What makes a bigger difference for fps, better CPU or more PCIE lanes?

[tbaz26]

Hello,
For gaming, whats the better way to go? 8350fx on a 990fx mobo with dual nvidia gtx 660 cards in sli at x16/x16, or i5 3570k on a z77 or z75 mobo with the same 2 cards in SLI at x8/x8? How important exactly are the extra PCIE lanes that the AMD chipset provides? Will the Intel rig still outperforme it in games providing all other hardware is equal? (say each rig has 8gb of 1600 ram, 150gb ssd, br burner, and 850watt ps)

 

[itzdanielp]

The i5 will be better for gaming.

GTX 660's can not get even close to saturating 8 lanes of PCIe 3.0.

The 990FX is only PCIe 2.0, so SLI at x16/x16 would be equal bandwidth to the x8/x8 of PCIe 3.0 on the Z77.

Intel's perform better in all current games than the AMD counterparts.

 

[jemm]

I´d go with i5 3570k on a Z77 in SLI at x8/x8.


On a side note, the i5 3570K supports PCI 3.0 -- it offers double the bandwidth per lane compared to PCIE Gen2, but you need a mobo that offers support for PCIE Gen3, which is quite expensive.

 

[itzdanielp]

I´d go with i5 3570k on a Z77 in SLI at x8/x8.


On a side note, the i5 3570K supports PCI 3.0 -- it offers double the bandwidth per lane compared to PCIE Gen2, but you need a mobo that offers support for PCIE Gen3, which is quite expensive.

All Z77's are PCIe 3.0

 

[jemm]

All Z77's are PCIe 3.0

Yes, they are, but no all of them have more than 1 PCI Express 3.0 x16, expansion slots.

 

[itzdanielp]

Unless they have a PLX PXE chip, which are the expensive boards.

But a 680 doesn't even come close to filling up the bandwidth of x8, so a single @x16 or x8/x8 is not detrimental at all.

 

[jemm]

Agreed!