Summer System Refresh

[wizkidalex]

Hi everyone, I'm currently looking to upgrade my rig within the next month or two (maybe longer if more 700 series nvidia cards or the 8/9000 series amd cards come out by Q4 2013). Current specs are:

CM Storm Scout (stock fans)
i7-2600 w/ a Hyper 212 cooler
MSI Z77MA-G45 (mATX)
500w Corsair PSU (not modular)
EVGA GTX 650 Ti 1gb
2x Crucial DDR3-1333 8gb kits (16gb total)
OCZ 120gb SATA II SSD boot drive
500gb data drive

Now, I'd like to leave the CPU alone seeing as how it's kind of dumb to buy an ivy bridge proc after haswell has already come out. I'm open to switching the mobo to a full ATX one. I'd also like to upgrade the PSU to something like 750w or more, definitely a modular one to help with airflow. However, the graphics card needs to be upgraded the most. I was shocked that it could run GTA IV on nearly max settings without exploding, but I can't run any new games. It was just a placeholder card anyway. I'm just having trouble deciding between a 670/680/770, a 760 sli, or 660 sli, or a single 780... it's so hard to determine what's the best bang for the buck. Next on the list is the boot drive... I need to get a bigger SSD, but I can sort that out so it's not a big deal. Finally, I'm not opposed to switching out the case... the Corsair Carbide series looks really nice. I'm open to suggestions.

Budget isn't a huge concern, but I'd like to keep it under $500 if possible (unless I ditch everything else and get an amazing graphics card). I do some moderate gaming, limited by my GPU. I don't overclock. I'm starting college in the fall, majoring in Computer Engineering, so I'll be using some engineering programs, but I'm sure they won't be a problem. I also might be doing some game recordings (a friend has a youtube gaming channel).

Any suggestions are welcome, and thanks for reading!
-wizkidalex

 

[Rhavi Marques]

a single 780 might be your best bet out of the ones you said

or a 760, a 600w PSU and a full ATX mobo and a new case, would probably still be below 500 bucks

 

[faalin]

best bang for the buck would be a 770 and a new PSU. 770's are about the same speed as a 680 run cooler and use less power. 680's are pointless since the 770 came out.

 

[unksol]

You are NOT getting a 780 and PSU for 500. You're going to want a 770, or watch for a sale on a 7970 GHz. Sapphire had a sale for ~340 a few weeks ago which was amazing.

 

[unksol]

best bang for the buck would be a 770 and a new PSU. 770's are about the same speed as a 680 run cooler and use less power. 680's are pointless since the 770 came out.

Wow. Just. Lol. Wow. You need to go reread whatever you read. The 770 is nothing but an OVERCLOCKED 680. The EXACT same chip. Its faster, because its overclocked. its TDP is 35W higher to pay for it. it uses more power. It runs hotter. Nvidia just used the name change/overclock/HIGHER power draw/heat to drop the price. So. Everything you just said is completely incorrect. Including that is as fast as a 680, because its FASTER. The only thing you got right was the 680 is pointless.... But it has been since the 670. A month after.the 680 was announced and no one could buy it lol.

I'm not against the card. Just misinformation. It will match a 7970 GHz gaming. Slightly better power usage, but you give up compute. the 7970 has games. both are great cards, and which ever is cheaper should win.

 

[wizkidalex]

@Rhavi, thanks for the suggestion.

And yes, guys, I understand that the 770 is an overclocked 680, and the the 780 is a cut down Titan. I saw the deal Newegg had on the 7970 GHz, and I was tempted, but I couldn't justify buying a last-gen card when new ones are around the corner. Plus, I'm a fan of Nvidia's better driver support. And the $500 budget is a rough idea; I understand that getting a 780 would incur about $700 in costs when you factor in the bigger PSU I'd need.

 

[unksol]

@Rhavi, thanks for the suggestion.

And yes, guys, I understand that the 770 is an overclocked 680, and the the 780 is a cut down Titan. I saw the deal Newegg had on the 7970 GHz, and I was tempted, but I couldn't justify buying a last-gen card when new ones are around the corner. Plus, I'm a fan of Nvidia's better driver support. And the $500 budget is a rough idea; I understand that getting a 780 would incur about $700 in costs when you factor in the bigger PSU I'd need.

The 7970 is not any more last gen than the 770, or any 700 besides the 780 is. AMDs drivers have been pretty great except for crossfire, and nvidia just noticed the stutter issue far sooner. IF you can hold out till the end of the year, yes you might get next gen, but they will be expensive. Its not a bad idea, but a long wait