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- Joined
- 10 Oct 2010
- Posts
- 20
I've just bought a new pre-built PC - an Acer Aspire M5811 - and its great so far, even for a pre-built PC. I upgraded the RAM to a maximum of 8GB recently, and I've been getting back into PC gaming ever since I bought the PC. It runs games fairly decently, especially Crysis and Crysis Warhead on max settings, which both run fairly decently - I would give a FPS count, but haven't got round to it yet.
Anyway, I have been looking to upgrade various bits and bobs in the PC, and the next possible upgrade for me to do, is the graphics card. Now, the main gfx card I have been looking at, is the Radeon HD 5970 a.k.a. The Beast. Mainly, I would like the graphics card to be future-proof, and can basically play anything I throw at it. But there are a lot factors for me to consider before investing in anything quite as expensive as the 5970.
First: will it make any difference if I were to get such a card, due to the processor I have currently, as I am aware that processor speed does impact GFX performance. I have an Intel Core i5 750 'Lynnfield' which supposedly has a speed of around 2.67gHz - this is the speed given on CPU-Z, the actual speed I am not sure of, but I could find out if anyone can give me some recommendations on what kind of program to use. So given that I have this processor, will it be worth getting the 5970?
Second: seeing how there are many gfx cards being released - specifically the 6000 range - should I wait it out for a year and see what other cards are going to be released.
Third: I have a Ati HD Radeon 5750 1024MB at the moment, and its pretty good, but you can always do better; so will it be a worthwhile upgrade if I bought the 5970? And if not, are there any other recommendations that anyone can give.
Fourth: will I have enough space in my case? This is probably a question that almost certainly always gets raised for anyone thinking of buying the 5970, but I have measured the inside of my case, and it looks like it will just fit, with around 8-9cm/3-4" for the air circulation holes at the end of the card. I've put some pics below so you can get an idea of where the GFX card will go:






These are my main concerns if I were to buy a new card, but any advice on getting a possible upgrade will be appreciated. I would like to have an informed decision before I rush into buying anything for my PC.
Anyway, I have been looking to upgrade various bits and bobs in the PC, and the next possible upgrade for me to do, is the graphics card. Now, the main gfx card I have been looking at, is the Radeon HD 5970 a.k.a. The Beast. Mainly, I would like the graphics card to be future-proof, and can basically play anything I throw at it. But there are a lot factors for me to consider before investing in anything quite as expensive as the 5970.
First: will it make any difference if I were to get such a card, due to the processor I have currently, as I am aware that processor speed does impact GFX performance. I have an Intel Core i5 750 'Lynnfield' which supposedly has a speed of around 2.67gHz - this is the speed given on CPU-Z, the actual speed I am not sure of, but I could find out if anyone can give me some recommendations on what kind of program to use. So given that I have this processor, will it be worth getting the 5970?
Second: seeing how there are many gfx cards being released - specifically the 6000 range - should I wait it out for a year and see what other cards are going to be released.
Third: I have a Ati HD Radeon 5750 1024MB at the moment, and its pretty good, but you can always do better; so will it be a worthwhile upgrade if I bought the 5970? And if not, are there any other recommendations that anyone can give.
Fourth: will I have enough space in my case? This is probably a question that almost certainly always gets raised for anyone thinking of buying the 5970, but I have measured the inside of my case, and it looks like it will just fit, with around 8-9cm/3-4" for the air circulation holes at the end of the card. I've put some pics below so you can get an idea of where the GFX card will go:






These are my main concerns if I were to buy a new card, but any advice on getting a possible upgrade will be appreciated. I would like to have an informed decision before I rush into buying anything for my PC.