Time to upgrade Core 2 Duo for GTX 460?

[kronick]

Hey hows everybody doing. Gotta question about buying a new GTX 460 1024 Superclocked.

I currently have an EVGA 9800 GTX+ 512 MB. Going to buy the GTX 460 but I am concerned about my processor bottle-necking. Is it recommended to upgrade to a quad core or can the core 2 duo handle the 460?. Specs are:

E8400 Core 2 Duo @ 3.0GHz
Asus P5ND 750i SLI
EVGA 9800 GTX+ 512 MB
Corsair 650W PSU

 

[Maziar]

It depends on the games and the resolution that you play at.

 

[Emperus]

There will be no bottlenecks considering a single GTX 460..

 

[kronick]

Really? Wow i didn't think that processor could keep up. All I hear about is how awesome quad core is for gaming and all that, so I just assumed I needed a new one as well. Ill look into OC'ing it in the near future.

I usually play my games at 1440x900, which looks great. And my rig in its current state hasn't let me down once, ever. Play games like Warcraft, Call of Duty, Total War mostly at high settings.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[Wamphryi]

The i7 and i5 Quads are good for gaming due to Turbo Boost. The Core 2 Quad is superior to the Core 2 Duo in tasks such as Video Editing but it struggles a little bit with Single Thread applications which many games are. The Dual Core generally has a higher Clock Speed.

 

[d1rtyju1c3]

If you are using an aftermarket cooler than an E8400 will easily hit 4ghz on air and still have great temps. Those things are amazing overclockers I know from experience.

 

[yesitsmario]

Ya, the E8400 is still a solid dual core chip. I also recommend overclocking it to 3.8 - 4ghz with a decent aftermarket cooler. You should be fine with an upgrade to a 460.

 

[yanje03]

Hey hows everybody doing. Gotta question about buying a new GTX 460 1024 Superclocked.

I currently have an EVGA 9800 GTX+ 512 MB. Going to buy the GTX 460 but I am concerned about my processor bottle-necking. Is it recommended to upgrade to a quad core or can the core 2 duo handle the 460?. Specs are:

E8400 Core 2 Duo @ 3.0GHz
Asus P5ND 750i SLI
EVGA 9800 GTX+ 512 MB
Corsair 650W PSU

Your CPU should be fine, could get 80% power from 460. Enjoy Direct 11 with 460 next year. I hope more game could support Direct 11 soon. Tessellation is amazon when I compare Direct9/10 with 11 in Heaven benchmark.

 

[Maziar]

Really? Wow i didn't think that processor could keep up. All I hear about is how awesome quad core is for gaming and all that, so I just assumed I needed a new one as well. Ill look into OC'ing it in the near future.

I usually play my games at 1440x900, which looks great. And my rig in its current state hasn't let me down once, ever. Play games like Warcraft, Call of Duty, Total War mostly at high settings.

Thanks for the replies!

For your resolution,you'll definitely see a performance boost with a faster CPU because low resolutions benefit more from a faster CPU compared to higher resolutions(which are more GPU limited).
Also games like Total war series benefit from a quad core CPU.
So overall,your CPU is fine but upgrading to a quad core will give you a good boost in performance.

 

[mactronix]

You will have a total of Zero issues running a 460 with that CPU.

Mactronix

 

[kronick]

Awesome thanks for the replies guys. I feel a lot more confident purchasing the 460.

I'll definitely upgrade the CPU in the coming months Maziar, might as well get it out of the way.

I knew it was a good idea to ask you guys instead of some other amateurs on another forum. lol j/k.

 

[Maziar]

No prob
However,consider getting a new monitor later,because you won't see the true potential of GTX 460 on your current resolution.

 

[d1rtyju1c3]

Good luck. Use it and abuse it, or it isnt any fun! :lol: [:bohleyk:1]

 

[iam2thecrowe]

hell no! that cpu is great, comparable to i5's for gaming. Quad core is not much better in most games, 2 cores is all you need for gaming. Core 2 duos are great for gaming still! CPU's arent that much of a limitation for todays games.

 

[kronick]

Best answer selected by kronick.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey