GPU for i7 920@3.6 Gigabyte, ex-58 extreme, 6gb DDR3 triple channel OCZ

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george_gb

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Hi all,

I have a quite old rig:

CPU: i7 920 overclocked @ 3.6
GPU: nvidia gtx 295
Motherboard: EX58-Extreme
RAM: 6gb DDR3 triple channel (OCZ)
Monitor: 1900 x 1200
PSU: 1200W


I mostly use my computer for writing code under Linux (my system is dual boot, Windows 10 + Linux) currently so this is the reason I haven't upgraded it. Actually, since I do most of my work under Linux I don't even use my gtx 295 much. I have a gtx 610 to save me some power.

As you can imagine, I like playing games during my limited free time so I am considering upgrading my rig. I have done some research and based on what I have found so far I have the impression that my overclocked i7 920@3.6 is still kicking and I can play new games with a latest GPU.

Questions:

1) Are my findings correct? Is my i7 920@3.6 still powerful enough for the latest games (i.e. FPS, GTA etc.)?

2) Which GPU do you recommend? Is GTX 1060 a good choice or should I move towards 1070, 1080 or something else? I want to buy a card that will give me a significant life span so I do not really mind spending more money now to get a more expensive card if it really makes sense.

3) Regarding RAM now. I currently have 6gb DDR3 triple channel (OCZ gold) https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227365
I suppose I will need more RAM. How much do you recommend? Should I keep my current sticks and add more RAM from another brand to the free mobo slots? Is it going to work? Or should I buy new ones? Please recommend brands, specifications etc because I really do not know how I should choose RAM and avoid compatibility issues with my current motherboard.

Many thanks,

George
 
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n0ns3ns3

n0ns3ns3

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May 25, 2016
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Your CPU is fine to power any modern GPU.
So yout GPU choice mainly depends on your monitor.
1080p@60Hz - GTX 1060 6GB / RX 480 4/8GB
1080p@144Hz - GTX 1070
1440p - GTX 1070
1440p@144Hz (or higher res) GTX 1080

RAM - you want to have 8-16GB for gaming.
You can keep your current RAM and add more. Or just add/put 3x4GB modules.
 
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george_gb

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Thank you for your reply n0ns3ns3.

My current monitor is 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz and I do not think that I will upgrade any time soon so I suppose gtx 1060 should be fine.

Could you please give me more details on how to choose RAM? Does it have to be triple channel (I suppose the answer is yes)?

For example:

Case 1: Upgrading my current RAM, that is 6gb DDR3 triple channel
The specifications of my current RAM are: timings 8-8-8-24 @ 1600
Can I just add something like https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMX6GX3M3A1600C9-Performance-Desktop-Memory-x/dp/B002LZ1FPG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1486303150&sr=8-2&keywords=triple+channel+ddr3 ?
Will I have any compatibility issues regarding timings or something else? What do I need to take into account in order to avoid compatibility issues?

Case 2: Buy new sticks
Do you think that this is a better approach in order to avoid compatibility issues? Is it something like that a good choice?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMZ12GX3M3A1600C9-12GB-Vengeance-Memory/dp/B004CRSM4S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486303150&sr=8-1&keywords=triple+channel+ddr3

Thanks,

George
 
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n0ns3ns3

n0ns3ns3

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I'd go for the second option and try to use both kits (18GB is fun :) )
there is a difference in timings between the current ram and those new kits. The MB supposed to deal with it (by setting lowest among all stick for all of them) but some times it fails to do so. In later case, you can try to set the timings manually and it will help in most cases. for the rare case that it will not work, you will have to live with "only" 12GB :)
 
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george_gb

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Thanks for your great replies. You are a true Eternal Champion :)

Some more clarifications:

1) So you suggest that GTX 1060 6GB / RX 480 4/8GB is fine for my 1920x1200 @ 60. Is that correct? What about the future games? Would it make sense to move towards 1070, 1080 in order to have enough juice for future titles or save the money and do an upgrade later? Future upgrade will probably mean to build a new system... Anyway... In other words, do you think GTX 1060 or RX 480 will provide me enough power for the future titles?

2) Thanks for the memory suggestion. It makes sense to give it a go with the second option and if it fails to make it work at 18gb then I will still have the 12gb of the new kit. What about speed? Should I stay at 1600Mhz in order to take advantage of my old memory kit or should I ignore it and move towards faster memory. Is 1600Mhz fast enough for gaming?

Thanks again,

George
 
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n0ns3ns3

n0ns3ns3

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Honestly, I'd go for the RX 480 4GB as it is the cheapest option that performs exactly as the other two.
there is no need for larger vram for 1080p.
I also happen to have 1920x1200@60Hz and bought GTX 1070 last summer in hope to upgrade the monitor to 3440x1440 later last year. The problem was that the high refresh rate monitors (120-144Hz) were (and still) not released. And the GTX 1070 is an absolute overkill for 1080p@60Hz.

The RAM speed is not that important. It can provide few FPS in very specific games, but it is not important as you are aiming at 60 FPS.
And you can always overclock it a bit if you want. but again - it's more for fun than for real perceivable performance improvement.
 
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george_gb

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Hi again.

Do you think I might have any issues with voltage?
I will probably buy these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMZ12GX3M3A1600C9-12GB-Vengeance-Memory/dp/B004CRSM4S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486327273&sr=8-1&keywords=ddr3+triple+channel
Seems like a good deal and has good reviews. What do you think?

I will follow your suggestion and upgrade my current RAM to 18gb that is 6gb the old one + 12gb the new ones.
But my current memory sticks need 1.65V but the ones I am thinking to buy (the above link) need 1.5V.
I had a look and people suggest that it shouldn't be a problem. I will probably need to have sth like 1.65V+ in order for both them to work. What do you think? Any experience on that?

Thanks.
 
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george_gb

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Thanks again. I found a good deal for 6gb at ebay. Do you think 12gb in total is sufficient for now and the near future or should I aim for a 16gb minimum as many suggest?

Thanks

 
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n0ns3ns3

n0ns3ns3

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it depends on your use.
If you like to leave your browser open with tens of tabs open, even 32 might be not enough :)
for "normal" use - 12 is more than enough.
keep in mind, that there is a chance (though small) that the new kit will be incompatible with the old one
 
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george_gb

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I am referring to the following use case: Only the game is running and nothing else. So, my main interest is whether 12gb are sufficient for running a demanding game without any other processes/jobs running to the background. :)

Edit: the offer I found is for 6x2gb sticks = 12 gb in total. So no compatibility issues since all sticks are the same. 6 of them
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMX6GX3M3A1600C9-Performance-Desktop-Memory-x/dp/B002LZ1FPG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1486377914&sr=8-2&keywords=ddr3+triple+channel
 
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n0ns3ns3

n0ns3ns3

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the one you posted earlier was 3x4GB for ~85 pounds.
this one seems to be 2x 3x2GB 2x55 pounds.
anyway, i'd start with one kit of the later to see if it can work with the ram you have.

To your first question, since 8GB is enough to run demanding games today, 12 seems to have enough headroom for the next couple of years at least.
 
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george_gb

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Thanks for your valuable info.

I just bought 12gb - 6 sticks (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMX6GX3M3A1600C9-Performance-Desktop-Memory-x/dp/B002LZ1FPG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1486377914&sr=8-2&keywords=ddr3+triple+channel) from ebay for less than 30 pounds. They are used but they should be OK base on the seller's description/rating.

So 12gb should be more than fine. Actually I read a number of benchmarks and even 4-6gb should be fine but I suppose less than 30 pounds for 12gb is probably a good move and I can always sell my old sticks.

Thanks again for your feedback so far. Now it's time for the GPU :)
 
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