Looking to upgrade from a HD 6950

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bogus666

bogus666

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It's been over 4 years since I've had to consider getting a new GPU, but I just got Witcher 3 and well, they poor gal is starting to show her age. I can play on low/medium (default) settings and get about 25-30 fps. The game still looks great but I really want to get my FPS between 40 and 60 and at least play on high settings. So I have been looking at switching over to Nvidia, specifically something from the 900 series. The low power consumption is really attractive to me which is why I am considering that.

I am not partial to either company honestly, but I am interested to here from the community if this is a smart move. I am on a budget of sorts, I can't fathom paying over $500 for a video card, so the GTX 960 looks pretty good to me. And from what I understand, it can play W3 on medium/high settings at 1080p close to 60 fps. But would I get more bang for my buck if I considered the 970 at all? And should I wait a bit before committing to anything to see if prices drop this month? Any advice would be helpful! Thanks!

Here are my current system specs:

OS: Windows 8.1 64-bit
CPU: i5 4690 3.5 GHz
GPU: HD 6950 2 GB 256-bit
Mobo: Asus Z97-A
RAM: 8 GB DDR3
PSU: 650 watts
Monitor: 27" 1080p
 
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alichowdry

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It depends how you want to play, if you are bothered about playing on the highest settings then the 970 is the way to go, but the 960 will get you good quality settings, but some settings like antialiasing and some teztires may have to be turned down a little bit, in the bigger picture the 970 will keep you going for a little longer and try to prevent the problem you've had with the 6950

hope this helps :)
 
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smorizio

smorizio

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the 960 is a good entry level gaming card..nvidia weakened the card by putting on a small 128 bit bus. the issue you have now is amd is dropping newer gpu in a few weeks. in a few months nvidia is dropping there newer pascal gpu cards. for my money right now i hold off and pick up a newer pascal gpu. that replaces the 970.
 
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Eximo

Eximo

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Prices have already dropped for the GTX980 with the release of the GTX980 Ti (Though only about $25-50 on the average) Still leaves the GTX970 unopposed in its price bracket. R9-290X is also in the bracket and is cheaper, but performs a little less then the GTX970.

If you buy a GTX970 before the end of this month you will get a game code for Witcher 3 (yep, kind of bad for you there) and Batman Arkham Knight, so there is that to consider.

However, AMD is releasing a new GPU on the 18th, so that might change some prices up.
 
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bogus666

bogus666

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Awesome, great replies. Thank you. I think I will hold off for a bit to see how the market fluctuates in the next month or so.

I did see that promo after I bought Witcher 3, which is fine, I bought the retail version, which is what I wanted anyways. So that promo wouldn't have affected my decision at all :)
 
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Reodoc

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I know this is alittle late, but I am looking to upgrade from my dual 6950's as well to a GTX 970. Any of you gents have luck?

I'll post my current specs:
Computer: Alienware Aurora-R3
CPU: Intel Core i7-2600K (Sandy Bridge-DT XE, D2)
3400 MHz (34.00x100.0) @ 1596 MHz (16.00x99.8)
Motherboard: Alienware 046MHW
Chipset: Intel P67 (Cougar Point) [B3]
Memory: 8192 MBytes @ 665 MHz, 9.0-10-10-25
- 2048 MB PC10600 DDR3 SDRAM - Corsair CM3X2G1333C9
- 2048 MB PC10600 DDR3 SDRAM - Corsair CM3X2G1333C9
- 2048 MB PC10600 DDR3 SDRAM - Corsair CM3X2G1333C9
- 2048 MB PC10600 DDR3 SDRAM - Corsair CM3X2G1333C9
Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6950 2GB GDDR5
ATI/AMD Radeon HD 6950, 2048 MB GDDR5 SDRAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6950 2GB GDDR5
ATI/AMD Radeon HD 6950, 2048 MB GDDR5 SDRAM
Drive: Crucial_CT128MX100SSD1, 125.0 GB, Serial ATA 6Gb/s @ 6Gb/s
Drive: ST31000524AS, 976.8 GB, Serial ATA 6Gb/s @ 6Gb/s
Drive: PLDS DVD+-RW DH-24ABS, DVD+R DL
Sound: Intel Cougar Point PCH - High Definition Audio Controller [B3]
Sound: ATI/AMD Cayman/Antilles - High Definition Audio Controller
Sound: ATI/AMD Cayman/Antilles - High Definition Audio Controller
Network: RealTek Semiconductor RTL8168/8111 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet NIC
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (x64) Build 7601

CK
 
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Eximo

Eximo

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I guess it depends on what you mean by luck. Nothing proposed involved luck, just a matter of choice.

You really should start your own thread with a set budget if you want GPU selection advice, but you have more or less the exact same options with the addition of the aforementioned Fury X, Fury, and Fury Nano and the re-branded R9-390 and 390X.

 
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Reodoc

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Hello,

I really wanted to know if OP easily swapped out his 6950s for a GTX 970, as I read above, with no issues.

I opened my own thread but found this one browsing through. I settled on ordering a MSI GTX 970 after much research.
 
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Committed

Committed

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Reodoc,

I am not sure what he did but I am in the same boat as everyone else. How did you get rid of your 6950's? eBay? Any idea on the best plan of action to at least get a little cash out of these bad boys. It's time for them to go, I booted up Star Citizen and said it was time. Lol.
 
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Eximo

Eximo

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Ebay is certainly a good way to get rid of cards. But be sure to sell them individually.

You don't get your monies worth, so expect that up front and you can recoup a decent percentage of the value you paid in. I tend to keep my GPUs and they make their way around to friends and family until they become obsolete. I purchased a GTX580 used for $200 about two years after they came out as compared to the original MSRP of ~$550. I SLI'd it with a card I already had, and I think that is your target market, someone who already has a 6950 and doesn't want to spend a lot on upgrading.

I'm curious as to how you like Star Citizen. Deciding whether to throw money at that or Elite Dangerous for something to do on my holiday vacation.
 
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Committed

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Thanks for the quick reply. I will look into eBay to at least make up some of the difference I paid for these cards. Now is Star Citizen worth it?!!! Believe the hype, 2.0 looks good. I just recently brought in and have been lurking the Reddit pages for a couple of years. If any time is good now is the time to buy in and I promise you wont be disappointed.

I am sure you have read up on it and what not but I must say they are pushing this genre to the limits. I brought in for $45 and purchased the Aurora LN Starter package. The Crusader zone and new features are worth checking out. If you get the game add me as a contact! Committed.
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link//15109-Star-Citizen-Alpha-200
 
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