What would the drawbacks be?

[cartnickz]

I wanted to build of computer with an AMD processor and a GTX 690. When I was searching for motherboards, I noticed the AMD motherboards only had PCI Express 2.0 and the video card was for PCI Express 3.0. I know it is probably backwards compatible but will it be slower? If so, how much worse would it be compared to a PCI express 3.0 slot.

Thanks

 

[Z1NONLY]

Right now, the 2.0 slot can handle a 690.

However, I would expect any AMD CPU to bottleneck a 690. (Unless you intend to OC the crap out of an AMD CPU)

I would worry more about your CPU than your 2.0 card slot.

That being said, You can always try it and upgrade the motherboard and CPU to an ivy i5 down the road. The 690 will probably provide a performance boost over any single card you may have now. (Even if your CPU keeps it from reaching its full potential.)

 

[cartnickz]

Right now, the 2.0 slot can handle a 690.

However, I would expect any AMD CPU to bottleneck a 690. (Unless you intend to OC the crap out of an AMD CPU)

I would worry more about your CPU than your 2.0 card slot.

That being said, You can always try it and upgrade the motherboard and CPU to an ivy i5 down the road. The 690 will probably provide a performance boost over any single card you may have now. (Even if your CPU keeps it from reaching its full potential.)

Thanks for the info. I was planning on O.C. the AMD FX 8350 to 4.9Ghz. Would that be enough for a 690, or should I switch to an Intel processor? Thanks again

 

[Z1NONLY]

Thanks for the info. I was planning on O.C. the AMD FX 8350 to 4.9Ghz. Would that be enough for a 690, or should I switch to an Intel processor? Thanks again

I would start with the video card upgrade and see how the system performs.

Run some benchmarks and see where it stands. Then make a value judgment on an OC or an Intel move.

^^All this assumes you have your heart set on 690-level performance.

If that's your goal, then a 690 will be in whatever system you end up with and there is no harm in giving your AMD rig a shot at it. You may find that your "bottleneck" penalty is small enough that you don't want to push your chip real hard or buy a new platform.

 

[cartnickz]

I would start with the video card upgrade and see how the system performs.

Run some benchmarks and see where it stands. Then make a value judgment on an OC or an Intel move.

^^All this assumes you have your heart set on 690-level performance.

If that's your goal, then a 690 will be in whatever system you end up with and there is no harm in giving your AMD rig a shot at it. You may find that your "bottleneck" penalty is small enough that you don't want to push your chip real hard or buy a new platform.

Thanks!

 

[cartnickz]

Best answer selected by cartnickz.