Best AMD CPU/GPU Combo (Avoiding Bottlenecks)

LondonBridge

I'm looking at upgrading my PC very soon with either a 8800GTS or 8600GTS and I'm trying to avoid any potential bottlenecks from either the GPU or CPU. Anybody know the best AMD CPU to go with either of the two cards I'm looking at?

Iroh

Unless you buy a crazy slow processor, it will not bottleneck your video card, regardless of which one it is. My advice is just to grab up the one that fits your budget.

HadjiQuest

Did you know AMD owns ATi now?

For that reason, I'm waiting for the new ATi cards to come out, because I suffer from extreme brand loyalty. I know there won't be a straightaway advantage to using an Athlon processor and an ATi video card, but I'd like to pretend there's one.

Klyka

HadjiQuest wrote: »

Did you know AMD owns ATi now?

For that reason, I'm waiting for the new ATi cards to come out, because I suffer from extreme brand loyalty. I know there won't be a straightaway advantage to using an Athlon processor and an ATi video card, but I'd like to pretend there's one.

Red ones go fasta?

GrimReaper

Klyka wrote: »

HadjiQuest wrote: »

Did you know AMD owns ATi now?

For that reason, I'm waiting for the new ATi cards to come out, because I suffer from extreme brand loyalty. I know there won't be a straightaway advantage to using an Athlon processor and an ATi video card, but I'd like to pretend there's one.

Red ones go fasta?

The ones with red stripes go faster.

LondonBridge

Iroh wrote: »

Unless you buy a crazy slow processor, it will not bottleneck your video card, regardless of which one it is. My advice is just to grab up the one that fits your budget.

Whats crazy slow? I'm looking at a 3600 X2.

Iroh

Right now, a 3600+ will not have issues with an 8-series nvidia card. However, do yourself a favor and splurge on a 4200+ or better so that you don't have to upgrade the CPU and Video Card at the same time later on.

Shurakai

Iroh is correct. Make sure you get an AM2 socket processor!

Chalkbot

How soon is "very soon?" If you can hold out till late August you can probably get one of AMD's new quad core parts that should actually be competitive with Intel's offerings. That would be exciting.

Deusfaux

im sure most if not all AMD procs will bottleneck the upper end geforce 8s, becasue thats the case for the faster intel procs

Rook

LondonBridge wrote: »

I'm looking at upgrading my PC very soon with either a 8800GTS or 8600GTS and I'm trying to avoid any potential bottlenecks from either the GPU or CPU. Anybody know the best AMD CPU to go with either of the two cards I'm looking at?

If you've got the choice between an 8800GTS and an 8600GTS, get the 8800, even if that means cutting down on your system elsewhere.

GnomeTank

Almost any CPU on the market will CPU-bind the 8800 series of cards. The 8800's are fast, very fast. Most tests show that even the high end C2D's can CPU-bind the GPU in cases of high shader use and high resolution.

Also, HadjiQuest, you do know that ATi just released their new cards right? The HD 2900XT? Yah, unfortunately for you, it's getting stomped by NVidia's 8800 cards. There are real world tests floating around that show the 8800GTS stomping all over a 2900XT, let alone the 8800 GTX and Ultra. It's a decent benchmark warrior, and good at it's price point, but it's not even in competition with the 8800 for top of the line GPU right now.