Should upgrade from 9800GT?

[thphaca]

I'm starting a new PC build and I've determined that I'm probably going to get an AM3 mobo for a Phenom X4 955. I already have a 9800 GT in my current machine, but I'm not sure if I should use it for the new build or upgrade. In the past, it seemed to be my weak 2.2ghz dual core holding me back (which is why I'm starting fresh), but in the future, with the new build, do you think the 9800GT will be the bottleneck?

I really just want a consistent 60fps @ 1080p maxed out.. Normally, I'd know the answer to this question, but I've seen allot of controversy of v-cards. In many cases, the v-card makes less and less of a difference @ higher res from what I've seen.

So should I look into a new card, and which one? Or will the phenom 955 provide the desired boost in performance? I've already seen the list of GPUs and prices, but I'm not sure whether to break the bank for a v-card or not. I definitely won't spend over 200 on it though. I see such a small difference in speed sometimes between generations.

Also, some AA would be nice in some games, at least 2x to 4x. That's the area that cripples me the most.

 

[wa1]

For 60fps constantly at 1080p then you must upgrade your card, 9800GT is not enough...
HD5850/HD5870/GTX480 is what you want, but it depends on the game itself to get a constant 60fps.
But before you get a new card, make sure you have an enough power on PSU.
What is your current PSU? brand? model?

 

[thphaca]

Well this is all for a new build, so everything will gear around the CPU & GPU. The mobo is based off the CPU and the PSU will be based off of the GPU (and of course other components but more about the GPU). What wattage/amps should I aim for? (If I don't have to start another topic about that)

 

[wa1]

Well, if you won't do any CF/SLI then 550W PSU like Corsair, ANtec, Seasonic, SilverStone would be enough...

 

[MMclachlan]

You've got your CPU and graphics back to front! The higher the res the less the CPU comes into play and the greater the burden on the graphics card.
If your 9800GT is a 1gb version then you could by another and SLi them if you buy a SLi capable baord, this would do pretty well in 1080p, but only really worth it if they are 1Gb versions.
Otherwise as Wa1 says you want an ATi 5850/5870, or perhaps a Nvidia GTX470. I think the Nvidia cards are a bit too hot and power hungry this time round and the GTX480 is way too expensive. 5850 is probably good enough for most things in 1080p, a 5870 would be ample for everything but Metro 2033 in full but even a 5770 is still fairly good for 1080 too and would be the only other budget option. Make sure whatever you get it has 1gb+ of RAM.

 

[thphaca]

Best answer selected by thphaca.