Gaming Computer question! please help :)

[Miszxamanda19]

I am trying to build the ultimate gaming computer for my boyfriend but have no idea about computers. This is the information I have on his computer :

CPU- Intel Core i7 2600 3.4gHz
Memory- 16gb
Systen Type-64 bit operating system
SSD - Sandisk Extreme + 2 HDD's (not being used I don't think)
Motherboard - Asus P8P57 Pro
Graphics Card-GTX 670

We just recently bought the graphics card, ssd and memory.

Other than that would an upgrade of motherboard or anything else at all make improvements for his gaming experience?

I want to basically know if there are any parts of his computer that can be upgraded to enhance gaming?

Thank you!

 

[TestOne]

What could you possibly need more power for? Maybe you should add another monitor or two if he is only using one.

SLI with another GTX 670?

 

[Miszxamanda19]

Okay thanks! So you would not suggest getting a different motherboard? (The motherboard he has is good?)

And okay if I was to get a second GTX 670 and SLI them or whatever how much will that improve the gaming?

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[vance09]

A second GTX 670 would do wonders if you decide to set up a 3-monitor eyefinity system.

 

[TestOne]

Okay thanks! So you would not suggest getting a different motherboard? (The motherboard he has is good?)

And okay if I was to get a second GTX 670 and SLI them or whatever how much will that improve the gaming?

Thanks so much for your help!

It would improve your FPS, but it would also let you have more monitors!
The more monitors, the bigger screen.
Here, check this video out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYHCcUvZWig
Now this gives him vision on his left and right eyes, peripheral vision!
It would make his gaming more realistic, and also let him get into the game even more.
Also, what are his temps like, and what case does he have? MAX temp while gaming?

 

[Miszxamanda19]

I'm not sure about the temp and case I'll have to check and I'll post back later. And i'll look into the more than one monitor thing, that video looks really cool.

He plays Guild Wars 2 and complains about the fps a lot so the primary goal would be to fix that by adding a second GTX 670. He basically wants high fps, smooth running (no glitches and stuff), and good graphics. If adding a second card will make those things happen I think I'll just do that. Unless you are saying that it will only really make a difference if we add the extra monitors as well.

But like I said I will check on the temp and case and monitor stuff and I will post it later.

Thanks again

 

[vance09]

Really, I would think that a single 670 would have great fps on GW2. Idk if there's something else going on? Also, if he's having problems with one 670 on a single monitor then yes, there is a very good chance that adding another 670 will help with the frame rate. The benefits are not only for multiple monitors, that's just where you would notice it the most.

 

[Miszxamanda19]

Okay, yeah I don't know..sometimes the fps is good and then sometimes its not. I'm gonna get the size of his monitor to see what you think about that. Also, he has 2 HDDs and recently got a SSD (240 gb sandisk extreme) and he put GW2 on there. I don't know if that would have made a difference? And what about the motherboard, do you think it could be that he needs a different one? He has an ASUS P8P57 PRO.

Thanks!

 

[vance09]

The mobo should be fine, as long as it can handle SLI you will be good. The SSD shouldn't make a difference during game play, only for load times. Are you sure it's a 670? A 670 should breeze through GW2 easy. Also, make sure all the drivers are up to date. That may be an issue that is impacting performance.

 

[Miszxamanda19]

It is a "GTX 670 FTW"

 

[vance09]

Then you should be fine with just that 670, unless you're planning on going for three monitors. A 670 really shouldn't be having any problems with GW2. Does he have frame rate problems on other games as well?

 

[Miszxamanda19]

He basically only plays GW2 but yeah he should test it on other games thats a good point. His monitor 16x9 and his resolution is 19something x 1080. So with all this said, I can either just keep the one 670 or get one more and if I get one more then it will make a difference in fps regardless right?

 

[vance09]

If he only has one 1920 x 1080p monitor he doesn't need SLI for any game really, least of all GW2. SLI will see a jump in frame rates, but I doubt you'll actually notice anything since dual SLI will give you over 100 fps where most monitors can only handle 60. Heck, a single 670 would get you over or at least close to 60 on GW2, even with graphics turned to max. Check this link out to get an idea of what I'm saying.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/guild-wars-2-performance-benchmark,3268-6.html

I think you're running into some other issue here. Check if your drivers are up to date and if they are try playing another game that is near the graphical performance of GW2 and compare the frame rate. You may also need to clear dust off the card (it may not be getting enough cooling). Worst case scenario, you have a faulty 670 and you'll have to RMA (It should still be under warranty).

Edit: Just making sure you know, the 670 is a top tier card. It can handle just about any game out there on single monitor just fine.

 

[Miszxamanda19]

Okay, thanks. Yeah I mean that is what I thought..they said the 670 was like the third best graphic card or something so I was just expecting more of a "wow" factor for him. So is there any monitor that you know of that would really work well with the sli ? Cuz I know a lot of people do SLI two 670's so what are they using as a monitor or whatever?

 

[Miszxamanda19]

Oh and also the monitor size is 24' with the resolution of 1920 x 1080

 

[vance09]

That monitor should be great, if you really want to run SLI I would reccomend you get a 2560 x 1600 monitor or buy 2 more 1920 x 1080 monitors and hook them up with the one you already have for eyefinity (for a total resolution of 5760 x 1080). A word of warning though, either choice will cost you big time. 30" 2560 x 1600 monitors run for as much as $2000 and you'll be hard pressed to find one below $900. Adding in the price of the extra 670 and you could be paying $1400-2400, probably a lot more than what you paid for the rig in the first place. 2 extra monitors could cost around $600 if you want quality 23" monitors, and the price with the graphics card could be around $1000. Weigh your options carefully, you really don't want to overspend on SLI/monitors, and remember, there's alway the chance your bf doesn't even like eyefinity or the bigger 2560 x 1600 screen. I would concentrate on getting that 670 fixed first of all, then go on from there.

 

[Miszxamanda19]

Okay yeah he said that he doesn't like the 3 monitor thing..but he is playing right now and the fps is 44 in "Lions Arch" ...so I don't really know what that means but it isn't a high fps. So getting another 670 with his current monitor would not be beneficial? This is my last question, thanks for taking so much time! Basically, I don't mind spending the $370 or whatever it is for another 670 if it will improve things but I want to make sure it will improve things on his monitor since it looks like he will just be keeping that one monitor - basically I want his fps to go up if I buy a second one.

 

[vance09]

His fps will go up, certainly, but it wouldn't mean anything if one of them were defective or working off of old drivers. That 670 isn't anywhere near its normal potential, and I would definitely try to get that fixed first of all. Like I said though, that one 670, once fixed, will be more than enough. You'll hit 73 fps average easy, something your monitor can't even keep up with most likely. In fact, I would only reccomend SLI if you are planning on the two options I mentioned earlier. I think the best gift you can give him to optimize gaming is fixing the 670 he already has.

 

[Miszxamanda19]

Okay, great. Thanks so much for your help! I'll def look to get that fixed.

 

[TestOne]

Okay, great. Thanks so much for your help! I'll def look to get that fixed.

Hey, what is the wattage of his PSU?
Also is he running GW2 at max settings?
If anything he needs to turn his ANTI aliasing down or off!

 

[Miszxamanda19]

He has 850 power supply and yeah I think he plays at max settings

 

[TestOne]

He has 850 power supply and yeah I think he plays at max settings

What is his anti aliasing at? at 1920x1080 you don't need more than 4 IF even 2 times AA.
That could potentially be lagging him.

 

[Miszxamanda19]

I think he has it off actually.

 

[Miszxamanda19]

So I did some research and found out that I might upgrade the monitor. I am looking at the BenQ XL2420T monitor because it says that it specializes in fps. If I do get this monitor...would it then be beneficial to get the second 670??

Thanks!!

 

[TestOne]

So I did some research and found out that I might upgrade the monitor. I am looking at the BenQ XL2420T monitor because it says that it specializes in fps. If I do get this monitor...would it then be beneficial to get the second 670??

Thanks!!

No, monitors don't really effect FPS. It's the refresh rate that effects the visual effects of games.

Essentially it works like this:
if you get 90 FPS, and your monitor only supports a refresh rate of 60FPS:
It means your monitor can only output 60FPS, while the other 30 cause screen tearring because they are lost frames.

If you think his Anti Aliasing is off and he is still lagging, with a GTX 670, it could possibly be due to bad clocks on either his GPU, RAM, or CPU.
If anything he needs to run some tests and see which is used more when playing GTX 670:

His GPU or his CPU. (His ram def won't be used up, haha.)

If worse comes to worse, and he is still not getting his desired FPS, another GTX 670 FTW will def. be a HUGE benefit. Just make sure you have the case room.