Possible GPU upgrade advice

[Beardacus]

Hey, thanks for taking the time to read this and (hopefully) answer my questions.

First off, some info. I'm about to come into a bit of spare cash and I was thinking of upgrading my GPU but wanted to get some help from more experienced/educated people before I jumped right ahead.

My current relevant specs are:
AMD Phenom X4 960T @ 4.0GHz
Gigabyte 560 Ti 1GB SOC (384 cores, clocked at 950MHz core and 1900MHz shader)
ASUS M4N72-E motherboard (Socket AM2+)
6GB 800MHz RAM (this could be relevant, right? )

So, 1. Would upgrading my GPU power at this point effectively be a waste of money due to my lack of an i5/i7? i.e. would my current CPU create a bottleneck fairly soon compared to my current GPU power?

2. If it is feasible to upgrade, and bearing in mind that my particular GPU is nowhere to be found anymore, should I:
a) Get a 900MHz 560 Ti and clock them both at 900MHz core and 1800MHz shader (obviously )?
Like this one, as an example: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-074-GI&groupid=701&catid=1914&subcat=1810
EDIT: I realise I could possibly overclock the 900MHz GPU above that, but I don't feel confident risking it when the warranty doesn't cover it like it does with my current GPU
b) Try and sell off my 560 Ti and aim for something on the next generation up? e.g. 670/680 or 7950/7970

Thanks guys.

P.S. I realise my mobo is lacking at this point but I'm going to save up cash for a year or two and then splash out on high-end mobo, CPU and RAM when I deem it necessary, potentially going for a new build besides storage and case.

 

[Gregster]

A good clock on your CPU and even if there is a bottleneck to a SLI option, it "should" only be minimal. I would like to say go for another 560ti but before that, other questions.

What PSU do you have?
What resoloution do you game at?
What games do you play/intend on playing?

 

[Beardacus]

I have either a Corsair TX750, I think. I didn't pay much attention TBH, just went with a recommended brand after my OCZ PSU went down and took my GPU with it, needed any parts fast to get my PC working again for university. I know its overkill for what I have ATM, but I intend to keep it at least until its 5 year warranty expires.

I'm currently at 1680x1050, but looking at replacing my primary monitor with a 1920x1080 so that it matches my secondary (which is also my TV and bought after my primary, hence the mismatched resolutions).

I play a great many games, ranging from The Binding of Isaac to more taxing things like Battlefield 3. I don't really have a set game "type" or era, pretty much anything that I like the look of I try and keep fairly up to date with games, but my most recent purchase has been Arkham City (or TERA if you count MMOs).

 

[Gregster]

Ok, the PSU, if it is a Corsair 750 is fine for 2x560ti. The monitor you play on now is great and an upgrade later on will be very nice boost to gfx however with the extra pixels from 1680 to 1920 comes at a cost and this is VRAM. If you was to try and play BF3 with ultra settings at 1920x1080, this would become a slideshow as the vram would be higher than what is available. This does not mean you can't play on ultra, it just means you turn off AA and play at a great frame rate

I had the Gigabyte 560ti 1GB which was a great card and served me very well. I was tempted to go the SLI root also but I am a stickler for wanting to play games with everything maxed out.

The 7850 comes with 2GB of VRAM, which will allow you to play BF3 with everything on full ultra and at a very good frame rate. The price is the only factor.

YOUR BASKET
1 x Gigabyte ATI Radeon HD 7850 OC Windforce 2X 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £199.98
Total : £210.78 (includes shipping : £9.00).




A 7850 is under £200

Now what you need to ask yourself is what you want from your games? lower settings but with great fps returns or higher settings with great fps returns but at more expense?

What I would be tempted to do is buy the 7850 and sell my 560ti to recoup some of the cash but this is my choice.

 

[Beardacus]

Thanks very much! Honestly, I'm not THAT bothered about BF3 on Ultra. I'd rather tone it down to High if it meant I could play with 40 FPS as a minimum. Having never had the latest stuff out due to never being able to afford it (and, honestly, still can't that much), I've learnt to deal with playing latest games at one below maximum (usually my aim)

I'll look into it

Considering I could spend a bit more, would it be better to sell off the 560 Ti and go for something a bit higher than the 7850? Or is it just that the 7850 is generally a recommended card this year and, if wanting to go higher, you need to be going into the ranges of the high-end (7950/GTX 670 and above) to make it worth the purchase (i.e. disregard the 78xx/5xx high-ends)?

EDIT: I'd like to point out that because of the clock on my GPU, it is more or less the performance of a 570, so it'd have to be a significant upgrade to that.

 

[Gregster]

Thanks very much! Honestly, I'm not THAT bothered about BF3 on Ultra. I'd rather tone it down to High if it meant I could play with 40 FPS as a minimum. Having never had the latest stuff out due to never being able to afford it (and, honestly, still can't that much), I've learnt to deal with playing latest games at one below maximum (usually my aim)

I'll look into it

Considering I could spend a bit more, would it be better to sell off the 560 Ti and go for something a bit higher than the 7850? Or is it just that the 7850 is generally a recommended card this year and, if wanting to go higher, you need to be going into the ranges of the high-end (7950/GTX 670 and above) to make it worth the purchase (i.e. disregard the 78xx/5xx high-ends)?

EDIT: I'd like to point out that because of the clock on my GPU, it is more or less the performance of a 570, so it'd have to be a significant upgrade to that.

With the release of the 670 at £320, I can see there being a few 2nd hand 560's going cheap. Maybe a wise move to buy another if you are happy with small tweaks on the Ultra settings of BF3?

I have no idea what a 560ti is worth and we couldn't discuss it here anyways but it is all your choice with your budget and expectations. If money is tight, there will be nothing wrong with another 560 and if you have a few quid spare, the 670 is looking incredible (some are real close to my heaven score).

 

[Beardacus]

Cool, thanks very much for discussing this with me

I'll be sure to keep an eye on all my options. Its nice to know my ideas weren't insane based on the new gen

Oh, and I forgot to look somewhere that I should check for a used version of my GPU: a certain auctioning site xD

 

[Gregster]

Cool, thanks very much for discussing this with me

I'll be sure to keep an eye on all my options. Its nice to know my ideas weren't insane based on the new gen

Oh, and I forgot to look somewhere that I should check for a used version of my GPU: a certain auctioning site xD

I am sure with thought you will make the correct decision that best suits your needs/budget. Glad to help