Need help picking a new GPU

[madtitan]

Hello, I have DKA790GX Platinum motherboard, a Phenom x4, and an old 3870 GPU. I'm upgrading and don't have a ton of money to spend. I'm currently looking a gtx550, but am unsure that it will run with my mobo and CPU. I'm looking at just upgrading the graphics card, but if I have to upgrade the mobo then I guess I will. Also I would like to be able to play BF3 on high and 60 frames.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[purple stain]

What are your exact full system specs?(CPU,RAM,PSU,etc.)

What is your budget?

You'll have to spend a serious amount of money to buy a new GPU that can play BF3 on high settings and get a constant 60FPS.And you'll probably need a new CPU in order to do it as well.

 

[firedice]

6870 would honestly do the trick, GPU-wise. It takes ultra settings to make it less fluid.

 

[purple stain]

I have a 6870.And I couldn't do it.But my concern though is that since the OP has a 3870 that their Phenom is a first gen.Which means it's going to need an upgrade.

 

[andrewcarr]

6870 would honestly do the trick, GPU-wise. It takes ultra settings to make it less fluid.

If your resolution is 480p maybe. Otherwise theirs no way that GPU can come close to ultra setting with anything above 10FPS.

EDIT-Lol thought he said 6670 sorry. That may take high at best but not too much eye candy with that.

 

[avenseth12]

You need to link your power supply so we can help you determine if you can power a gtx 550 card. The model i viewed from EVGA takes 1 6 pin pcie connector to power it and a minimum 400 watt psu.

 

[purple stain]

The 3870 consumes almost the same amount of power as the GTX550ti.

 

[madtitan]

CPU is Phenom 9550. Ram is 4G. PSU is 750 watt. Budget is 200$ but might push to 250$ if I have to.

 

[andrewcarr]

Okay then this is what I'd get (as long as PSU brand is good).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102987
The computer would also benefit from an overclock for slightly higher FPS in games.
The 6950 performs similar to the 7850 but at the moment the 6950 is $50 cheaper.

 

[avenseth12]

Here is what i have in one of my rigs and i would think about - i have this card and it plays games like wow and swtor on high with no problems http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102987

 

[purple stain]

The 6950 is a great deal but it will be bottlenecked by the Phenom 9550.Especially in BF3.I suggest you buy the 6950 now and save up some money for a CPU upgrade.

What make/model is your 750 watt PSU?

 

[andrewcarr]

Oh I just assumed he hit a 0 at the end extra and it was a 955. Yes you could use a CPU upgrade.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007671%20600005574&IsNodeId=1&name=Phenom%20II%20X4
In the end it'll cost you ~$100 and if you reuse the old CPU cooler that'd work (if you have thermal paste, which is about $10). Or you can upgrade to a better cooler if you want to overclock more.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099
Thermal paste isn't needed with that but if you do want to buy some here is a good kind.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007

 

[andrewcarr]

I meant similar in that tom's benchmarks were much closer through most games. With the 7850 winning some and the 6950 winning others.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7870-review-benchmark,3148.html

 

[andrewcarr]

Um why can't he overclock the GPU? Can't he just use MSI afterburner.

The 7xxx series normally overtakes the 6xxx at high resolutions. If you showed a graph at 1080 I'd bet the two cards would be much closer.

 

[andrewcarr]

Don't run a dual card setup to start. Sometimes you run into issues with micro stutter and it isn't worth the extra trouble. General rule of thumb is to start with the best single one you can get and add in a second down the road (which luckily your motherboard can support) if you find it isn't adequate anymore. If you start with two then you don't have any upgrade options just replace the entire setup.

 

[andrewcarr]

That's only the processor he can overclock the GPU though. His motherboard is fine for that and won't have any problems. It's mainly the PSU that is a question for handling the OC, along with a smaller extent the CPU since it is taxed more with higher settings.

Edit- actually you can overclock the CPU too, if it's unlocked that is.
http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/dka790gx/
One of the main things in conclusion is how they didn't have to add extra cooling for the motherboard, it kept cool itself.

 

[madtitan]

The 6950 is a great deal but it will be bottlenecked by the Phenom 9550.Especially in BF3.I suggest you buy the 6950 now and save up some money for a CPU upgrade.

What make/model is your 750 watt PSU?

Its a PC power and cooling Silencer 750 watt

 

[andrewcarr]

Costs more money starting price for the 560Ti. The difference is minimal after the extra shipping charge. Lastly the 6950 is actually a bit more powerful than the 560Ti.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-gaming-pc-overclock,3159.html
I quote from the first page of this article (right under the parts they picked and their prices).

"When we made our purchase, there were only two worthy GPU upgrades within reach: Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 560 Ti starting at $210 and AMD’s Radeon HD 6950 1 GB at $240. Naturally, we set our sights on the more powerful board"

The board they got ... 6950.

 

[andrewcarr]

Well that's a good brand for PSU so no worries there.

 

[purple stain]

Its a PC power and cooling Silencer 750 watt

Alright that should be fine.How old is it though? 5 years?

Yeah honestly your not going to get the most out of your upgrade with your current system.It's just far to old for a high end game like BF3.I think the best thing to do is to just save up a bunch of money and rebuild from scratch when you have the money.I'm sure by then prices will have dropped for the new series of cards that just released.

 

[madtitan]

Thanks for all the info you guys have given me, it is very helpful.

 

[madtitan]

Best answer selected by MadTitan.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey