upgrading from 1950 pro to 3870.. is OC warranted ?

Hello everybody,
since this is my first post here, I'll try not to OT too much

Anywayz, I've decided to upgrade from 1950pro to 3870. Not to say that 1950 is a bad card (on the contrary), but since I'm a huge fan of TW and Fallout series, I'd like to get smooth and enjoyable gameplay when these games finally appear in Q3 2008, and it appears that 3870 should do the trick.

Now, my only concern is that my 4400 Athlon X2 working @ default 2,2 GHz my represent a bottleneck for such a GPU. I've even heard suggestions it should be OC to 2,8 GHz - which is not something I'd do, especially bearing in mind the "quality" of electrical supply in Serbia.

Essentially , the bottom line is this - is my CPU sufficient to fully utilize this card, or should I replace it / OC to get more bang for my buck ?

(other specs - MSI k9 Neo, 3 GB Kingston DDR2 @ 667, 350 W Chieftec).

While i can appreciate that you are concerned about getting the most from your card, my advice would be not to worry about it your CPU isnt terrable by any means and the best course of action in my opinion is to get the card an dthen if you are not happy with the performance you are getting - Then worry about if you should OC/replace your CPU.
I cant say for sure but would agree with amd_fanboi that it shouldnt be a problem in any case.
Mactronix

Sure a 3.6Ghz core2 duo might allow for higher framerates and benchie scores, but your CPU will be fine for enjoying the HD3870. Especially if you play at a high resolution or crank eye candy (enable fsaa/AF).

This review should put your mind to rest a bit. Notice how even on the slower cpu's in the test things can become GPU bound in COD4, UT3, and Crysis with an 8800GT. http://www.firingsquad.com/hardwar [...] c_upgrade/


Sure there is a need for a certain amount of CPU power, but most dual core CPU's today have enough power to enjoy gaming on a card like the 3870.