When upgrading a PC rig, one is faced with the question: Which upgrade would give me more gaming performance? A processor upgrade, or a graphics card upgrade?
Tom's Hardware mixed and matched seven (7) graphics cards and four (4) processors:
Graphics cards:
- Geforce 6800 GT
- 7950 GT
- 8800 GT
- 8800 GTS 512
- 9600 GT 1024
- 9800 GTX
Processors:
- Intel E2160
- E6750
- Q6600
- X6800EE
"The change to a new generation of graphics card achieves more, but the CPU should still have sufficient brawn to provide the basic level the card requires. Changing from a Geforce 6800 GT to a current Geforce 8800 or 9800 can quintuple the overall results for 3D games. Changing from a Geforce 7950 GT to one of the new G92 graphic chips will at least double the overall results." [Tom's Hardware | GPU vs. CPU Upgrade: Extensive Tests]
As Tom's Hardware states, a system would properly utilize the full 3D potential of GeForce 8 and 9 graphics cards, provided that the processor (CPU) has a speed of 2600 to 3000 MHz.
So what now, brown cow? For practicality, I'd say that upgrading to the most inexpensive processor at the mentioned MHz range (2.6 - 3 GHz) would be the first step. Then, gather enough moolah to snag one of those GeForce 8 or 9 series cards.
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