How much more performance will $500.00 get me?

[yh125d]

For reference, I've been playing rift @ 1080p with mostly max settings but low AA just fine on a GTS450/i5 750

 

[Zargon]

if you are planning on building a new rig in the near future maybe a 560 instead of a 460.

newer DX's and just plain better

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Get a cooler master hyper 212+
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-065-_-Product
Overclock your CPU 3.8-4.0 ghz. If your not sure how I could help. I post from work and have ample time to mess around. I could help you get a nice stable 3.8-4ghz out of your current CPU which should hold you over for awhile.
As far as gpu goes I'd go with this. More performance than the 460 or 6870 for $200 after rebates. I don't think you'd find anymore gpu for the money anywhere.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-883-_-Product
For under $250 you could have a very capable gaming machine.

 

[apoppin]

Maybe your friend's Internet connection is better than yours.
-online games are affected by the connection quite a bit.

The very biggest improvement to PC gaming that you can make will come from upgrading your 8800-GTS to a modern video card.
-- $200 will get you a HD 6870 or an overclocked GTX 460
--- $250 gets you in range of a GTX 560 or a HD 5950-1GB

If you upgrade your video card, it is wise to overclock your CPU to take advantage of the increased graphics. No cost there, unless you upgrade your CPU cooler for a higher overclock.

OtOH, getting a SB Quad and a complete platform change for $500 - keeping the old 8800 GTS - and you'd barely notice any difference in gaming (except for the rare games that take advantage of more than two cores).

Playing a new MMO and things are a bit sluggish. A friend says he doesnt have these problems so I'm assuming my PC is a bit older than I'd like to admit.

I play at 1920x1200 on a 25" monitor.

So, will just a new Video card hold me over and give me a significant, noticeable improvement? Video Card + Ram? Card, RAM and new HDD? Or do i just need to start over.

Current system:

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor BX80570E8400
EVGA 512-P3-N845-AR GeForce 8800GTS (G92) KO 512MB 256-bit
ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
Corsair HX 520 W PS

 

[Dashel]

I'll give the overclocking a shot. As far as the GPU this is where it gets confusing. So a 5870 is superior to a 6870?

EDIT: Ok I'm reading an article in Anandtech that explains it. Kinda. Just to clarify though:

SAPPHIRE 100281-3SR Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ Eyefinity

that 5870 you linked with outperform this?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102909

SAPPHIRE 100314SR Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity

Get a cooler master hyper 212+
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-065-_-Product
Overclock your CPU 3.8-4.0 ghz. If your not sure how I could help. I post from work and have ample time to mess around. I could help you get a nice stable 3.8-4ghz out of your current CPU which should hold you over for awhile.
As far as gpu goes I'd go with this. More performance than the 460 or 6870 for $200 after rebates. I don't think you'd find anymore gpu for the money anywhere.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-883-_-Product
For under $250 you could have a very capable gaming machine.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Yeah the 5870 I linked will beat the 6870 easily.
As far as oc'ing it's simple as pie. You could probably do a slight overclock with the stock cooler you're using. I'd just need you to run a couple programs and monitor CPU temps and we'll know how much room we have for increasing the speed.

 

[blanketyblank]

I'll give the overclocking a shot. As far as the GPU this is where it gets confusing. So a 5870 is superior to a 6870?

EDIT: Ok I'm reading an article in Anandtech that explains it. Kinda. Just to clarify though:

SAPPHIRE 100281-3SR Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ Eyefinity

that 5870 you linked with outperform this?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102909

SAPPHIRE 100314SR Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity

One thing to consider. Although 5870 is faster than 6870, it is close in performance, but 6870 has some additional features. Main things added are lower power usage as well as HD3d capabilities.
It is also faster in crossfire if you get a second card in the future compared to 5870 CF.

Another possibility is cheaping out and getting a GTX 460 768 MB at about $100, and possibly a second in SLI if you need the performance.
As long as you don't run into VRAM limit they will be faster than most single card solutions.

 

[Athadeus]

Has anyone actually checked whether Rift runs better on nVidia? I just lazied out on my first post suggesting nVidia because this game has the TWIMTBP logo, and I couldn't find a benchmark of it within 10 seconds using Google. OP also said you'll be playing other games in the future, may we ask which ones if you know?

 

[Dashel]

One thing to consider. Although 5870 is faster than 6870, it is close in performance, but 6870 has some additional features. Main things added are lower power usage as well as HD3d capabilities.
It is also faster in crossfire if you get a second card in the future compared to 5870 CF.

Ok that explains why they are so close in price I guess. Sounds like I cant really go wrong with either of those.

Has anyone actually checked whether Rift runs better on nVidia? I just lazied out on my first post suggesting nVidia because this game has the TWIMTBP logo, and I couldn't find a benchmark of it within 10 seconds using Google. OP also said you'll be playing other games in the future, may we ask which ones if you know?

Now: Rift, Starcraft II, Mass Effect 1 & 2
Near Future: Civilization
End of the year: Bioware's Star Wars MMO, any FPS game that looks good.

Really though this card will be for Rift. I'll likely do a full new system within a year unless this new card doesnt help much. I think the card will be a big improvement though right? My current card was great when i bought it but that was almost 3 years ago.

 

[Arkadrel]

Playing a new MMO and things are a bit sluggish. A friend says he doesnt have these problems so I'm assuming my PC is a bit older than I'd like to admit.

I play at 1920x1200 on a 25" monitor.

So, will just a new Video card hold me over and give me a significant, noticeable improvement? Video Card + Ram? Card, RAM and new HDD? Or do i just need to start over.

Current system:

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor BX80570E8400
EVGA 512-P3-N845-AR GeForce 8800GTS (G92) KO 512MB 256-bit
ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
Corsair HX 520 W PS

Heres what I think you should do:

Newegg combo deal:
AMD Athlon II X4 645 Propus 3.1GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core
ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard

168$ (after Mail in rebate)

+

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit

39.99$

=

~208$ (for MB,CPU,RAM)

+

HIS H695F2G2M Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI
259$ (after MIR)

=

total 467$



what do you get for it?

Athlon II x4 3.1GHz you oc to run @4.0GHz
4gb of DDR3 dual channel ram
6950 2gb, that you bios flash to a 6970 + overclocked (near 580 perf.)

The althon II x4 is very close to the phenoms in performance, and its cheap... getting 4 cores running 4GHz for its price isnt bad.

the value you get out of unlocking a 6950 -> 6970 is good, and then overclocking it, and your basically around a stock 580, for only 259$.

That should make a very decent gameing platform.

 

[happy medium]

I'd grab a brand new Evga gtx560 for 215$ shipped off this guy first.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2140278

 

[apoppin]

The only good advice given below is to get the HD 6950 .. unlocking the Athlon II depends on luck and is a sidegrade at best. Athlon II X3s are not guaranteed to unlock. Nor are they as fast as the OP's C2D.

If you want to say "Wow!" from your system, upgrade your videocard


if you want :\, upgrade your CPU and platform

First, upgrade the video card. Then sit back and play some games and then decide if you want a quad-core.

Heres what I think you should do:

Newegg combo deal:
AMD Athlon II X4 645 Propus 3.1GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core
ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard

168$ (after Mail in rebate)

+

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit

39.99$

=

~208$ (for MB,CPU,RAM)

+

HIS H695F2G2M Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI
259$ (after MIR)

=

total 467$



what do you get for it?

Athlon II x4 3.1GHz you oc to run @4.0GHz
4gb of DDR3 dual channel ram
6950 2gb, that you bios flash to a 6970 + overclocked (near 580 perf.)

The althon II x4 is very close to the phenoms in performance, and its cheap... getting 4 cores running 4GHz for its price isnt bad.

the value you get out of unlocking a 6950 -> 6970 is good, and then overclocking it, and your basically around a stock 580, for only 259$.

That should make a very decent gameing platform.

 

[Rhoxed]

The only good advice given below is to get the HD 6950 .. unlocking the Athlon II depends on luck and is a sidegrade at best. Athlon II X3s are not guaranteed to unlock. Nor are they as fast as the OP's C2D.

If you want to say "Wow!" from your system, upgrade your videocard


if you want :\, upgrade your CPU and platform

First, upgrade the video card. Then sit back and play some games and then decide if you want a quad-core.

He listed a true 4 core processor. TBH its a nice list.

 

[drizek]

Yes, but he should try out his current system with a 6950 before buying a whole new one.

If he was going to spend more money it might be worth getting something new, but the Athlon II is a bit of a sidegrade. Better to wait for BD/IB.

 

[badb0y]

I'd grab a brand new Evga gtx560 for 215$ shipped off this guy first.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2140278

I am going to go ahead and agree with happy_medium here, if you have no immediate plans to upgrade your monitor, the GTX 560 is probably the best card for you. At your resolution the performance difference is negligible and although you can unlock a 6950 to a 6970, the GTX 560 can OC to speeds that will match a 6970/GTX 570 anyways. Pretty much a wash, just get the cheapest one.

Just buy the GPU first, if you feel like you still haven't seen as big a jump as you wanted then upgrade the other components in the system.

 

[Zargon]

^^^ yup

 

[Dashel]

I got the 460 GTX 1GB card. Went from mid 20's FPS to low-mid 30's FPS in RIFT. I feel like it should have been a bigger jump from a 8800 to a 460GTX.

I think I will try OCing the CPU a bit and see if that makes a difference. If so I'd guess it's safe to say I'm being CPU limited?

Other things on my to do list is update my drivers and I've wanted to upgrade from Vista to 7, as well as get a new/better hard drive. I've always felt my HDD was too slow on the access times. Not sure if that could be an issue.

 

[happy medium]

If so I'd guess it's safe to say I'm being CPU limited?

Yes, Rift loves cpu and a quad core is allmost a must.

 

[Tequila]

I am going to go ahead and agree with happy_medium here, if you have no immediate plans to upgrade your monitor, the GTX 560 is probably the best card for you. At your resolution the performance difference is negligible and although you can unlock a 6950 to a 6970, the GTX 560 can OC to speeds that will match a 6970/GTX 570 anyways. Pretty much a wash, just get the cheapest one.

Just buy the GPU first, if you feel like you still haven't seen as big a jump as you wanted then upgrade the other components in the system.

This. But get a twin frozr. I got my first one from Amazon for $249, they still have some available at that price http://www.amazon.com/MSI-N560GTX-Tw...8234729&sr=8-1

Easily OCs to 950Mhz with no voltage increase.

 

[rothchilds]

a gtx 460/hd6870 will net you around 30fps on Rift with high details af/aa on. I run a 5850 at 1920x1200 which is similar in power to those cards, and thats what im experiencing. I upgraded to a 6950 which is on the way. You can grab one for $244 after rebate from amazon, or $230 from newegg if you dont get taxed, and unlock it to 6970 speeds with a bios flash. That card should net around 55-60 fps with eye candy on. It doesnt make sense to buy a 460 for 150 when another 80 nets you 40-50% improvement

 

[bigbillybear]

Bro,

I had an E6600 C2D, orgionally 8800GTS (later went out so went back with 9800GTS), 2 Gig Ram, 250 gig HD 7200 RPM, EVGA Nforce 680i Mobo and it played similar to what you are saying yours is like... Everything you have is better then what I have so maybe you can get by with a video card... I upgraded everything a couple weeks ago and after the bros on this board helped me tweak it up, it runs every game like there is no end... Im so happy with my choice to go with Sandy Bridge... If you can upgrade to a similar video card that I upgraded to maybe you would be fine... I purchased the GTX 460 by Gigabyte which is factory OC'd and honestly is quiet and a very nice upgrade indeed...

BBB

 

[taltamir]

I am running rift on max everything @1920x1200 using:
main: Win7x64, i7-875K, 4GB DDR3, eVGA GTX260 SC, gigabyte H55M-USB3. X25-M 80GB G2 OS drive. WD640 dual platter caviar blue as the drive on which rift is installed.

Although I honestly don't remember how smooth it was since I only played for half a day during the last beta opening last week. Next time I get a chance I will check it more carefully and let you know specifics

 

[Athadeus]

The hardware you have now should be able to do better than that. It's easier to tell whether you are CPU or GPU limited by changing a game setting that affects the GPU from off/low to max than by OCing.

If Rift is like WoW, then the HDD can actually make a huge playability difference as well. That Caviar blue isn't too old, but if you can use the extra storage, I highly recommend the Samsung F3 1TB, or consider a small SSD if you don't need more space but just play a couple games primarily and want max speed.

 

[taltamir]

I have heard that some online games will have FPS decrease due to lag, so that is also something to consider. It shouldn't if coded right, but many games are not coded right.

 

[Dashel]

The hardware you have now should be able to do better than that. It's easier to tell whether you are CPU or GPU limited by changing a game setting that affects the GPU from off/low to max than by OCing.

If Rift is like WoW, then the HDD can actually make a huge playability difference as well. That Caviar blue isn't too old, but if you can use the extra storage, I highly recommend the Samsung F3 1TB, or consider a small SSD if you don't need more space but just play a couple games primarily and want max speed.

I played some more last night and the big issue seemed to be, of course, other players on the screen. If I was alone my FPS was up in the 50's and 60's. Adding more people meant a drop in FPS.

I saw a random post on their forums that also suggested it might be the HDD access time. Is the Samsung 1TB significantly faster than what I have? Honestly I've never been a fan of this HDD so I wouldnt mind upgrading. Just wondering if I should spring for the SS drive or not.