Interested in upgrading 9600gt for a 2 year-old pc

[nimrodta]

Hi all,

New to the forum, and would appreciate your input.
I'm looking for a quick and simple upgrade for my graphic card, in order to get better performance for newer video games.

My current card is 9600gt 1gb (which I was quite happy with for the past two years).

My system specs:
Intel quad 2.8GHz q9550 (no-overclocking).
4gb ram
Windows 7 64bit
400W power supply
1680x1050 screen resolution

I would like to get a noticeable improvements to performance, but I'm not expecting to run things on "Ultra".
Is it possible to only upgrade the video card, given the system specs?

Final note, I prefer to get an nvidia card; just being a loyal customer...

Thanks.

 

[FlintIronStagg]

You will need a power supply upgrade as well, I suggest an antech 550w; it is a great price right now on newegg and A 560ti will be a nice balance to your system as well as keep you happy for every game you play. Have fun and happy gaming. What is your budget as it will help determine our suggestions for you

 

[hell_storm2004]

At your resolution the HD6870 or GTX570 serves the best. Also the PSU upgrade as mentioned. Other than that your rig is fine for the next two years at least.

 

[romany8806]

There's a big performance (and price) gap between a 6870 and a GTX 570. I think the first suggestion of a 560 Ti is spot-on.

Depending on your PSU model you might be ok without a PSU upgrade. Have a look at this (hope the link works!):

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-560-ti-roundup-asus-engtx560-graphics-card-overclocking,2858-20.html

 

[romany8806]

Re the above link - those power draw figures will be with a less thirsty CPU than your C2Q 9550 - but don't forget to subtract about ~20% from those peak figures for actual PSU draw, since those figures were taken from the wall.

 

[cats_Paw]

PSU will most likely be fine with a lower end GPU (6870 would be here an option IF and ONLY IF its a good brand PSU).
I dont think its any worth it getting a better gpu than a 6870 or a 560 Ti (new revision when it comes out) since i have 1900x1080p and so far a 1st version 560 Ti is enought for MOST games in max settings. Maybe not in like 2-3 games, but thats it.

 

[nimrodta]

Thanks for all the quick and useful comments!
Indeed, I had my eyes set on the 560ti but I was afraid I'm aiming too high.

Regarding the budget - It's not really an issue, as long as it's cheaper than buying a new pc.
I though about buying the best card I can benefit from given my other specs. If I need to spend a little extra for a new PSU, it's no problem at all.

 

[jaguarskx]

If you do not want to install a new PSU, then you may be able to install a Radeon HD 6770 (re-branded HD 5770), but you need to provide the make and model of your PSU. Listing the available amps on the 12v rails and the total maximum watts on 12v rails will be useful too.

 

[nimrodta]

Best answer selected by nimrodta.

 

[Maziar]

This topic has been closed by Maziar