GTX 960. Keep it or exchange it?? Need Advice

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pumpjockey77

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Mar 27, 2015
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So my Saphire 5850 has finally started to fall behind. I picked up a EVGA gtx 960 for $200. The catch is I have 15 days to use it and see what I like and still be able to return it for a full refund. My question is if I should find a comparable or better card for around $200 bucks off new egg or something? I have a few days off and wanted to game. Like i said i have 2 weeks before i can't return it. I plan to upgrade again in 2 years. Should I just keep this 960, or would my money be better spent elsewhere?

Specs:
i7 860 @3.67
16gb corsair RAM
800 W corsair power supply
Gigabite p55a-ud3 board.
My apologies for incorrect spelling and such, I'm on my phone.
 
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coozie7
You posted about the OC just before me, so ignore my points on that subject, mate.

I'd suggest that you use the GTX960/i7 rig and just run it into the ground, aiming for a totally new build in 12 to 18 months time rather than going for a rolling upgrade path, going SLI with two fairly old (by then) and weak (by then) cards is likely to hold back the new CPU/MB, even if both cards are 4Gb.
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clutchc

clutchc

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I would suspect that the i7-860 would be about maxed out with the GTX 960 (or maybe the R9-280). Anything more and you'd be having CPU bottleneck. So I don't know what you'd really gain by finding a better card for a better deal... unless you meant the same card at a lower price. If that were the case, Newegg has granted me the lower price after purchase by contacting them.
 
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pumpjockey77

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Mar 27, 2015
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Yeah I figured the next upgrade is going to be an expensive one, as I will need to sooner or later get a new CPU. I dropped the overclock setting back the the 2.8 default to try and squeeze some extra life out of it. The motherboard wasn't the best choice as it will only except the old sockets that have been phased out (It's 6 years old though). So I will require a new board and CPU. My plan if I keep the 860 would just be to buy a second one and run it in SLI mode. Am I wrong in assuming the next upgrade for my rig will be both a cpu and board? Thanks for the responses, this site has always been the greatest in terms of the community.
 
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coozie7

coozie7

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Jun 2, 2007
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Agree with Clutchc, the i7 is going to hold back a faster card, besides, I doubt you'll find anything significantly better for <>$200.
As with any older system, look into overclocking the current CPU to improve overall gaming performance, the current crop of AAA titles are quite demanding of the CPU so any boost you can provide will translate into a better experience.
 
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coozie7

coozie7

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Jun 2, 2007
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You posted about the OC just before me, so ignore my points on that subject, mate.

I'd suggest that you use the GTX960/i7 rig and just run it into the ground, aiming for a totally new build in 12 to 18 months time rather than going for a rolling upgrade path, going SLI with two fairly old (by then) and weak (by then) cards is likely to hold back the new CPU/MB, even if both cards are 4Gb.
 
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pumpjockey77

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Mar 27, 2015
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I have a preset overclock that i can easily activate that brings it up to 3.67ghz. I had a pc shop set me up an overclock option a couple years back when my hard drive went out. I was just concerned about shortening the life span of the CPU, so i try to run it at the factory speed.
 
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pumpjockey77

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Mar 27, 2015
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I would agree, thanks.
Although I just upgraded to a vengeance pro 16gb (2x8gb) RAM prior to getting the card so i'm good to go in that department. Like you said, I suppose i will run this into the ground and rebuild. Thousands, if not tens of thousands of hours have been squeezed out this rig and it still runs like a champ after 7 years
Thanks everyone for your swift responses. You all helped me build the first one, and i will be back when i build the second.
 
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