Need GPU upgrade advice. Want triple monitor setup

Robin Banks Racing

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May 6, 2014
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4,510
I have an older custom liquid cooled PC built December of 2010 I think. Specs are:
EVGA X58 SLI3 MB w/ 6GB DDR3 Ram, i7 950 CPU
EK waterblocks, radiator and pump.
GTX 470 GPU with EK waterblock.
128GB samsung SSD, 500 GB HD
750watt silencer Power supply
Danger Den Clear Acrylic case

I hope this is OK enough setup to do what i want with just a GPU upgrade.
I do not, nor do I know how to, overclock my CPU or GPU.

I use: a Fanatec GT2 wheel and clubsport pedals setup for racing.
a Line6 KB37 used as Sound Card in lieu of the soundblaster X Fi card
Yamaha MSP10 Studio Monitors (major Awesomeness BTW)

I Play pretty much Dirt 2 and 3 only, but may venture into other games in the future, most likely more racing games.

I Play on an Asus VG278H monitor that has built in 3D Vision 2 to work with GeForce cards.

I rarely play with 3D, but enjoy it when I do. My GTX 470 gets pretty taxed when playing in 3D and frame rates drop dramatically. But in 2D, the GTX 470 seems perfectly acceptable framerate at HIGH settings and I am pleased with the 1080p gaming so far.

What I want to achieve is triple monitor gaming in 2D 1080p. I need a GPU that can handle it, hopefully a single card... maybe GTX770 or 780? I don't have 3 Asus 27" VG278H monitors, only 1. Im not willing to buy 2 more $500 matching monitors just to game in triple 3D, so triple 2D is the only realistic goal. I do have 2 24" playstation displays that I'd like to use for the sides since they are already available and would save me from buying 2 more leaving more budget room for a better GPU. Is it ok to use 2 24" for sides with 27" middle? Is DVI to HDMI adaptor cable fine to use for one display since the 2 PS displays use only HDMI?

What card should I buy to have decent gaming experience across 3 monitors? I am willing to drop resolution a bit from 1080P or drop from High to Mid detail settings to achieve a lower budget, but would prefer not to have to. Will my older CPU keep up? Is my power supply adequate if I decided to SLI? Should I invest in a waterblock for newer GPU or just aircool it and bypass the water hose? Should I consider just buying 2 more older GTX470s and just have 3 in SLI 1 for each monitor?

Any and All advice would sincerely be appreciated as my knowledge is quite limited and I am not the original owner/builder of the PC. I'm trying to keep my upgrade budget at least under $600, preferrably $300-$400 if possible.
 
Solution
you should grab another 470 from ebay and just leave it aircooled as long as you have at least a fan or two in your case.

I'm assuming since you dont know how to overclock, that you didn't build this rig yourself? If so, adding a waterblock and getting it into the loop is probably a task you best not attempt.

470SLI will play across 3 1080p monitors are medium. PSU should be fine. 470SLI is approximately equal to a single 770.

When you add a 3rd, you don't get nearly the impact as the second. plus now you have two hot cards in your case, which probably has not many fans b/c its all liquid.

fyi, your single 470 wont run 3 displays... back in the 4xx series, you had to have SLI to game across 3 monitors.

so ultimately, pickup a...

lowriderflow

Distinguished
you should grab another 470 from ebay and just leave it aircooled as long as you have at least a fan or two in your case.

I'm assuming since you dont know how to overclock, that you didn't build this rig yourself? If so, adding a waterblock and getting it into the loop is probably a task you best not attempt.

470SLI will play across 3 1080p monitors are medium. PSU should be fine. 470SLI is approximately equal to a single 770.

When you add a 3rd, you don't get nearly the impact as the second. plus now you have two hot cards in your case, which probably has not many fans b/c its all liquid.

fyi, your single 470 wont run 3 displays... back in the 4xx series, you had to have SLI to game across 3 monitors.

so ultimately, pickup a cheap 470 on ebay and an sli bridge and good to go (or at least see how you like it for relatively cheap)

i'd defintely look into overclocking that CPU since you're on liquid
 
Solution

Robin Banks Racing

Reputable
May 6, 2014
5
0
4,510


What about the fact that I'd have 2 24" monitors for the side and 27" middle? IS that a problem at all?
Also, do you have a recommended reference to look into learning how to overclock my cpu. A link perhaps to a good tutorial. Thanks so much for your reply, much appreciated.