looking for some feedback

[wesjr]

I have the following system:

AMD Phenom X3 (8650) processor (2.4Ghz)
4Gb Ram (PC2-6400)
1TB HDD
700W PSU
Nvidia GTX 260
Windows 7 x64 Home Premium

I want to upgrade the GPU, is it worth it to upgrade to a PNY GTX 660 TI 2GB for $250 or should I just grab a PNY GTX 550 TI for $90.

I guess my question is, is it worth the $150 extra, would I notice the differance between the 550 and the 660 when I am going from a 260 since the jump from a 260 to a 550 will be so much as is.

 

[notty22]

Your system is fairly balanced right now. I'd suggest gtx 650ti and even then , find a phenom II 955 and drop it in. That would get you 3.2ghz without o/c. And that would be fairly balanced, and you might consider a little more gpu. A gtx 660 non ti ?
What resolution is your monitor?

 

[tweakboy]

You have a 3 core. 660 Ti will create a big bottleneck.

550 Ti will be really bad performance.

Grab the GTX 460 1GB and even then you will have bottleneck, but not a big one. Your games will come to life. If your getting 20fps now youll get 60fps with.

Best bang for the buck will go perfectly with your CPU. GTX 460 1GB version and enjoy. It costs about 120 dollars maybe lower. gl

 

[wesjr]

I am running an old 25" CRT , its @ 2k/1.6k I think

Depending on what card I get, I plan on picking up a 23", 24" or 25" LCD

you might consider a little more gpu. A gtx 660 non ti ?

A 660 non TI is better than a 660 TI

 

[notty22]

No it's not, it's cheaper and considering your cpu/ddr2 platform, probably won't take advantage of the little extra power there. I'd go for the 2 gpu's I mentioned. In order 650ti or 660. I feel it's worth getting Kepler over Fermi at this point. For the new features/ smaller die size etc.
The 550ti (fermi)would get you dx11, yes, and if it's what you can spend is a better choice than considering the extra money for a 660ti.

 

[Eureka]

You can find a used 560Ti for around $100 or so. A 650Ti will cost the same but give you less performance. If you can find a cheap 570 (sub-$150), it'll be near 660 levels but substantially cheaper.

I'd drop in a new processor into that, you should be able to find a 955/965 for $50 or so.

Save the rest of your money for other things. That monitor isn't bad, either. But 2k/1.6k... that's a high resolution to be running at.

 

[wesjr]

Well $$ is not the issue BUT I don't want to throw it away either. I was looking at just picking up an i5 and then selling my current system. If I went that route, what video card would be recomended? i5 3330 or 3350 is what I was looking at.

 

[frozentundra123456]

Well $$ is not the issue BUT I don't want to throw it away either. I was looking at just picking up an i5 and then selling my current system. If I went that route, what video card would be recomended? i5 3330 or 3350 is what I was looking at.

Depends on what games and resolution. I think those CPUs could handle almost any single video card, depending on what you want to spend. I would think something like 660Ti/670 or AMD 7850/7870 perhaps. Those should handle 1080p pretty well.

 

[wesjr]

Depends on what games and resolution. I think those CPUs could handle almost any single video card, depending on what you want to spend. I would think something like 660Ti/670 or AMD 7850/7870 perhaps. Those should handle 1080p pretty well.

Newer MMO's mainly 23" or 24" LCD running 1920x1080

 

[frozentundra123456]

Newer MMO's mainly 23" or 24" LCD running 1920x1080

I am runnning a HD7770 at 1080p, and it is adequate, if a bit limited in demanding games, meaning they run fine at med-high settings without AA. The 7770 is weaker (quite a bit) than any of the cards I recommended. MMOs tend to also be not too demanding on the GPU but more demanding on the cpu, especially with a lot of players on the screen. I think any of the gpus I mentioned would be adequate.

You might want to consider for a bit more money, moving up to the 3570k and a Z77 motherboard to allow future overclocking if you desire.