i5 2500k + GTX 560 ti Upgrade the card now, or wait a while and build a new machine?

Microphonic · Nov 24, 2014

Hello all.
I have been meaning to upgrade my GPU for so long now, that I've missed a whole generation of cards.

I asked the question sometime back, about whether a certain card would cause a bottleneck with my i5 2500k which is OC to 4.5ghz. My card upgrade choice has since changed.

Here are my full specs:

Intel Core i5 2500K Processor OC to 4.5ghz
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev 2 CPU Cooler
Asus P8Z68-V LE Motherboard
8GB PC3-10666 1333MHz DDR3 Memory (2 x 4GB sticks)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560Ti 1024MB Graphics Card
1000GB 7200RPM Hard Disk
Xigmatek Premium Grade 500W PSU
Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit

I only play games at 1440 x 900, but I would get a 1080p monitor with a new card

My question is: Can I upgrade my GPU to a GTX 970 without causing a bottleneck with either my processor, or the PCIe 2.0 x16 slot on my motherboard?

I am imagining I will need to upgrade my power supply, too

As a secondary question, is it worth upgrading at all, or should I just start saving for a totally new rig?

Would I see enough of an improvement in games like Arma 3 and Elite Dangerous for it to be worth it? I understand Arma 3 to be fairly CPU intensive, I can run it currently anywhere from 28 - 50 fps on mostly medium settings, as an example.

Thanks for your help everyone!

anbello262 · Nov 24, 2014

That CPU is quite strong. It even rivals 4th generation Haswell processors, both overclocked.
You might even overclock it further, if you're lucky and have the right cooler.
So no need to upgrade that part.
Also, there would be absolutely no problem with the PCIe 2.0 x16. No graphics card would be bottlenecked by that.
There has recently been a review on that issue by Tom's, and it clearly showed that there is no problem when using PCIe 2.0.
Even a PCIe 2.0 x8 could hanndle that card with no significant bottleneck.

But you should upgrade your PSU. Not because of wattage, as your is plenty enough, but because of quality. Get a XFX or Seasonic unit. Your PSU can handle the card, but since it seems to be a low quality PSU there a risk it might damage other components.

smeezekitty · Nov 24, 2014

Although with a 1440x900 monitor, it isn't really necessary. But the GPU is the weakest part
and should be upgraded. No bottleneck with 4.5GHz OC

Undying89 · Nov 24, 2014

2500k at 4.5ghz is fine really, will run with 970 no bottleneck. About PSU i would go little over 500W just be safe. CPU is overclocked and 970GTX requires minimum 550W.

chumly · Nov 24, 2014

You won't see a significant increase from a new processor. Sandy bridge is still very good and it will not bottleneck at all, same with its PCIe bridge. Get the 970 and wait on the rest of your system for 2nd\3rd generation DDR4 boards. You will be able to handle 1440p if you want.

Microphonic · Nov 24, 2014

Thank you so much all of you for your replies.

What about a high quality 600w PSU for the 970, would that suffice?

anbello262 · Nov 24, 2014

It would be more than enough.
Look here: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-1804779/power-supply-unit-tier-list.html
Choose one from tiers 1 or 2a.

As I said, XFX or seasonic are top quality brands. With other brands, some models are great, while others are bad, so be careful.

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i5 2500k + GTX 560 ti Upgrade the card now, or wait a while and build a new machine?

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