a 2 gig cpu will run the gpu with the same outcome as a high end cpu except the benches for the higher cpu will be better and that is it.

Why a mis leading title on the front page I now why MONEY MONEY MONEY can get people to do weired thing.

 

[RyanMicah]

I think what he's trying to say is that this website (Tom's Hardware) is driven by advertising and would love to mislead people into buying more tech than they really need...

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

Since most gamers(dont know the percentages) game at 1280x1024,the article does show an amazing upgrade a 8800gtx is.Unfortunately what it doesnt show is the difference between a 2.2 athlon vs a 2.93 c2d or something similar.At higher rez it makes less and less difference.I know this you know this but others dont.But wheres the comparison between say a 2gig vs c2d screamer?Thats the problem with this article..its incomplete.Its NOT a comparison of gfx cards ,as is the article, as its a comparison of cpu's.So I ask the question:Whats the advantages of buying a top of the line c2d 6800 vs a athlon 2 gig using a 8800 series AND the DX9 cards?

 

[gomerpile]

so correct, lets face it, this dude wrote an article and knows what he's doing when it comes to this kind of write up.
this is what the 8800 needs
1) Intel Pentium IV 2.0 GHz or Higher
2) AMD Athlon 2.0 GHz or higher
3) 256MB system RAM
4) A 400W or higher
5) 2 6-pin supplementary power connectors from SMPS
6) 50MB of available hard disk space
7) Built for Vista, supports 2000, XP, XP 64 bit & Media Centre
who the blank uses 2048x2048 I have not seen a monitor use higher than a 1600x1600 and at that one needs a looking glass to see the icons.

 

[Sagekilla]

The 'need' for a high end CPU seems to be because of the results in the 1024x768, 1280x1024 and a little bit of 1600x1200 resolutions. The G80 gets bottlenecked by the CPU at those resolutions in some games so it 'needs' a high end cpu to get the maximum usage. But, you are right that for the most part it's not needed, it's only if you want to get those extra 10 or so frames in the aforementioned resolutions.

Then again, do you really need 210 fps when you're already getting 200?

 

[Sagekilla]

The 'need' for a high end CPU seems to be because of the results in the 1024x768, 1280x1024 and a little bit of 1600x1200 resolutions. The G80 gets bottlenecked by the CPU at those resolutions in some games so it 'needs' a high end cpu to get the maximum usage. But, you are right that for the most part it's not needed, it's only if you want to get those extra 10 or so frames in the aforementioned resolutions.

Then again, do you really need 210 fps when you're already getting 200? In this case, the title of the article should have been "G80 needs a high end CPU to prevent bottlenecks" or something to that effect

 

[Blacken]

Sure he didn't mean that the 8800 will utilize the fastest cpu? We don't need 300fps playing a game but it's nice to have the head room I still wouldn't match a 8800 with a 64 3000 purely because of the lesser fsb, power, ect. You know how it goes, 150fps here, turn a corner and your @ 30. :roll:

 

[ryokinshin]

yes we do need 300fps, no one should ever say 60 fps is gd enough or w/e its not about the fps itself its when there are a lot of things going on screen and when things bog down the system, if ur running fear 300 fps average, its not gonna dip below 30 fps when sh*t happens

there will nvr be "enough" fps as some ppl like to point out

 

[chuckshissle]

Yeah, I have read about that. Anyways I don't have any reason now to upgrade the rest of the system for the 8800GTS. I was planning on upgrading to E6300 platform for this but I guess it would matter since I'll be playing down to 1280x1024 res. I'm sure it would still be able to pull smooth gaming with all the quality at high settings.

 

[gomerpile]

Thats one of the reasons we oc the bejeezes out of our lower end cpu's but I can't see how the lable of the story fits the meaning. Lets me put it this way, I remember a way back with the pc3 2000 mother boards tom did a write up how fast and reliable they were,, at that time the 100 fsb was just starting to take off. People went out and got them because of the write up. Week later or more a call back on the board because of the MTH issue causing data errors. So what I am saying is don't go buy a new cpu just becuse toms says a faster CPU is needed in the lable. I am sure the 8800 gpu will do all the processing without very mush cpu power.

 

[kwalker]

Most of us are beyond that point when it comes to the high end CPU
Fps and bandwidth is what its all about for those of us pushing the envelope.
But for a lot of readers whom may lurk in the back ground relying heavily on the reviews and articles here are being somewhat mislead.
I must agree with you when it comes down to usable performance.
You do not need high end equipment to enjoy the already high end graphics solution.
But if you’re in the enthusiast category the article applies.

 

[gomerpile]

I agree with you there all the way.

 

[kwalker]

who NEEDS bragging rights?no one ! but it sure is nice to have them.

I must admit that I do have my eyes on the 8800 but only for the bragging rights

 

[PCAnalyst]

Excellent points by all... thank you fellow enthusiasts for bringing to light some needed information for the less insightful.

As I am still going to absolutely waste my money on the quad, and 8800 combo... I can rest assured that my painful purchase will carry me for some time.

I love you guys...

 

[kwalker]

Your right.
and I really don’t need the extra horsepower but that’s what I occupy my time with and enjoy every last nanosecond of performance I can squeeze out of my projects.
While this may not suit others the satisfaction achieved is my addiction.
Another way to look at this is everything learned is not wasted .
I share when I can if it helps.
And yes I use every last Mhz clocked for something worth the effort.
Folding@home 8)

 

[CompuTronix]

I agree with all of you that the topic concerning this original post is misleading. Obviously some clarification is needed regarding CPU / GPU horspower relative to frame rate.

First, not all "games" are created equal. Most are heavily GPU bound (Oblivion), some are heavily CPU bound (Flight Simulator X), yet few balance their use of hardware. We know that on the GPU end of the FPS performance spectrum, Oblivion runs well on high end GPU's, but on the CPU end, Flight Simulator X demands extreme horsepower OC'd to the max, and even then FPS is just fair, regardless of what high end GPU's are plugged in.

Second, an Optometrist will tell you that the Flicker Frequency Threshold for the human eye is 48, so we rarely detect faster image rates. This is why the video industry can squeak by with 30FPS interlaced, and is also why most people don't see the 60Hz flicker in florescent lights, and won't see the flicker in a CTR at 60Hz refresh rate. For flat panel LCD monitors, this is 16.67mS response time. 1 / Time = Frequency, or 1 / 60 = 0.01667. Remember that when you increase refresh rate (60 vs 72) and/or image matrix (1024 vs 1280), you decrease FPS.

In order to determine what is suitable for your particular needs, some research into each game is required. For some gamers, the focus is on the highest possible horsepower in SLI or Crossfire cards, and for others, maximum CPU horspower OC'd to the edge of stability is the solution. Since most of us don't have unlimited budgets to just simply build a system that covers all contingencies, we must weigh our priorities as well as we can, based on the information available. This is where choosing the right hardware becomes very complicated, as we see every day in these forums.

The goal is to design a rig that can consistently render FPS that never fall below 45. Anything above 60Hz is meaningless to the human eye, although the numbers are impressive for benchmarking. I suggest that in the future, game software developers implement a simple "CPU / GPU Binding Ratio" on the retail box, (such as 30 / 70), so that we can all make more informed decisions regarding purchasing options and upgrade paths. This would help us all to identify where we need spend our hard earned money, so we can enjoy a computer which best matches our needs.

 

[uber_g]

we all know if a faster processor is installed we gang more but dont go buy a new cpu if you already have a 2gig, you can still use your cpu with the 8800. That article 8800 NEEDS the fastest CPU is telling us what we already know and miss leading label.

Nvida states any express mb with a 2 gig cpu will run the gpu with the same outcome as a high end cpu except the benches for the higher cpu will be better and that is it.

Why a mis leading title on the front page I now why MONEY MONEY MONEY can get people to do weired thing.

read

http://www.guru3d.com/article/Videocards/391/


gave me alot of information

 

[kwalker]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[TabrisDarkPeace]

Depends what gives the most performance in the most cost effective way.

It may be more cost effective to pair a GeForce 8800 GTS / GTX with a higher end CPU. At least something above mid-range.

 

[GeneticWeapon]

Why a mis leading title on the front page I now why MONEY MONEY MONEY can get people to do weired thing.

Quit posting here.

 

[TabrisDarkPeace]

so correct, lets face it, this dude wrote an article and knows what he's doing when it comes to this kind of write up.
this is what the 8800 needs
1) Intel Pentium IV 2.0 GHz or Higher
2) AMD Athlon 2.0 GHz or higher
3) 256MB system RAM
4) A 400W or higher
5) 2 6-pin supplementary power connectors from SMPS
6) 50MB of available hard disk space
7) Built for Vista, supports 2000, XP, XP 64 bit & Media Centre
who the blank uses 2048x2048 I have not seen a monitor use higher than a 1600x1600 and at that one needs a looking glass to see the icons.

I'd be leaning more towards an Athlon 64 at 2.4 GHz, or Pentium 4 at 3.0 GHz, with at least 1 GB system RAM, and a 550 watt PSU.

PSUs get less efficient over time, and while a 400 watt would work today, within 12 months it would fail and maybe take the mobo with it.

http://users.on.net/~darkpeace/psu/List_of_Recommended_PSUs_Nov_2006.pdf

 

[illicitsc]

wtf is a 2gig cpu..?

 

[CompuTronix]

P4 2.0Ghz (2000Mhz) or AMD 2.0Ghz (2000Mhz)

 

[GeneticWeapon]

P4 2.0Ghz (2000Mhz) or AMD 2.0Ghz (2000Mhz)

I'm embarrassed that you even had to explain that to somebody here :roll:

 

[CompuTronix]

Who among us haven't asked a dumb question, and is any question really dumb?