Upgrading Graphics card, need some input

When i built my pc, i used some parts from my old one, but most of those old parts have now been replaced. The only old part that remains would be my Graphics card, im using a GTX 260. It still is a really good card for what i play, but i can tell its starting to fall behind. I would like to upgrade it but i'm having trouble picking a new card. I want it to last a while and max out most of my games.

My budget would be around $200-$300, i might even go up to $400 if its worth it.

If you need them, my specs are:

I5-2500k cpu, G.Skill ripjaws two sticks of 4gig RAM, Gigabyte GA-Z68-UD3-B3 mobo, Nice Antec case with plenty of room, and some $50 600watt rosewill psu.

It's a long story but i didn't pick out the psu so it might not be very good, but seeing as how i don't overclock much, it should be enough to power a new graphics card.

I'm not in an urgent need to upgrade and wouldn't mind waiting if i had too. right now, i'm thinking about buying a GTX 560 Ti seeing as how their only around $225, but i hear the GTX 670 is well worth it. I'm in highschool so its not like a i have a job yet, but i do have the money for a 670 but spending $400 would just be hard to do because $400 could buy alot of other things or even go towards a laptop. But seeing as how my pc is the thing i use the most and i don't really need a laptop at all, i might think about it.

if you got the dough get a GTX 670 they are a tad pricey because they are new but they are amazing cards. dont get a 680 though because they are more expensive and a 670 80%-90% the power of a 670

Yeah, i had heard that the GTX 670 would be a better buy than the 680,

but what is the difference between this 670:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127675

and this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130787

Also, should i buy these from newegg or some other site?

Yeah, i had heard that the GTX 670 would be a better buy than the 680,

but what is the difference between this 670:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127675

and this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130787

Also, should i buy these from newegg or some other site?

blizzard158

oh and for the site just buy from any reputable or cheap site. tiger direct and microcenter are good as well, even amazon has some 670's for sale

hmm, newegg has a 670 with two fans but its $40 more than the others, and i don't want a 3-fan one because that alone just sounds like a huge overkill for cooling. My 260 has only one fan but it does get pretty hot. How about the radeon cards, are those any good?

hmm, newegg has a 670 with two fans but its $40 more than the others, and i don't want a 3-fan one because that alone just sounds like a huge overkill for cooling. My 260 has only one fan but it does get pretty hot. How about the radeon cards, are those any good?

blizzard158

radeons are good, the 7000 series is what you should buy from, but im betting most people would go with a 670 over a 7970 due to the price : performance

this is why, you may get the few extra frames that you wont even notice unless you are on a multi display, but it is more expensive. im partial to nvidia in this oen

I've looked around and i'm thinking about this:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2618312

It was sold out on newegg, but the dual fans should keep the temp down a little lower. It is however, $50 more, would it be worth it?

edit: i looked a little more and the 670 with three fans is only $10 more, would the fans be very loud? would it be more psu dependent than the other 670's? although, 3 fans does seem overkill, thoughts on this?

I've looked around and i'm thinking about this:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2618312

It was sold out on newegg, but the dual fans should keep the temp down a little lower. It is however, $50 more, would it be worth it?

edit: i looked a little more and the 670 with three fans is only $10 more, would the fans be very loud? would it be more psu dependent than the other 670's? although, 3 fans does seem overkill, thoughts on this?

blizzard158

[QUOTE="blizzard158"]

I've looked around and i'm thinking about this:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2618312

It was sold out on newegg, but the dual fans should keep the temp down a little lower. It is however, $50 more, would it be worth it?

edit: i looked a little more and the 670 with three fans is only $10 more, would the fans be very loud? would it be more psu dependent than the other 670's? although, 3 fans does seem overkill, thoughts on this?

MW2ismygame

edit: and for the price you are paying for a top of the line card you would want to keep it as cool as possible because that can keep it stable; and the card can last longer from less heat

Just for a quick comparison, the more fans there are, the more heat displacement, which in turn means the fans can spin slower to displace the same amount of heat than a GPU with one fan.

Just imagine it this way, a 4 cylinder car has to rev much harder to get to 100Kph or miles or whatever, whilst a v8 can do it slower whilst getting to the same speed in just as much time.

Okay, i'm a little stuck between these two,

The asus one with 2 fans and a sexy backplate: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121637

and the gigabyte one with three fans: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125423

The gigabyte one is cheaper and i'm pretty sure it comes already overclocked, the asus one is $20 more but isnt overclocked ( although i can take care of that once i get it ) and it has less fans but asus is a brand i have had good experience with.

I own a GTX680-DC2T-2GD5, which has the same basic fan and heat sink set up as that GTX670. It is easily the most solidly built GPU I have ever purchased. the cooling is really good on it. So far the fan speed has not exceeded 20%. Even though you have 2 fans on it, it actually makes less noise then a single fan because they spin so much slower. You can't go wrong with the ASUS.

Okay, i'm a little stuck between these two,

The asus one with 2 fans and a sexy backplate: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121637

and the gigabyte one with three fans: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125423

The gigabyte one is cheaper and i'm pretty sure it comes already overclocked, the asus one is $20 more but isnt overclocked ( although i can take care of that once i get it ) and it has less fans but asus is a brand i have had good experience with.

blizzard158

If you just look at a few reviews, the Gigabyte has a slightly better thermal solution, stays cooler, but if you like the ASUS, go for it.

Okay, i'm a little stuck between these two,

The asus one with 2 fans and a sexy backplate: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121637

and the gigabyte one with three fans: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125423

The gigabyte one is cheaper and i'm pretty sure it comes already overclocked, the asus one is $20 more but isnt overclocked ( although i can take care of that once i get it ) and it has less fans but asus is a brand i have had good experience with.

blizzard158

the radeon 7870 should be $300 and the 7850 is $250 both cards will run any game out there maxed out. I personally wouldn't spend over $250 for a video card, most people who do are enthusiasts and a very small minority.

Thanks for the help. I'm going to order the Asus one in the next month or so.

Oh and ShadowDeathX, I knew your sig looked familiar, Ghost in the shell? Love that anime

Thanks for the help. I'm going to order the Asus one in the next month or so.

Oh and ShadowDeathX, I knew your sig looked familiar, Ghost in the shell? Love that anime

blizzard158