Graphics upgrade?

[[TW]Fox]

Hi guys,

Now I've got my new Sandybridge install up and running (2500k, Asus P8P-67 Pro, 8Gb XMS3, 1.5Gb WD Black Series RAID0) I can't help wondering if my poor old GTX280 is looking a little out of place.

Is it worth an upgrade? I currently game at 1680x1050 but am considernig moving to 1920x1080 in the medium term.

I play all sorts - but mostly stuff like BC2, Crysis, etc.

If it is worth an upgrade, what to? It's rather difficult to set a budget when I don't even know what I've got to spend. I've had £300 graphics cards before now, so I'm not averse to that, but that was back in the days of cards like the GeForce3 Ti500, 6800GT and the 280 itself where there were clear benefits and no credible mid-range alternatives. It seems now things are different (As they were when I had an 8800 and went for a GT over a GTX) so I'm not inclined to blow a huge pile of cash if I can get 90% of the performance for 65% of the cost!

So, whats worth upgrading to?

Or is there a revolution 3 months around the corner? Obviously in the world of PC hardware there is always something new, but if there is something special within the next 3-4 months I'll probably wait?

 

[[TW]Fox]

What about getting another 280 and running SLI? Would I need more power than my Corsair HX520 can provide?

You wouldnt upgrade for 1680x1050 but how would my existing setup handle a 24" screen running 1920x1080?

 

[[TW]Fox]

I do like smoothness. It just feels wrong to have an old card in my shiney new rig

 

[[TW]Fox]

One of the AMD cards with 2GB VRAM may be worth considering if you think you will have the card a while and may be getting a bigger monitor.

I must admit a lot of me now finds the idea of putting the screws on the side of the case and forgetting about it for years very appealing. I had 2 years out of my 280/Q6600 combo and was very pleased with that as a result.

Not like 5+ years ago when I spent more time in this forum than I did in Motors and had a new card every 6 months

 

[[TW]Fox]

Asus GTX 480 for less than 200 quid.

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18235216

Oh wow.

Now this might be the answer. Is this a discontinued card? Whats the noise like compared with my 280?

Is the 'tech' older than the 500 Series, ie am I missing anything choosing this over a 560?

Hmmm, benchmarks I'm reading so far put it slower than the GTX570. Does it clock well or something?

 

[[TW]Fox]

Noisewise probably similar mate.

I keep reading about the 480 'din'. Noise seems an issue.

Noise isn't an issue on my 280 though, so I'd like to try and work out how noisy the 480 is relative to my 280..

 

[[TW]Fox]

Does changing the cooler void the warranty?

 

[[TW]Fox]

In theory I think the 480 is the right choice, but I want to try and find out if the noise and power issues are a problem or not, relative to the position I'm in now.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4135/nvidias-geforce-gtx-560-ti-upsetting-the-250-market/16

This suggests that under load the 480 is significantly more power hungry than any other card.

I run a Corsair HX520 PSU with a 2500K, 8Gb Ram, a SATA DVDRW, a GTX 280 and 2x WD 750Gb Black Series in RAID0.

I notice the full load power consumption in the above test with a 480 was 479w - is this getting too close for comfort? Am I going to have issues powering all this?

And surely with all this heat - reviews seem to suggest it's in the 90's under load - overclocking potential is very limited?

 

[[TW]Fox]

I have never found my 280 to be that bad. I don't really mind noise under load, its idle where I want silence.

Just worried about heat and whether my psu is up to the job.

Are there any numbers out there for this gigabyte soc?

 

[[TW]Fox]

Not interested in a 580, seems like a waste of money to me.

Torn between the 480 and the 560 Ti SOC now.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Is the 6950 unlock a gamble?