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For your current or future build, Did you spend more on the CPU or GPU?

Poll ended at Sun Mar 13, 2011 8:51 pm

definitely spent more on the CPU
18 (19%)
definitely spent more on the GPU
49 (51%)
basically 50% - 50%
28 (29%)
Neither, I used the IGP
1 (1%)
 
Total votes: 96
 
flip-mode
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Re: Poll: Paid more for CPU or GPU

Mon Feb 28, 2011 2:50 pm

DancinJack wrote:
flip-mode wrote:
I'm kinda interested in what inspires the question. Why does it matter? And there are some caveats to the question. First, the question assumes you're buying both at the same time - at least I feel there's that implication. Also, what if your CPU outlasts your GPU (which is probably not uncommon) - do you then figure up the totals? I know it's really hard to cover all the bases with these poll questions, but this one seems particularly fraught with blind spots :( Not trying to be a prick...


I assume to see what the ever-so-informed readers here at TR think is a good balance for a desktop. At least that's what my gut is telling me. ;) What about you Flip? How much did you spend on your CPU and GPU?

OK, well, in that case, I don't establish a balanced build by telling myself, "I must spend more on my GPU than on my CPU".

As for what I've spent, historically I have spent a little bit more on GPU than CPU - sometimes by a factor of 2. But, for my "current build", I spent $200 on the CPU, brought the GPU forward from the last build (a $150 used GPU), and then my brother dashed my hopes of getting a swanky new GPU by giving me his 5770 for free, though we can value it at approximately $150 at the time he gave it had I bought it new. So you have net totals going in favor of the GPU again.

However, my usual rule of thumb is rather simple: not to spend more than $200 on any single component. My general observation is that spending more than that gets diminishing returns, and sharper depreciation.

Still, the point is not whether I spent more on this or that; to me the point is to ask: do I need a faster this or that right now? I almost never do the full system upgrade - I've done that one time. Every other build has been upgrading a few things at a time. I've rarely done the CPU and GPU at the same time. Usually one is bottlenecking the other.

Isn't this common knowledge: if you're a gamer, you want to spend more money on the GPU, commensurate with how much of a gamer you really are; if you're not a gamer, then you don't need to care much about the GPU?

Now what would be interesting is if someone here called their self a gamer and yet spent more on the CPU than the GPU. In other words, it's almost like the poll is asking - are you a heavy gamer, a moderate gamer, or not a gamer at all.

Again, not trying to be a prick, just doing a little critical thinking about the poll itself.
 
DancinJack
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Re: Poll: Paid more for CPU or GPU

Mon Feb 28, 2011 2:54 pm

flip-mode wrote:
OK, well, in that case, I don't establish a balanced build by telling myself, "I must spend more on my GPU than on my CPU".


I don't either. You can however get a general picture of what people think makes a balanced machine by how much an informed group spends on those particular components. That at least is the way I look at it. Don't get me wrong, your points are valid. I just think you're delving a little deeper into it than he was intending.
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Voldenuit
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Re: Poll: Paid more for CPU or GPU

Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:10 pm

flip-mode wrote:
Isn't this common knowledge: if you're a gamer, you want to spend more money on the GPU, commensurate with how much of a gamer you really are; if you're not a gamer, then you don't need to care much about the GPU?

Now what would be interesting is if someone here called their self a gamer and yet spent more on the CPU than the GPU. In other words, it's almost like the poll is asking - are you a heavy gamer, a moderate gamer, or not a gamer at all.


Definitely agree that the usage model of the build determines what constitutes a 'balanced build'. Requirements, software and usage patterns for office desktops vs gaming builds vs HTPCs vs nettops vs home server etc will have different hardware configuration sweet spots.


Again, not trying to be a prick, just doing a little critical thinking about the poll itself.


I don't see your questions as being prickish FWIW. As long as everybody acknowledges that these forum polls are unscientific and inevitably display some selection bias in the questions and answers they generate, and are cool with it.
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UberGerbil
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Re: Poll: Paid more for CPU or GPU

Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:14 pm

flip-mode wrote:
Now what would be interesting is if someone here called their self a gamer and yet spent more on the CPU than the GPU. In other words, it's almost like the poll is asking - are you a heavy gamer, a moderate gamer, or not a gamer at all.
But the hardcore flight-sim players seem to emphasize CPUs over GPU, and the faster and more cores the better. For that matter, isn't Civ5 more of a CPU hog than a GPU hog in the late stages of the game (assuming some base minimum GPU for the resolution you're playing)?

So even within a given usage model like "gaming" you might have significant variations.
 
flip-mode
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Re: Poll: Paid more for CPU or GPU

Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:16 pm

DancinJack wrote:
flip-mode wrote:
OK, well, in that case, I don't establish a balanced build by telling myself, "I must spend more on my GPU than on my CPU".


I don't either. You can however get a general picture of what people think makes a balanced machine by how much an informed group spends on those particular components. That at least is the way I look at it. Don't get me wrong, your points are valid. I just think you're delving a little deeper into it than he was intending.

Ah, well, from that perspective the poll is informative: it says something out the forum community, but does not necessarily say anything about how to approach a computer build.
 
srg86
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Re: Poll: Paid more for CPU or GPU

Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:24 pm

I can't remember how much I paid for the CPU (it was back in 2006) of my main machine, but I upgraded the GPU a couple of years ago, and I don't think that was much more than 80 UK pounds.

I plan on staying with the current graphics card and going with a Core i7 2600 with my next build, but I've always spent more on CPU than GPU. I don't play games so I don't need a powerful GPU, but I've always tried to not skimp too much. CPU is much more important to me though.
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morphine
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Re: Poll: Paid more for CPU or GPU

Mon Feb 28, 2011 5:09 pm

UberGerbil wrote:
For that matter, isn't Civ5 more of a CPU hog than a GPU hog in the late stages of the game (assuming some base minimum GPU for the resolution you're playing)?

"Hog"? More like a boar!

Hopefully the latest patch should address that.
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morphine
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Re: Poll: Paid more for CPU or GPU

Mon Feb 28, 2011 5:11 pm

flip-mode wrote:
DancinJack wrote:
flip-mode wrote:
OK, well, in that case, I don't establish a balanced build by telling myself, "I must spend more on my GPU than on my CPU".


I don't either. You can however get a general picture of what people think makes a balanced machine by how much an informed group spends on those particular components. That at least is the way I look at it. Don't get me wrong, your points are valid. I just think you're delving a little deeper into it than he was intending.

Ah, well, from that perspective the poll is informative: it says something out the forum community, but does not necessarily say anything about how to approach a computer build.

Especially given that a few years ago, GPUs were much more expensive than the CPUs, when matched more or less equally (not to induce a big bottleneck in either). Nowadays the GPUs are roughly the same price as the matching processors.

This is just my ballpark estimate anyway :)
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swampfox
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Re: Poll: Paid more for CPU or GPU

Mon Feb 28, 2011 8:52 pm

flip-mode wrote:
DancinJack wrote:
flip-mode wrote:
OK, well, in that case, I don't establish a balanced build by telling myself, "I must spend more on my GPU than on my CPU".


I don't either. You can however get a general picture of what people think makes a balanced machine by how much an informed group spends on those particular components. That at least is the way I look at it. Don't get me wrong, your points are valid. I just think you're delving a little deeper into it than he was intending.

Ah, well, from that perspective the poll is informative: it says something out the forum community, but does not necessarily say anything about how to approach a computer build.


I just thought it was an interesting question :-)
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