New Graphics Card (gtx 970) with older CPU and Motherboard

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jamesleecartel

Honorable
Aug 18, 2012
8
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10,510
Hi there!

I have a dilemma.... I'm really wanting to upgrade my computer to play some of the latest games. Witcher 3 and Project Cars etc... but i'm not particularly flush at the moment.
I could probably stretch to a GTX 970.... but my current computer is built with 2nd generation intel stuff, namely:

Intel Core i7 2600k 3.4GHz Socket 1155 8MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor

Asus P8P67 Pro R3 P67 Socket 1155 8 Channel HD Audio ATX Motherboard

I'm currenlty using a gtx 660 gpu with this....

My question is:

What kind of performance gains will i see by just upgrading the GPU on this system and is the CPU and old motherboard architecture going to bottleneck it too much?

Would i have to upgrade the rest of the system to get 60fps on high settings on things like pCARS?

also, is now a good time to upgrade my components... or will i regret it? Should I wait for what's around the corner? Is there going to be some major revelations soon regarding new architecture for DX12 and windows 10 etc?

Should i just stick with paying over the odds for the games on my ps4? ( i don't like the look of the fps on the witcher on ps4!)

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks!
James
















 
Solution
H
the 2500k is still a perfectly decent cpu. it would be a great match for the 970.
there will be zero chance of a bottleneck as there isnt a great deal of difference in performance between a second gen i5 and the latest haswells.
intel has only improved about 4% per generation and most of that comes from the increase base clock speeds.
so yeah mate get your card and be confident it will be a great addition to your build.
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E

exroofer

Distinguished
Jun 4, 2013
725
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A 2600k is still no slouch. You will see a pretty massive jump going to a 970.
I can't see why this wouldn't work well. And when you upgrade the cpu/mobo, just swap the 970 over, and be a happy camper.
Even if there was a slight bottleneck, which I doubt, the improvement would still be huge.
And you don't have to buy everything at once this way.
 
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G

graand

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May 14, 2015
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ooh. Youre is almost 3 gen behind. I dont think it will bottleneck that much, it would definitely run smooth for sure but I suggest, well beign 3 gen behind, its time for an upgrade. Upgrading atleast to i5 4690k will get you over 60fps with a 970. - this is my opinion on your number 1 and 2 question.

for number 3, DX12 and the win 10 wont give you that much boost as what I have read so far so yes, upgrading right now wont give you a regret since it will run for the next 4years - 6 years.

4 -> stick to your system.
 
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H

HEXiT

Champion
Mar 13, 2011
10,957
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51,965
the 2500k is still a perfectly decent cpu. it would be a great match for the 970.
there will be zero chance of a bottleneck as there isnt a great deal of difference in performance between a second gen i5 and the latest haswells.
intel has only improved about 4% per generation and most of that comes from the increase base clock speeds.
so yeah mate get your card and be confident it will be a great addition to your build.
 
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Solution
coozie7

coozie7

Champion
Jun 2, 2007
10,015
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1: Expect large gains, as everyone else has said your current CPU/MB/RAM is still plenty good, don't upgrade yet!

2: See above but be aware the final frame rate will obviously depend on the settings, how well the game is optimised for PC and your display/s resolution but from what I've seen 60FPS with the bells and whistles turned on for pCARS shouldn't be too optimistic.

3: Now is not a good time if you have some patience, AMD should (finally) release some new top tier hardware during E3, somewhere around June 18th so if you can wait, the do so; The GTX970 isn't going to vanish off the shelves anytime soon and I doubt its pricing will change much in the interim either.

4: This is a PC Forum, you don't expect us superior life forms to suggest you lower yourself to a mere console, do you? ;)
More seriously, I'd hold on to the PS4, not every game released for it will be ported to the PC and vice-versa, there's several PS games I'd LOVE to play but I can't justify the cost of purchasing another toy...Sob.

If you can't wait or just plain don't like/hate/loathe/despise AMD then the GTX970 is a fantastic piece of kit for the money and comes with some nice little software tricks (Shadowplay, PhysX etc) to add sweetness to an already very tasty part.
My top pick would be one of the EVGA cards for their legendary warranty and customer service or the Asus Strix for the silence.
 
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