Skyrim - Graphics Card

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certo

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Nov 2, 2011
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FYI, I am not too savvy with computers.

I just wanted to know if my computer will run Skyrim or if I should get it on the ps3/360.

My setup is as follows

i5 650 dell 3.2 gh
8G ram
geforce gt 220 1g video card
1t space.
300 watts.

I would like to get it on the pc if it can run it. If you think I can run this at high settings please let me know. If not, please let me know what I need to upgrade and if it's worth it to do so or just buy it on the 360/ps3. Also, I only have a 720p hd tv now so Please keep that in mind in your decision.

Finally, what do the 360/ps3 graphics equate to in pc settings, i.e. medium/high/max settings?

Thank you very much in advance.
 
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You'll probably want a better power supply first off. The recommended requirements for "high" on a PC are just a GTX 260 or HD 4890 (several generations old cards), so the results aren't too extreme for ultra settings. A GTX 560 or HD 6870 on up would be fine.

The consoles are usually thought of as "medium" settings if they were a PC.
 
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Yes, recommend is a gtx 260, gtx 560 is a large upgrade over that card. You should easily pull ultra settings especially considering that you game at 720.

You will also need a decent psu, recommended is 500 watts.

Black friday is quite near so if you have patience you could most likely get all of this for 200-300 us dollars, depending upon what specific gpu you buy.
 
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Would the GeForce GT 520 2GB DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 Graphics Card be an upgrade for me and would it work well with skyrim... it's on sale at bestbuy for $99.
 
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I don't think he needs a TI, You could snag a regular gigabyte gtx 560 oc edition for 180. He could game easy with a gtx 460 on his/her current monitor resolution.

If you want to be more future proof then you could go with a TI, or a hd 6950. I just don't think you need to spend that much cash.

Also keep in mind that new gpus are just around the corner, so even a regular gtx 460 or a gtx 560 should hold you over quite well for the time being.
 
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you dont need the extra 1gb for your monitor resolution the gt 520, is not that great of a card for gaming. Sure it is a slight upgrade over your gt 220. It is not worth the 100 dollars that you could use to spend and purchase a gtx 460, gtx 560.

The gtx 550 might be a better alternative for you as it is an affordable card (about 120-140) and is better than the gt 520. It is not better than the gtx 460 and the gtx 560.
 
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Best Buy is useless for any PC hardware, seriously don't buy it there. It would be nice to know what your are looking to spend total on an upgrade, meaning power supply + graphics card.
 
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In case I confused some of you, my tv, which is connected to my 360/ps3, is 720p.

Sorry for all the questions, it's just that I've been waiting for Skyrim for a while and I want the best experience I can get (and afford).
 
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The best thing for you to do is probably purchase the game for console (because I assume you will want to play skyrim as soon as it is out).

then if you still have a large interest in the game, purchase a new gpu/psu during the holidays and then pick up the game of the year edition of skyrim, download mods, so forth and so on.

If you do this your out 60 bucks now, not 200-300.

That 300 dollars later will stretch further. It also gives you time to incrementally upgrade your rig, when there are great deals to be had.

+1 to what is your total budget.
 
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Im in this same boat as well- I really am looking at the GTX 560 Ti because its in my price range but im not sure if its really WORTH upgradeing... I really Need DX11 so im thinking it is and ill go with EVGA so i can get a step-up program just in-case i want to get in on the GTX 600 series
Here are my sepcs
EVGA GTX 280 (2009)
AMD phenom II x4 965
8gig Gskill Sniper ram ddr3
1TB WD
1000w Coolermaster
 
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GTX 460 Fermi
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127518
Benches for the card
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_460_HAWK/16.html

the current bench (you can view others) is on metro 2033, very gpu demanding game. Skyrim won't even come close to being this demanding.

Good fps for me is about 45+ 25-30 is ok.


for the psu, any 500 watt reputable psu companies like corsair, seasonic, antec are good places to start. (psu should cost you roughly 50-70, depending upon sales and rebates)
 
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Just for a piece of info for you certo, i would upgrade to at least a 600w or so something not too expensive and save the money and go with a GTX 550Ti, i got one of those for my friend. It has played everything hes thrown at it easily... but if your worried about power i'd go with a 460, 560 or even a 560 Ti- IF your not worried about waiting for the 600 series and want to play Skyrim now... Unfortunately im kind of in the same boat as you are bud hehe...
 
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Keep in mind that there will be deals for gpus, and psu and other pc components very very soon.

If you are patient you can find that exact gtx 460 for 100.00 (rembered this from ncix)

Speaking of NCIX, the card is cheaper from them

http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=55409&vpn=N460GTX%20HAWK&manufacture=MSI%2FMicroStar&promoid=1287

NCIX is a reputable dealer, they moved from Canada.

I have puchased I5 2500k from them, A70 cpu cooler, DVD drive, various component cables without problems. Just started using them.

They have been having alot of deals recently

Edit- Moving from Canada does not necessitate reputability, Also do a little research before taking our advice as gold.
 
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Ok, so i think i've decided to buy the gtx 560 with the 500w supply. But, will my dual (rather than a quad) processor keep me down? Because my thinking is -- if im going to spend $300-350 and the dual processor is going to keep me anchored, well i might just go buy a new damn computer and use this one for work...
 
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That is a good dual core cpu, and should do just fine running skyrim.

After the gtx 560 upgrade, then your bottleneck of the system will be leaning more towards the cpu.

This bottleneck will become more apparent Later on when more and more games become optimized and utilize 4 cores you probably will have to upgrade again.

It is the life of a PC gamer.

It is unfortunate that you have 1156 socket mobo, as that socket is being fazed out. However there are quad core upgrades for that socket, specifically the i5-760 for example.

edit-Upgraded mobo (to 1155 socket) Plus new high end cpu, would cost you roughly 300.00-400.00, this is JFYI. I am not implying that this upgrade is necessary for smooth skyrim playing.
 
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I just noticed you have a dell case. you will have to make sure that the GPU will fit in your particular case (it probably will).

To do this:
1. Turn the PC off and unplug the psu from the pc.
2. Open up the case.
3. get tape measure or a ruler.
4. ....use the tape measure or ruler to mesure the distance from the back of the case to the front of the HDD enclosure.

Case ventilation might be an issue as well.
 
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