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Thread: GPU (and maybe CPU) upgrade. R9 285 to... ?

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    ɯʎɔɐɹsɐʌʍ mycarsavw's Avatar
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    GPU (and maybe CPU) upgrade. R9 285 to... ?

    Current specs are under my system on the left

    I bought NFS Payback on a whim and while it plays, the CPU & CPU are maxed out even on low. However I hardly use the PC now, so I've no plans to upgrade the whole thing.

    I'll be replacing my i5-3350P with an i5-3570 (CeX £52!) unless someone has a better idea (the CPUs supported by my motherboard are here) but I'm not sure what to do about the GPU.

    Budget is £200, less the CPU cost (currently £52).

    Any ideas?

    Ta!
    |Kata: "Read title as 'fisting'. Not sure why I clicked. Relieved, really."|
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    Re: GPU (and maybe CPU) upgrade. R9 285 to... ?

    GameGPU tested the game recently:

    http://gamegpu.com/racing-simulators...k-test-gpu-cpu

    The R9 285 should be slightly slower than an R9 380X in the game if both have 4GB of VRAM. However,the main issue is that at higher settings at 1080p,the game uses over 2GB of VRAM. So is it the R9 285 2GB you have??

    If you look at the charts they are interactive,and if you select the Core i5 2500K,it shows you that you are probably more GPU limited,although it does improve with higher clocked cores too.

    The GTX1060 3GB probably is the best bet under £200 as the GTX1050TI 4GB is not that great,but the 3GB of VRAM is probably not going to be helpful as time progresses.

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    ɯʎɔɐɹsɐʌʍ mycarsavw's Avatar
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    Re: GPU (and maybe CPU) upgrade. R9 285 to... ?

    Should have mentioned which R9 285 I had, sorry. You're correct, it's the 2Gb version. All four cores stick on 100% in 1080p, they drop to ~80/90% if I go windowed but no one wants to the do that unless they're playing Peggle.

    What I don't want to do is blow the budget on a GPU and find out the CPU is still struggling. Is there something middle-ground that'll do the job?
    |Kata: "Read title as 'fisting'. Not sure why I clicked. Relieved, really."|
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    Re: GPU (and maybe CPU) upgrade. R9 285 to... ?

    It does seem to push the first few cores more and then others somewhat less,but HT does not seem particularly well used if the scaling is to believed.

    The main problem is that due to mining many GPUs are now overpriced. The GTX1060 3GB is OKish but 3GB of VRAM will probably be a limitation as time progresses.

    Sadly,the GTX1050TI 4GB is broadly similar in performance to the GTX960 4GB and the R9 380 4GB and the latter is basically your current card with more VRAM.

    I suppose you could try and get the Core i5 3570 but you are probably looking at around 10% extra performance I suspect,and look for a secondhand R9 290 4GB as the GTX970 4GB seems overpriced on CEX and Ebay in general. The only issue its hard to say whether the R9 290 card you get has been used for mining although CEX do have a two year warranty IIRC.

    BTW,have you tried pushing all cores boost on your current CPU?? My B75 allows it on my IB CPU,but I cannot raise the TDP limit which would help.

    Are you using the stock cooler?? If so,its rubbish and could cause the CPU to downclock under heavy load.

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    Re: GPU (and maybe CPU) upgrade. R9 285 to... ?

    IIRC the 285 only came in 2GB versions.

    Everything maxed out just means it utilises your system well, it's the resulting frame rate that matters. If that's high enough and you want less noise you can always use a frame rate cap.

    How much more performance are you looking for?

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    ɯʎɔɐɹsɐʌʍ mycarsavw's Avatar
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      • R9 285
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    Re: GPU (and maybe CPU) upgrade. R9 285 to... ?

    Quote Originally Posted by CAT-THE-FIFTH View Post
    The main problem is that due to mining many GPUs are now overpriced. The GTX1060 3GB is OKish but 3GB of VRAM will probably be a limitation as time progresses.
    I was wondering why seemingly underwhelming GPUs were so expensive, that explains it, thank you.

    Sadly,the GTX1050TI 4GB is broadly similar in performance to the GTX960 4GB and the R9 380 4GB and the latter is basically your current card with more VRAM.
    The GTX1050 Ti was on my shortlist, it's not too pricey, but it's more than expected.

    I suppose you could try and get the Core i5 3570 but you are probably looking at around 10% extra performance I suspect,and look for a secondhand R9 290 4GB as the GTX970 4GB seems overpriced on CEX and Ebay in general. The only issue its hard to say whether the R9 290 card you get has been used for mining although CEX do have a two year warranty IIRC.
    Granted this isn't the bible of PC performance but it allows me to test various scenarios

    My current setup as reported by Game Debate

    Using an i5 3570 and the R9 285 is here - 18% CPU improvement on minimum, under 10% on recommended

    If I opt for an i5 3570 and an R9 290 4GB it changes to this - big enough(?) improvements.

    Oddly they're all over the minimum requirements, which leads me to this;

    BTW,have you tried pushing all cores boost on your current CPU?? My B75 allows it on my IB CPU,but I cannot raise the TDP limit which would help.

    Are you using the stock cooler?? If so,its rubbish and could cause the CPU to downclock under heavy load.
    I haven't, but next time I get a few minutes, I'll give that a go.

    Nope, I'm using a Noctua cooler

    Quote Originally Posted by EndlessWaves View Post
    IIRC the 285 only came in 2GB versions.

    Everything maxed out just means it utilises your system well, it's the resulting frame rate that matters. If that's high enough and you want less noise you can always use a frame rate cap.

    How much more performance are you looking for?
    Frame rate isn't consistent at all, there are frequent pauses and glitching.

    Ideally it'd be nice and smooth with a decent enough detail, perhaps medium settings should be the goal.
    Last edited by mycarsavw; 14-11-2017 at 09:45 AM.
    |Kata: "Read title as 'fisting'. Not sure why I clicked. Relieved, really."|
    |TAKTAK: "It was so small that mine wouldn't fit into it"|

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    ɯʎɔɐɹsɐʌʍ mycarsavw's Avatar
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      • R9 285
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    Re: GPU (and maybe CPU) upgrade. R9 285 to... ?

    I returned to this after my RAID array dying and can confirm the CPU cores are all boosted already. I can't raise the TDP limit either.

    I'm going to put this one on hold for the time being, my game time is so infrequent, I can't justify any expenditure just yet.

    I'm so dull
    |Kata: "Read title as 'fisting'. Not sure why I clicked. Relieved, really."|
    |TAKTAK: "It was so small that mine wouldn't fit into it"|

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    Re: GPU (and maybe CPU) upgrade. R9 285 to... ?

    Did you ever upgrade in the end?

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