Should I upgrade my video card?

D

DragonD

The Division of None
Joined
Jan 12, 2009
Messages
3,240
Roughly every 4 years, I do a total new rebuild. My current rig is almost exactly 2 years old.

And usually when my system is about 2 years old, I'll upgrade the vid card, so it's getting about time.

My current card, is a GTX 275 with 896mb ram.

I've been thinking about upgrading the video card, but wonder if it's REALLY time yet, or if I should wait longer.

I really only play black ops. I prefer to play with the settings on max, so it's rich in detail.

The FPS will jump all over the place. If I'm in a small room (in black ops), where nothing is really going on, I'll hit about 200fps. Outside, on a small map, without a lot of "action" in my view, I'll drop down to about 120. On a small map with lots of action in view, I can drop down to 80 and if it gets insane action, it will drop to the 50's.

Sometimes I'll hear the vid card fan ramp up.

Anyways, I was thinking about upgrading. Thoughts?

System Specs..

Windows 7 Pro - 64bit
AMD Phenom II X4. 3ghz (black edition)
8 Gig Ram
850W power supply
 
If Blops is all you play, then no. It wouldn't be worth it.
 
U Haz same processor as meh! :D But idk. If you just play black ops like phobus say then ide leave it.
 
Would an upgraded vid card stabilize the fps at a higher number?
 
Well i think the 560 would be good. :) If it doesnt work or you dont like it i mean you could always return it and get your money back. :) I Had to spend over 4 days and about 30 trips to fry's electronics trying to return my crap motherboard that didnt work worth crap. lol
 
Don't get a 560 if you're already getting pretty much constant 60+ fps. You won't notice the difference.
 
I agree with Phobus. If your current card is working for you, then no upgrade is needed. Those frame rate jumps are a more than likely a combination of CPU and GPU toggling work loads. In low intensity times, the CPU is running the framerate through the room. As soon as the action gets intense, the GPU has to start processing more data, so the framerate slows down. Nothing to be alarmed at if the game is playable.

I'd say keep it until you get a game where the framerate no longer meets your expectations.
 
Ive heard great things about the 560 from friends. Pick it up now, and you'll be set for a long time.
 
I agree with mad_pistol, unless the drop in frame rates are causing an noticeable lag in your experience (which sometimes it does) then stick with your current card. You are purchasing for game experience, which if your settings are maxed then you will get no additional benefits. Your card spinning up and down is of course a natural response to the heat generated, if you find this annoying then perhaps a cheap card cooler might be necessary - but an upgrade? Not worth it.
 
even at max settings and you get around 50 fps during the hectic moments.....you're fine. If you said something closer to 20-25 fps...lol time to upgrade, but you're still in the safe zone. My previous video card dropped down to about 15 fps maxed out cod4 lol.
 
The lowest you see is 50, which is completely fine in my book. I would wait and see how battlefield 3 runs. If you really have the upgrade bug I would grab another 275 used for <$100 and go sli. 1680x1050 is a really low resolution by todays standards. You have plenty of power for that.
 
Sn1PeR said:
. If you really have the upgrade bug I would grab another 275 used for <$100 and go sli. 1680x1050 is a really low resolution by todays standards. You have plenty of power for that.
Click to expand...

The lowest I could find one to sli with is a $110+shipping. At that point, it's only another 100 to get a spiffy new card.
 
DragonD said:
The lowest I could find one to sli with is a $110+shipping. At that point, it's only another 100 to get a spiffy new card.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but do you really need it? Unless you upgrade your monitor, you literally wouldn't notice any difference in performance.
 
Ph?bus said:
Yeah, but do you really need it? Unless you upgrade your monitor, you literally wouldn't notice any difference in performance.
Click to expand...

Hmm...that's an interesting thing.

I run two monitors. My primary one is a Samsung T220 (22inch, 2ms response time). I would not think it's an issue.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001273

I was doing some more "testing" today. On a medium size map (with lots of building around), I was getting a frame rate of well over 100... until I rotated and a building on fire came into view. It had the smoke,fire, sparks thing going. And my fps dropped down into the LOW 40's.

I look away, and it jumps back to 100+, look back at it, and down into the 40s again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top