Hi Everyone,

I've searched the forums but im unable to find the right answer.

My current system:

8800GTS SC 640mb
3800X2 Athlon Overclocked to 2.4ghz
2gig OCZ DDR RAM
ASUS A8N SLI PREMIUM socket 939


How much bottleneck am i experiencing with my current setup?

The Game i play the most is TFC2 and i would like to know what upgrade i need to ensure a smooth gameplay on a 32 player map.

I'm not sure if TFC2 is CPU or GPU intensive..so i dont know which route for the upgrade i should take. My budget for an upgrade is limited as i don't want to commit anything big until the maintsream/low end Nahalems come out.

or is it worth to wait for the penryns? or should i go for an E6600? or a Q6600?
I just want to make the most out of my investment with my videocard.

Im open to any suggestions.

thnx,

Most Source games are heavier on the CPU. That being said, I don't think you're bottlenecked too bad atm. You would probably see a 10-20FPS increase or possibly higher boost, I can't say for sure, with an E6600 or a Q6600. Maybe less in other games that are more GPU bound.

How are your framerates in TFC2? Also, what resolution are you gaming at?

If you're getting 40-50 fps or more, then you're fine I'd say.

I currently have a AMD X2 4200+ (939) with the A8N-E board, and 2GB of Crucial Memory.

I have a 7800GT currently, and I will be getting my new 8800GTS 512 in the mail today.

I will let you know how much improvement I see with the new card. Although my results will be subjective, it may help answer your question.

So keep an eye on this thread and I will post my findings. =)

rally... please post what resolution your playing at.. Start at 1280x1024

I am currently at work, but I will be happy to do so when I get home!

I will also post 3dmark06 scores.

My rig, which is far less powerful, does really good in TF2.

I don't think you need a new CPU for that game.


If you do get a new CPU, I recommend getting out of 939. That will involve a new mobo and RAM though, but you can keep the graphics card, of course.

Your cpu will affect the maximum FPS but you may not see a real world difference unless FPS drops below your refresh rate (ie 60Hz) My FX60 @3 ghz/8800GTS 640 @ 651/1900 SM scores in 3Dmark06 were 4500+. That same card at the same OC scored 5000-5100+ with my new Q6600 @ 3ghz. I can't see the difference when gaming online (1680x1050) however. Your 3800x2 @2.4ghz may be a little more noticable but I doubt it in most titles unless you are at very high resolutions. The C2Ds and C2Qs are sweet and if you can afford it they are a nice overall upgrade all things considered...at least in my experience.

Hi All,

Thnx for the quick reply. I currently game with 1680x1050 with a modified High Settings. Water on Low with 4x AA and 8x AF.

I find that lowering any of my current settings don't really help the FPS that much. ( or maybe im just a sucker for eye candy )

I suffer 20-25fps at times in the battlements area ( where everyone fights )

I also checked the CPU load while im gaming. I've noticed the CPU load is at "50" or at 100% according to some forums ive bumped into.

Rally, do you happen to also have TFC2?

thats my dilema, im really ready to move away from 939 but the costs required to do so are a bit higher than I would like.

So I will be taking baby steps.

CPU will be at 50% because the game isn't multi-threaded.

No I dont, unfortunately, but I was considering purchasing it. Either way, I should be able to get a fair amount of before and after stats for ya.

Hey dude, I had a 7600GT and Athlon 64 3500+. I upgraded to Athlon X2 5200+. I saw a performance gain in a lot of games, but not much. Your set-up still has life in it, consider waiting for 45nm Core 2 Duos. Your processor and possibly RAM are the bottlenecks.

You'll see some gains buying a faster processor, but I doubt the increase would be huge especially as your current Processor is overclocked. Unless you want to be the benchmark king, don't waste your cash. It's always best to upgrade when it's needed, rather than buying on hype.

At this point I am experiencing frequent BSODs and can not comment on the new card.

I am not far along in the troubleshooting though.

Im just going to perform a clean install of Vista with all new squeaky clean drivers. That should help me troubleshoot.

I've recently done a fresh format and OC'd my video card further and reduced the clock to 2.25ghz due to stability issues...(im a noob OC'er i dont know how to OC the ram on this board) and managed to get 300 more on 3dmark06.

Score of 8100 and saw minor FPS gain.

I think i will follow everyone's suggestion and just wait when i really need it. :*(

as the whole new mobo+cpu+ram will sure cost me quite a bit.

Newegg currently has the Opteron 180 (socket 939) listed for $169. It would give you a 20% increase in clockspeed before OC (and it also OCs well), not a small amount. You might want to review the performance difference on the THG charts to see if it would be significant for you. I don't know how that fits in your budget and depending on plans you might be ahead putting that money towards a future, more extensive upgrade.