What is a good upgrade for a 5770 1gb?

it depends on how much performance increase you can count as an upgrade. 30%? 50%? or double the performance?

I would go for nothing less than a amd 6870 or a gtx 560.The 460 is around 25% more powerful than 5770.You would get an approximate 7-8 fps more in each game which IMHO nor worth it

Yeah, I was thinking that wouldn't really be worth it either..

I have seen some pretty good deals on the 560..

I have heard good things about EVGA.. any brands better than others?

Whats your budget?
If it is the one in your sig, getting a cooler and OCing that CPU as well as the 5770 would do better than a 460.

Your 5770 is already a very capable card.
If you make an upgrade, you need to jump several performance tiers, or you will be disappointed. Something like a 6970 or GTX570.

Also, consider that your cpu may be a limiting factor.
To help clarify your options, run these two tests:

1) Run your games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.

2) Limit your cpu, either by reducing the OC, or, in windows power management, limit the maximum cpu% to something like 70%.
If your FPS drops significantly, it is an indicator that your cpu is the limiting factor, and a cpu upgrade is in order.

It is possible that both tests are positive, indicating that you have a well balanced system, and both cpu and gpu need to be upgraded to get better gaming FPS.

So, I ran that test in BFBC2.

roughly 45 fps while graphics was reduced and 40 fps while cpu was reduced.

I assume that means both could go for an upgrade. I think I might snag an i5, possibly just wait on a new gpu until the 69xx prices drop..

what resolution are you at?

Hmm..I am not at my desktop right now, but I believe it's something like 16xx by 13xx or 12xx....now that could be totally wrong but I think it is something close to that..

Normally for gaming, the gpu upgrade would be most likely to produce more fps.
Is your motherboard and psu able to handle crossfire 5770?

However, in this case, the Q6600, which was a fine chip a few years ago, is now outdated.
I would consider a change to a sandy bridge based cpu. Even the 2100 dual core at $125 should give you better results in most games.
Better yet, the 2500K at $220 is the current gold standard for gamers.
There are some well priced bundles around. Check microcenter. Look for a P67 or Z68 based motherboard that has good crossfire capability.
You could initially use your 5770, and other parts to see how you do. Sell the Q6600 and ram to reduce your costs on ebay. The graphics upgrade could be as simple as adding a 5770.

I think I would hold off untill the end of the year for buying a great single graphics card. The next gen graphics cards will start to appear then.
At that time, current cards may drop in price, but you probably will not want to buy them when the new cards are better and cheaper.

A cpu upgrade to sandy bridge will last longer. The 2500K will drive any current graphics configuration for a long time. The P67 and Z68 chipsets are supposed to be compatible with the 22nm sandy bridge follow on cpu's due out early next year. Only a bios update will be required.

As of right now, I have some old dell mobo that does not handle crossfire. But a new mobo/ cpu/ 5770 seems like a good play for the time being. Thanks!

You will need DDR3 ram also, but ram is cheap these days. No need to pay more for faster ram with a sandy cpu. Your DDR2 ram still has a good market, and actually costs twice as much as DDR3.

How does this look? Seems like a pretty good price.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...

It looks to me like there is only one pci-e slot. That would preclude 5770 crossfire as a viable upgrade.

If you are near a microcenter, check them out. In the past, they have had great prices for walk in customers on cpu's.

If you, like most of us, no longer have a need for any expansion cards, look at micro-atx motherboards. They only have 4 slots, but are cheaper.
In general, a M-ATX motherboard will cause you to plan on using a single good graphics card vs. cf/sli.
Some, like the ASUS P8P67-M PRO can do sli, but the two graphics cards would be mounted together, causing heat problems.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

I might be interested in buying your 5770...

Gee, this isn't against the rules, is it? It's been so long since I readthemtooquickly.