Upgrading video card to work with intel i7 920 and ASrock x58 extreme. Will gtx 970 be overkill?

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Ryan_106

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Mar 1, 2016
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Hello, I just upgraded my windows from 7 to 10 and now my old video card is no longer working. I was running two separate video cards on three monitors, I have a nvidia gtx 275 which is still working fine. The problem is a nvidia quadro fx 1500 which was given to me for free. I was using it to run two extra monitors which no longer work. There are no updated drivers for the fx 1500 and it has continually crashed. I found a temporary workaround with installing Windows 8 drivers for the fx 1500, but after 20 minutes the system crashes again.

Anyway, I am looking at buying a new video card that is compatible with windows 10. I have several questions, but first here is my set up. I built this computer about 6 years ago so I know it's getting dated, but would like to upgrade single componenets as needed.

CPU: Intel i7 920 (not overclocked and with stock fan)
GPU nvidia 275 (running to single monitor) nvidia quadro fx 1500 (needs to be replaced, but was running to two monitors of the same size).
Monitors: not exactly sure of the sizes, but two are the same size and one is slightly smaller. They all use DVI cables
PSU: Corsair TX 850W
RAM: 6GB (3x2GG) OCZ DDR3 PC3-12800 Gold
Motherboard: ASRock x58 Extreme

My questions are:
I am thinking about upgrading to the GTX 970, but is that going to be too much card for my CPU?

Also, if I do get the GTX 970, can I overclock the CPU to solve that problem?

If I overclock, I think I need a new CPU cooler, I was looking at the Noctua NH-D15 vs the Cooler Master Hyper T4, which would you prefer? The Noctua is more expensive, but is it better/quieter or am I just wasting money? Also should I look into a pre-built water cooling system? I don't think I want to invest in a fully customized water cooling system, but a pre-built system I could handle.

Will the GTX 970 run three monitors of different sizes/resolutions?

If I get the GTX 970, should I keep the GTX 275 connected to the motherboard to run the single monitor or run all three monitors off the GTX 970?

Can I convert Display port to DVI for my monitors without losing resolution?

Thank you all for your help!!!
 
Solution
kwa-e
Well it depends on the type of overclock you want to achieve, if it's just a light one to around 3-3.5 GhZ then a cheap 212 but if you want to aim for 4Ghz onwards then a big air cooler like the NHD15 will be a good start. The H110 barely outperforms the big air coolers due to the fact that they don't use copper but aluminum radiators instead, and I'd also recommend against those types of coolers due to the fact that it may leak and that may spell disaster when it comes to incoming deadlines in work.

If you really want water cooling consider the H240X which uses copper radiators and outperforms the monstrous NHD15 by a good margin.
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Ryan_106

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Mar 1, 2016
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I will definitely be using the 970 for picture editing purposes in adobe photoshop. I will do a bit of rendering for my work as well. I plan to try to do a bit of gaming as well. I have an xbox one that I primarily use as gaming, but I was thinking of trying to switch over to a little computer gaming as well. Basically, I want it to do a bit of everything. I don't think anything will be too intensive though.

 
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kwa-e

kwa-e

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The 970 should serve its purpose pretty well then, nearly all models will be able to run 4 monitors if needed (With the proper adapters) and you'll be surprised how much faster today's video cards are.
 
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Ryan_106

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Mar 1, 2016
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Do I need to overclock my CPU so it's not a bottleneck?
 
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kwa-e

kwa-e

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Bottlenecking is only a problem when it comes to gaming, rendering wise the gpu should be able to be fully utilized in your selected applications.

As for gaming, it will bottleneck but it will still be far superior compared to the XBOX's performance level, though I'd say that overclocking will still be worth it since it will give you better rendering performance.
 
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Ryan_106

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Mar 1, 2016
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Any tips on which aftermarket cooler? Will they all fit on my intel i7 920? I am using the stock cooler right now. My case is rather large, it's an Antec 1200 V3 Black Steel ATX so size should not be an issue. I don't mind paying extra for noise reduction. Should I get the NH-D15, or something cheaper like the hyper 212 EVO, or is it worth it to try my luck at liquid cooling with the Corsair H-110 waterblock?
 
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kwa-e

kwa-e

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Well it depends on the type of overclock you want to achieve, if it's just a light one to around 3-3.5 GhZ then a cheap 212 but if you want to aim for 4Ghz onwards then a big air cooler like the NHD15 will be a good start. The H110 barely outperforms the big air coolers due to the fact that they don't use copper but aluminum radiators instead, and I'd also recommend against those types of coolers due to the fact that it may leak and that may spell disaster when it comes to incoming deadlines in work.

If you really want water cooling consider the H240X which uses copper radiators and outperforms the monstrous NHD15 by a good margin.
 
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Solution
R

Ryan_106

Commendable
Mar 1, 2016
7
0
1,510


I've been looking online and it looks like the 1366 mounting kit is discontinued. The replacement NM-I3 replacement is also discontinued. Does this mean I can not connect these to my motherboard/CPU anymore? Are they really that old?

Nevermind, it looks like they ship it for free once I have the receipt and proof of purchase.

Thank you everyone for your advice!
I think I'm gonna go with the gtx 970 and the NH-D15 air cooler and try my hand at overclocking.
It'll be a $400 upgrade, but hopefully well worth it!
 
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Ryan_106

Commendable
Mar 1, 2016
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1,510


Sorry, one last question.
If I get the gtx 970 and overclock my i7 920, should I keep the GTX 275 hooked in and use it to power my smaller monitor? I probably won't use the smaller monitor for games, will it run faster that way? Or am I better off using the gtx 970 to power all three monitors?
 
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kwa-e

kwa-e

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It's probably up to you to decide whether or not you want to keep it plugged in but I'd just prefer against it since it would be more simple and less problematic to just plug all the monitors including the small one in the 970, in which the performance impact will be very minimal as far as performance is concerned.
 
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