NAGUT (not another graphics update thread)

[adolf hamster]

hey guys, been thinking the new year is time for some resolutions, and one of them is to get me moar horsepower for gaming.

so far, I've been running a good old 7850 which has been doing a great job, but recently upgraded to 3 monitors [I say upgrade, got em for free ] and it's starting to flag a little, still playable but I'm looking at 20fps rather than 60 [in the likes of modded skyrim and ac4 with max settings but no aa].

so, what would be my best bet for 5040x1200 res for the coming year of epic games? I'm reckoning I might go for the full upgrade and go straight in at a 290x, but would it not be worth it if my 8150 [don't laugh, it's next on the list] is seriously holding things back?

I'm not feared to go green team, although I reckon price/performance amd is still where its at, budget ain't going any further north than £360 and I will pay more for an asus one with a quiet cooler [7850 is an asus and the non-noise is worth the slight markup]

specs:
fx8150
990fx sabertooth [gen 1]
wd black 1tb
corsair gs700 [noisy as hell but I reckon the wattage is sufficient or am I wrong on this?]

any advice on wether or not i'll see a worthwhile jump in performance or if it'd be overkill and perhaps something lower down the scale would suit me is greatly appreciated

 

[adolf hamster]

soldierboy: whats sapphire like in terms of rep? I know msi are held in decent regard but something in me is loathed to get one. tbh I'm not that informed as to manufacturers and their reputations and that's probably one of the main choosing factors

 

[adolf hamster]

after reading about the possible problems with the windforce 290's I'm possibly looking at either asus or the sapphire, the asus one I'm looking at is a reference cooler it seems although I suppose that would at least open up scope for when I get round to going watercooling. hmmm, weirdly this is a toughie lol