Will an i3 2120 bottleneck 7850s in crossfire

the 2120 is a hyper threaded dual core. you should get a quad core

Depending on the game it definitely will. A 2500k/3570k would be the best bet to let them run free.

Please list your full spec, because not all motherboard supports k series CPU for overclocking. As for I3-2120, it's one of best value CPU suggested by Toms CPU guide. It should be fine as long as you are not doing 3D artwork or CAD programs.

Its not an appropriate match for 2 Crossfired 7850s, as stated, a quad core is a more appropriate choice for the sake of a balanced system.

A more appropriate CPU I would pair those video cards with at the cheapest Intel price point would be this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

But some more information would be helpful to make better determinations to figure out what will best fit your needs.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-o...
Read that, and post your mobo and what games you intend to play.

A 2120 will NOT bottleneck 7850's in Xfire.

But you may be limited by your cpu in games that utilize more than 2 cores.

Overclocked HD 7850 ventures into GTX 580 territory so I'd say i3 would definitely bottleneck it.

No way, a i3-2120 is just as fast as a i5-2500, it just has 2 less cores.

Cores are irelevent in gpu bottlenecking. The cores will only hold him back in games that need more than 2 cores, it won't hold back the gpu's.

Oh and a 7850 is nowhere near GTX580 territory.....

2 7850s OCd in Crossfire would be GTX 580 territory, actually 590 territory, even possible 680 territory.

And cores being irrelevant in bottlenecking is irrelevant as well. A dual core is not an appropriate balance with such a system with dual video cards such as 7850s. Its like buying a car thats so expensive you have no money left over to put gas in it.

Yes its true that most games still only use only 2 cores, but if one expects to get any kind of longevity out of a system, game titles indeed will come out that use more than 2 cores, and considering that the LGA1155 is due to be retired early 2013. Hypothetically, it would be folly to buy an i3 and upgrade it to an i5 next year if it is found that game titles do indeed start to come out utilizing 4 cores.

Bottlenecking is no big deal is it? Doesn't it just means you have more GPU than your CPU will allow? Since a GPU is transferrable to next build, who cares? Buy more GPU than you need, and when you rebuild your next rig, you're all set with the GPU. Bottllenecking doesn't mean the GPU is going to explode the CPU or anything. I liken it to putting Brembo brakes on a car with $50 tires. It will still stop, but the tires will give out before the brakes do.

Heck, every computer has SOME bottleneck on it somewhere from one of the components.

Sigh....please read before posting, he said ONE 7850 Oc'd was GTX580 territory......not TWO

Cores are irellevent to gpu bottlenecking, not game bottlenecking, GPU bottlenecking. The graphics cards are not going to be held back by a very fast dual core that's clocked the same as a i5-2500, but the game may be limited by the cores.

Longevity out of a system? What topic are we on here? The OP never said "I'm buying a cpu, can I use a 2120". He wrote it as if he already has a 2120.........so not sure what your talking about "buying and i3 now and upgrading to a i5 next year is a folly"......

A 2120 is fine for a pair of 7850's.

If you still want to upgrade your CPU, and if you live near a microcenter, a 2500k can be had for $170
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml...

I read, you like to be standoffish with people, so you get what you give. The title of this thread states that its a Crossfire setup, so I'll assume in good faith that sublime made a typo.



I was speaking hypothetically, in the absence of more input from the OP regarding the system, or proposed build. If it makes you understand it better, I'll go back and edit the post to include the word "hypothetically". Happy?

Then you're an idiot. He didn't say either way what his existing system was, if he had one at all. You're assuming he already has a 2120, my original post in this thread makes no assumption either way, its factual with no assumptions. Its not a proper choice for a well balance.

If I'm an idiot for assuming he has an i3 already, then your an idiot for assuming he doesn't.

Since he's asking what cpu UPGRADE would keep up, then it's pretty safe to assume he already has a s1155 motherboard and a i3, or he wouldn't be able to put any upgrade on it. He never said "what cpu AND mobo".

Standoffish? That may be your interpretation, I call it factual and straight to the point. Sorry if it get's your panties all wadded up noober, but this is a public forum and if you don't like my input, then leave.

Okay.. then you're not an idiot, you must be clairvoyant, because I didn't see anywhere where the OP stated he already had an i3. My god, you could charge money for such skills. Meanwhile, I'll stick to asking the OP to clarify. One could infer that they already had an i3, I'll contend that now that I've re-read the original post.


You are standoffish, you treat people like they are inferior to you. I've seen you do it to more than just me. I can think of 6 people off the top of my head that I disagree with on these forums and yet I'm able to discuss things in a reasonable tone with them, and yet theres just something about you that pisses me off. Why is that?

And contrary to what you may think, I'm more annoyed by how I've seen you treat others rather than myself.

not sure if I even want to chime in on this one. I am entertained though.


Geek, Nek kinda has a point. Standoffish may not be the right word, but sometimes you do come off as if you are talking down to people, whether you intend to or not, you are the only one that can answer that. I myself have to check my posts to make sure I am not coming off in a bad way.

for the record: I must assume the OP has an i3 2120 since they are asking for the least expensive upgrade that will keep up with the 7850's in CF.

I believe the i3 2120 will NOT bottleneck the 7850's in CF

this is a rather older article, but it explored Duals and Quads in games and synthetics with 4870's x2 and x3. in a nutshell, if the game didn't support more than 2 cores, then the difference was in the margin of error and Clock rate of the CPU seemed to be more of a a factor than anything.
http://www.alienbabeltech.com/abt/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8...

not sure in light of the current CPU and GPU tech advances if the article still holds true, but I suspect the advances compliment one another and it does.

Jerred,

You would be one of the people that came to mind when I mentioned 6 people that I can disagree with and still maintain a civil tone with ironically.   And no, I don't dispute Geek and I in some respects are cut from the same cloth, the difference is (at least as I see it) that I can admit it.

Thanks for the article, I bookmarked it so I can read it later on tonight.

LOL, I was thinking of the same thing when I said "I myself have to check my posts to make sure I am not coming off in a bad way."

I think THG did a CPU/SLI/CF article a while back too, but I couldn't seem to locate it.

Adding a small caveat: while the 2120 works for a pair of 7850's at stock clocks, it's right at the edge of what the CPU can do.

Those cards are such overclocking beasts, you may want to invest in a stronger processor, anyway.

45% overclock on stock cooling!
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18389...