[SOLVED] Choice of Video Card, Cooler for sound insulated case, & Upgrade Path

[katosaezel]

Hi all,

Here's my current build:

CPU: Intel Core i5 3570k (stock cooler),
MoBo: MSI Z77A GD65
RAM: 2x4GB Corsair Vengeance LP
HDD; 1TB WD Caviar Blue
PSU: Corsair HX 750w
CASE: Corsair Obsidian 550D (stock fans)
Monitor: 1920x1080
OS: Ubuntu 13.04 (Primary), Windows 8 (Secondary)

I do moderate gaming on both Linux & Windows, and I play old & new games alike. I may buy a newly released game if I decide it's worth my time to play. I'm a novice to Linux & know basic terminal commands, but I'm constantly learning. I want to be able to play games released a year or two from now at 1080p on "very high" / "high" @ 30 fps minimum before I need to upgrade. I'm open to OCing only if I can prevent my case from turning into an oven. I do not want to take the risk of water cooling.

I'm need advice on the stuff below:

1. Should I get a gtx 760 (2gb/4gb), gtx 770 (2gb/4gb) or should I buy cheap video card/wait in anticipation for the next-gen cards that may be released later this year or next year? I currently prefer Nvidia cards (EVGA for int'l warranty) as their drivers work well on Linux but I'm open to suggestions on AMD cards if their Linux drivers show promise of becoming comparable to Nvidia.
2. Based on (1) and case cooling, should I consider SLI/Crossfire as a minor upgrade 1yr or 2yrs in the future?
3. With regard to (1), current case cooling & possible SLI/Crossfire, should I go for stock cooling or aftermarket cooling for the video card?
4. Any suggestions on improving airflow in my case? I don't want to remove the top/side panel but I will only if noise will not become a problem.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Carfax83]

Unless you're in dire need, it might be advisable for you to wait a few more months.

AMD will be releasing their next gen parts, and depending on how they perform, should make NVidia lower their prices either a little, or a lot.

If you absolutely need it right now though, a single GTX 770 4GB should be good for at least 2 years, at 1080p. Overclocking is recommended because it's a free 10% or more increase in performance for very little effort.

Actually, you may not even need to overclock the cards as they have an automatic boost feature, which depending on how cool your case and ambient temps are, will increase the clock speed by usually 100+ MHz.

Most of the video cards also come with aftermarket coolers already installed which are a lot better than the reference design, so you won't have to worry about that.

Also, you probably won't need SLI if you're planning on sticking to 1080p.

As for improvements in airflow, I recommend a positive pressure set up.

 

[FalseChristian]

You should buy a good after-market CPU cooler and overclock that CPU of yours to 4.5GHz. I've got my lower end i5 2500K at 4.5GHz using just 1.34v at full load.

I recommend waiting for the 4GB version of the GTX 760 for about $50 more. This card is faster than a GTX 670 and with 4GB of vRAM it will be viable for years to come (at least until DirectX 12 comes out.)

 

[katosaezel]

Unless you're in dire need, it might be advisable for you to wait a few more months.

AMD will be releasing their next gen parts, and depending on how they perform, should make NVidia lower their prices either a little, or a lot.

If you absolutely need it right now though, a single GTX 770 4GB should be good for at least 2 years, at 1080p. Overclocking is recommended because it's a free 10% or more increase in performance for very little effort.

I recommend waiting for the 4GB version of the GTX 760 for about $50 more. This card is faster than a GTX 670 and with 4GB of vRAM it will be viable for years to come (at least until DirectX 12 comes out.)

How much more average performance, percentage-wise, should I expect from the next-gen cards of the same price tiers as the gtx 770 & gtx 760? I read that AMD may release their HD9XXX series cards in October. Maybe AMD's release would make the gtx 780 affordable? If we ignore price drops for current cards, would the performance improvement be worth the wait?

Is the performance of a gtx 770 4GB over a 760 4GB worth the extra cost? What do you think of the 2GB VRAM on on both cards?

My case has is padded with sound-insulating foam. If I decide to SLI would heat be a problem even with extra case fans?

 

[Aikouka]

I built a gaming HTPC a few months ago using that case, and I went with a MSI GTX 660Ti. The only negative is that the fans are making a slight grinding noise. That reminds me that I really need to talk to MSI about that....

 

[katosaezel]

You should buy a good after-market CPU cooler and overclock that CPU of yours to 4.5GHz. I've got my lower end i5 2500K at 4.5GHz using just 1.34v at full load.

I was considering getting a CM Hyper 212 Evo or better and OCing the CPU. I didn't know it could overclock that at high on air. I'll see what I can do when I acquire a cpu cooler.

 

[katosaezel]

I built a gaming HTPC a few months ago using that case, and I went with a MSI GTX 660Ti. The only negative is that the fans are making a slight grinding noise. That reminds me that I really need to talk to MSI about that....

I almost bought that exact card. This case blocks sound really well, I hope nothing's wrong if you can hear that grinding sound. :\

 

[katosaezel]

How much more average performance, percentage-wise, should I expect from the next-gen cards of the same price tiers as the gtx 770 & gtx 760? I read that AMD may release their HD9XXX series cards in October. Maybe AMD's release would make the gtx 780 affordable? If we ignore price drops for current cards, would the performance improvement be worth the wait?

Is the performance of a gtx 770 4GB over a 760 4GB worth the extra cost? What do you think of the 2GB VRAM on on both cards?

My case has is padded with sound-insulating foam. If I decide to SLI would heat be a problem even with extra case fans?

Anyone got advice for above in quotes?

 

[paul878]

Just buy the best your can afford right now and enjoy life.
Don't playing the waiting game, there always something better a few months from now.

 

[tweakboy]

You want low rps like 1300rpm 120x fans. gl

 

[katosaezel]

Just buy the best your can afford right now and enjoy life.
Don't playing the waiting game, there always something better a few months from now.

Thanks, I don't think I'll wait then.

I'll take the reference EVGA GTX 760 4GB if its price is around $300 which is good if I see myself buying another in the near future, or if I go single card route, I'll take an EVGA GTX 770 2GB or a Gigabyte HD 7970 Ghz Edition.

I see the EVGA GTX 770 4GB for $520 which for me is kinda ridiculous.

Thanks for the advice everyone!