Widescreen Gaming Forum

I am planning to upgrade my system so I can run 2 x 7970 in Eyefinity with 3 monitors. I want to make sure the CPU does not bottleneck the system.

My current system is:-

CPU AMD Phenom II X4 955
GPU Gigabyte 7970
M/B Asus M4A77TD - This can't take the 2 7970's

Options:-

Buy a Asus Sabertooth 990FX - This would take the 2 7970's but only be PCIe 2.0 but I could use the same CPU.

• Would the CPU be a bottle neck on this system?


• Would the PCIe 2.0 be a lot slower then the PCIe 3.0?

or

Go the Intel route
Either an I5-3570K or an I7-3770K with a P8Z77 Pro motherboard.

• Which of the Intel Processors would not bottle neck the system?

Thanks in advance

Get the 3570 Intel system. Hyperthreading rarely does anything for gaming, so put the saved money towards a sound card or something similar. Or a good cooler, something like a H80 Corsair would be good. You could also get a 2500K, they generally overclock about the same, and they can be cooled easier than a 3570 can because of Intels choice of awful thermal paste with the IVB chips.

PLEASE DO NOT GET A CRAPPY POWER SUPPLY!!!

You want at least a good branded 850W PSU, something like an AX850, or a Seasonic 860 or better. Higher wattage, and 80 Plus Gold or Platinum ratings are what you should be looking at. Power is super important for a long lasting high end gaming system.

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