Radeon HD 6970 or Total PC Upgrade?

[ajcarroll1983]

I'm having some problems running new games at high settings with acceptable frame rates (SW:Battlefront, Battlefield 4, haven't even tried Fallout 4 yet but have a feeling it won't be pretty ) and I haven't done a massive PC upgrade in a while. Here's what I'm working with:

CPU: Core i5-2500
GPU: Sapphire Dual-X Radeon HD 6970
RAM: 20GB DDR3 1333
Mobo: Intel DH67BL
PSU: Antec 500w Green (came w/ the Sonata iii case)
(Have everything hooked up to an Onkyo AVR going to a Vizio P-series 4k monitor. AVR currently upscales non-4k to 4k/30hz, so the PC's output is 1080p)

So the questions I have are:

1) Is there a bottleneck anywhere? I know that a Sandy Bridge CPU is dated, but it seems to plow through most everything I throw at it. I'm not opposed to a Skylake upgrade soon, though.

2) Is the GPU needing an upgrade? I like the 6970's 256-bit, but 2GB may be a hindrance. I've kicked around the idea of a slight upgrade to a GTX 960 or even a more substantial 970, but i'm still weighing just-GPU vs. whole system upgrade. Also, what would be the impact of scaling back down to 128-bit, if any?

Since I'm technically gaming at 1080 (currently), I do want to keep the option open to move up to 1440 or even 4k gaming. The possibilities of Eyefinity/3D Surround gaming are intriguing, too.

I'm also not against waiting to Fall 2016, should a Skylake+Pascal/Polaris+DDR4 all-inclusive upgrade be a better investment than a simple GPU bump right now. Weighing $150-$225 on a GPU right now against $1,500+ on a new rig, well that's something that I have the luxury of thinking over while my wife calls me crazy 😀

Any thoughts or input is much appreciated! Would like to get a gaming solution that would last me at least 16 months if only GPU, or 4-5 years if whole-system update. Thanks all!

 

[jbaker22]

Intel has not made their cpu's that much faster over the years. You will get at most a 15% increase like theses benchmarks show. Right now you have more of a gpu bottleneck. Here is a comparison of your 6790 and a gtx 780. I found a $235 780

ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/MSI-GTX-780-overclocked-3gig-ram-ver-/182064403314?hash=item2a63e25372:g:NWwAAOSwLpdW8peX

skylake vs sandybridge: http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Skylake-vs-Sandy-Bridge-Discrete-GPU-Showdown

comparison: http://anandtech.com/bench/product/1061?vs=1355

 

[ajcarroll1983]

Thanks for the insight! I had been using PassMark's website for GPU comparisons (which makes the 6970 still look quite capable), but AnandTech's looks more appropriate for benchmarking as it relates to gaming performance.

 

[jbaker22]

Is there any other way I can help answer this question?

 

[ajcarroll1983]

Not especially, as I did have the feeling that the 6970 was essentially tapped out and an upgrade was needed. I will run a question by you for your opinion though:

I see the 780 is very capable, but for $25 more, would a 970 be a better investment? I could justify the price jump if it would give me 1-2 years more playing time, and at least 10-15% better performance at 1080p gaming.
https://jet.com/product/Zotac-ZT-90101-10P-GeForce-GTX-970-Graphic-Card-108-GHz-Core-4-G/e7f49c84a9a34b4f87f40cfe506e5491
(SHOP15 coupon takes it to $253)

I worry that I'd be moving up to the 780 now, maxing it out right away, and be stuck looking at Pascal/Polaris longingly (I know, always dangerous holding out vs. jumping in, since something better always comes along). Also, is triple-monitor gaming possible/playable with a 780? I'm not tied to 1080 gaming for the next few years, as I'm a resolution-chaser and at least 1440/4k would be a nice boost.

On the other hand, a 970 would hopefully give me a couple of years of good use, even with upcoming games. I'd have the same question as to triple-monitor gaming being possible/playable, as I'm really intrigued with a 3D Surround setup. I'd ideally like something that could handle triple-1440/single-4k gaming at a sub-$300 price tag (I know that's too much for a single 970), but I realize I would have better luck finding a leprechaun riding a unicorn.

Don't mean to throw too much at you, and I appreciate the opinions! With either option, 780 or 970, is the 500w Green PSU enough?

 

[jbaker22]

The 970 is $65 more I was trying to accommodate you budget. The 970 is more powerful though. http://anandtech.com/bench/product/1493?vs=1595

 

[jbaker22]

You would need a 550 watt or greater PSU for the 780, but the 970 is okay with a 500watt PSU.

 

[ajcarroll1983]

Yes, I was originally looking to stay fairly cheap (but upgrade) on the GPU, if there were other things that also needed to be bumped up (CPU, PSU, etc). But the $250 range is alright if I'll get ~2 years of play out of a 970

Thanks for all of your help, good to see about the only thing I need to swap out is the GPU!

 

[jbaker22]

Your welcome, by the way the 970 is ready to game in VR. The 780 is not.