Effects of cpu overclocking on Gaming performance

[cl0ck_ed]

Ok,

Have been interested if overclocking a cpu or buying a better cpu has a noticeable affect on gaming performance.

In particular my favorite game COD4.

Test setup:

E5200 @ stock 2.5ghz

E5200 @ 4.175ghz

8800gts @ stock

8800gts @ 684, 1036

4gb ram

Asus commando mobo.

17" monitor @1280x1024

Test game: COD4 @ 1280x1024 @ max settings.

Results:

FPS recorded using fraps, for 7mins, on crossfire map multiplayer.

E5200@2.5ghz 8800gts stock

Frames: 24238 - Time: 207846ms - Avg: 116.615 - Min: 41 - Max: 236

E5200@2.5ghz 8800gts oc

Frames: 57159 - Time: 420000ms - Avg: 136.093 - Min: 67 - Max: 251

E5200@4.175ghz 8800gts oc

Frames: 80153 - Time: 420000ms - Avg: 190.840 - Min: 69 - Max: 253

Ok, the results speak a thousand words.

Overclocking the graphics card increased the min fps dramatically 63% improvement. The average and the max fps also improved considerably.

With the cpu overclocking, the minimum fps only mimproved by 2 fps, showing that the cpu doesn't bottleneck the min fps. Aswell, the max fps is also only 2fps better, this shows that the gfx card is at its maximum potential.

Whats really impressive is that teh average fps have improved from the stock clocked results with oc card by 55%. This is VERY noticeable in game play, as the motion feels much more fluid.

Conclusion

If you are wanting better fps out of your system, remember that the cpu will always slow the gfx card down a certain degree. Overclocking your cpu or purchacing a more powerful cpu will allow the gfx card to accelerate the frames more easily.

Any comments, for results of your own post away!

Ed

 

[lulwut^]

Some good results there.

May i ask how you benched cod4?

Do you record game play and watch it?

 

[cl0ck_ed]

Some good results there.

May i ask how you benched cod4?

Do you record game play and watch it?

First you have to download a little progame called fraps. from here:

http://www.fraps.com/

Startup fraps, set the number of seconds you want the bench to last for, i did 7mins 7x60=420seconds.

When you have cod4, or any other game running, there will be a yellow number in the corner of your screen telling you that fraps is showing the fps. Then hit F11 to run the bench, it just records the fps in the game. Just play like mormal. The results from the bench, will be logged in a text file in the fraps directory.

Hope this helps.

Ed

 

[Freak]

Wouldnt it be better to do what you done in every case just to make sure that it is being bottle necked? No point in buying a cpu when the gpu is maxed.

 

[k4p84]

First you have to download a little progame called fraps. from here:

http://www.fraps.com/

Startup fraps, set the number of seconds you want the bench to last for, i did 7mins 7x60=420seconds.

When you have cod4, or any other game running, there will be a yellow number in the corner of your screen telling you that fraps is showing the fps. Then hit F11 to run the bench, it just records the fps in the game. Just play like mormal. The results from the bench, will be logged in a text file in the fraps directory.

Hope this helps.

Ed

the only issue with that method is that unless you are doing a set time demo, prerecorded demo etc, you can not guarantee perfect result replication.

but still you results do show a definite trend.

some games are more cpu dependant than others and ones with phyx with a second gpu doing the calculations as opposed to the cpu would give different results again.

Ed,.............. a different one

 

[siravarice]

Was this done with direct x 9 or 10? With direct x 9 the graphics are very much supported by the CPU, but with dx10 almost all the graphics processing is shifted to the card, thats why the GPU's are getting bigger, or in a lot of cases, we get two of them.

 

[Mr. Smith]

In other news, water is wet... Yes I'm a ****

 

[zak4994]

Was this done with direct x 9 or 10? With direct x 9 the graphics are very much supported by the CPU, but with dx10 almost all the graphics processing is shifted to the card, thats why the GPU's are getting bigger, or in a lot of cases, we get two of them.

Call of Duty 4 is DirectX 9 only.

 

[VonBlade]

Just to add to the card clock thing.

MrsVB has a 7750BE and a Asus 4850 512MB stock. 11000 3DM06 default. 137 StreetFighter IV bench.

I have a 4400X2 (so 500mhz slower and DDR not DDR2) but(!) a Asus 4850 Top. 7944 and 92 respectively.

So, to a point, a processor matters more than a graphics card. Because hers can clearly push the 4850 whereas mine is twiddling its thumbs. I can ramp the AA and AF without touching fps.

 

[saitrix]

Didn't realise overclocking the cpu would increase the fps by so much. I may have to see how far I can get with my E7200 whilst still at stock volts.

 

[Ghosthud1]

same thing really with my 940BE and x2 250 athlon, had the 250 clocked @ 3.7ghz and a quad @ 3ghz, the dual pulled out maybe 40fps more average in games then the quad.

will be overclocking the quad once my heatsink is upto scratch

 

[cl0ck_ed]

Yep, overclocking your cpu can have a dramatic effect of the fps that your system can kick out. But there are diminishing returns after 3.5-4ghz. Also you need to take into account that if you are playing at very high resolutions and all textures and settings on max the GFX card is most likely to be a bottle neck and overclocking the cpu will yield little benefit.

 

[Asta]

FPS vs MHz

I'll try this with i3 @ 3GHz and @4GHz and HD4870x2 and post it here so we can see more systems compared

 

[Rastalovich]

This is a fairly old study. Whilst there is a lot (almost tremendous) amount of benfit to oc'ing a pentium core cpu, different cpus, especially c2d and above, will give lesser advantage. Although ofc there is always a benefit in oc'ing

With ur 4870x2, u would see a good deal more benefit than if u were to have an Intel or nVidia based gfx system, as the ATI drivers are more reliant on the cpu. (or arguably poor-coding-there of)

Whilst we're all meant to be panicking about power usage - ofc as enthusiasts we really don't give a damn as we'll oc until the whole pc packs in... then trim it back a bit