Question about upgrading my GPU

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Spectie

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Mar 30, 2013
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Hello, first off I'd like to say I'm not the greatest at computer hardware, which is one reason why I'm asking this question, but to get to the point I recently bought a new GPU; a Zotac Geforce GTX 660 Ti 2GB for gaming, and to replace my crappy GT 630 2GB which came installed with the computer. I'm going to need a new PSU for it, preferably a 600W. But here's the real problem, my friend who has a Masters Degree in computer technology said that it's a waste of money. And that it won't make much more of a difference in gaming. My GT 630 can barely handle medium settings at 1360x768 resolution. But he says that if I upgrade my RAM from 8GB to 16GB or even 36GB that my current GPU will perform much better. He also says that upgrading my current monitor to one with a higher refresh rate will help with performance/FPS. Now I'm sure this is all partly true, but I don't think I need to upgrade my RAM, because I'm told that when it comes to gaming the big factor is the GPU and 8GB is more than enough. But my question is does the RAM really affect the graphics card's performance in any way, ad if so, how much? Do you think upgrading my monitor will also help? Should I take back the graphics card and upgrade these features or screw them and just keep the graphics card? Or should I buy them all? I want the best performance for gaming but I'm not sure where to sink my money into. I've seen all the time online that the GPU is the big factor so that's why I bought it, but apparently it's not that?

Here's my specs that I know of:

CPU: Intel i7 3770
GPU: Geforce GT 630 2GB
RAM: 8 GB DDR3
PSU: 350W

My monitor is actually a Sony TV with a refresh rate of 60hz.

If you need more clarification or more information about my system let me know and I'll try to get it for you.
Thank You.
 
Solution
dheeraj9933
your friend is either an idiot or takes u for one, so i dont want to say anything about him.
let me try to explain to u a lil bit.....
suppose u r playing skyrim, there is a house in front of u and u r talking to a guy....
CPU: it is calculating what the guy is saying, doing, and all the technical things
RAM: EVERYTHING the cpu does is stored in the ram, like the house the guy, his voice, his actions etc. the cpu does nothing on the HDD it loads everything in the RAM, RAM dosent make your pc too fast, it just allows your cpu to be as fast as it can. if your application, like in this example SKYRIM is happy with 4gigs after loading the entire terrain, NPC's etc. adding another 100gigs wont even increase the FPS by 1!!! RAM is one of the...
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dheeraj9933

dheeraj9933

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your friend is either an idiot or takes u for one, so i dont want to say anything about him.
let me try to explain to u a lil bit.....
suppose u r playing skyrim, there is a house in front of u and u r talking to a guy....
CPU: it is calculating what the guy is saying, doing, and all the technical things
RAM: EVERYTHING the cpu does is stored in the ram, like the house the guy, his voice, his actions etc. the cpu does nothing on the HDD it loads everything in the RAM, RAM dosent make your pc too fast, it just allows your cpu to be as fast as it can. if your application, like in this example SKYRIM is happy with 4gigs after loading the entire terrain, NPC's etc. adding another 100gigs wont even increase the FPS by 1!!! RAM is one of the least important things.
GPU: while u r talking to the guy he is not like a grey 3d model, he has a texture over him, the house has a shadow,
there is some anti-aliasing going on, some particle effects. this the most important thing in today's games..
I hope u got atleast a fuzzy picture of what i said .
I know i didn't say anything about the monitor but what your friend said is wayyyy to stupid to argue with:pt1cable:
if u have more doubts u can ask
 
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Solution
zink1701

zink1701

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Most gaming is all about the GPU, 8Gig of ram is the sweet spot for gaming. Upgrade to the 660ti you wont regret it, its a good upgrade. The refresh rate of your monitor will improve FPS without tearing 60Hz refresh means 60 FPS without tearing but you wont get extra FPS if your GPU wont give it. More ram may improve your gaming a little but no where near as much as replacing the GPU.
 
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coozie7

coozie7

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Jun 2, 2007
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Let's get this sorted:
What is the native (maximum) resolution of the TV you're using as a display? It may be a 720 unit or you could be using a 1080 TV at lower resolution, so we'll need to know.
The system has plenty of memory for your needs, more would only be useful if you were using large files in professional software with two or more applications open at once.
The installed powersupply is weak: I take it this is a prebuilt system? If so, check any upgrades will fit, some prebuilts come with small cases and fitting a standard component into one can be impossible.
If you are using a 720 display, the 660Ti is really far too much unless you're going to purchase a higher resolution display, a 650 is going to be plenty at 720 res.
I'd look for a PSU of 500 Watts, BUT, quality is also important: Antec, Corsair, OCZ, Pc Power and Cooling, Silverstone, FSP and XFX are amongst the most trusted.
 
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Spectie

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I'm not sure on the native resolution, but the monitor is capable of 1920x1080, but recommends 1360x768 for some reason. Yes, it's a prebuilt Asus essentio series desktop. I was planning on upgrading the GPU when I bought it. It was on sale for like $600, originally like $1000 so I took it as a bargain and figured I'd upgrade the GPU later. As for the case, I assume it's smaller compared to some others, but that's why I chose the Zotac 660 ti because it's a little shorter than the others. As for the PSU, I was thinking about a Corsair CX series. I had my eye on a 600W, but if you think a 500W could handle it then I'd gladly take that and save a few dollars. Not sure if it will fit, but if I got one in there now, then I might be able to find one of a similar size. Tell me what you think on this.
 
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Spectie

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This actually makes sense, and is what I thought. My friend seems to think that the RAM will somehow cap the 660 ti's performance because it's not enough to run it at its potential. He mentioned something like RAM will increase your computers speed (obviously) and thus will make your graphics card better. (He seems to think the GT 630 can max out every game at 1920x1080 as long as you have enough RAM and a high enough refresh rate on your monitor.) I was calling bull***t since he said that, but then again, he's not a gamer either so he probably doesn't know what he's talking about.
 
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coozie7

coozie7

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@ Spectie: Windows sometimes does odd things, you should set the resolution to 1920x1080. One point: Not all combinations like HDMI connections, try to use the DVI output of the card instead.
With a 1080 display, then the 660Ti makes great sense, especially with such a powerful CPU, just use a tape measure and make sure it'll fit ;), same goes for the new powersupply.
 
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Spectie

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Thanks for the help. Just a question about the screen resolution; when I set it to 1920x1080 it make everything really far away, like the icons and internet windows. Is that supposed to happen? The quality looks almost like it's reduced when I change it, not better. Is it possibly because I'm using a HDMI cable, or maybe it's the TV? Maybe I'm just not use to it. Any suggestions?
 
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dheeraj9933

dheeraj9933

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Why dont u upload an image and then people can see it. and since most people have 1080p display they cab tell if your screen is distorted or not.
and yes, no need to upgrade the RAM, 8GB is more than enough, i just have 4GB and it seems enough!!
and a 660ti will be satisfied by even a decent 450W
http://www.nvidia.in/object/geforce-gtx-660ti-in.html#pdpContent=2
but it needs 2 6-pin connectors.
So PSU and GPU is all u need to upgrade,
u've made your mind about a 660ti, so lets not argue too much about it.
and for a PSU look for 450-500W good quality PSU.
and when u buy these things dont forget to give your GT630 to your friend so he can max out all the games:lol:
 
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coozie7

coozie7

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The icons and windows are sized by pixels not inches or millimetres. At a low resolution each pixel is large, so the icon/window will be large, if the resolution is increased, the pixels get smaller so the same icon/window will appear smaller and further away.
You can change the size of windows and icons by changing settings in Windows. Right click on the desktop and play with the settings in the dialogue box that opens. You can do the same with an open folder.
I see no issues with the planned card/powersupply upgrades other than to point out the powersupply will need the correct PCI-E power outputs to feed the new card. I'd aim for 500Watts from a quality maker: Antec, Corsair, Silverstone, FSP, Seasonic , Pc Power and Cooling and XFX are amongst the most trusted.
 
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Spectie

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Alright, I think I've made my decision. Thank you all for your help... Finally some intelligent people who actually know what they're talking about theses days, and can clearly explain their reasoning. :)
 
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