New GPU without Bottleneck...

[CynicalSavior]

Hello and thanks for your time,

I have been thinking about putting a new GPU in a older machine. Now I don't mean a brand new HD 6970 or a GTX 580, but maybe a Radeon HD 5670 or a lesser model.
Now here comes the question, like I said this machine is older, but still good enough for my needs.
I'll list my specs down below.
Will my CPU(or the rest of the machine) bottleneck a Radeon HD 5670 or a different graphics card, and make an upgrade pointless? I'm looking to game, but mostly older games or newer games that don't require a top shelf Machine.(Examples of games would be: Company of Heroes, DeathSpank, Battlefield 2, and maybe some MMORPGs like Aion. ) Also, I'd like to edit videos in Sony Vegas but since my current set up can do that just fine that is not that much of a worry. So I guess to summarize would my current machine bottle neck a Radeon HD 5670 or a card similar to that and could anyone recommend a good card that's a step up from my current GPU.

I'm only able to spend around $100-135.00 USD. So for any Recommendations you have please keep that in mind.

Oh, and I'm definitely NOT in the market for a new Machine so please don't recommend that I just save up for a new PC.(Sorry to sound pushy on that part but, I always get someone that says I should save up for a new Machine and that's not something I'm willing to do at this point.)

Also, I have some confusion on the subject of Graphics Memory. I originally thought that because my Motherboard is DDR2 I could only use DDR2 Graphics Cards. However, it seems I was mistaken? Is it true that your Motherboard doesn't care what kind of Graphics Memory your GPU uses(be it DDR2, DDR3, or GDDR5) since the RAM and the Graphics Memory operate separately?

Any help would be Greatly appreciated.


Here Are My Specs:

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ @3.0GHz (Dual Core. Windsor.)
RAM: 4GB DDR2 PC2-5300 (Only around 3.2GB available.)
*Current* GPU: XFX ATI Radeon HD 4670 1GB DDR2
Motherboard: ELITEGROUP MCP61PM-AM
PSU: 400W
HDD: 500GB SATA II

Again, any and all help would be Greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.

~~~Great Thanks ~~~

-Sam

 

[wolfram23]

Technically speaking, while there maybe be some performance loss on your platform with, say, a 5770 compared to having the same GPU in a new i7 PC, it's probably not the bottleneck you're thinking of. For example you could plug a 580 in your PC and while you'll see worse results than having it in a high end rig, it will be better results than plugging a 460 into your machine nonetheless, which again might be "bottlenecked" compared to the same card in a new rig.

So, to answer your question more specifically, a 5670 would work just fine. What resoultion is your monitor? Generally speaking I don't like to recommend lower than a 5770 or GTX450 for gaming even if you're at a lower resolution. Maybe a 5750.

 

[CynicalSavior]

Thanks Wolfram23 for the speedy response. My monitor resolution is 1440x900. So is there anything you would recommend? Do you think a 5750 is a good choice? If so which brand do you prefer?

 

[simon12]

How about this 5770 only $119 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131330

 

[wolfram23]

I'm not a fan of Powercooler, however, that's a great price and the card should perform as well as any other stock 5770. You should be able to max most games at that resolution. If it's in your budget, then no reason to not get it.

 

[wolfram23]

http://www.guru3d.com/article/radeon-hd-5770-review-test/18

 

[CynicalSavior]

Thanks simon12 and thanks again Wolfram23. Your input has been very valuable and much appreciated. So I'll definitely keep the Powercooler in mind but I might surf for different deals before the final purchase.

Thanks again.

 

[CynicalSavior]

Best answer selected by CynicalSavior.