Phenom II 965 Upgrade!!

[whiteshadow_22]

I play Call of Duty 5:World at War a lot.

When you play the game the Maximum FPS is normally put to 125 so you're not needlessly overworking the computer.

On some maps, when I use 1024x1012 (I think it is) my FPS drops a bit though and makes the game run less smoothly.

I tried running the game at a lower resolution to improve the FPS but seem to be getting near identical FPS whatever resolution I play it at.

I'm assuming that means it's my CPU which is bottle necking my graphics card??

If it is I'm going to buy a Phenom II BE 965 to sort out the problem.

I was going to get the 125watt version as it's more economical but also should give me more headroom if I want to overclock.

Here's a link to the CPU I was going to get.

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/prods/Components/Processors/AMDPhenomX4/ADUHDZ965FBGMBOX.html

Do you think it's a good buy and is this version of the 965 the best one?

I'm pretty sure it will run on my motherboard but just to be sure here's a link to my current mobo.

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=K10N78

Here's a list of my current setup.

AMD 6000+ @ 3.0 Ghz (stock)
4 GB's Kingston RAM
Radeon ATI 4850 512mb GFX
Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black HD
Western Digital 80GB old HD
Windows 7

Thanks a lot for any help.

 

[whiteshadow_22]

Just bumping this, sorry.

 

[Godhatesusall]

get phenom II x4 955 (not 965 because its not worth the premium)

 

[whiteshadow_22]

Thanks.

Do you think the CPU is my bottleneck?

The 965 is less than £10 more and runs cooler. Don't you think that's worth £10?

 

[OvrClkr]

First of all you do not need 125FPS to have smooth gameplay.... 60FPS is the sweet spot for most games, specially when vsync will automatically cap your FPS at 60. At that resolution an x3 720 will be more than enough for your gaming needs...

 

[whiteshadow_22]

Thanks.

I don't have Vsync on when I play games.

You think I should do?

I thought around 72FPS was the point beyond which the human eye could see?

Ok, so it might be overkill but don't you think it's worth it in the long run?

 

[hunter315]

Well your monitor places a physical cap on your FPS at whatever its refresh rate is, normally 60Hz. Not sure where you heard that the 965 runs cooler than the 955, the 140W one is the same stepping as the 125W 955, and the 125W 965 runs a mere 1C cooler than the 140W version so it certainly isnt worth the extra 10 when you can bump the multiplier up yourself for free
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/phenom-x4-965,2468-5.html

A CPU upgrade would help, however even the 720 will move your CPU bottlenecking well above 60FPS in most games, but definitely dont go any higher than the 955, im not sure why they put the 965 out, it certainly isnt worth the premium when the 955 is a BE.

 

[notty22]

IMO, its worth the 10 bucks. Why not, the cost of a pizza ? Two months ago, the 965 was 265 and the 955 was 195. Maybe then it was not worth a 33% premium. But 10 or 20 dollars to get the best is FTW. Doing that with intel is impossible. Those new 125 watt chips will be the best chips from the wafers. Its why they can rate them at that mhz at that wattage. Competition has created a semi affordable atmosphere.

 

[whiteshadow_22]

Thanks.

Does anyone know if there's an easy way to check that my CPU is bottlenecking the game?

 

[OvrClkr]

Well your monitor places a physical cap on your FPS at whatever its refresh rate is, normally 60Hz. Not sure where you heard that the 965 runs cooler than the 955, the 140W one is the same stepping as the 125W 955, and the 125W 965 runs a mere 1C cooler than the 140W version so it certainly isnt worth the extra 10 when you can bump the multiplier up yourself for free
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/phenom-x4-965,2468-5.html

A CPU upgrade would help, however even the 720 will move your CPU bottlenecking well above 60FPS in most games, but definitely dont go any higher than the 955, im not sure why they put the 965 out, it certainly isnt worth the premium when the 955 is a BE.

Just FYI, the C3 is not the same as the C2... 140w vs 125w means one CPU will run a tad warmer than the other. The C3 also has more overclocking headroom than the C2, many C3 owners have their CPU's at 4.2/4.3Ghz while the C2 struggles to reach 4Ghz.....

 

[B-Unit]

You already did the best test that I know of.

Play game at max resolution, note FPS.

Turn resolution down, play game. If FPS stays the same, you are CPU bottlenecked. If it goes up, you are not.

 

[whiteshadow_22]

Thanks a lot for all your help.

It's greatly appreciated.

I'm going to get the 965 BE 125watt.

 

[Boxa786]

If you havent already ordered, save £19 and get free delivery?

http://www.dabs.com/products/amd-phenom-ii-x4-965-3-4ghz-black-skt-am3-l2-l3-8mb-12-6B0X.html

Enjoy

PS. like most others pointed out, yes the 965 is worth the extra £10, its stock clock is higher than the 955 and it overclocks higher. As said above, the new 125w also beats the old 140w in overclocking, so why not? Heck im getting it too!

 

[thecoolermaster]

I don't see how a 6000+ would bottleneck COD:WAW. and at 125? why the hell are you complaining? I would be happy with 50-60 fps average. I would guess it would be the video card not allowing higher frame rates... and 125fps with a 4850? that's excellent.

but if you really want a new processor, i would suggest the 955 if you're on a budget, or even an X3 720 if you're really on a budget. but if not, i would say just go for the 965.

 

[xupaguy]

ive had my 965 c3 in for a few days and its blown me away. the head room its got for overclocking is amazing, i cant fault it. must make a note though, ive stepped up from a x27750be, so this chip seems as if god made it itself!

 

[Boxa786]

Whats your setup, xupaguy?

Max oc achieved and max stable oc?

Iv ordered mine, just waiting for it to arrive... Cant wait!

 

[whiteshadow_22]

Sorry, I don't think I've made it clear.

I'm not always getting 125.

On parts of alot of maps it will drop to 50-80 FPS.

And I get the same FPS wether I play high or low resolution so I'm assuming it's a CPU bottleneck.

I should get the 965 tomorrow.

I'll let you know what difference it makes.

Thanks for the tip Boxa.

What CPU have you got atm?

 

[peanutpc]

Save £35 and get the X4 940... If you're gonna reuse your ddr2 ram, you don't need AM3 processor. Plus, X4 940 overclocks just as same as 955 & 965, which is around 3.8~3.9GHz.

 

[OvrClkr]

Sorry, I don't think I've made it clear.

I'm not always getting 125.

On parts of alot of maps it will drop to 50-80 FPS.

And I get the same FPS wether I play high or low resolution so I'm assuming it's a CPU bottleneck.

I should get the 965 tomorrow.

I'll let you know what difference it makes.

Thanks for the tip Boxa.

What CPU have you got atm?

Look.... do this, once you receive your CPU try maxing out the video settings and not using any xAA whatsoever. Second, enable vsync and make sure you have fraps or equivalent up as well... test the game out and look at the frames, if your refresh rate is at 60 and you see that it is not dropping frames meaning you have a constant 58/59/60 frame sequence then you are FINE....Same goes if your refresh rate is at 75hz.. No need to do anything else except for play with the xAA to see how much it can handle at playable frames later on if desired....

No need for 125 frames when the eye cannot tell the difference past 40/50FPS, vsnc smoothes out the edges and lines and does not impair performance unless you have a bottleneck or poor GPU....

Learn the awesomeness of your GPU, don't fall for the "I CAN GET 350+ FPS IN CS" bullcrap ...

 

[whiteshadow_22]

Hey, don't worry I'm not super picky about FPS just for the sake of it.

The game, imo, isn't running as smoothly as it could do and it affects my score on maps where this happens.

I just want a CPU\GFX combo that will let me be the deciding factor in my score.

I've got the CPU now.

I'll install it after work.

 

[OvrClkr]

Im not trying to give you more frames, just a better overall picture and smooth gameplay....

 

[Boxa786]

No probs, did you order from dabs?

I currently have the AMD 5000+ Black Edition, overclocked to 3.25Ghz, check my forum topics, Im upgrading to:

965 BE 125w (in stock)
5850 XFX XXX, which is their overclocked edition (currently out of stock, expected 10th December 09)
4GB OCZ Reaper ram to add to my existing 4GB OCZ ram (expected soon)
Fan controller

Its all one order, so when everything is in stock, thats when I get to see them

I can shop around and maybe pay a little more to have 1 or 2 things sooner, but I'd rather just get all the stuff at once and install all at one go.
Let us know how you get along with your new toy,

Max OC (even if it just gets you into windows )
Max Stable OC

 

[whiteshadow_22]

I've had the new 965 BE @3.4Ghz (125 watt) for a few days now and it's awesome.

My old AMD 6000+ 3Ghz Dual core was bottlenecking my system big time.

The game runs constant 125 FPS now and my scores are going through the roof.

I love this CPU.

Thanks to everyone who advised me to get it.

Boxa you'll love it.

It's a big step up from your 5000+ at 3.25Ghz.