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flake99

flake99

flake99

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Joined
30 Dec 2007
Posts
49
Hi there.

Haven't posted here in a very long time but here it goes.

I've had my computer now for just over 3 years, built completely from scratch from components and advice here at overclockers with a processor and graphics card upgrade 1 year or so after it was built.

Anyway I've come here to ask for advice on whether I should upgrade or not.

My main focus with this machine is purely gaming so any help in that regards would be helpful.

Here are my current componenets/setup I'm running:

Abit IP35 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 LGA775 "Kentsfield" 2.66GHz (1066FSB) OVERCLOCKED to 3.2GHz
GeIL 2GB (2x1GB) DDR2 PC2-6400C4 800MHz Ultra Low Latency Dual Channel (GX22GB6400UDC) X 2 (4GB TOTAL)
Asus ATI Radeon HD 4890 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card
Samsung SpinPoint F1 320GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (HD322HJ) X2
Corsair HX 520W ATX Modular SLI Compliant Power Supply (CMPSU-520HXUK)
Lian-Li PC-7A PLUS II Aluminium Midi-Tower Case - Silver
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro CPU Cooler (Socket LGA775)
Sony NEC Optiarc AD-7191S 20x DVD±RW SATA Dual Layer Lightscribe ReWriter (Silver)
LG L204WS 20" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Silver/Black
Click to expand...

I don't want to build a brand new computer at the moment due to cash shortages however I'm looking to spend around the £100-250 or so mark but nothing more.

I want to play games at max or high/good settings and still have a smooth gameplay and I feel at times my current GPU or possibly my other components ain't up for it.

I'll leave it at that
 
Just upgrade the graphics card to a 6950 or 570.

That 6950 is flashable to a 6970.

6970 vs 570

Actually looking at power consumption in those benchmarks you should probably stick with the 6950, the 570 would be pushing it, i would imagine.

You can't directly compare the 4890 to the 6970 on anandtech but comparing each with the 5850, it looks like you'll be getting an average of 20 more fps give or take.
 
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New gpu should solve most of your graphics problems. Although an ssd will give you a massive boost in the raw speed of your computer, with a bit of shopping around you should be able to get a 60gig ssd and a gpu which would make everything really snappy.
 
Are you running Win7 64bit?

If so; then a nice HD5850 would allow you to play most of the latest games with eye candy at your monitors 1680 res. Pop in an SSD for quick boot up times and snappy apps performance. Should be able to get both for under £250.
 
Wow thanks for all the replies.

I'm only running Win 7 32bit.

I've been looking through the graphics cards and your suggestions but still can't decide.

I've been looking at the MSI GeForce GTX 560Ti Twin FrozR II 1024MB GDDR5 but wondering whether its a good choice or not.

I play with a resolution of 1680 x 1050 and the main focus is to be able to run current and new games in the next year or so on max or high settings without much problems.
 
If you can get a copy of Windows 7 64 bit, apparently you can use your 32-bit code with it, and then you can utilise all of your RAM.

Don't buy anymore RAM, as suggested above, because 4GB is enough and DDR2 is expensive compared to DDR3 so you'd just be wasting money.

A 480 would be a better choice than a 560 performance wise, depends how much money you want to spend.

560 vs 480
 
I would have to agree with my friend sk82jack.

It makes no sense to add RAM as your 32bit OS wont utilise it and 4GB for gaming is enough anyway. Switch to Windows 64bit on your next build though so you have the option of more RAM.

For what you want out of the system we are talking a GPU upgrade for the best performance increase.

It largely comes down to budget though fella. If money is tight then you can argue a case for buying "old tech" a radeon 5850 is on par with a 6850 (some benchmarks the 5 series wins) with current games.

If i was you i would most likely get a 5850 and OC it to close to 5870 spec. It can be yours for £120ish the 5870 is £150ish but i have my doubts about that particular xfx card. By all means you can pay more for a current gen card but it will be some time before you see any real benefit of having one......by then they will have depreciated in value anyway.
 
Hi again and thanks for all the replies.

My my mind is all over the place on which to get etc. though I think I will aim towards a GTX 560ti as I would like to try nvidia (always been ati) and see how they are.

Anyway I was wondering which of these two would be better (basically same thing I guess just different make) MSI or ASUS for overall performance?

Asus GeForce GTX 560Ti DirectCU II

OR

MSI GeForce GTX 560Ti Twin FrozR II

Lastly will the rest of my computer or PSU (Corsair HX 520W ATX Modular SLI Compliant Power Supply) support/cope with the graphics card or would I need to invest in buying another?

Thanks
 
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