Gaming PC help and question

[neoand12]

Hello, people of Tom's hardware. for a long time I've been looking for a place to ask PC questions so I'm new here.

I have bought a new PC but I'm working to use it for gaming. here is what I already have for PC specs:

Intel Core i5 3450 CPU @ 3.10GHz
16 GB Ram
Windows 7
650 PSU
Nvidia Geforce GTX 560
2560 x 1440 Monitor

I'm looking to replace the GTX 560 with a better GFX card. but my question is what would be a good GFX card to go with this system that's new?

Of course I can't play at the max 2560 x 1440 but with the specs my PC have can I do that with any card that's out? or would it be just better to use 1920 x 1080 for gaming? anyway $400 - $450 is what I'm looking to save and spend on a GFX card. can someone give me advice?

 

[tiny voices]

Look into a gtx 670 or a 7970

 

[neoand12]

Ok thanks!

 

[DarkSable]

If you have the low end of your budget, get the 670 - if you have the high end and aren't afraid of overclocking, get the 7970 GHz edition.

Don't bother with a normal 7970 or any form of 680 - they simply aren't worth it.

 

[jtenorj]

I'd like to second the suggestion of a hd7970. Not a ghz edition card, though. One with a decent heatsink fan(maybe with 2 fans?). Should be cheaper than a gtx670 but run just as fast. Should overclock well past ghz ed. speeds too, making it faster than a gtx680. I got the impression the extra voltage a ghz edition affords can limit a card's overclocking. better to tweak volts and clocks yourself for the best results. Don't forget to raise the power tune limit in the catalyst driver or your overclock will throttle when you max out the tdp.