Video card upgrade for better FPS in BF3??

[bubbarob]

Hi All,

My system is as follows:

Core 2 Quad Q9550 (Not Overclocked)
1TB 7200RPM SATA HDD
6GB DDR2 800 RAM
Gigabyte Board
Radeon HD4850 512MB
530W Corsair Power Supply
Windows Home Premium 64-bit

I can't afford an entire system upgrade at this point so I was thinking of upgrading a single component to get the most gain with what I have currently. I was thinking a new video card may be the way to go since I could take it with me to a new build planned for next year.

My budget is around $200, give or take a few dollars and thought about the MSI Nvidia 560 TI. I don't want to get more RAM since I couldn't take it with me to a new build. And an SSD didn't seem like it was the right choice either.

Does the video card seem to be the right purchase to hold me over for a year or so and get more FPS in BF3?

Thanks,

Rob

 

[Augray37]

You'll probably get some people saying you need to upgrade your whole system, which is sort of true, but in all honesty, I think a good GPU upgrade could eek out an extra year from rig. You want one that is a good deal more powerful than your HD 4850 so that you'll see the difference, but not one that will eat into the somewhat little headroom you have with a 530W PSU.

I was browsing on Newegg for a good GPU, and I came across this...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161406

I know it's a tad more than your budget, but it sure gives a LOT of bang for the buck. It's like an HD 6970 that uses 2/3 the power. It will give you a heck of a GPU for now, and something you can crossfire later if you'd like, which is especially enticing given it's low TDP.

 

[clutchc]

A graphic card upgrade will make the most difference in gaming... without a doubt. But which level of card you need, depends on the resolution you game at. A $200 card like the HD 6870 or GTX 560 will get you decent frame rates up to 1920x1080, but you may have to back off a tad on the eye candy in graphically stressful games like BF3 at that resolution.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%204017&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&Order=PRICED&PageSize=20

 

[bullwinkel]

The 6870 is a fine card (I have one). You can find them for around $160 or less if you can catch one on sale at newegg.

 

[bubbarob]

Thanks all for the replies. I know I need to do a complete rebuild eventually but I only play one game and I am gaming at 1920x1080 with decent FPS on medium/low settings. I just thought a video card would be good as I could take it with me to a new build and even go the crossfire route down the road. I am trying to stretch my 2008 system out for 5 years like I said I would. :lol: When I built the system i was using an 8600 video card.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[clutchc]

Thanks all for the replies. I know I need to do a complete rebuild eventually but I only play one game and I am gaming at 1920x1080 with decent FPS on medium/low settings. I just thought a video card would be good as I could take it with me to a new build and even go the crossfire route down the road. I am trying to stretch my 2008 system out for 5 years like I said I would. :lol: When I built the system i was using an 8600 video card.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Then go with the HD 6870. You'll be able to play BF3 at higher settings, maybe even the highest settings.

 

[Augray37]

I think you'll be able to play at 1920x1080 at medium/low settings fairly well with a 6870, I can anyway.

 

[bubbarob]

Sounds good. I think I will get the 6870 and also pick up a new power supply also. It won't put me much over my budget.

I see three different brands at Newegg. They have an HIS, XFX, and Sapphire all around the same price. Which brand is the most reliable?

 

[Augray37]

I would get the HIS one...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161396

It's rated the best right now. As far as which brand is best, they all have an equal amount of duds between the three IMHO. I just look up reviews for the particular part i'm interested in, and if they're good, just go with it. In other words, i have no brand loyalty lol.

 

[bubbarob]

Thank you much!