Hardware & Technical Advice on upgrade please

[BarKingSpider]

Hi all, Would like some advice on upgrading my Graphics card. Not sure how high I can go with my current system. Changing mother board/processor is not possible right now.
Here is my specs:
Processor i5-2500 CPU @ 3.30GHz
Speed 3.3 GHz
Number of Cores 4
Video Card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650
Chipset GeForce GTX 650
Dedicated Memory 1.0 GB
Total Memory 3.9 GB
Memory 8.2 GB
Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition
Size 64 Bit
Display Maximum Resolution 1680 x 1050
Drive
Size 465.7 GB
PSU CiT 700W Black edition

Thanks in advance.

 

[Zieman]

Hi all, Would like some advice on upgrading my Graphics card. Not sure how high I can go with my current system. Changing mother board/processor is not possible right now.
Here is my specs:
Processor i5-2500 CPU @ 3.30GHz
Speed 3.3 GHz
Number of Cores 4
Video Card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650
Chipset GeForce GTX 650
Dedicated Memory 1.0 GB
Total Memory 3.9 GB
Memory 8.2 GB
Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition
Size 64 Bit
Display Maximum Resolution 1680 x 1050
Drive
Size 465.7 GB

Thanks in advance.

Depends on your budget.

With that resolution, a GTX 760 or even 750 Ti should be good enough for getting smooth gameplay with most if not all (current) bells & whistles on high.

More expensive, but bang-for-buck -wise one of the best options would right now be GTX 970.

 

[Cmdr Andy B]

when upgrading a graphics card the most important existing part is the power supply, if it's lacking in either power or the proper connection no upgrade of the graphics will be possible.

what type of PSU does your PC use?

 

[BarKingSpider]

what type of PSU does your PC use?

CiT 700w Black edition

forgot to put that in original post,Sorry!

 

[Tomtom]

CiT 700w Black edition

I'd definitely recommend upgrading this before you do anything else! 700W is adequate, but CiT products generally aren't. The Corsair PSUs are pretty solid, get one of those. And then bin the CiT. After killing it with fire.

Seriously.

 

[Aleksej]

What is your budget for the upgrade?

Most probably you will need to upgrade your PSU as well.

 

[BarKingSpider]

I'd definitely recommend upgrading this before you do anything else! 700W is adequate, but CiT products generally aren't. The Corsair PSUs are pretty solid, get one of those. And then bin the CiT. After killing it with fire.

Seriously.

Right budget was about 150 for the card but sounds like ill have to go up another 100 to get a decent card and a replacement psu!

 

[Asp Explorer]

I can't stress the importance of a good PSU enough.

Everything else depends upon it - and I have shown enough people vapourised traces to persuade them to spend a little more on a decent one

 

[BarKingSpider]

ive no problem on getting a better PSU. The only thing i cant aford to do is change the mother board/processor AND a Graphics card/psu. just want to find the best card to match the board/processor

 

[Asp Explorer]

ive no problem on getting a better PSU. The only thing i cant aford to do is change the mother board/processor AND a Graphics card/psu. just want to find the best card to match the board/processor

To be honest - there's no need to replace your CPU/motherboard - they are fine.

 

[Tomtom]

Right budget was about 150 for the card but sounds like ill have to go up another 100 to get a decent card and a replacement psu!

Yeah. Sorry for dropping that bomb on you! As Asp has said, the PSU is most definitely not somewhere to skimp on budget. Forking out a little extra now will save you in the long run.

 

[Tiamat]

As Asp has said, the PSU is most definitely not somewhere to skimp on budget. Forking out a little extra now will save you in the long run.

This is extremely true. A monitor and a PSU are the 2 things you never skimp on as they will be with you longer than any other component

If you just want a quick and cheap upgrade without replacing the PSU I can't recommend this card enough:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/EVGA-1176MHz-1255MHz-5400MHz-Graphics/dp/B00IGQ4Z3S

Check the comments there for benchmarks. I have a 350w PSU and an i7 870 (quad @ 2.93ghz) plus this card and run E: D on max setting at 1920x1200 with no problems. FPS rarely drops below 60 and I have VSYNC enabled.

Newer Maxwell cards are out now and power consumption on that range is much lower so you might find something quicker than mine for your budget.

 

[Asp Explorer]

the PSU is most definitely not somewhere to skimp on budget. Forking out a little extra now will save you in the long run.

Definitely - I've seen peeps kill $1000 CPU's with $30 PSU's.

Research and study your build, work out what power it needs, and give it a large safety margin - but not too much, efficiency drops with under-load.

Having a super-dooper 2KW PSU does you no good if your machine only draws 200W.

 

[coffeemonster]

why do people still recommend the 760gtx? i have one and it's great but they're several generations old now. i'd want the hardware features of newer cards such as directx 12 compatibility

 

[Patrick_68000]

Perhaps pay in three installments without fees, and change the Power supply and take a GTX 970 ?

 

[Philip Coutts]

why do people still recommend the 760gtx? i have one and it's great but they're several generations old now. i'd want the hardware features of newer cards such as directx 12 compatibility

I'd imagine it's because they offer pretty decent value for money. Not everyone can afford the latest generation of cards and with a bit of shopping around you can save yourself a fortune!