The urge For More Powah = O

Ok this can't be good for me, my first gaming rig is built and i already have the urge to upgrade (haven't had this pc for more than a month).

I am more than satisfied with all the parts, but there's one thing i want to upgrade....... and that's the GFX card :twisted:. Now this card has been amazing thus far, handling 1080p beautifully and maxing out all of my games with ease.

But i still have the urge to go out and shell $500+ Australian on the fearless GTX 580...

What do you all think about this? Will this urge ever stop even after i buy the GTX 580 :P Should i upgrade even though the rig is new? I have a feeling i'm officially into the pc gaming world, wanting more and more power ;D

Change you sig from black, its almost unreadable, and don't get the 580, its an upgrade, but not enough to warrant $500AUD

If you really need to upgrade, just throw another 460 in there. Same performance as 580, but would cost half the price. Also, is that a 2500 or 2500K?C_Rule

2500 lol, I didnt see that before, you got a garbage CPU TC.

Change you sig from black, its almost unreadable, and don't get the 580, its an upgrade, but not enough to warrant $500AUD

GTR12

Is the GTX 580 really not worth the money? It would prepare me for the future, with games like Elder Scrolls V and BF3 which are going to be beasts.

[QUOTE="C_Rule"]If you really need to upgrade, just throw another 460 in there. Same performance as 580, but would cost half the price. Also, is that a 2500 or 2500K?GTR12

2500 lol, I didnt see that before, you got a garbage CPU TC.

I was in a tight budget and couldn't cough up the extramoney for the "K" model. But there is no real difference between the 2 right? Just that you can overclock the "k" model. Mines still quad-core so why is it garbage? :S

BattleSpectre

Yours is forever stuck at 3.3Ghz, whilst the k model can easily reach 4.3Ghz, even more if you take the time. Instead of buying now for BF3, wait, for all we know, it could be the dx11 crysis.

[QUOTE="GTR12"]

[QUOTE="C_Rule"]If you really need to upgrade, just throw another 460 in there. Same performance as 580, but would cost half the price. Also, is that a 2500 or 2500K?BattleSpectre

2500 lol, I didnt see that before, you got a garbage CPU TC.

[QUOTE="BattleSpectre"]

I was in a tight budget and couldn't cough up the extramoney for the "K" model. But there is no real difference between the 2 right? Just that you can overclock the "k" model. Mines still quad-core so why is it garbage? :S

GTR12

Yours is forever stuck at 3.3Ghz, whilst the k model can easily reach 4.3Ghz, even more if you take the time. Instead of buying now for BF3, wait, for all we know, it could be the dx11 crysis.

And the i5-2500 has a turbo boost mode which can crank it up to 3.6Ghz, how exactly does that work?

[QUOTE="BattleSpectre"]

[QUOTE="GTR12"]

2500 lol, I didnt see that before, you got a garbage CPU TC.

C_Rule

Most games are GPU dependant anyways, and mines still a quad-core. So doesn't matter ay.

yea u should of got th 2500k... I have a 2600k clocked at 4.6 aiming to get upto 4.8 and yea just get another 460 2 sli to make it just as good as the 580gtx or get the 580gtx save up again and get another 580gtx and sli them both and accord to alot of articals its 580 sli > 6990 > 590gtx

Seems silly to basically throw out a perfectly great 460 for a 580. As C_Rule said grab a second 460. You will be set.

Thanks for the tips and advice guys. I feel quite stupid for not getting the i5-2500K now :( How hard is it to replace the Processor?

[QUOTE="C_Rule"][QUOTE="BattleSpectre"] I was in a tight budget and couldn't cough up the extra money for the "K" model. But there is no real difference between the 2 right? Just that you can overclock the "K" model. Mines still quad-core so why is it garbage? :S

BattleSpectre

Most games are GPU dependant anyways, and mines still a quad-core. So doesn't matter ay.

Overclocking isnt hard, its not gonna blow up your cpu unless your dumb and slide the voltage to the max. That mindset is also bad, if all you wanted was a quad core, why not get a core 2 quad? Still a quad..

Thanks for the tips and advice guys. I feel quite stupid for not getting the i5-2500K now :( How hard is it to replace the Processor?

BattleSpectre

Not hard, removing the heatsink is the pain.

[QUOTE="BattleSpectre"]

Thanks for the tips and advice guys. I feel quite stupid for not getting the i5-2500K now :( How hard is it to replace the Processor?

GTR12

Not hard, removing the heatsink is the pain.

[QUOTE="GTR12"]

[QUOTE="BattleSpectre"]

Thanks for the tips and advice guys. I feel quite stupid for not getting the i5-2500K now :( How hard is it to replace the Processor?

BattleSpectre

Not hard, removing the heatsink is the pain.

If its just gaming, stick with the i5, HT doesnt help games.

[QUOTE="BattleSpectre"]

[QUOTE="GTR12"]

Not hard, removing the heatsink is the pain.

Azurites

If its just gaming, stick with the i5, HT doesnt help games.

So does that mean it raises only when needed or can you choose?

If you are like most PC gamers you are always going to want the net big thing. Most people cant afford to do this so I recommend slowing down and enjoying what you have until you NEED the upgrade. If you follow that path of one upping your CPU/GPU every time there is something better you will spend a lot of money for small gains. I know because its something I do way too much. I do think you should try and sell your 2500 and move to the k series with a P67 board. With a similar combo (2600k and UD7) I know I am set for a while with CPU power as I have some headroom to overclock more than I have already. With you being set toa limitedclock speed it will result in buying new equipment rather than upping your speed to get more life out of it.

You want a GTX 580? Check this out.

http://www.evga.com/products/prodlist.asp?switch=20

It's almost as good as a deal as 2 GTX 460 1GB. Which I think is the more powerful setup from personal experience. But i'm sure you'll want to sli GTX 580's in the future. :)

Credit to Hart for finding it. He has a thread going too.

You want a GTX 580? Check this out.

http://www.evga.com/products/prodlist.asp?switch=20

It's almost as good as a deal as 2 GTX 460 1GB. Which I think is the more powerful setup from personal experience. But i'm sure you'll want to sli GTX 580's in the future. :)

Credit to Hart for finding it. He has a thread going too.

Elann2008

He's from Australia :roll:

[QUOTE="Elann2008"]

You want a GTX 580? Check this out.

http://www.evga.com/products/prodlist.asp?switch=20

It's almost as good as a deal as 2 GTX 460 1GB. Which I think is the more powerful setup from personal experience. But i'm sure you'll want to sli GTX 580's in the future. :)

Credit to Hart for finding it. He has a thread going too.

GTR12

He's from Australia :roll:

Sorry missed it. Oh well. Aussies get screwed once again. Battlespectre, if you really want power, then I urge you to get the GTX 580. Whatever makes you happy mate.

I know exactly how you feel, upgrading hardware is like an addiction :( I mean its a total rush in my experience... I havnt upgraded my CPU yet because I am still waiting for the bulldozers to come out. Hey but to each his own right ? :D Regarding the GPU upgrade, I would go for the i7 2600K. I think you would gain much more from it especially if you decide to go Sli later on.

[QUOTE="C_Rule"]If you really need to upgrade, just throw another 460 in there. Same performance as 580, but would cost half the price. Also, is that a 2500 or 2500K?GTR12

2500 lol, I didnt see that before, you got a garbage CPU TC.

You realise his CPU at stock is twice faster than yours overclocked? If you did then you will know much long his CPU will last even at "stock".

Sure he made a bad decision but calling it a garbage CPU has to be the funniest thing I have heard all day.:|

If you are like most PC gamers you are always going to want the net big thing. Most people cant afford to do this so I recommend slowing down and enjoying what you have until you NEED the upgrade. If you follow that path of one upping your CPU/GPU every time there is something better you will spend a lot of money for small gains. I know because its something I do way too much. I do think you should try and sell your 2500 and move to the k series with a P67 board. With a similar combo (2600k and UD7) I know I am set for a while with CPU power as I have some headroom to overclock more than I have already. With you being set toa limitedclock speed it will result in buying new equipment rather than upping your speed to get more life out of it.

cheesie253

And thanks to everyone else for sharing your advice and helping me choose. I think i know what i'm going to do, i'll purchase a second GTX 460 and also the i7 2600K, how well should it overclock with my mobo? (Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD4)

[QUOTE="GTR12"]

[QUOTE="C_Rule"]If you really need to upgrade, just throw another 460 in there. Same performance as 580, but would cost half the price. Also, is that a 2500 or 2500K?Gambler_3

2500 lol, I didnt see that before, you got a garbage CPU TC.

You realise his CPU at stock is twice faster than yours overclocked? If you did then you will know much long his CPU will last even at "stock".

Sure he made a bad decision but calling it a garbage CPU has to be the funniest thing I have heard all day.:|

[QUOTE="cheesie253"]

If you are like most PC gamers you are always going to want the net big thing. Most people cant afford to do this so I recommend slowing down and enjoying what you have until you NEED the upgrade. If you follow that path of one upping your CPU/GPU every time there is something better you will spend a lot of money for small gains. I know because its something I do way too much. I do think you should try and sell your 2500 and move to the k series with a P67 board. With a similar combo (2600k and UD7) I know I am set for a while with CPU power as I have some headroom to overclock more than I have already. With you being set toa limitedclock speed it will result in buying new equipment rather than upping your speed to get more life out of it.

BattleSpectre

And thanks to everyone else for sharing your advice and helping me choose. I think i know what i'm going to do, i'll purchase a second GTX 460 and also the i7 2600K, how well should it overclock with my mobo? (Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD4)

Missed the part of you having a p67 board. It will overclock very well. With a modest CPU cooler as this CPU does not run very hot you will get a bit out of it. Im OC'ing with a UD7 and I am at 4.2 with room to go higher. There have been cases of the 2600k hitting 5.0 on air. I wont go over 4.8 myself when the time comes but you will have no problem getting at least a 1.0 raise out of it with a good cooler. If you are going to make the GPU jump I recommend going with a 580 and then SLI it in the future. Im on dual 580 right now at 19x12 and its been a blast.

[QUOTE="Gambler_3"]

[QUOTE="GTR12"]

2500 lol, I didnt see that before, you got a garbage CPU TC.

C_Rule

You realise his CPU at stock is twice faster than yours overclocked? If you did then you will know much long his CPU will last even at "stock".

Sure he made a bad decision but calling it a garbage CPU has to be the funniest thing I have heard all day.:|

[QUOTE="BattleSpectre"]

[QUOTE="cheesie253"]

If you are like most PC gamers you are always going to want the net big thing. Most people cant afford to do this so I recommend slowing down and enjoying what you have until you NEED the upgrade. If you follow that path of one upping your CPU/GPU every time there is something better you will spend a lot of money for small gains. I know because its something I do way too much. I do think you should try and sell your 2500 and move to the k series with a P67 board. With a similar combo (2600k and UD7) I know I am set for a while with CPU power as I have some headroom to overclock more than I have already. With you being set toa limitedclock speed it will result in buying new equipment rather than upping your speed to get more life out of it.

cheesie253

And thanks to everyone else for sharing your advice and helping me choose. I think i know what i'm going to do, i'll purchase a second GTX 460 and also the i7 2600K, how well should it overclock with my mobo? (Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD4)

Missed the part of you having a p67 board. It will overclock very well. With a modest CPU cooler as this CPU does not run very hot you will get a bit out of it. Im OC'ing with a UD7 and I am at 4.2 with room to go higher. There have been cases of the 2600k hitting 5.0 on air. I wont go over 4.8 myself when the time comes but you will have no problem getting at least a 1.0 raise out of it with a good cooler. If you are going to make the GPU jump I recommend going with a 580 and then SLI it in the future. Im on dual 580 right now at 19x12 and its been a blast.

Do you think with the stock cooler i could OC it to about 4.5GHz or something similar?

[QUOTE="Gambler_3"]

[QUOTE="GTR12"]

2500 lol, I didnt see that before, you got a garbage CPU TC.

C_Rule

You realise his CPU at stock is twice faster than yours overclocked? If you did then you will know much long his CPU will last even at "stock".

Sure he made a bad decision but calling it a garbage CPU has to be the funniest thing I have heard all day.:|

[QUOTE="GTR12"]

2500 lol, I didnt see that before, you got a garbage CPU TC.

Gambler_3

You realise his CPU at stock is twice faster than yours overclocked? If you did then you will know much long his CPU will last even at "stock".

Sure he made a bad decision but calling it a garbage CPU has to be the funniest thing I have heard all day.:|

I didn't even bring my CPU into the situation, its not even related. And if that were the case, my CPU lasted 2yrs at stock speeds, lets see SB last that long if a new benchmark game like Crysis comes along.

2nd thing to note, TC got a p67 chipset and bought a locked CPU, there's no point in the p67, you would be better off getting the h67 in this case, it has the same specs except for the IGP on the CPU.

Its mismatching parts.

So if it is the funniest thing you have heard all day, have fun with that, spending an extra $30 and getting the k series, would lead to the CPU lasting that much longer. Lets see a stock SB keep up with games in 4yrs time without being a bottleneck.

the 580 is not strong enough, its not future proof since it already gets destroyed trying to play metro 2033, in the future games are gonna get that much more intense. IMO you should sell the 460 1gb or return it, then pick up a 6950 2gb unlcok and overcloc to a 6970. Later buy aother one for crossfire.

Maybe i shouldn't have made this thread :(, i was extremely happy with all my purchases (my mate helped me so much with this build, and i've always wanted to be a PC gamer) Now i find out that people reckon my CPU is rubbish and won't last in the long run.

If i must i will shell out another $350 for the i7 2600K and overclock it to about 4.2Ghz. What will the gain in this be? I already max out everything i play at 1080p :S (games such as test drive unlimited 2, crysis 2, Stalker CoP, Batman: Arkham Asylum etc.) and they all run quite smoothly too.

Would appreciate advice on this.

the 580 is not strong enough, its not future proof since it already gets destroyed trying to play metro 2033, in the future games are gonna get that much more intense. IMO you should sell the 460 1gb or return it, then pick up a 6950 2gb unlcok and overcloc to a 6970. Later buy aother one for crossfire.

blaznwiipspman1

You do realize that one or two gtx 580 cards will outperform an unlocked 6950 card for card so long as they arent used with hi resolution surround set ups? The 2GB cards are great for that scenario but if it is single monitor or surround with a res of 57x12 the gtx are more than enough. Not that I dislike AMD cards, I think they are fantastic they just cater to a certain use, they arebetter suited forEyefinity with high resolutions. Something like 3x 30 inch monitors. Price is a different issue.

Maybe i shouldn't have made this thread :(, i was extremely happy with all my purchases (my mate helped me so much with this build, and i've always wanted to be a PC gamer) Now i find out that people reckon my CPU is rubbish and won't last in the long run.

If i must i will shell out another $350 for the i7 2600K and overclock it to about 4.2Ghz. What will the gain in this be? I already max out everything i play at 1080p :S (games such as test drive unlimited 2, crysis 2, Stalker CoP, Batman: Arkham Asylum etc.) and they all run quite smoothly too.

Would appreciate advice on this.

BattleSpectre

I wouldn't say it is required but being that you have a P67 board I think you could sell your 2500 easily and just use that money to step up to a k series. You shouldn't lose out much money by doing so. Also regarding your question about overclocking a k series on the stock cooler, I'm sure you will get a decent overclock but as I haven't used the stock cooler I couldn't tell you where you would safely get to.

[QUOTE="blaznwiipspman1"]

the 580 is not strong enough, its not future proof since it already gets destroyed trying to play metro 2033, in the future games are gonna get that much more intense. IMO you should sell the 460 1gb or return it, then pick up a 6950 2gb unlcok and overcloc to a 6970. Later buy aother one for crossfire.

cheesie253

You do realize that one or two gtx 580 cards will outperform an unlocked 6950 card for card so long as they arent used with hi resolution surround set ups? The 2GB cards are great for that scenario but if it is single monitor or surround with a res of 57x12 the gtx are more than enough. Not that I dislike AMD cards, I think they are fantastic they just cater to a certain use, they arebetter suited forEyefinity with high resolutions. Something like 3x 30 inch monitors. Price is a different issue.

[QUOTE="cheesie253"]

[QUOTE="blaznwiipspman1"]

the 580 is not strong enough, its not future proof since it already gets destroyed trying to play metro 2033, in the future games are gonna get that much more intense. IMO you should sell the 460 1gb or return it, then pick up a 6950 2gb unlcok and overcloc to a 6970. Later buy aother one for crossfire.

superclocked

You do realize that one or two gtx 580 cards will outperform an unlocked 6950 card for card so long as they arent used with hi resolution surround set ups? The 2GB cards are great for that scenario but if it is single monitor or surround with a res of 57x12 the gtx are more than enough. Not that I dislike AMD cards, I think they are fantastic they just cater to a certain use, they arebetter suited forEyefinity with high resolutions. Something like 3x 30 inch monitors. Price is a different issue.

Of course there are going to be situations where the extra memory will help but on a single monitor the gtx 580 is going to best the 6970 in most cases. I know, I just went from two 6970's to two 580's. I am using a 19x12 monitor now and I have run games with just one 580 and its more than enough. Like I said I love AMD cards. Up until the recent switch back to Nvidia I was an AMD fanboy, last GPU from Nvidia I had was a BFG 5950 Ultra everything after was ATI. IMO single monitor gaming up to 19x12 it is pretty much a tie between the red and green sides. It comes down to a price and performance ratio really. I just don't mind paying for a little more.

I just called up the store where i picked up all my parts, and told them my story... for a second i thought they'd let me swap the CPU and just pay the price difference for the i7 2600k. But unfortunately that wasn't the case, because it's already been installed they can't do that.

So i'm just going to buy the i7 2600K anyway :D And overclock it when the times comes. I'd be happy with 4.5Ghz.... which should be easy to reach ;)

As for the i5 2500 cpu i'll either sell it or just keep it for backup just in case.

After searching for some benchmarks for AvP with AA this is one of the few I could find. The 580 bests the 6970 regardless of having less Vram at all resolutions.

http://www.techspot.com/review/348-amd-radeon-6970/page7.html

In this comparison here, which seems more trust worthy over the other, the 6970 takes a verysmall lead in most tests.

At 19x12 with 4x AA the 6970 has a couple frames on the AFPS while having the same MFPS as the 580. So even in higher resolutions, where these cards should be used, they are really a tie even though the AMD card has more Vram.

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/38899-amd-radeon-hd-6970-hd-6950-review-15.html

Here is the most reliable site of the three IMO. The GTX bests the 6970 up to 19x12 then ties above that..

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/asus_hd_6970/5.htm

In most cases up to 19x12 the GTX is going to perform better even with less Vram. Only reason I would choose the 6970 over the 580 is if I went 3 x 30 monitors. If I did I would take AMD over GTX due to the added Vram.

I just called up the store where i picked up all my parts, and told them my story... for a second i thought they'd let me swap the CPU and just pay the price difference for the i7 2600k. But unfortunately that wasn't the case, because it's already been installed they can't do that.

So i'm just going to buy the i7 2600K anyway :D And overclock it when the times comes. I'd be happy with 4.5Ghz.... which should be easy to reach ;)

As for the i5 2500 cpu i'll either sell it or just keep it for backup just in case.

BattleSpectre

You will be better off doing this I think. You also should have no problem selling the 2500. With the 2600k you will hit 4.5 with good cooling and that will stretch the life of your rig by a good margin.

[QUOTE="superclocked"][QUOTE="cheesie253"]You do realize that one or two gtx 580 cards will outperform an unlocked 6950 card for card so long as they arent used with hi resolution surround set ups? The 2GB cards are great for that scenario but if it is single monitor or surround with a res of 57x12 the gtx are more than enough. Not that I dislike AMD cards, I think they are fantastic they just cater to a certain use, they arebetter suited forEyefinity with high resolutions. Something like 3x 30 inch monitors. Price is a different issue.cheesie253

Of course there are going to be situations where the extra memory will help but on a single monitor the gtx 580 is going to best the 6970 in most cases. I know, I just went from two 6970's to two 580's. I am using a 19x12 monitor now and I have run games with just one 580 and its more than enough. Like I said I love AMD cards. Up until the recent switch back to Nvidia I was an AMD fanboy, last GPU from Nvidia I had was a BFG 5950 Ultra everything after was ATI. IMO single monitor gaming up to 19x12 it is pretty much a tie between the red and green sides. It comes down to a price and performance ratio really. I just don't mind paying for a little more.

[QUOTE="BattleSpectre"]

I just called up the store where i picked up all my parts, and told them my story... for a second i thought they'd let me swap the CPU and just pay the price difference for the i7 2600k. But unfortunately that wasn't the case, because it's already been installed they can't do that.

So i'm just going to buy the i7 2600K anyway :D And overclock it when the times comes. I'd be happy with 4.5Ghz.... which should be easy to reach ;)

As for the i5 2500 cpu i'll either sell it or just keep it for backup just in case.

cheesie253

You will be better off doing this I think. You also should have no problem selling the 2500. With the 2600k you will hit 4.5 with good cooling and that will stretch the life of your rig by a good margin.

I will also be letting the store change the CPU for me (it's only an extra $25 to the price) because i have a bad feeling it'll wreck if i do it myself :P

And would i see a major difference in FPS for my games once overclocked to 4.5Ghz -drools-

I just called up the store where i picked up all my parts, and told them my story... for a second i thought they'd let me swap the CPU and just pay the price difference for the i7 2600k. But unfortunately that wasn't the case, because it's already been installed they can't do that.

So i'm just going to buy the i7 2600K anyway :D And overclock it when the times comes. I'd be happy with 4.5Ghz.... which should be easy to reach ;)

As for the i5 2500 cpu i'll either sell it or just keep it for backup just in case.

BattleSpectre

[QUOTE="cheesie253"][QUOTE="superclocked"]My current level going through AvP again (marine through pipes) uses about 2GB of VRAM on a single 1080p monitor w/ no AA, which is one reason that I got a 2GB card. Other games use about 1.5GB of VRAM. I got an nVidia card though, since I have an SLI board. I got a 2GB Palit 560 Ti.. 55% max GPU usage using almost all VRAM playing AvP maxed @ 1080p (60FPS/Hz).. I can't wait to get another one when Skyrim comes out... superclocked

Of course there are going to be situations where the extra memory will help but on a single monitor the gtx 580 is going to best the 6970 in most cases. I know, I just went from two 6970's to two 580's. I am using a 19x12 monitor now and I have run games with just one 580 and its more than enough. Like I said I love AMD cards. Up until the recent switch back to Nvidia I was an AMD fanboy, last GPU from Nvidia I had was a BFG 5950 Ultra everything after was ATI. IMO single monitor gaming up to 19x12 it is pretty much a tie between the red and green sides. It comes down to a price and performance ratio really. I just don't mind paying for a little more.

I did notice you had an Nvidia card justput those up to show that IMO I wouldnt stress too much on the fact that the 580 has 1.5 Vram as I dont believe it is need in most situations. I do think it will help a bit in some games just that it is not required at most single monitor resolutions.