Best Modern GPU to Pair with i5 2500 (not 2500k) Without Severe Bottlenecking

[Smoolean]

Hello everyone,

Back in 2011 I built (with your help) a modest budget gaming rig. I don't play enough to warrant a completely new build in 2015, but I'm wondering if swapping in a new graphics card could help breathe a bit of new life into the system.

I'd like be able to play GTA V at the absolute highest detail settings at a modest 1080p resolution, who knows maybe 1440 in the future but definitely not 4k.

My question is two-fold: is my processor (Intel i5 2500) still decent enough for this GPU upgrade path to make sense? If it is still decent, what do you think is the best GPU I could pair with it without having the 2500 completely bottleneck the new GPU?

Also, please try to keep laughing to a minimum, but I'd prefer a card that doesn't need tons and tons of power: my power supply is a modest 430w (but a decent brand I believe).

Here is a bit of info about my rig:

Processor i5-2500
Current Graphics Card To Replace: Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 1GB
Motherboard: ASRock H61M/U3S3 LGA 1155 Intel H61
Power Supply: 430W Continuous power Antec EarthWatts Green
RAM: 8GB DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)
Case: Antec Three Hundred

Any and all help is appreciated,
Thanks!

 

[nsafreak]

The limiting factor isn't going to be your CPU, it's your PSU. An i5 2500 is still plenty for most games out there nowadays including GTA 5. You should be able to power a GTX 970 and be ok, depending on how well your PSU has aged. Four years isn't too terribly old but to be honest I'd be a bit more comfortable if you had a decent 550 watt PSU.

 

[Charlie98]

Like NSA suggests, a GTX970 would be a good fit, I have the same match, albeit with a 2500K. I also agree with him about the PSU; I originally ran my GAME rig with a CX430M PSU and a GTX 760 (both the 760 and 970 spec a 500w minimum PSU) and it did it, but it's not something I would want to do long term, particularly with a 4-year old PSU.

 

[nk215]

the GTX970 takes 145W. The CPU is 95W. Your power supply should be fine.

 

[lehtv]

the GTX970 takes 145W. The CPU is 95W. Your power supply should be fine.

Max. draw while gaming is around 180-190W. But while gaming, the CPU won't typically use more than maybe 60-70W, plus max. Max. 50W for the rest of the PC. Total peak watts close to 300W while gaming.

I recommend upgrading to a new 500-550W with 5 year warranty. EA-430 is a dual rail unit with only one PCIe-connector - GTX 970 requires two connectors, and using adapters from Molex is always a bit of a risk in non-single rail units. Continuing to use it with a GTX 970 is not a good idea if the unit has outlived its 3 year warranty, an it's an especially bad idea if we're talking about the now-discontinued EA-430 with weak +12V rails:




16A = 192W, this is not enough for a 190 watt graphics card.

 

[Ketchup]

That CPU will cost you a few FPS vs a 4690. See chart here:

http://www.techspot.com/review/991-gta-5-pc-benchmarks/page6.html

But a 970, as suggested, will make up for that, see the 1080 section, here:

http://www.gamersnexus.net/game-bench/1905-gta-v-pc-fps-benchmark-graphics-cards

As lehtv pointed out, you will need a better video card to make this work.