Do I Need A Better CPU or A Better GPU?

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1

Hiya Guys,

 

I'm looking for an upgrade to my PC because it runs BF3 with terrible lag spikes, here's my specs:

AMD Athlon ii X2 250

Sapphire HD6750

1 x 4GB DDR3 running at 1333 MHz

550W PSU

ECS A-780 (something, something) AM3+ Motherboard

 

So, should I upgrade my CPU to a Phenom ii X4 955 or my GPU to an HD6850/7770? And which part of my current pc is worst, the CPU or the GPU?

 

Thanks in advance guys,

SkyTails

2

The jump from a athlon to a phenom is huge aswell as a 6850 to a 7770 so if you can try and upgrade both, another thing is try and get memory that is faster 4gb is enough for light gaming but 1333 is slow for anything so concider that aswell

 

Hope it helped

3

I would go with a new CPU, if you have the budget I would switch to one of Intel's sandy bridge perhaps the core i5 2500k that would give you a good boost, in pretty much everything you do on your pc! 

4

The 1333 to 1600 will barely be noticed

5

You really need both upgrades, especially for Battlefield 3. You won't be able to max the game out with a 6850 or 7770 either, but I would still suggest going with the GPU first, since games are generally more dependent on the GPU than the CPU.

I just saw this video in my subscriptions. It might help you make your decision:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4PDoy-mi0A

6

Lag spikes in single player or multi player? What are your graphic settings? Have you tried turning them down to see if that helps?

7

Just work to an AMD Vishera CPU or so, and yeah I guess the 7770 will work. Both need updated tbh, but one step at a time haha I'd go with GPU first!

8

Almost any other game I'd say the GPU first but BF3 is an extreme CPU hog. I keep cutting down large explinations down to this short one.

ECS A780LM-M2

If you are running windows vista/7/8 get another stick of RAM.

9

Multiplayer, yes I've turned down the graphics performance but at some point, it still lags badly, but I see FPS increase though

10

I didn't know that o-o so, I should go for the CPU?

11

I've also found this,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTo37AtKufg

HD6870 with an Athlon ii X2 260 seems to be a bottleneck maybe?

12

Battlefield is cpu demanding, so a cpu will go a long way. The game taxes my Phenom II pretty good!

You could get an even better gpu later.

 

13

Think of it in these terms, your CPU is dealing with the physics going on when it comes to dealing with vehicles, they have weight, speed, health, can colide are affected by gravity and the slope they are on too some extent. Every time they fire your CPU has too deal with the transversal between you and the object that was fired upon and that changes if speed, distance or angle are changed and that is constantly being processed and updated, and is being updated for every Vehicle, RPG, Missile, Explosive or pretty much 'thing' that moves or kills people dead.

Eh, got to go no time for proof reading.

14

So, my CPU isn't really capable of doing things(multi-calculations etc.) in BF3?

15

I hate budget builds. Just save, save and save. that way you'll be happy with what you bought and you won't need to go out and buy the parts you should have in the first place 

 

16

I'm 14 and I am not a spoiled brat, I have to keep things not too expensive because I have to share my money with my dad's 50/50

17

Definitely get a better CPU

18

Oh, wait, I thought you were having an argument with me XD Sorry! my bad~

19

I'd get the cpu and a matching stick of ram since I still don't know what you have running as your OS or what programs are running in the background.