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Will my CPU hold back a new GPU?
My current rig:
Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H motherboard
Intel Core i7-3770K CPU @ 3.50GHz CPU
16 GB DDR3-1600 Memory Module - G.Skill Ripjaws X
MSI GTX 670 2GB GPU
700 watt PSU
So my question is would I see a noticeable improvement in graphics and overall framerates if I bought a GTX 970 4GB GPU? Or would my CPU bottleneck? TBH I'm still happy with my 670 (currently playing GTA5 and it looks awesome but only getting 30-40 FPS it seems; MMO wise GW2 I get 60-80 FPS and FFXIV is about the same) but I'm noticing that the "recommended" GPU for newer games is almost at the 670 range. Would a 970 be a big upgrade or would I even notice?
Thanks for the input!
Bartoni's Law definition: As an Internet discussion grows volatile, the probability of a comparison involving Donald Trump approaches 1.
Comments
You would definitely notice an improvement. Your CPU is neither too old nor too slow. It has a good deal of life yet.
The only thing I wonder is if the PSU you currently have is up to the task, but it's worth a try.
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Now playing GW2, AOW 3, ESO, LOTR, Elite D
if its a decent spec 700 watt PSU then it will be fine.
@op you will get a very nice boost in performance.
my specs are as follows
i7 2700k @ 4.2ghz
16GB ddr3
Nividia Geforce 970.
OS on an SSD Game on a 1TB hybrid drive.
Win 7 x64
In GTA V with everything set to ultra I am getting between 40-60fps
Bartoni's Law definition: As an Internet discussion grows volatile, the probability of a comparison involving Donald Trump approaches 1.
a 970 requires less power then most older videocards. One of my machines runs one.
On that machine I have a
-Intel i5, 32gb RAM, ASUS GTX970, 256gb SSD, 2x 3TB HDD WD Black, 1 DVD-R drive, card reader installed, all on a 620W PSU. No power issues, no heat issues on that machine. Plus I often plug in external harddrives of 1TB+ for backups/additional storage.
So imho you don't really need to upgrade the PSU. A 600W minimum should easily run your machine. Of course you can always buy bigger/better if you really want to.
Be advised though that the 970 can not run the whole 4gb ram, it is limited to 3.5gb, it was falsely advertised, which led to a outrage of many customers. Still it is a very good videocard.
"going into arguments with idiots is a lost cause, it requires you to stoop down to their level and you can't win"
It can use the 4gb but the last 500mb is pretty slow so you dont really want to use it hehe.. You will only really start moving into that kind of memory usage when using 4k resolutions.. but then again if you are thinking about 4k gaming then its best to go for the 980 anyway maybe even two of them.
With everything maxed out GTA V its just about using over 3GB @ 1080p.
Ok I think you guys convinced me!
I'm looking at this card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487090&RandomID=864991732222214320150420012224
Anyone have this particular card? My 670 has a slight coil whine when pushed but it's not bad but some of the 970 reviews say the whine is very noticeable when pushed.
Oh and BTW I use a 1440p/110Hz OCed monitor too if it makes a difference.
Bartoni's Law definition: As an Internet discussion grows volatile, the probability of a comparison involving Donald Trump approaches 1.
Do you have an issue with coil whine? It seems the FTW model has great cooling because of better fans and the backplate.
Bartoni's Law definition: As an Internet discussion grows volatile, the probability of a comparison involving Donald Trump approaches 1.
VRAM usage at 1080p with everything maxed out in GTA V for me is 3.7GB...
@OP as you are running 1440p i'd be looking at buying an 8GB 290x over a 980, for the game in question anyway.
You got of the best CPU's you can get there.
That 3770k overclocks well usually.
I got one running at 4.7ghz (watercooled though). 4.5 ghz are usually pretty easily to achive.
Hasswells (newer i7 generation) aren't as easy to overclock in comparison.
My 3770k powers two radeon R9 290's and it doesn'T limit them at all.
Edit: VRAM usuage of GTA V is heavy. I am running at 5896x1080 resolution and while the two GPU's can render it easily with great FPS i cannot apply MSAA.
My VRAM usage without MSAA ist just under 8 GB. Max Detail possible (not that it is needed) would go past the 12 GB the Titan X has).
The game does look beautiful at that resolution + max detail + FXAA though.
When I bought the rig it was factory OC (forgot how much but I think at least 4 ghz) but about 6 months later something happened and it reset to factory defaults. It is watercooled. I remember at the time all the interweb sites were saying it was a great CPU for OC. I honestly don't plan on OC anything on my comp unless I have too, although I do have my QNIX 2710 monitor OC to 110Hz, though I can rarely get 110 FPS on any game I play.
Bartoni's Law definition: As an Internet discussion grows volatile, the probability of a comparison involving Donald Trump approaches 1.
Your CPU won't be a problem.
An unnamed 700 W power supply may or may not be an issue. Exactly what power supply is it? Give the exact brand name and model.
You don't mention an SSD; if you don't already have one, that's the first thing I'd look at to upgrade.
That's an awful lot of money to spend on a GTX 970. You can get one a whole lot cheaper:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500362
Paying more for a factory overclocked GPU is usually a bad idea, as a lower clocked version of a higher end chip will also increase performance without the dangers of overclocking. For example:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131606
That will offer adaptive sync support, too.
My PSU is an AZZA Alpha 700 watt, model # psaz-700c12.
I have a 250GB SSD that I have Windows installed on and only my go-to games on, currently Skyrim and GTA5.
Bartoni's Law definition: As an Internet discussion grows volatile, the probability of a comparison involving Donald Trump approaches 1.
Google can't find much on your claimed power supply. AZZA's web site lists only a 500 W version of the Alpha:
http://azzatek.com/psaz-500c12.html
The specs on that practically scream "junk". Ecos Consulting says that your model, if it exists, isn't 80 PLUS certified, which is itself an awfully low threshold. So I'd replace your power supply on general principle before looking at upgrading anything else. Or even if you don't upgrade anything else. Getting something nice doesn't have to be expensive:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182068
The 970 supports adaptive sync too according to the specs.
TBH I'm not really into AMD cards, not a NVIDIA fanboy I've just heard too many bad things about driver support (or lack thereof). Honestly every, and I really mean every, game forum I go to their is always people complaining about AMD cards not running right. I've used NVIDIA since the early 2K and never had a problem with any card or drivers.
I do appreciate the input though, I know you know a lot about hardware.
Bartoni's Law definition: As an Internet discussion grows volatile, the probability of a comparison involving Donald Trump approaches 1.
G-sync is not adaptive sync. They're nearly the same functionality, but adaptive sync is the industry standard, while G-sync is proprietary. G-sync adds $100+ to the price of a monitor to do the same thing. It's highly probable that Nvidia could support adaptive sync with a driver update, but so far they don't seem willing to do so.
Yeah when I bought my rig I just got the base PSU because I figured I would not even get close to needing 700 watts. I'll look into a new PSU I guess. Again thanks for the help!
Bartoni's Law definition: As an Internet discussion grows volatile, the probability of a comparison involving Donald Trump approaches 1.
You don't need 700 W, but you do need high quality. The nominal wattage on a power supply is a marketing number, not an engineering one. It's hard to figure out which power supplies are good by anything short of a review from a reputable site, so don't just buy something random hoping it's good.
Here, for example, is a comparison of three different "550 W" power supplies:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3985/three-550w-psus-for-different-prices
According to Nvidia's website they definitely support adaptive vsync:
http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/adaptive-vsync/supported-gpus
"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."
- Friedrich Nietzsche
Adaptive v-sync is a different thing entirely. It was better than traditional v-sync, but is obsolete with adaptive sync.
Hmm...
I don't know about this part really.
True - GSync is more expensive. Past that, the jury is still out.
Freesync may be "industry standard" as in it's supported by DisplayPort 1.2a, but it's hardly "industry standard" when it comes to vendors which support it (GPU vendors particularly), or even video card models which support it, or in that it is able to work with connectors apart from DisplayPort (to be fair, GSync is also DisplayPort only right now). DisplayPort is far from the dominant video interface right now.
It's highly probably that nVidia could support FreeSync, or that Intel could - and that no one would charge them a licensing fee (neither AMD for FreeSync or VESA for the DisplayPort itself). It's also remotely possible that AMD, or Intel, could support G-Sync, although they would most likely have to pony up steep licensing fees for the privilege.
At this point, I don't see it going either way as user adoption hasn't exactly been that great - probably because AMD doesn't have nearly broad enough GPU support for their "Free" option, and nVidia is charging a hefty premium for their option. In all cases, you have to go out of your way to find both a GPU and a monitor that support it, combined with the other negatives, the net effect is that it's stifling adoption across the board.
Maybe that will change since it won't cost anything extra to throw a "FreeSync-Compatible" sticker on a monitor box, but we aren't there yet and it's too soon to tell if Variable Sync is the next big thing, or yet-another-gimmick (Steroscopic 3D? Dedicated Physics Co-Processor? Gaming-optimized NIC?) to push hardware sales.