Do I Need an Upgrade

[snowboardx13]

I've now saved up enough for a gtx 970, which on Amazon is $270, I currently have an nvidia gtx 960, an i5 4690k, and 8 gb ram. Would this upgrade increase performance enough to be worth it, or should I upgrade my cpu. (kind of a nub) And the game I'm trying to run is just cause 3, and with low settings on I can run it OK, but i get annoying, stuttering after an hour or so and just not the performance I expected. Any answers would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Computer nub

 

[envy14tpe]

So you want to SLI? You have a 970 and want to buy another. You should be able to run it at higher settings without issue. Running at 1080p?

Here are some links that show how your GPU should handle that game:
http://www.gamersnexus.net/game-bench/2213-just-cause-3-gpu-fps-benchmark-anomalous-performance
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/just-cause-3-first-benchmarks,30710.html

 

[lantrich]

With an I5 and a GTX 970 you are set up extremely well. Something else is going on for you to have performance problems. Probably with programs running in the background.

 

[geofelt]

If you have a decent overclock on your 4690K, there is no cpu upgrade that can meaningfully improve your performance.
The fact that lower settings runs better tells me that your limitation is graphics and not cpu.

SLI GTX970 will give you impressive fps benchmarks.
But, it comes with some potential gameplay issues. You will be more prone to screen tearing and stuttering.
Also, the benchmarks I have seen for JC3 do not seem to scale with dual gpu's.

If you are running high resolutions and settings, I think holding out for a GTX980ti or even the future pascal would be better.

 

[mcconkeymike]

As snowboardx13 said, he has a GTX960 and was asking about upgrades, you guys need to read posts a bit better. The i5-4690k is a damn good processor and I wouldn't upgrade it. Yes the GTX970 would be an upgrade to the 960. I just checked the requirements for Just Cause 3 and your 960 is at the minimum requirements and it recommends either a GTX780, 780ti, or 970, so upgrading your video card should do it. One other thing, since you are a "noob", make sure you have a good CPU cooler and at least a couple case fans to ensure that you have proper ventilation in your case and that you are actually thermally throttling from getting too hot. First thing I would do is check the temps on your system with Speedfan or CPUID's Hardware Monitor. If temps look good but you still have issues, maybe overclock your CPU a little. If that doesn't help, probably buy a new video card. I hope this helps.

 

[geofelt]

@ snowboardx13:

What is the rest of your pc?
In particular, the make/model of your psu.
A GTX970 would appear to be an excellent upgrade, and that requires a quality 500w psu.

Why should stuttering show up after an hour, and not initially?
Perhaps something else is going on.