Few questions about upgrading my PC (SLI etc..)

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stewartps

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Mar 29, 2015
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Hello,

Here is my current system:


  • Single GTX 980
    I5 3570K CPU
    8GB DDR3 Ram
    Sharkoon T9 ATX Midi Tower Case
    Asus P8Z77-V LX Motherboard
    Samsung U28D590D 4K Display

I am currently running GTA 5 on 1440p (2k resolution) at about 50-60FPS which sometimes drops to about 40 in a heavily dense area. The problem is, i have a 4k display so i have to up scale which results in a slight loss in quality. I feel that i'm not using the maximum potential of the monitor. I am working out how i can get 50-60 FPS on 4k Resolution. I have three questions...

1) Should I go SLI? and will i then be able to run GTA 5 at 4k resolution 50-60 FPS?

3) What else would give me a nice performance boost? Upgrading CPU maybe?

2) Will my case (Sharkoon T9 ATX Midi Tower Case) fit an SLI 980?

P.S I know i will have to upgrade a few things such as my motherboard as it doesn't support SLI, and also PSU as i wouldn't have enough power to run them, i only have a 650W at the moment. Depending on the socket i may have to upgrade the CPU anyways.

Thanks in advance
 
Solution
1LiquidPC
Well, SLI 980s would certainly boost you to 4K territory, but as you mentioned you would need a new motherboard. At this point though, I'd hold off for Skylake, as it's rumored to be a nice jump in performance vs. even Devils Canyon, unless you can't wait. On top of that, it's getting more PCI-E lanes rather than being 16, it's supposed to have 20(plus more features I'm sure). However, it's going to be DDR4(though some boards are supposed to have DDR3 as it's IMC supports both) based which would also mean new RAM. Based on some quick google searches, it looks like 2 980s should fit fine in your case, but you may want to post some pics of how your PC is currently setup to be sure. Also, 650W is probably fine unless your OCing. The...
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1LiquidPC

1LiquidPC

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Oct 11, 2014
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Well, SLI 980s would certainly boost you to 4K territory, but as you mentioned you would need a new motherboard. At this point though, I'd hold off for Skylake, as it's rumored to be a nice jump in performance vs. even Devils Canyon, unless you can't wait. On top of that, it's getting more PCI-E lanes rather than being 16, it's supposed to have 20(plus more features I'm sure). However, it's going to be DDR4(though some boards are supposed to have DDR3 as it's IMC supports both) based which would also mean new RAM. Based on some quick google searches, it looks like 2 980s should fit fine in your case, but you may want to post some pics of how your PC is currently setup to be sure. Also, 650W is probably fine unless your OCing. The TDP on a 980 165W(X2 for 2 cards) plus 100W or so for a CPU. RAM, HDDs, motherboard, fans don't use much. For an example, my rig pulling is 520W from my UPS when gaming(DA Inquisition) and I have my monitor plugged into it as well. That's before calculating efficiency as well, as your PSU has to pull more AC in that it's using.
 
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stewartps

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Mar 29, 2015
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Thank you for the response! The issue I have at the moment is my CPU has a 1155 socket which appears to be a 'odd' socket type. I think ill have to upgrade both my motherboard & CPU unfortunately. I've just checked in my case and the PSU is unfortunately a 600W rather than a 650W. Do you think it will still handle it?

Thanks again
 
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1LiquidPC

1LiquidPC

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Oct 11, 2014
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It should still be fine, again it depends on whether your OCing or not. You always want to leave some headroom for your PSU so it's not to heavily strained. Running it near capacity can shorten the lifespan, though I couldn't actually say how much, to many variables. Also, it depends on the quality of your PSU, you want a reputable brand. Which make/model do you currently have? Going cheap on a PSU can put your other components at risk due to bad voltage regulation, ect. Your right about 1155 socket technically being obsolete. It was made for the Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge CPUs(your CPU).Newer Haswell,Devil's Canyon, and upcoming Broadwell(Haswell Refresh) use socket 1150, and are compatible with 8 and 9 series, H87, H97, Z97, ect. motherboards(if the board supports the chips through UEFI updates). Skylake is going to be yet another socket, 1151, and will be compatible w/ the new Intel 100 series chipset.
 
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