Upgrades for 2560 x 1440 Gaming

[ChrissyT88]

Hi all, I'm looking to get a new monitor and am very tempted by the Asus MG279Q. However, I'm not sure whether my current processor and GPU are up to the task of gaming at a resolution of 2560 x 1440. I currently have an i7 920 and an AMD HD6950, both running at stock clocks*. I've sort of assumed that the GPU will need replacing, but I'm not sure whether the processor can still cut it?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


* I'm not averse to overclocking, but I've yet to encounter a scenario where I've needed more CPU power. I've also considered dropping in second hand Xeon for a bit of a boost, although I'd rather stick with what I have if its good enough for the job.

 

[Mustang]

1440p is near enough 80% more pixels than 1080p so if I were you I'd definitely be thinking about a new GPU as well.

If you want to stick with an AMD GPU then the Asus MG279Q is practically your best option.

However if you're thinking of getting an Nvidia GPU then you might think about holding off for a few weeks because the Asus PG279Q is basically the Nvidia counterpart to the MG279Q and is likely to be due out soon.

So your options at roughly 3 different performance brackets are something like this:
390+MG279Q for around £800 or 970+PG279Q for around £1,000
390X+MG279Q for around £900 or 980+PG279Q for around £1,100
FuryX+MG279Q for around £1,000 or 980Ti+PG279Q for around £1,200

(We don't know the price of the PG279Q yet, but I think it's safe to say it'll be £200-£250 more than the MG279Q)

And regarding CPU I have experience with a 930, which is near enough the same as the 920, and it still holds up very well for gaming, as an upgrade there's not much point in upgrading to anything other than Skylake now, which would mean a new CPU, motherboard and RAM.

So if I were you I'd be getting the GPU and monitor first, seeing what the performance is like, if I'm happy with it stay as is, or if not looking at a CPU (and etc.) upgrading in a few months time.

 

[PhoenixSP]

was in your exact situation with the 920 and the 6950 , even after crossfire it still wasn't enough to run 1440p at high settings so i ended up jumping to a 780 ti which i eventually went sli with, also upgraded to the i7 3820 which im now looking to replace due to faults. Mustang provides very good advice and im sure you will enjoy 1440p

 

[ChrissyT88]

Thanks both. I'm not set on sticking with AMD for GFX, but I doubt the PG279Q will be within my price range! I could always use the screen without Freesync if Nvidia cards are a better option - I'm more interested in the fact that its a high refresh rate IPS.