Intel strikes back: GPU of no use to non-gamers

Not surprisingly, Intel says that upgrading your CPU from a Core 2 Duo E6550 to a Core 2 Duo E8400 will deliver performance increases in 3D rendering, music, photo editing and video processing, while upgrading your GPU from a G33 integrated graphics chip to an Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX will deliver no benefits in these tasks.

Of course that’s true, but Intel goes one step further to say that upgrading your CPU—as well as your GPU—will deliver higher frame rates in games too. “For mainstream gaming, the CPU and GPU work together to deliver a great experience. For high-end gaming, a CPU and CPU upgrade puts you in the winner’s seat,” claim the slides.

Without a doubt, this is something that Nvidia will disagree with – it says that upgrading the GPU first will give you more profound benefits. Many of its recent PowerPoint presentations have claimed that upgrading from a mid-range CPU to a high-end Core 2 Extreme processor delivers little to no performance improvement—in games. And if you go back through any of our recent CPU and graphics reviews, there are definite benefits to using a faster GPU in games, while the benefits of a faster CPU aren't quite so profound.