Upgrading from gtx 460 - need guidance

[kramerz]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: now

BUDGET RANGE: approximately $200USD

USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: games, general

CURRENT GPU AND POWER SUPPLY: gtx 460; corsair GS700 PSU

OTHER RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS: intel core 2 6600 2.40 Ghz, 3.25 GB of RAM;windows xp; mobo = asus p5kvm

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com

PARTS PREFERENCES: considering EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe SLI OR CROSSFIRE: No

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1680x1050

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: concerned about pci express 2.0 on my mobo; and whether i have enough psu. Thanks!

 

[ujaansona]

Your PSU is just fine. Go for the GTX560Ti. At your resolution you'll see some(15-30%) performance improvement depending on different games. You also need to overclock your CPU to at least 3GHz to avoid any possible bottleneck.

 

[Unolocogringo]

For $200 you might as well keep your money.
There is not a card on the market in the $200 segment to "upgrade" to.
The best you can expect is a 10% to 15% better performance in some games, not all.
The bottleneck in your system is the processor. It is holding the 460 back.
A processor upgrade would give you the same upgrade as a new video card.
The 560 is two tiers above the 460. it is basically an overclocked 460.
But it would also be held back by your processor. so you would not really see an improvement by buying it.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

 

[ujaansona]

These charts will provide you a general idea about expected performance improvement. Bear in mind that these benchmarks were performed using Intel Core i7 920 CPU @ 3.8 GHz.

 

[Unolocogringo]

processor upgrade results.
Phenom2 x2 250@3.5
http://3dmark.com/3dm06/16460676 15435 points
Phenom2 x6 960t@3.4
http://3dmark.com/3dm06/16527904 21135 points

Same video card new processor.
Both benchmarks on one page for an easy compare
http://3dmark.com/compare/3dm06/16460676/3dm06/16527904

 

[swifty_morgan]

that bold print is somewhat annoying. somebody special ?......

wouldn't waste money on a card so close to the one you have. The old dual core is slowing you down. time to save and start thinking of overhaul. 775 processors, if you can find the right one, are expensive still today. not worth the investment.

the XP........ every once in a while I catch snags because of the ram limitations on my old machine. think some of that could be happening to you also. ( 64bit opsys is the way to go. )

pci-e 2.0/3.0...... blah, blah, blah......... nothing to worry about, you're fine.

and gotta add. when I played at 16x10 the 1gig on the video card sometimes caused problems.... depending on game and demands.

 

[pezonator]

A 460 to a 560ti is not much of an upgrade and not worth $200. You are better off saving some more money, wait and see what the 660 brings.

Even if you do wait, some people have pointed out that your CPU is holding you back. So a new mobo / cpu / ram / 64bit OS, would be a much better upgrade for you this year.

 

[ujaansona]

that bold print is somewhat annoying. somebody special ?......

You're not here to criticise how people should post. Bold print doesn't violate Tom's Hardware Rules of Conduct. Rather "Keep criticism constructive. Attack the idea, not the person."

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/283384-33-read-first

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Bold print is fine all CAPS is not.

 

[ujaansona]

Bold print is fine all CAPS is not.

Justice

 

[raydog]

For $200 you might as well keep your money.
There is not a card on the market in the $200 segment to "upgrade" to.
The best you can expect is a 10% to 15% better performance in some games, not all.
The bottleneck in your system is the processor. It is holding the 460 back.
A processor upgrade would give you the same upgrade as a new video card.
The 560 is two tiers above the 460. it is basically an overclocked 460.
But it would also be held back by your processor. so you would not really see an improvement by buying it.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

Agreed. It's time for a quad. CPU is your bottleneck, especially w/ BF3 multi.

 

[ujaansona]

OTHER RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS: intel core 2 6600 2.40 Ghz

Which one is your CPU?

Intel® Core™2 Quad Processor Q6600 (8M Cache, 2.40 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)
OR
Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6600 (4M Cache, 2.40 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)

 

[swifty_morgan]

ujaans you may feel vindicated but from my perspective it's sheer ignorance...........

 

[ujaansona]

ujaans you may feel vindicated but from my perspective it's sheer ignorance...........

Who cares about your attention, anyway? Let’s refrain from making this thread a war.

 

[kramerz]

Which one is your CPU?

Intel® Core™2 Quad Processor Q6600 (8M Cache, 2.40 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)
OR
Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6600 (4M Cache, 2.40 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB)

1 x Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor BX80557E6600

Also, thanks to the community for the detailed responses. It's clear to me that my overall system needs replacing. Thanks for saving me $200 so I can spend $1,200

 

[kramerz]

Best answer selected by kramerz.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey