Should I buy this GPU?

[dgrin91]

My specs:

ASRock Z68 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM

OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W Modular High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandybridge Core i3 i5 i7 and AMD Phenom

and I want to buy the following graphics card:
MSI R6950-2PM2D2GD5 Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity

I want to be able to play games like SC2, Civ V, and America's army, as well as other games I will buy in the future. I will also be getting a 1080p monitor soon. Do you guys think this graphics card is fine, or should I get something else?

 

[mdd1963]

The 6950 is a *very* solid upper midrange card, matching the GTX570 at about $100 less cost.....

I think it is an excellent choice....

 

[jryan388]

Plus the 2GB cards have been known to be unlockable to full-fledged 6970s... I've heard AMD may be laser-cutting now but IDK if it's true.

 

[dgrin91]

I have no idea what laser-cutting does, but I guess thats good.

I also wanna know if this model itself is good, specifically if the fans are reasonable.

Also, will my 750W PSU be fine? I think so but want to double check.

 

[vibrantxxninjas]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127588&cm_re=hd_6950-_-14-127-588-_-Product

definitely get that card right there ^
the msi twin frozer's are amazing at keeping your card cool and are extremely quiet, their one of the best coolers out there for overclocking too and can withstand voltages that other cards would get extremely hot at thanks to its cooling, also its the same price as the one you listed

 

[jryan388]

Laser-cutting is BAD (for us). For some reason, AMD decided to take a bunch of 6970s, load the firmware for the 6950 onto them, and market them as 2GB 6950s. The majority of people that I have heard of have been able to flash the card and turn it into a 6970. But if AMD is laser-cutting, they are actually cutting those extra cores off instead of just not using them, so they are totally inaccessible, no matter what. They want people to buy the 6970 instead of flashing the 6950. But I don't know if they really are, I just heard that.

Sure, the fan is fine. Might not be able to overclock much. I would recommend, however, one of the following 1GB cards, for significantly cheaper:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102921&cm_re=radeon_6950-_-14-102-921-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150523&cm_re=radeon_6950-_-14-150-523-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161368&cm_re=radeon_6950-_-14-161-368-_-Product
Having a large fan like that in the middle makes the card run cooler but might make internal components in your case run slightly hotter if you don't have adequate case cooling. Shouldn't be a problem, though.

 

[vibrantxxninjas]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121437&Tpk=asus%206950
that one is pretty good too however i dont know how well it performs compared to the twin frozr but ive heard pretty good reviews about the directCU II by asus also about overclocking and cooling plus its $10 cheaper than the twin frozr if u still want good cooling for slightly less however i would get the twin frozr

 

[dgrin91]

The price upgrade for the 2GB is fine. This is my case. Would overheating be a problem with my machine? Im kinda surprised that the videocard would cause the other parts to overheat.

Edit: And I just want to double check, even though these cards are PCI-e 2.1, they will still plug into my PCI-e 2.0 slots on my mobo.

 

[dgrin91]

I've also heard that my current card is extremely long (about 11 inches) and that I should check to see if it fits before I buy it. How would I do that?

Also, they say the fan gets kinda loud after it goes above 45%. Do you think I will be able to run it just fine with my stuff (lets say no O/C) without going above that?

 

[jryan388]

I don't know about measuring the dist, but about the other stuff:
PCIe 2.1 is compatible with a 2.0 mobo. No problems.
The reason it could heat up other components is that the stock fan pushes all of the air out of the case (at the cost of pushing a lot of air; the card runs hotter). Most custom fans spread most of the air around the case. Shouldn't be a problem, but might cause a few degrees increase in other components if your case cooling isn't adequate. I wouldn't worry, though, only one care in a case like that should be fine =D.
As to the fan, is that the stock fan they are talking about? You should look up whatever cooler is on the card you want to buy.

 

[megamanx00]

The 6950 is a pretty good card and should allow you to play most games at 1080p on high without issue. Only the few and far between more demanding games like Metro may leave you wanting a second card to run in crossfire.