Hey guys, this is my first post here. I'm currently running an asus m3n-h hdmi motherboard with quad core amd phenom 9650 processor (2.3ghz each). My current GPU is an nvidia 9600gt. I was hoping people might be able to shed some light on whether or not a GTX 260 would be a reasonable upgrade for my system or is there a chance it could bottleneck? Also would i really notice any increase in performance? I have a 600W psu so i think it should be capable of the upgrade but as i'm less experienced than many of the folk on here i just thought i'd ask what peoples opinions were on a card for high end gaming in this price range. cheers guys
Yeh but i was just concerned about the processor's ability to keep up with it and if the power supply would be enough. Also forgot to mention that I only have 4 gb of ram as opposed to your 8. But you think this should all be fine? I'm also running a 24" widescreen with 1920x1200 native resolution.
Check my CPU (purchased in 2006), I can play all the latest games at max settings (I did not try Crysis or GTA IV). I think your CPU won't have any problems. Although I only treid with 1600x1200.
Thanks for the responses guys.......looks like this could be the card for me. It's certainly in a different league to the 9600GT that i'm currently using. If anyone else has had any experiences with a similar setup then please don't hesitate to let me know.
Sorry, one more question. I take it this card supports windows xp, or is that just a silly question? I've been looking at the bfg version.
how does a phenom compare with q6600?? see my sig, running 1920x1200 with every game i own, maxed out no problem. throw Crysis at it, Dx10 all highest no problem. throw GTA4 at it, nearly all maxed (50% view distance) and no problem. name a game and chances are that this card can max it without twitching. best is that after your gaming session, it goes to power saving mode, saves power when you don't need it BFG version is pretty good, i didn't get a game with it though yes, it supports WinXP
Apparently BFG has great service compared to other company. My 260 is a BFG, also has a lifetime warranty. The fan is great quality. It won't let you down, like my experience with other brands (but they were the slim video card version, this is my first large heatsink card)
Tbh, 4GB is enough for the moment. Comparatively, a 9600GT puts out 15fps in Crysis, a GTX260 manages 43 (on medium-ish settings at 1920x1200). Gives you some idea, I guess.
You know what.. i am still looking for an LCD... and I'll get either 22 or 24inch... depending on the price for an 8-bit panel. One thing I hesitate is if my video card can run tomorrow (like next year) games at max max settings on a 24inch (meaning 1900x1600).
24inch resolution is 1920x1200. looking at my "wanted list", apart from Empire: Total War which may require a little less details with large army size. i don't see any other games that are graphic hungry. besides, upgrade will be needed when Dx11 come out, so no point looking at 2010's games.
Although I have a 600w psu, i've heard that these cards can sap the power quite badly. It's an EZ Cool psu. What do u guys reckon? cheers
I recommend anything that uses very high quality components and has anything at or above 5 year warranty, and is also ultra quiet. I say the Corsair HX 620W. But I don't think it has the connectors for 2 GPU's.. you might need to use the provided (with your video card) 2x 4pin molex connector to 6-pin PCI-E power. http://www.corsair.com/products/hx/default.aspx Another greatly appreciated brand on this forums, is Thermaltake.
The 9600gt that i'm using already appears to have 6 pin connectors powering it, or am i just being stupid?
I'm also not entirely sure how i would go about installing the drivers for the new card. Do you not have to remove the drivers for the old card in order for the new one to work? Could this mean that if there was a problem with the new card then i wouldn't be able to get any display at all, even if I replaced it with the new one? (I will take a look at the nvidia forums.........thank you for that advice)
I would definitely replace the power supply. While EZCool aren't the worst out of the generic crap, they are still generic crap. Consider an HX520 if you want modular, or a TX650 or something, you would have to look at the prices and see which is best value yourself, I haven't looked in a while. Also, take a look at the Powercolor 4870 here: http://overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-090-PC It is £20 cheaper than any of the GTX260s, and is just as fast for the most part. The one year warranty on that card is a bit of a downer though.
Well I've purchased myself a gtx 260 so if my current psu is not up to the job then i guess I will have to get a new one. Is there any reason why i couldn't keep my existing psu running the system as it is and then have a second one dedicated just to the gtx 260?
Heuu woups... my got mixed up in thread with my above replay... I thought it was the thread where some person has a problem with his SLI and Aero... sorry. So let me restart: - I recommend the Corsair HX 620W (620W), as I explained it has really high end components, ultra quiet, modular cables, and has a 5 year warranty. It's not the only PSU like this, they are others. I recommend this one because I have, but pretty much all other high-end PSU are about the same. The Geforce 260GTX requires 2 6-pin connector, if you want to go SLI... then that might be problem... but the GPU comes with a converter for you. You can't power up 2 PSUs on the same computer, without some hacking which I don't recommend as it might void the warranty of both PSU's and could be dangerous. You can keep your PSU... but a good one is always recommended. It can protect your computer components, offer better Amps (and that is what you want over Watts..), a cleaner power to protect your components as well, and ensure maximum system stability (considering the rest of the system is proper). Also, you saves powers as they are the most efficient (again offer more Amps per Watts, and Amps are what does mostly the magic)
20 pounds less for 1 years again a life time warranty... I don't know... I would certainly get the life time warranty and crash out the difference, personally.
Sorry to re-iterate what i just said, but could i keep my existing psu running the system as it is and then just buy a corsair or something as a dedicated psu for the gtx, so I have 2 psu's?