How to tell if your CPU is bottlenecking your GPU?

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How to tell if your CPU is bottlenecking your GPU? - 7/31/2009 9:58:19 PM

Nastpeh

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Is there really a way to tell if your CPU is bottle necking your GPU? Im running 2 9800gtx+ SLI and a q6600 at 3.0ghz is my CPU bottle necking my GPU? is there like a software to see if any components are bottle necking each other? thanks!!

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RE: How to tell if your CPU is bottlenecking your GPU? - 7/31/2009 10:13:57 PM

SirJamesDDJ

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For me, it's more just a matter of common sense. I personally would say that you should probably push your processor to around the 3.4 range in order to get the most out of the SLI, although if one has a resolution lower than 1680x1050 it shouldn't make too much a difference. Otherwise for what you've got, your setup looks pretty well done.

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RE: How to tell if your CPU is bottlenecking your GPU? - 7/31/2009 11:19:02 PM

lehpron

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Without either changing for faster components or overclocking anyway, you can't tell; and there isn't software that could tell you. Bottlenecks are a result of forcing two parts at different speeds to work at the same rate, but one slows the other down. It is common sense that upping your 3D graphics settings will drop your performance, and it varies per each game. But a faster CPU will not drop performance as much in some games. Why? CPU has the task of both running the game and telling the GPU what to draw on your screen. As you up settings, while the GPU can take it, the CPU has it's work cut out for it -- it is going to max out, unless you crank it up.

The only way to tell by yourself is by either changing out your CPU for a faster one, or overclocking it; many of us do the latter. If you can slowly take it up 0.2 GHz at a time and see the impact on your games.

Fact is, if you don't need the highest details, there is no problem. When others tell you your system may be bottlenecked, they assume you play at their preferences

. That if they tried to play their games with your system, they'd feel the need to OC your CPU until they are comfortable. That doesn't mean you can't be comfortable.

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RE: How to tell if your CPU is bottlenecking your GPU? - 8/3/2009 9:53:06 AM

OV3RCLK4

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Ive found that Crysis will show you exactly where your GPU's stop bottlenecking.
I used to have two 8800GT's Highly Overclocked and in SLI. I would see 20 FPS gains in Crysis from 2.4ghz to 3.15ghz with my Q6600. Anything higher than 3.15ghz and I saw no difference.

Go to the first level on Crysis 1 and stand by that Flare in the beginning after you kill the 3 KPA Soldiers. Look towards the flare and use fraps to record your fps. Then Save the game as FPS_Test. Restart your PC and overclock your CPU a little higher without adjusting the RAM speeds at all. Run Crysis and load that same save, and dont touch your mouse when it loads. Your FPS should have raised by at least 1 or 2 FPS. Once it stops raising id say your not bottlenecking anymore.

GTA 4 might be better at this because it uses all 4 cores. Crysis only uses 2 cores.

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RE: How to tell if your CPU is bottlenecking your GPU? - 8/4/2009 6:56:30 AM

fanboy

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Let 's take World at War ... and run it @ 1680x1050 and enable 4x AA and turn all candy on .. max the filters out also .. now when your gaming does eventhing work very smooth or not ? looking from side to side very quick should be very smooth to you ..

It took some time for me get my pc tuned to play like that and started with a fresh install of vista .. the game likes 3.9Ghz on my e5200 as bus speed doesn't seem to matter as much in my case.. the HD4890 is auto tuned to 880core/975memory..