Power efficient gaming rig build

Currently I have a Q6600 & a gtx280 apart from crysis of course nothing really stretches it currently, so why upgrade?


Well my question is do i really need a quad core? What about more energy efficient chip possibly and i3 or i5 something from amd perhaps. If i got a new motherboard I'd have no need for SLI or crossfire as I would never buy 2 cards always prefer single card solution.


Do games really take much advantage from quad core system?

I don't know if the economics add up in getting an upgrade vs increasing electricity but worth a thought at least.

Some games like X3 like quads I think but they will be playable anyway. Surely the most energy conscious thing to do is to stay with what you have, and at the most maybe get a new PSU, it'ss emit more CO2 to make a cpu than to use one.

Try get a 80+ rated power supply. The Seasonic M12D and Enermax Revolution are two of the most energy efficient PSUs at the moment.

You could replace your GTX280 with a 5850/5870 as it would provide more performance and less power consumption.

Also, if your not overclocking you could try to undervolt your CPU. Those are my suggestions.