Need GPU Upgrade Advice!

[runninggargle]

Hi, new member here.

Before I start here are my current specs :

Phenom II x4 965 Black Edition 3.4
12 gigs DDR3
5870 Saphire OC
850W Modular PSU
M4A79T Deluxe Asus Mobo

Alright, I'm debating whether or not i should upgrade my GPU at the moment. Every couple of years I usually upgrade a thing or two but usually my GPU. I'm currently running a single 5870 with one 1920x1080 monitor. At first I was looking at the GTX 680 but the $400-$500 price range is a little steep for what I'm looking for. Although it has PhsyX equiped with their cards, is it a substantial difference? Anyways, I've been looking into the 7950 which has somewhat comparable specs and the price drop of about $150 from the 680.

Has anyone upgraded a 5870 to a 7950 that can give some input if its worth upgrading? Also do you think my setup will bottleneck the 7950?

If it helps the games I mostly play are Planetside 2, BF3, Farcy 3, Dark Souls.

Thanks for any input!

 

[meowmix44]

I would reccommend the Gigabyte Windforce X3 GTX 670 OC. It runs the same FPS as a stock GTX 680 and is way more silent. The Gigabyte Windforce 3X 7970 OC should also do the trick. But if you want the performance of a GTX 680 for a fraction of the cost go with the GTX 670.

 

[iceclock]

why not add a second 5870 in sli. that be a cheap upgrade for nice performance.

also if thats not an option a 7950 will cost u a 300$ and a better bang for bucks than the 670. if ur dead set on nvidia getting a 670 and overclocking it to 680 levels is a better deal than the 680 itself.

 

[stickmansam]

^ +1

 

[iceclock]

thanks :-0

 

[runninggargle]

Thanks for the input guys. I'm leaning towards the 7950 but I'm wondering how much of an upgrade I will notice.

For Crossfire to work do you need the exact same make and model? For example I have a factory OC Saphire 5870... do I need that exact model or can I substitute a XFX version?

Also do you think its worth it to overclock my CPU? I hear people can easily push them to 4.0 with an aftermarket cooler such as the Hyper 212 EVO.

 

[stickmansam]

you can use a different version AFAIK
They will clock down to the slower card so the spphire factory OC will lose its OC if the XFX is slower
you can OC the xfx to match the sapphire though

Overclockign should yield some good gains if you're running CF

 

[ndositwe]

If your gaming experience is smooth, there is no need to upgrade. Otherwise, as iceclock has suggested, getting another 5870 to Crossfire will be a better upgrade (if you can find the card for cheap.)

 

[swifty_morgan]

first off I wouldn't crossfire. secondly, unless you're having *vram* limitations I wouldn't change a thing. the 965 isn't going to push anything to it's limits ( 7950-670/80 ).

 

[stantheman123]

I went from a 5970 to a 7970ghz and fps went up 20-30fps and no sutter. So a 5870 to a 7950 is a nice upgrade.

Get this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202006

Call it a day. you got a nice fast single gpu that can be overclocked past a 7970/680