What CPU for GTX 460 sli?

[gerardb]

So here i am again, already making a new gaming setup for a friend of mine=)
My question now, what CPU should i get to NOT bottleneck 2 GTX 460s (EVGA, 1gb GDDR5)
I had in mind the Core i5 750 and the core i7 870.
Overclocking is a MUST in any case, i know....
For a single card, any of those would do fine, but with sli? (specialy SLI scaling SO WELL!!!)
What should i go for?
Is the 870 worth the extra $100 for the SLI setup?
Thanx a bunch

Other info:
XFX 850 watt Black Edition PSU
Asus MAXIMUM Gene III (P55, Sli ready)
4GB G.skill Ripjaw 1600mhz
Cooler Master Hyper 212 +
Cooler Master HAF 922

 

[Maziar]

First of all,OC'ng isn't a must.both of those CPUs are enough for 2 GTX 460s unless you play many CPU limited games.
Both will do fine for SLI,you can't go wrong with either.for $100 more however, you get a faster CPU with HT,which IMO is worth it

 

[Timop]

Actually, for strictly gaming, HT has no effect whatsoever.
Do you live hear a microcenter?

 

[gerardb]

First of all,OC'ng isn't a must.both of those CPUs are enough for 2 GTX 460s unless you play many CPU limited games.
Both will do fine for SLI,you can't go wrong with either.for $100 more however, you get a faster CPU with HT,which IMO is worth it

oh ok, so the 870 is better say... "Future proof"

 

[gerardb]

Actually, for strictly gaming, HT has no effect whatsoever.
Do you live hear a microcenter?

Um.... so HT does not come into play for.... say... Bad company 2?

and umm... i guess you ment LIVE.
And the answer is NO. I live in central america

 

[Timop]

Um.... so HT does not come into play for.... say... Bad company 2?

and umm... i guess you ment LIVE.
And the answer is NO. I live in central america

lol yeah.
AFAIK, HT does not help out in any current games, and in most cases like BC2 hurts the performance.
http://forums.electronicarts.co.uk/battlefield-bad-company-2-pc-beta/892932-turning-off-hyper-threading-smooth-gameplay.html

 

[Maziar]

Actually, for strictly gaming, HT has no effect whatsoever.
Do you live hear a microcenter?

I know,i meant that for $100 more,its worth it to get i7 870 because its faster and supports HT(although few programs such as some AntiViruses benefit from it)

 

[coozie7]

Had the same dilemma myself a few months back while deciding which way to go with my current rig.
If you use, or plan to use software other than games that benefit from HT OR you do a lot of video encoding the i7 is the better choice.
If you only intend to game or do little video work (like me) the i5 750 has similar performance and is a deal cheaper.
Me, I could not justify the extra expense of an i7 setup, but the choice is yours to make.
BTW, that cooler is one of the better 'cheap' ones it keeps my CPU below 70C at just 50% speed and 3.4GHz under Linpac loading although your ambient temperatures might be higher than those here in England .

 

[gerardb]

Had the same dilemma myself a few months back while deciding which way to go with my current rig.
If you use, or plan to use software other than games that benefit from HT OR you do a lot of video encoding the i7 is the better choice.
If you only intend to game or do little video work (like me) the i5 750 has similar performance and is a deal cheaper.
Me, I could not justify the extra expense of an i7 setup, but the choice is yours to make.
BTW, that cooler is one of the better 'cheap' ones it keeps my CPU below 70C at just 50% speed and 3.4GHz under Linpac loading although your ambient temperatures might be higher than those here in England .

oh, that was helpfull!!!
Thank you
Guess i'll buy the i5, and spend the extra money to get the ASUS Maximus III Formula :lol:

Timop: Thank you for the advice!!!!
Really!!!!
That's why i love tom's hardware!!!

 

[itouchedyou]

+1 for i5 750

 

[gerardb]

Best answer selected by gerardb.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey