Affordable 1440p Graphics?

[Llamageddon]

First time posting here but it seems to be the best place to ask. I am trying to build/upgrade my PC with a new MB, CPU and GPU with a view to playing the latest games on my 2560x1440 screen. My HD 6950 just isn't cutting it any more at that resolution and my processor is maxed out for my MB (actually it is higher than Asus oficcially supports for the MB).

My current system is:

Processor: Phenom II x4 940
Motherboard: Asus m2r32-mvp
Graphics: Radeon HD 6950
Memory: 8GB DDR2 800 Mhz (might be 667)

I am currently looking at:

Processor: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME6 ATX LGA1150
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866

One of the reasons I am asking about the Graphics Card is that I have been an AMD/ATI user for about 10 years now and am utterly unfamilar with Geforce cards.

For reference:
The real inspiration for getting off my arse and upgrading my PC again at last is for the upcoming Fallout 4. I enjoyed Skyrim and could run it comfortably until I started heavily modding it. After adding an insane amount of HD textures and distand LOD models etc. my frame rate started really chugging and I assume this was partly due to 2gb memory on the graphics card not being enough for all those textures.

The GeForce GTX 980 Ti looks lovely but it would double the cost of my build and I am hoping there is another option that would still let me play the newest games for a year or two on high to ultra setting at 1440p but at better performance per pound. As mentioned above, I don't want to skimp on memory on the card if it will mean better future proofing or graphical modding of games.

I am also not set on going down the Gefore/Intel route if anyone can suggest a viable AMD build and money is a concern but I will spend more if it means comfortably gaming at 1440p.

Edit: I can see myself potentially upgrading to 4K in a year or two, I'd probably be happy playing games on medium settings for a while but upgrading my card in the future or going for SLI/Crossfire when that time comes may be a consideration.

Edit2: Unrelated, but, I have an OEM version of Windows 7. Will I get messed around trying to install it on my upgraded PC if I am changing my MB?

Thanks in advance for your help.

TL,DR:

I need a new, good value graphics card to run the latest games at 1440p.

I forgot to add, my Budget is £500-650, I'd like to stay lower but I will spend more to avoid disappointment in the long run.

 

[pcgaming98]

You never gave me a budget so

[PCPartPicker part list](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/yXj4f7) / [Price breakdown by merchant](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/yXj4f7/by_merchant/)

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54670k) | £185.99 @ Aria PC
**Motherboard** | [ASRock Z87 OC Formula/ac EATX LGA1150 Motherboard](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-z87ocformulaac) | £98.75 @ Ebuyer
**Video Card** | [Asus Radeon R9 290 4GB DirectCU II Video Card](http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-video-card-r9290dc2oc4gd5) | £226.69 @ Amazon UK
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| **Total** | **£511.43**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](http://pcpartpicker.com) 2015-08-25 14:57 BST+0100 |

 

[Llamageddon]

Thanks. That is a decent budget you put my into. My budget is somewhat flexible depending on the old 1440p requirement but I suppose I could go up to £600 or even a bit more if it would mean more enjoyable gaming at that resolution. The drop from 4.0GHz to 3.4 GHz is quite alarming. How important is that 0.6GHz extra? My Phenom II is running along merrily at 3.2GHz so it doesn't seem like much of an upgrade. Are there some fancy features/benefits of the i5 that make that small GHz increase more substantial than the raw numbers indicate?

I'll have a good look at the components you recommend, though I am still open to other solutions as I'd quite like to get broader consensus on this. It can get a bit overwhelming looking up all these options but I can't help but get right into the nitty-gritty of it all and I like to feel confident I have made the right choice for me. This is quite a big chunk of my liquid cash so I like to be comprehensive in my decision.

Have I been looking too much at 4K gaming discussions perhaps? Is my suggested build in the first post overkill for 1400p already?

 

[James Mason]

Thanks. That is a decent budget you put my into. My budget is somewhat flexible depending on the old 1440p requirement but I suppose I could go up to £600 or even a bit more if it would mean more enjoyable gaming at that resolution. The drop from 4.0GHz to 3.4 GHz is quite alarming. How important is that 0.6GHz extra? My Phenom II is running along merrily at 3.2GHz so it doesn't seem like much of an upgrade. Are there some fancy features/benefits of the i5 that make that small GHz increase more substantial than the raw numbers indicate?

I'll have a good look at the components you recommend, though I am still open to other solutions as I'd quite like to get broader consensus on this. It can get a bit overwhelming looking up all these options but I can't help but get right into the nitty-gritty of it all and I like to feel confident I have made the right choice for me. This is quite a big chunk of my liquid cash so I like to be comprehensive in my decision.

Have I been looking too much at 4K gaming discussions perhaps? Is my suggested build in the first post overkill for 1400p already?

You got a lot to learn.
1. Ghz mean nothing when comparing 2 different cpus.
2. The i5-4670k has a built in turbo mode that brings it up to 3.8ghz
3. You can easily OC the i5 to 4.0 ghz without much effort or risk.
4. You don't need an i7 for gaming at all.
5. The AMD cards are only good at 1440p if you crossfire them (2 cards), You'll want a 980ti for the smoothest game play.

You can find gtx 980s on ebay for pretty good prices as well: http://www.ebay.com/itm/MSI-NVIDIA-GTX-980-Gaming-4G-Graphics-Card/121738149919?_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982&_trkparms=aid%3D777000%26algo%3DABA.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D32959%26meid%3D3a7486d1ea064c81a8b26aeaeb3b985c%26pid%3D100009%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26sd%3D311416296903

 

[Llamageddon]

You are quite right, I am very much not on the pulse of the tech industry any more. I thought they had got their act together and actually used the same metrics for measuring GHz at last. I've heard of the 'turbo' mode. Isn't that practically just automated overclocking? Why don't they advertise those speeds for their CPUs? I assume there must be some caveat.

I thought the i7s weren't really for gaming but I got completely mislead by a review so that is very good to know.

I am upset to hear that AMD doesn't have a single card solution for even 1440p. The Radeon R9 390 won't cut it then? I don't need the smoothest gameplay but would like to get a solid 30 FPS ideally. I would go with crossfire if it was affordable vs a single Nvidia solution but I have heard it can be a real hassle to get working properly and is usually a waste of money for a new build.

P.S. it has been about 4+ years since I have looked into building a new PC and re-educated myself about it all so treat me with kid gloves and as if I am a bit slow 😉.

 

[Firepower0701]

The R9 390/x will easily cut it for 1440p, but you won't be able to get 60fps on maxed out settings in games like Crysis 3. So just dial down the settings to high and you will be fine. The 980ti is nice, but over budget and the r9 390 will be useful for longer as it has 8gb of Vram.

 

[Llamageddon]

Thanks, for feedback. I reckon I'll go with the R9 390 as it seems it is probably worth the extra cost if I am more or less building a new computer.