Need opinion about upgrading

[Romakh]

Hi everyone !
I was hoping to benefit from your expertise in upgrading my rig
current specs :
cpu : Intel i7 860 2.8GHz
gpu : Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 1GB
mb : Gigabyte P55A-UD3P rev.2
mem : 2*2GB DDR3 1333
hdd : WD Caviar Green 1TB
psu : Antec 550W basiq
case : Gigabyte Setto 1000

I was thinking about getting another HD 6870 & crossfire them , dont know if motherboard or case will handle them
I know I will need a better psu
Will my cpu keep up ?
If I need a newer MoBo I may switch -in the future- to AMD cpus , then if so what's better AMD or intel & what's the compatible MoBo ?
If I got another 6870 will I need cooling and does the new gpu have to be the exact same edition (i.e. Flex edition)?

I'm open for any suggestions regarding my rig , Thanks in advance

 

[itsbighead]

1) You will need a better PSU if your going to be using 6870 in CF. I would suggest you upgrade to atleast a 750W
2) Yes of course your CPU will keep up with it
3) Intel would be better choice due to their new LGA1155 Sandy Bridge series due to AMD not releasing anything lately that would be able to compete with Intel's Sandy Bridge series.
4) I would suggest that you get the same edition for your GPU to minimise compatibility problems across different brands

 

[Romakh]

THX for the quick reply !
would you recommend a specific brand for the psu ?
will the mb handle the 2 vga well ?

 

[geekapproved]

Are you aware that your using a 5400rpm hdd?

That's seriously gotta hurt your performance. I would upgrade the hdd first to a 7200rpm drive and use the 5400rpm drive for backup and storage.

Then add another 6870. I would recommend a minimum 650w psu for that system. A 750 gives you more flexibility on a future upgrade.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371051

 

[Romakh]

I was planning to get a caviar black in the near future & thx for the link !

 

[Romakh]

I need a quick reply for this one , please !
is it better to get a HD 6970 2GB or crossfireX HD 6870 (since I heard there were a lot of compatibility issues for crossfire in games) ?!
if crossfiring HD 6870 is better , my motherboard doesn't fit 2 HD 6870 (GA-P55A-UD3P , it's too big for it!!) , so PLEASE recommend a good gaming motherboard ...

 

[Romakh]

Best answer selected by Romakh.