CPU scaling in games with dual & quad core processors

[IronBits]

http://www.guru3d.com/article/cpu-scaling-in-games-with-quad-core-processors/

We figured it's be a good idea to have a look at the performance of your average Core 2 Duo dual-core processor, and then take a handful of quad-core processors, throw them at a high-end specced graphics card and see what processor and platform really will:
a) bring the most value
b) be the fastest
We'll test the following processors:


AMD Athlon X2 4850E
AMD Phenom X3 8750
AMD Phenom X4 9450
AMD Phenom X4 9850
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
Intel Core 2 Duo X6800 Extreme
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6850
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450
Intel Core 2 Quad QX9770

So from top to bottom that's a decent set of processors. Now we'll take 2 GB of memory and lock it at 1066 MHz and equal timings on both the AMD and Intel platform. Take Windows Vista 32-bit with SP1 installed, pop in a GeForce 8800 Ultra and use the following applications:


World in Conflict
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Shadow of Chernobyl
F.E.A.R.
Quake Wars: Enemy territory
Call of Duty 4
Crysis
3DMark Vantage

The results ... well you'll find them to be quite interesting.

[PCZ]

Games aren't really written to take advantage of quad core at the moment.
There is the odd one or two, Supreme Commander being the most notable with Alan Wake on the horizon.

If you want a kick arse gaming rig today then you need a fast 45nm duallie.
I run an e8500 at 4.2Ghz in my gaming rig.
You need plenty of CPU horsepower to keep multi GPU setups fed, with a single card as in the review any half decent chip will do though.

The 45nm chips are much faster clock for clock than the old 65nm stuff, so the wolfdales run rings round the q6600 for gaming.

[IronBits]

Good advice Brian.
My gaming rig setup:
ASUS MAXIMUS FORMULA / SE LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard
CPU INTEL|C2D E8500 3.16G 775 45N @ 3.5GHz
HSF - Noctua NH-U12P Quiet CPU Cooler with 120mm Vortex Control Fan
4 GB of quality DDR2 800 memory
HDDs 2 - 300gb VelociRaptors
Video Card - was EVGA 8800GTX now BFG BFGEGTX2801024OCE GTX 280
Apple 30" Cinema Display
Windows XP Professional w/SP3
Logitech MX518 mouse
and any old keyboard will do ;)

[PCZ]

So you got a 280 :)
There a bit expensive in the UK at the moment. :(

Why is it that the old un's are buying all the good gaming kit :rotfl:

"any old keyboard will do"
I used to think that till i got the microsoft reclusa.
Got a lovely blue glow from the keys and you can game in the dark.

[IronBits]

That would be Old Schoolers to you younguns :D

I use The Claw for serious gaming. ;)

[PCZ]

So what are you going to play ?
Seem to be a lack of new titles at the moment.
Waiting for Farcry 2 myself.
In the mean time revisiting all the old FPS games.

Suppose you can play quake 2 at 10,000 FPS now :)

[IronBits]

LOL, suppose so, kinda like the Centipede game developed for XT 4.7MHz computers, but was more fun on an 8086 12MHz or even more challenging on a AT 286/20MHz and impossible to play on a 486 :)

When getting a new video card, it's always nice to play all the old games to see what they look like to make comparisons to.

Age of Empires: The Conquerors
Quake 2,3,4 and DOOM3 ;)
Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Serious Sam I and II
UT 2002, 2003, 2004
Half-Life 2, Episode One, Episode Two, w/mods MINERVA: Metastasis, Awakening
Portal, Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl (not much fun)
Far Cry, Call of Juarez and BioShock to name a few.
Good games are hard to find, if you knock off all the 'war' related ones, especially when wanting single player mode to play against good AI bots.

[PCZ]

My most revisited game is painkiller, good stress relief no thinking just shoot everything.
Like all the quake and doom stuff.
Serious sam is a blast.
Liked Bioshock but it doesn't have much replay value once you have learnt the plot.

My all time favourites games were the WC series but unfortunately Origin are no longer around.

What i don't care for is all the modern warfare stuff.
And you can stick online carp such as WOW were the sun don't shine.

[IronBits]

Cool! Off to Steam to snag PainKiller Gold and PainKiller Overdose and give em hell :D
ALL online carp like WOW ain't real gaming... fully agree. :hifi:

http://www.crius.net/zone/showthread.php?t=16383

[IronBits]

Painkiller is like Serious Sam, sounds like the same voice to :D
Awesome! :thumbs:

[LAURENU2]

Me I'm a Top Gun kind of a guy
I Love RC and Flight Sims

[PCZ]

Have you met EVE yet ?
I got the Black edition, think the Gold edition is the same.
Should have the second part Battle out of Hell with it.

Main Character has a very bring it on attitude.

If you get your but kicked
` to bring up console
pkammo
pkweapon


Lauren
Last flight sim i played on the PC was Falcon 4.

A friend of mine has the latest MS flight sim which he was trying to play with a NV 6200 Video Card :) I took pity on him and give him a 7600 GT.

My Favourite was wings on the Amiga.
Used to copy all the discs to a RAD and then warm boot to play the game from ram.
Favourite bit was shooting down the barrage ballons.


PS
I am still using XP for gaming in the main.
Do have dual boot now so i can play the DX10 titles, not that ive been impressed so far.

Using Vista 64, figured if i have to use it i might as well get some advantage out of it and remove the 4Gb, in reality 2 Gig limit.
It's definitely slower though even with all the fluff shut down.

[gopher_yarrowzoo]

hmm
I'm revisiting old games too atm. C&C : General Zero Hour.
EvE never did get that, thank god I heard EvE online was serious addiction.
I used to play WoW but not so much now, and I'm not going to play Age of Conan as well I don't wanna play it at 5fps dispite having a ATi Rad X1650 (okay it's AGP x8 so it might struggle anyway, yet it plays WoW at 30fps+ most places).
Got Far Cry, played it a bit, liked it but need to keep attention up.. can't really :P