I currently looking at upgrading my core system to allow better eyefinity performance when gaming.
I've been an AMD man for years, but I'm finding my friends 3 year old Intel CPUs are holding up better than my new AMD chips!
I'm currently running:
AMD FX 6350 OC to 4.5 GHz
AsRock 990FX Extreme3
8GB DDR3 @ 1866Mhz
Sapphire 7950 OC 900Mhz GPU
The performance on a single screen is great, but I'd really like to be able to utilise all 3 of my screens (5760x1080) with relatively high graphics settings. I've been considering crossfire but I feel that the core system isn't quite up to it.
I work from home and my current system is fine for that (web work and graphic design) and don't really do much video editing.
So, what do you think? Will simply upgrading to a 8350 with an OC be enough or do I need to be looking at Intel?
I'm looking to spend up to £500 for the mobo, cpu and Ram.
As for the Intel solution, I've been thinking about 2 routes. Getting a 2011 socket of a 1150.
RAM for either - Kingston 2400Mhz HyperX XMP Beast (8 or 16 depending on dual or quad) - £60 per 8GB
I've been doing incremental upgrades for years and I'd like to get something that will last for a while! Budget is important, as I do need to get another 7950 or 7970 eventually but I want the core to be solid before I go for that (and wait for the prices to come back down a bit!)
Your core is already solid. You might see better performance going with the i5 or the i7 but it won't be drastically better. If you want a better CPU than grab an FX-8350 or an 8320. It will be way more than adequate for Eyefinity gaming. Really if you want to change performance I'd get a single better GPU like a 290X or a 780Ti. That will give you the biggest improvement. Your CPU could handle Xfire tho if you really wanted to go that route.
As for your Intel CPU choices they are meh. The i5 is pretty much equivalent to the 8350. They trade blows but with a good OC and in well threaded (becoming more and more common), at higher resolutions. and with multiple GPUs, as well as in productivity, the 8350 usually wins. So the i5 is out I'd say.
Ah the Socket 2011 4820.To be honest, unless you really really really need quad channel memory and other X79 features there is absolutely no reason to buy this CPU. It and 2011 mobos are way more expensive than the 4770k and 1150 mobos and it is slower than the 4770k. The 4770k will beat the 4820 in pretty much every task. In fact, the FX-8350 usually does a better job than the 4820. It really isn't worth it. The only Socket 2011 i7 worth a damn is the 4930k. It is still very expensive but it actually performs better than the 4770k, although in some tasks the 8350 can give it a run for its money.
If I were you, I'd grab some more RAM. 16GB. A new GPU. (You could use Xfire but usually it is just a pain in the ass) and you'll be good to go. If you really want a better CPU buy the FX-8350.
Ohh and you don't need 2400Mhz RAM. In gaming it won't change anything. Get 1600Mhz RAM. Hell even 1333Mhz RAM. The performance in game will be the same. Just get whatever is cheapest.
Thanks for the reply! Yeah I figured unless you go for the really expensive Intels an OC'd AMD is fine for my needs...I just didn't want to get a bottle neck down the line! In the past I've used crossfire and it was honestly a bit of a pain. Lots of driver issues and I suffered from some pretty bad microstuttering (2x6870's) My intention was to see how far I could go with the 7950 but I really dont want to crossfire again just yet.
So about the GPU upgrade, what do you think? I reckon I can sell my 7950 for about £200 which means I could possibly afford either an 290x or a 780Ti. I've been using AMD GPUs mainly so I've missed out on PhysX pretty much entirely! How does Surround stack up against Eyefinity? Is there a particular brand I should look for?
I think I will go for the 8350 upgrade as I can grab one of those for about £130. I'll also grab another 8GB of RAM.
I've heard that the R9's crossfire quite well so maybe that is an option down the line!
You'll be fine with the 8350. Even at stock speeds you shouldn't see any bottlenecking.
The 780Ti right now is the stronger performer although and some games and with Mantle the R9 290(X) performs very very well. So that is your call there. I'm not sure how Surround compares to Eyefinity. I haven't ever used either so It is a bit difficult to tell. Someone else should be able to help you out there, but I believe they are pretty much the same.
As for brand it doesn't matter too much. Just get one with an aftermarket cooling solution so it will be cooler, quieter and you can OC. ASUS and EVGA (specifically the ACX cards) are both very good options.
PhysX? lolool funny joke there. You aren't missing out on anything. Hardly any games actually use PhysX and the ones that do render it on the CPU not the GPU. So you can take advantage of PhysX even if you don't have a nVidia GPU.
Hi! So I went and got myself an MSI R9 290X Gaming Edition =)
I wanted to give you guys some feedback on how it performs....WOW. In the games that I've tested so far its performance is great! Gaming at 5760x1080.
Final Fantasy XIV -
7950 - I got 30FPS on 3 screens (High Desktop Settings + AA)
R9 290X - I get solid 60 FPS on the same settings, with a slight drop to 55 FPS in the wooded areas.
Borderlands 2 -
7950 - I got around 45-50 FPS on medium settings (no PhysX)
R9 290X - I get Solid 60 FPS on Max settings (no PhysX)
Metro Last Light -
7950 - I didn't even try to run this on 3 screens :P
R9 290X - Getting 50 FPS on Highest Settings (with 2xAA) with low of around 30 FPS in the crazy areas.
Farcry 3 -
7950 - Medium Settings at 5760x1080 gave playable framerates.
R9290X - 45 FPS at Very High Settings (with 2xAA).
So yeah I'm very impressed! A significant improvement over the 7950 and the latest beta drivers seem to work a charm! The hottest I've seen it was 72c after 12 hours of FFXIV so it is nice and cool. I was able to overclock it by about 8-10% using the Catalyst Graphics Overdrive, but I'll have a go at Afterburner and see what I can get!
Thanks for the recommendation! Oh and I've now got my old Sapphire 7950OC Edition(900Mhz) for sale ^^