Looking for help with finding the right video card.

[jrmurph3]

The main game I'm currently in really playing right now is Borderlands 2 so that's the main focus. We could go ahead and add in Skyrim, though, I'm not too sure which requires more power.

Let's just say my budget ranges from $200-500$, however, I am looking to spend the least amount of money I can to play borderlands 2 on Ultra settings at 1080p resolution. As for the FPS, I'm not exactly how to differentiate what is considered good and smooth and what would be considered bad as this is my first build and I have only gamed on consoles.

Here are my current specs:

CPU: Intel Core i5-3550
MoBo: Gigabyte Z77-D3H
Memory: G.Skills DDR3 1600 8GB
Graphics: Currently using intel HD graphics.
PSU: Corsair 750W 80+ bronze

Thanks!

 

[Wolfshadw]

With a Core I5-3550, I'd think GTX 670/680 or HD 7870/7950. This assumes at least a 1920x1080 resolution.

-Wolf sends

 

[jrmurph3]

Thanks for the reply, though it doesn't really answer all of my questions.
- Yes, I will be playing on a display at 1920x1080.
- What about bottle necking? How can I figure out what will cause bottlenecks and would I be at risk with my current set up?
-What would be choices on the lower end of my budget range for ultra high settings?
-Frames per second. What is considered bad and what is considered great?

It would be great if someone has the time to answers these questions and possible further questions. I thank you in advance.

 

[kitsunestarwind]

You won't be bottle necking at all on that i5. your fine for whatever GPU you want to buy.
The last 2 questions depends on what kind of framerate u can live with on those settings

Ideally I think a GTX670 or HD7950 are good choices without paying the extra for the top cards
you could probably be happy for a HD7870/7850 with those games as well

 

[mrdowntownkiller]

if you just want to run it on ultra with just descent fps and without paying alot you can go for a card like the
♦ GTX 660 like this one
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130826&name=Desktop-Graphics-Cards

OR

♦ 7870 like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150606&name=Desktop-Graphics-Cards

and if you want run it with a fancy fps you can go for a gtx 670 or HD 7950.

 

[Wolfshadw]

What about bottle necking? How can I figure out what will cause bottlenecks and would I be at risk with my current set up?

All systems bottleneck at some point. On well balanced, high end systems, the bottleneck is normally the I/O from the Hard Drive or the software itself. Imagine four cars on a four lane highway. Where's the bottleneck? The cars themselves, because they generally cannot go faster than 120mph. Does this matter? Generally not.

What would be choices on the lower end of my budget range for ultra high settings?

That's going to vary from game to game. Some games an HD6670 will let you game at ultra high settings and it won't break a sweat. Other (hypothetical) games a GTX680 will have a hard time maintaining a good frame rate at ultra settings. For the most part, if you want Ultra High settings, you have to pay for them.

Frames per second. What is considered bad and what is considered great?

Frame rates fluctuate wildly in games depending on whats occurring on the screen. Your main concern should be the minimum frame rate or the lowest it gets during the most active screens. For most people, a minimum frame rate of ~30 FPS is acceptable. I guess "great" would be if the frame rate never dropped below 50 or 60 FPS.

-Wolf sends