Hey guys I think it's time for me to update my system, as my card is seriously inadequate compared with my screens native resolution for gaming which is 2048 x 1152. I would like to be able to game at decent detail level with my native res, I'm not looking uber level detail or dual gpus, sli or crossfire. I plan on keeping my case, hard drive, monitor, speakers, optical drive and psu if possible I realise in order for a future proof system i'm probably going to need a new mobo, cpu and ram in addition to a new card that can actually push out my res with decent detail and fps. Got a budget of around 400 pound Any help would be much appreciated p.s or would it be better to wait for amds new apus to come my current spec is below
supposedly bulldozer is a few days away?? maybe?? someone correct if im wrong...so yeah, wait until that drops. but most likely you will be going intel... do you plan on overclocking? i'll assume no since it doesn't appear in ur spec... not sure how the budget handles a full z68/2500k update with a decent gpu (560ti or so) with 4-8 gigs of ram (me being from the us of a and all)...if it can't, grab a 2100 or the newer variant, a p67/z68 so you still have an upgrade path and future oc with k series chip...
Thanks I consider waiting if not will go down the path you suggest and yeah I'm not particularly looking to overclock would be a nice option to have but personally I know I would never get round to it
It's worth waiting for Bulldozer, but if it turns out to be crap here are two options. Similar card draws 301W in the Bit Tech test setup but that's with a i7-965 so the PSU will be fine. You'd need to register for free postage with scan Here. Another (And my personal favourite) option would be this... The card is slightly less powerful but it does play reasonably well at 2560x1600 (And that's with all the shinies on) so will be fine at your resolution. So you lose a bit graphically (But will still deal very well with your resolution) but gain massively in the CPU stakes, plus you get a free copy of Deus Ex. I'd be a bit wary about running that spec for too long on your PSU though. It will draw more wattage than the first option. If you will definitely never OC you could also save £20 by getting a 2400 and put that towards a new PSU but personally I think it's worth £20 for the 2500k. You could also save £20 ish by getting 4gb of ram, but it's so ridiculously cheap right now that it's worth getting 8.
+1 for the above but 2nd option...plus side is he can allway's sell his old hardware here to make a bit more cash.
I was suspecting my psu might have needed an upgrade was trying to avoid and i will never oc if i honest. just so i know however what wattage psu would be ideal for my setup
The wattage of a PSU doesn't really have anything to do with how good it is on the face of it. One 700W PSU is NOT comparable to certain other 700W PSUs. For that rig, expect to spend around £50 to £60 for a suitable PSU. This would be fine also but for £60 you'd be able to get something modular. For the proposed rig you want to be aiming at a good quality ~500w PSU. As I say though, in reality your PSU will run ok with either of the rigs suggested but they're both pushing it a bit close. If you do upgrade to one of the rigs I specified then a PSU should be on your list of things to upgrade soon after but you'll be fine with the one you have for a month or two, probably a good deal longer but It'd be suggested you do it asap. Take the second option and upgrade the PSU at a later date. Also if you've not taken it into consideration, selling the gear you're replacing in the market place here would cover a good quality PSU. EDIT: Penryn already mentioned that, woops!
400watt will be enough for that system. Although If I was buying one now I would go for a higher wattage.
what does a 6950 2 gb go for these days over there? unless your psu is 4+ years old, your fine with that. the only issue would be the fact that you will have to run one of the pci-e connectors through a molex adapter, but corsair is pretty good quality, and i have heard of no issues regarding gpu's with two pci-e power connector requirements... any chance he can stick with the 6870, 2100, and slide in an ssd at that budget?
