Time to upgrade my gaming rig! Need recommendations!

My current setup:

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5 GHz
Motherboard: Gigabyte-970A-DS3P AM3+
RAM: 8GB DDR3 RAM (2x 4GB) 1866 MHz
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 WindForce 3X OC 3GB Edition
PSU: XFX TS series 550W 80+
Cooler: LC-CC-120 CPU Cooler

I'm currently looking for some upgrade advice. My goal is to jump up to an NVIDIA card with 4GB of VRAM. I've had my eye on the GAINWARD GTX 970 PHOENIX GDDR5 4GB/256bit, so I wanted to check with you all—would this be compatible with the specs I listed above? Also, am I going to run into any CPU bottlenecking issues? If so, which processor would you recommend pairing with that card? Thanks a million!

I have a budget of about $250-$$933 specifically for the GPU, and I'll be picking it up from Accenture since that's where I bought my entire rig originally!

I don't really see the point in upgrading. If you're struggling to run games, you should be able to crank everything to max settings and just tweak things like FXAA or HDR here and there. Plus, it's probably a bad time to upgrade anyway, since the new GPU generations are dropping later this year.

Maybe try adding an SSD if you haven't yet... maybe something like a SanDisk X400 256GB.

crimsonstag84 said:I don't really see the point in upgrading. If you're struggling to run games, you should be able to crank everything to max settings and just tweak things like FXAA or HDR here and there. Plus, it's probably a bad time to upgrade anyway, since the new GPU generations are dropping later this year.

Maybe try adding an SSD if you haven't yet... maybe something like a SanDisk X400 256GB.

+1

The next six months are going to be a nightmare if you're looking to pick up a GPU, especially the high-end stuff.

Guys, I didn't mean I was planning on buying something right this second... I was really just looking for some solid advice. 🙂 Besides, it turns out you were all right about the new GPUs hitting the market soon. 🙂

I was simply curious to see what you all would suggest for my setup. 🙂

To answer the question, yes, I usually run everything on High settings, though I have to dial back things like shadows and other small details if I want to keep my frame rate at a decent 45+.

My main goal is to upgrade my graphics card so I can hit a stable 60fps—or ideally stay above 60 most of the time—without the performance dipping. 🙂 Thanks for the help!

crimsonstag84 said:I don't really see the point in upgrading. If you're struggling to run games, you should be able to crank everything to max settings and just tweak things like FXAA or HDR here and there. Plus, it's probably a bad time to upgrade anyway, since the new GPU generations are dropping later this year.

Maybe try adding an SSD if you haven't yet... maybe something like a SanDisk X400 256GB.

I actually already have a 128GB SSD🙂

Running The Witcher 3 on ultra settings with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 would likely dip below 50fps, so I’d say this upgrade is just throwing money away. My advice? Just wait.

A bit off-topic, but does anyone have any actual news on Pascal? They mentioned a release in Q1 2016, but we're already halfway through February and I still haven't heard anything concrete 😕

Adam Moore3 said:A bit off-topic, but does anyone have any actual news on Pascal? They mentioned a release in Q1 2016, but we're already halfway through February and I still haven't heard anything concrete 😕

http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/nvi...ascal-gpu.html
just nothing concrete

Raymond Anderson14 said:Guys, I didn't mean I was planning on buying something right this second... I was really just looking for some solid advice. 🙂 Besides, it turns out you were all right about the new GPUs hitting the market soon. 🙂

I was simply curious to see what you all would suggest for my setup. 🙂

To answer the question, yes, I usually run everything on High settings, though I have to dial back things like shadows and other small details if I want to keep my frame rate at a decent 45+.

My main goal is to upgrade my graphics card so I can hit a stable 60fps—or ideally stay above 60 most of the time—without the performance dipping. 🙂 Thanks for the help!

Then just cut out the small stuff... I’m telling you again, there’s really no point in buying anything right now if you're going to be a total perfectionist about the details, especially since you already have a pretty powerful card.

So, basically, you're suggesting I hold off until the new cards drop at the end of the year, let the prices on the older models dip, and then start my actual shopping once things settle down?

Nah, I mean if you keep setting aside more than what you're saving now $933 or whatever, you could probably pick up a much beefier next-gen card for around $3.5k-$4k.

Or maybe just... thanks a million!!

Since you’ve already got a decent GPU under your belt, I agree with the guys here—just hang tight for those 14/16nm cards. With that 280, you aren't going to miss out on any games in the meantime.

Adam Moore3 said:A bit off-topic, but does anyone have any actual news on Pascal? They mentioned a release in Q1 2016, but we're already halfway through February and I still haven't heard anything concrete 😕

I posted a link in the news section earlier. Regarding Pascal, there was some talk about a Titanka coming in 3-4 months, but based on what people who are following this closely are saying, it doesn't look like NVIDIA will drop Pascal anytime soon. It seems more likely that Intel's Polaris (formerly known as Volcanic Islands) will hit the market first.

http://semiaccurate.com/2016/02/01/n...-is-important/

Look, I know they announced it for Q1 2016. A buddy of mine has a pretty beastly rig—Intel Core i7-4770K, a Platinum power supply, an ASUS ROG Maximus, but he's stuck with just a GTX 960 and has been patiently waiting on Pascal for six months now. If they only drop Titanka for now, that’s going to be a massive bummer. 😕We'll just have to see what happens with Intel; whether it's just more rebranding after rebranding or if we finally get some actual innovation.

crimsonstag84 said:I don't really see the point in upgrading. If you're struggling to run games, you should be able to crank everything to max settings and just tweak things like FXAA or HDR here and there. Plus, it's probably a bad time to upgrade anyway, since the new GPU generations are dropping later this year.

Maybe try adding an SSD if you haven't yet... maybe something like a SanDisk X400 256GB.

How much do you think prices for cards like the R9 380, the 380x, or even a GTX 960 will actually drop once all this new hardware starts flooding the market?

swiftfalcon89 said:How much do you think prices for cards like the R9 380, the 380x, or even a GTX 960 will actually drop once all this new hardware starts flooding the market?

A ton, usually. But here in the States, I wouldn't count on much.