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Advice on new GPU to replace GTX580

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Joined
20 Jul 2011
Posts
154
Intel Core i7-2600K 3.40GHz
Antec High Current Pro 1200W
Asrock Z68 Extreme4 Intel Z68
1x GTX580 1.5GB

I'd like to buy a card soon with more than 1.5GB of VRAM so I can muck about with lots of Skyrim textures and i'd also like to be able to play Rome 2 at max detail when it comes out. Wouldn't mind being able to play the new Metro which quite a lot of detail too...
I'd ideally not want to change much else in the system.

What is coming\out on the various road-maps that I can stick in this box and get a few more years out of it? If I have to spend more than 400-500 quid i'll cry. Is this feasible?

Cheers.
 
I would wait till the nvidia 7xx series comes out. Even if you dont buy one see what happens to the pricing of amd and nvidia gpu's as the price may drop.

You would be gutted if you bought a 7950 now and they dropped they price in a few weeks time.

Okay might not happen but if it does.........
 
Same boat as you. Definitely wait until after May. See what gtx7xx can do. gtx6xx cards should hammer down in price.
 
Yes, I should have mentioned that the best thing to do would be to wait, though I don't think it'll make much difference in the short term. Doesn't hurt to wait a few weeks though.

I can't see the GTX600 cards dropping much in price when the GTX700 series arrive.
 
I would look to a 670 and maybe a 4GB version if you play Skyrim a lot with tons of mods. Metro will use PhysX and this is native to Nvidia (you can get PhysX to work on the CPU but not with any level and it can slow the game down to a stand still in some instances).

Of course, if you are not fussed about the extra pretties in PhysX titles, the 7950 is the perfect choice and can be had now for very little money :)

Also, no harm in waiting till the 7 series is released from Nvidia. They might surprise us :)
 
Wait until these new NV cards are out - and don't buy anything less than 3GB of VRAM.

Since the op wants to mod SKYRIM, then yes good shout, 2Gb isn't enough as it hits the wall and collapses.

Would be better holding off and see what the 7 series brings, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the 6 series to reduce in price.

Expect the 7 series to be priced northwards of the already expensive 6 series.
 
if you wanna take Physx seriously you have to have a card dedicated to it.

no way can a single 680 run metro at high details AA etc along with physx.
 
Since the op wants to mod SKYRIM, then yes good shout, 2Gb isn't enough as it hits the wall and collapses.

Would be better holding off and see what the 7 series brings, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the 6 series to reduce in price.

Expect the 7 series to be priced northwards of the already expensive 6 series.


Exactly. I've run SKYRIM very heavily modded @ 1080p and it isn't enough. I wonlt play it again until I have upgraded, once you've played it with ENB and tons of mods you can't go back, it's like flicking to BBC1 after you've just had BBC1 HD on - the horror!!!

I agree, it's best to wait until the 7 series is fully out. I heard there were two separate hard launches, I could be wrong.
 
Well I'm only using 2.2GB at 2560x1440 in Skyrim with 60 or so mods installed so discounting caching you'll be close to the 2GB limit but not necessarily exceeding it.

Skyrim needs some work arounds as well on AMD cards to be smooth so it's a toss up between using work arounds and having more VRAM or having less VRAM, potentially uninstalling a mod or two if you hit the VRAM limit...

The point is that as soon as somebody mentions Skyrim and modding people's eyes pop out their head with regards to the VRAM required. In reality 2GB is still enough for most people and to actually exceed 2GB (discounting caching) requires levels of modding which exceed your normal modders usage.

But really in truth as the nVidia 2GB cards are more expensive than their AMD 3GB equivalents it's easier to get an AMD card and install RadeonPro and play. :)
 
Well done for reading the OP tommy. :D

It helps.;)

Exactly. I've run SKYRIM very heavily modded @ 1080p and it isn't enough. I wonlt play it again until I have upgraded, once you've played it with ENB and tons of mods you can't go back, it's like flicking to BBC1 after you've just had BBC1 HD on - the horror!!!

I blootered 2Gb ages ago with a modded Skyrim which ultimately made me make the jump to the 79's from 6950>70 CrossFire, the grunt was ample but the vram wasn't, nothing to do with caching, it simply wasn't enough-poor mods or not doesn't matter when you want to use them without sacrifice.

Sure I could have done without certain texture mods, but I don't wan't/have to with 3Gb.:D
 
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