8800GTX and bottleneck question

I really want to upgrade to one of these cards but im concerned about my processor speed. I have an AMD X2 4400 dual core. how much would the card be held back, and more importantly, should I buy a new processor as well?deathsquad99

You'll be fine with your current processor.

I really want to upgrade to one of these cards but im concerned about my processor speed. I have an AMD X2 4400 dual core. how much would the card be held back, and more importantly, should I buy a new processor as well?deathsquad99

Wow, I am amazed that all of you are psychic and know what resolution he runs at...
Resolution is the main factor in finding if you are bottlenecked or not.

BTW- bottlenecking isn't such a terrible thing like some people make it out to be.

Wow, I am amazed that all of you are psychic and know what resolution he runs at...
Resolution is the main factor in finding if you are bottlenecked or not.

BTW- bottlenecking isn't such a terrible thing like some people make it out to be.

LordEC911

Regardless of the resolution, with that processor I seriously doubt he's going to run into any significant bottlenecks.

He probably runs at 1280x1024 resolution, if I had to guess.

Regardless of the resolution, with that processor I seriously doubt he's going to run into any significant bottlenecks.

He probably runs at 1280x1024 resolution, if I had to guess.THA-TODD-BEAST

Ummm... yes it does depend on the resolution...
You might want to look up the definition of bottlenecking...

x2 4400+ ~= E6300

A GTX is going to be bottlenecked even at 1600x1200 with his processor...
http://www.guru3d.com/article/Videocards/391/23/

I'm not saying it is a bad thing, I'm just stating that it IS bottlenecked...

Wow, I am amazed that all of you are psychic and know what resolution he runs at...
Resolution is the main factor in finding if you are bottlenecked or not.

BTW- bottlenecking isn't such a terrible thing like some people make it out to be.

LordEC911

Congratulations! You win the prize for smartest answer. In a sea of guesses and misinformation, sometimes the OBVIOUS is ignored. Thanks for pointing this out. Resolution will be a key factor in determining bottlenecks of any system - I am sure that 1024x768 isn't the same as 1920x1200....

[QUOTE="THA-TODD-BEAST"]Regardless of the resolution, with that processor I seriously doubt he's going to run into any significant bottlenecks.

He probably runs at 1280x1024 resolution, if I had to guess.LordEC911

Ummm... yes it does depend on the resolution...
You might want to look up the definition of bottlenecking...

x2 4400+ ~= E6300

A GTX is going to be bottlenecked even at 1600x1200 with his processor...
http://www.guru3d.com/article/Videocards/391/23/

I'm not saying it is a bad thing, I'm just stating that it IS bottlenecked...

Notice I said SIGNFICIANT bottlenecks in terms of performing much slower than anticipated .. a few FPS isn't going to hurt anyone, especially not 5-10 or so.

I also don't recall saying that resolution doesn't matter. I said regardless of his resolution, there shouldn't be any SIGNIFICANT bottlenecks and the 8800 GTX will still be a badass card. It isn't like his CPU is going to be a killer or anything.

Notice I said SIGNFICIANT bottlenecks in terms of performing much slower than anticipated .. a few FPS isn't going to hurt anyone, especially not 5-10 or so.

I also don't recall saying that resolution doesn't matter. I said regardless of his resolution, there shouldn't be any SIGNIFICANT bottlenecks and the 8800 GTX will still be a badass card. It isn't like his CPU is going to be a killer or anything.

THA-TODD-BEAST

So you think there wouldn't be "significant" bottlenecking if he ran, at say, 1920x1200 or 2560x1600? And if running at 1600x1050 or lower, wouldn't a GTS be a better buy?

So you think there wouldn't be "significant" bottlenecking if he ran, at say, 1920x1200 or 2560x1600? And if running at 1600x1050 or lower, wouldn't a GTS be a better buy?

ZBoater

A GTS is generally the better buy if you're gaming at lower resolutions, regardless of any type of bottleneck. The GTX, in my opinion, is the card that you get if you game at high resolutions and want to crank up the graphics and still - even after all that - get good frame rates.

But even at lower resolutions, the GTX has an advantage however the GTS still performs great or at least good enough so that a GTX isn't absolutely necessary. It's purely personal preference in terms of which card he wants, though.

But even at lower resolutions, the GTX has an advantage however the GTS still performs great or at least good enough so that a GTX isn't absolutely necessary. It's purely personal preference in terms of which card he wants, though.THA-TODD-BEAST

The GTX has no advantage over the GTS if the GTS is being bottlenecked by your CPU at lower resolutions...