Bottleneck CPU?

[czarcas7ic]

I currently have a Intel Core i7-3520M 2-Core 2.9GHz. I was about to buy a GTX 480 (and use it as an external GPU), but then I thought that this processor might bottleneck my card. Can anyone confirm or deny this?<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

[Robbo]

Your CPU may prove to be the bottleneck in some more modern titles that can use 4 or more cores, like Crysis 3 for example. However, your hyper threading helps a lot on that dual core, and it's got a high clock speed. Also, the GTX 480 is not a particularly powerful card anymore, about 5500 3DMark11 score, so that's not going to push the CPU that much. Also, I don't know how much of a hamper the external connection of the GTX 480 is going to put on the performance of the 480, that might lower the 480's performance even more thereby further reducing any possible CPU bottlenecks. Either way, the CPU and GPU are both not very future proof, or in fact even current proof, but I guess it's a good upgrade if you can do it for cheap. Yep, so I wouldn't bother upgrading your CPU, it wouldn't be worth the money.

[czarcas7ic]

Your CPU may prove to be the bottleneck in some more modern titles that can use 4 or more cores, like Crysis 3 for example. However, your hyper threading helps a lot on that dual core, and it's got a high clock speed. Also, the GTX 480 is not a particularly powerful card anymore, about 5500 3DMark11 score, so that's not going to push the CPU that much. Also, I don't know how much of a hamper the external connection of the GTX 480 is going to put on the performance of the 480, that might lower the 480's performance even more thereby further reducing any possible CPU bottlenecks. Either way, the CPU and GPU are both not very future proof, or in fact even current proof, but I guess it's a good upgrade if you can do it for cheap. Yep, so I wouldn't bother upgrading your CPU, it wouldn't be worth the money.

Hey thanks a lot for the reply. One more question if you have the time. Would you know what graphics card I should get if I wanted to match the limits of my CPU? If I use a NVIDIA card I can have a 1.2opt link so it shouldn't hamper my card that much as an external card.

[Robbo]

Hey thanks a lot for the reply. One more question if you have the time. Would you know what graphics card I should get if I wanted to match the limits of my CPU? If I use a NVIDIA card I can have a 1.2opt link so it shouldn't hamper my card that much as an external card.

I think this one would be a good one to get, very cool running, and probably only just a little overpowered for your CPU, but not by much I don't think:

ASUS GeForce GTX 760 DirectCU II OC

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ASUS-GTX760-DC2OC-2GD5-GeForce-PCI-Express-graphics/dp/B00DM9B6FO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391890898&sr=8-1&keywords=ASUS+GeForce+GTX+760+DirectCU+II+OC

Here's a review:

ASUS GeForce GTX 760 DirectCU II OC review - DX11: Futuremark 3DMark 11 & 2013

Very cool running, doesn't use huge amounts of power, overclocks well, and it's the latest generation of tech.

Really depends on how much you want to spend, but with that CPU of yours I wouldn't get anything that is faster.

(Don't really know anything about external video cards, so you will have to work out if it's suitable for you from that particular point of view).

EDIT: I was interested in this whole eGPU thing, so read up about it now and came across this thread, I'm sure you've seen it before but I'm including it here in case you haven't (might be useful):

http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/3062-%5Bguide%5D-2012-13-mbp-gtx660ti-hd7870%40x2-2-th05.html#post42483

[czarcas7ic]

I think this one would be a good one to get, very cool running, and probably only just a little overpowered for your CPU, but not by much I don't think:

ASUS GeForce GTX 760 DirectCU II OC

ASUS GTX760-DC2OC-2GD5 GeForce Direct CU II OC PCI-Express x16 2Gb GDDR5 graphics card - 90YV04L2-M0NA00 - (Components Video Graphics Cards): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Here's a review:

ASUS GeForce GTX 760 DirectCU II OC review - DX11: Futuremark 3DMark 11 & 2013

Very cool running, doesn't use huge amounts of power, overclocks well, and it's the latest generation of tech.

Really depends on how much you want to spend, but with that CPU of yours I wouldn't get anything that is faster.

(Don't really know anything about external video cards, so you will have to work out if it's suitable for you from that particular point of view).

EDIT: I was interested in this whole eGPU thing, so read up about it now and came across this thread, I'm sure you've seen it before but I'm including it here in case you haven't (might be useful):

http://forum.techinferno.com/diy-e-gpu-projects/3062-%5Bguide%5D-2012-13-mbp-gtx660ti-hd7870%40x2-2-th05.html#post42483

Yeah that one is a little out of my price range. Max im trying to spend is 170 on the card. Thanks for the links though and the advice!

[Robbo]

Yeah that one is a little out of my price range. Max im trying to spend is 170 on the card. Thanks for the links though and the advice!

Stock reference version of the GTX 760 is about £176.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MSI-Nvidia-DDR5-PCI-E-Graphics/dp/B00DMUN4JO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1391901819&sr=8-3&keywords=GTX+760

(Gets up to the low 80's in temperature though at load, as opposed to high 60's for the other one: but shouldn't be an issue / isn't an issue.)

[arestavo]

Pretty much anything more than 4 cores on an Intel CPU won't do you that much more good. It's a different story with AMD CPUs, as they really struggle to even come close to low end I7's in game benchmarks.

[Robbo]

Pretty much anything more than 4 cores on an Intel CPU won't do you that much more good. It's a different story with AMD CPUs, as they really struggle to even come close to low end I7's in game benchmarks.

Yes, AMD are really scraping along the bottom when it comes to CPU performance in current games. Any "i7 Sandy Bridge & up CPU" games better than any stock clocked AMD CPU, bar perhaps the dual core mobile i7, but HT helps with simulating 4 cores in total. Mantle is a good thing for those underpowered AMD CPU's though! HT is pretty cool on a 4 core i7 though at simulating 8 cores in total, all of which are supposedly used by some of the latest games such as Crysis 3.