CPUs Do Affect Gaming Performance, After All [Slashdot]

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crookedvulture writes "For years, PC hardware sites have maintained that CPUs have little impact on gaming performance; all you need is a decent graphics card. That position is largely supported by FPS averages, but the FPS metric doesn't tell the whole story. Examining individual frame latencies better exposes the brief moments of stuttering that can disrupt otherwise smooth gameplay. Those methods have now been used to quantify the gaming performance of 18 CPUs spanning three generations. The results illustrate a clear advantage for Intel, whose CPUs enjoy lower frame latencies than comparable offerings from AMD. While the newer Intel processors perform better than their predecessors, the opposite tends to be true for the latest AMD chips. Turns out AMD's Phenom II X4 980, which is over a year old, offers lower frame latencies than the most recent FX processors." http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png (http://twitter.com/home?status=CPUs+Do+Affect+Gaming+Performance%2C+A fter+All%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FO9sU8E) http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png (http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgames.slashdot.org%2Fsto ry%2F12%2F08%2F23%2F2151214%2Fcpus-do-affect-gaming-performance-after-all%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfaceboo k) http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png (http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://games.slashdot.org/story/12/08/23/2151214/cpus-do-affect-gaming-performance-after-all?utm_source=slashdot&utm_medium=googleplus)

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[BlastProcessing402]

Duh...

[BetaWolf47]

I have been given bad upgrade advice due to this misconception. Upgraded from a Radeon HD 5770 to a Radeon HD 7850 while I still have an Athlon II X2 260...

[Trebuken]

I think it's a muddled message. What is generally believed is that upgrading your GPU will have a more significant impact than upgrading your CPU, presuming your current CPU and GPU are of a similar generation.

[Peonpiate]

Ive always believed otherwise, the GPU is definitely a HUGE part of your Framerate but outside of first person shooter games the CPU takes on a much stronger role. RTS games for example are almost entirely CPU bound, first person RPG hybrids like Deus Ex hammer your CPU first, then your GPU last...Basically anything that has more going on besides "aim here, shoot this" will require a beefy cpu to cope with that. Its for that reason that I always *sigh* when someone complains that their framerate in a heavily populated WoW city is so low despite turning down the detail settings...Its not your GPU being hammered there - its your CPU since there are hundreds of other people running around and doing things that peg your cpu.