Can CPU really pull down grapics that much?

[Merkeon]

Yo, ive been getting a bit of headache finding things out, so i thaught i woild post here. I have a Intel P. LGA775 (Socket T) 520 2.8ghz, on my first PC it was OC'ed to 3.5ghz not much trouble, havnt OC'ed yet on my new PC, but on recent reviews, ive heard that nVidia 7800 GTX video card wont run at its full potential on a LGA775 520. Does my CPU affect my video card that much?

[Fozzik]

It depends on the game...but in games that use a lot of CPU, it might effect performance a lot. It also depends on the resolution, though. Generally, at lower resolutions (i.e. below 1280x1024) on current games, the CPU is always going to be the bottleneck with a 7800GTX. In those cases, the video card can run at such a high frame rate that the CPU starts to really matter, and hold the machine back.

As games become more complex (using more shaders, etc), more of the load ends up back on the video card. The same thing happens if you up the resolution. If you plan to run at 1280x1024 or above, on most recent games, with graphic options turned up, the CPU may matter a lot less because the huge load on the video card will be the limiting factor.

Basically, it depends on the situation. With the CPU you have (especially with it OC'd) I don't think you'll have too many problems, especially if you run games at high res.

I'll give an analogy to try and illustrate what's going on...

Think about a car. Say the car is on a rocky, messed up road, and traveling about 20 miles per hour. Wind resistance isn't really a factor in that situation, so you don't have to really worry about how the car is shaped.

Now imagine a car on a perfectly smooth road, with a jet engine under the hood. It's travelling at 300 miles per hour. Now, wind resistance is a big deal, and if the car is shaped like a box...it won't go as fast. You'll want to shape the car with wind resistance in mind. Shape it like a bullet, and you'll probably get a much faster max speed.

In the case of video games, think of the CPU load as wind resistance. It's not the most important thing, but when you're trying to really crank up the performance, it can become a factor...so don't ignore it.

EDIT: One other thing to mention. We are in the midst of a big change when it comes to processors and their performance. Everything is going to be going multi-core...and programs are going to become more and more parallel to take advantage of it. Once games start showing up that really make use of multiple threads to offer performance or better AI and the like, then the CPU may become more of a factor than it normally is. It won't just be a matter of holding back performance... a dual core processor will actually provide a dramatic improvement in speed or even more features. That's still a little ways off, though.

[Merkeon]

Hm...one other question; The ghz doesnt really THAT much correct? It matters yes, but only to a point in my opinion. I got the LGA 775 520 2.8ghz about a year and a half ago, it was about 140$ when i got it. Then i ee these AMD Dual Core CPU's like the one you have, only running with 2.2ghz, but being nearly tripple the price.
Would you suggest I make a system like yours? If so, keyword "like", with the same CPU you have, but i want a different motherboard, i heard something called Fatality or something motherboard, Non-SLI, but i dont plan to go SLI on this system, i cannot find the real name as because i dont know it to look for it :x but i know it had something to do with Fatal. Thank you for your time.

[Fozzik]

The clock speed of the processor isn't the only thing that determines its performance. You're right that clock speed isn't the only thing to look at, and as multi-core processors begin to take hold, clock speed will become even less important.

It is however very important to understand that AMD and Intel use entirely different approaches in their design. The two processors end up running the same code, but they do it in vastly different ways. Clock speed is MUCH more important for a Pentium 4 than it is for an Athlon 64, just because of the way they are designed. The dual-core Athlon 64, running at 2.2GHz, will outperform a 3.0+Ghz Pentium 4 pretty consistantly.

You shouldn't just go out and get a system like mine. You should decide for yourself how much you want to spend, how much performance you want, how long you want the machine to last, what kind of brands do you prefer, etc. Don't build my machine... build YOUR machine.

I do spend a ton of time on this stuff, so advice that I (or other computer geeks) can give you can be very helpful, as long as you take it all and use it to make your own decision. The more you learn the better, and no one person is going to have the absolute right answer for what you personally should spend your money on.