Mulling a system overhaul

[Zstream]

Hey Everyone,

I'm looking at transitioning from HP 25xi monitors to one LG 34UM95. I really love ultra-wide screens as it's a godsend for productivity and multitasking.

My current setup is as follows:

• i5 2400
• AMD 270 o/c to 270x speeds when gaming
• HP 25xi (1920*1080) when gaming

If I purchase the above monitor, I'm looking at an additional 2,880,000 pixels that I have to push. I won't be utilizing heavy texture mods on any game or plan to crank the settings to max and hoping to just require a GPU upgrade.

So... if my fps are fine now utilizing a i5 2400 and a 270, is it safe to say I can keep my i5 and just upgrade the GPU to push the additional pixels? I wouldn't think that a higher resolution requires additional CPU grunt but I could be mistaken.

 

[Yuriman]

So... if my fps are fine now utilizing a i5 2400 and a 270, is it safe to say I can keep my i5 and just upgrade the GPU to push the additional pixels? I wouldn't think that a higher resolution requires additional CPU grunt but I could be mistaken.

This is correct. I'd grab a 290, or possibly a 970 if you don't think you'll ever buy a mate for it, and power consumption/heat/noise is a large concern.

 

[i7Baby]

With a GPU upgrade, it has to fit in your case and your PSU has to be able to run it reliably.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

With a GPU upgrade, it has to fit in your case and your PSU has to be able to run it reliably.

i7Baby's right in concept. If your machine is an OEM purchased as a complete package, the PSU is something I'd give attention to.

On the other hand, a GTX 970 at stock clocks maxes out at 160W contribution to your overall power-draw. I've got 2x SLI overclocked to 1470Mhz core and 7,500Mhz VRAM, which might push each toward ~200W.

Yet, I'm rocking a Seasonic 650W PSU, and with the CPU clocked to ~135W load, there's still about 130W of headroom for just testing with 3DMark Firestrike, Valley Benchmark or anything else. The processor can reach 80W under those scenarios, and an extra 60W above that still leaves a tidy margin.

Recently someone posted a judgment that a 500W PSU would be fine for a GTX 970 and current-day system components, like a 4790K for instance.

 

[Zstream]

Just wanted to update - Went with a E3-1231 v3 and a R9 380 4gb and the upgrade is pretty good. I'm not sure I needed the CPU, but *shrug*