CPU Importance in gaming

dwalk1989 · 06-28-2009, 11:41 PM

Hey, I'm going to be buying a new PC soon, and I was wondering just how important the CPU is when it comes to playing video games.

(bare in mind the ram/GPU/PSU/etc will all fall into place once I choose a cpu based on your responses)
I found a deal on a PC with an Intel 2 Quad Q8300 with DDR3 ram support, a PCI-e 2.0 slot, etc. 6 gb of ram and a video card I would need to upgrade, for about 600$.

I could then spend a whole lot more money on an Intel i7 computer. The processor would be the only difference.

When it comes to gaming, if I had an Nvidia 9800gtx or something would it make any difference (in these processors)?

**Aus_Karlos** · 06-29-2009, 12:58 AM

For a Nv 9800GTX then yes the processor needs to be a decent one. Any Dual core above E6750 will do but to get the most out of the card a Dual core E8400 is best. The Q8300 is a good quad core for the 9800GTX and will be most suited for the job.

When playing games the processor has a very important job alongside the GPU. The CPU can control things like, Game AI, Cutscene, Sound timing, and including Resolution. Its the CPUs job to tell the GPU what to render in each Pixel so if you want to play in high resolutions you need a good CPU to do the job.

dwalk1989 · 06-29-2009, 01:21 AM

Nice reply Aus_Karlos, thanks.

I'm not very updated on my video cards. I'm curious, what is the best video card available right now, and would the Q8300 bottleneck it's effectiveness? If so, what processor (socket 775) could handle it? (if applicable)

**Aus_Karlos** · 06-29-2009, 01:37 AM

The newest Card from Nvidia is the GTX 295, top of the range Dual core again will suit it well like a E8400. And of course a good Quad core.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/product...tx_295_us.html

With a price tag of upto $600 USD its an expensive card. However to run the thing properly you need a very high quality PSU of about 800W - 950W with a 12v@ 60a, which can set you back another $300-$500.
Im about to purchase a SilverStone 1500W with 12v@ 120a so i can run my system in SLI.

06-28-2009, 11:41 PM	#1 (permalink)
dwalk1989 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 117 OS: Vista Home Premium (Service Pack 1)	CPU Importance in gaming Hey, I'm going to be buying a new PC soon, and I was wondering just how important the CPU is when it comes to playing video games. (bare in mind the ram/GPU/PSU/etc will all fall into place once I choose a cpu based on your responses) I found a deal on a PC with an Intel 2 Quad Q8300 with DDR3 ram support, a PCI-e 2.0 slot, etc. 6 gb of ram and a video card I would need to upgrade, for about 600$. I could then spend a whole lot more money on an Intel i7 computer. The processor would be the only difference. When it comes to gaming, if I had an Nvidia 9800gtx or something would it make any difference (in these processors)?

06-29-2009, 12:58 AM	#2 (permalink)
Aus_Karlos Moderator, Games Team Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Western Australia Posts: 3,424 OS: Vista Ultimate x64, Windows XP 32-bit/64-bit, Ubuntu x64, Windows 7 x64 Beta My System Blog Entries: 2	Re: CPU Importance in gaming For a Nv 9800GTX then yes the processor needs to be a decent one. Any Dual core above E6750 will do but to get the most out of the card a Dual core E8400 is best. The Q8300 is a good quad core for the 9800GTX and will be most suited for the job. When playing games the processor has a very important job alongside the GPU. The CPU can control things like, Game AI, Cutscene, Sound timing, and including Resolution. Its the CPUs job to tell the GPU what to render in each Pixel so if you want to play in high resolutions you need a good CPU to do the job. __________________ MemTest86 / Nvidia Drivers / ATI Drivers / DirectX 9.0c / Sys Requirements / Everest Folding@Home

06-29-2009, 01:21 AM	#3 (permalink)
dwalk1989 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 117 OS: Vista Home Premium (Service Pack 1)	Re: CPU Importance in gaming Nice reply Aus_Karlos, thanks. I'm not very updated on my video cards. I'm curious, what is the best video card available right now, and would the Q8300 bottleneck it's effectiveness? If so, what processor (socket 775) could handle it? (if applicable)

06-29-2009, 01:37 AM	#4 (permalink)
Aus_Karlos Moderator, Games Team Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Western Australia Posts: 3,424 OS: Vista Ultimate x64, Windows XP 32-bit/64-bit, Ubuntu x64, Windows 7 x64 Beta My System Blog Entries: 2	Re: CPU Importance in gaming The newest Card from Nvidia is the GTX 295, top of the range Dual core again will suit it well like a E8400. And of course a good Quad core. http://www.nvidia.com/object/product...tx_295_us.html With a price tag of upto $600 USD its an expensive card. However to run the thing properly you need a very high quality PSU of about 800W - 950W with a 12v@ 60a, which can set you back another $300-$500. Im about to purchase a SilverStone 1500W with 12v@ 120a so i can run my system in SLI. __________________ MemTest86 / Nvidia Drivers / ATI Drivers / DirectX 9.0c / Sys Requirements / Everest Folding@Home