Upgrading Graphics card

[K1LLSW1TCH1]

Basically i want to upgrade my graphics card and i am wondering whether i could upgrate to a nividia 970 or higher i have a power supply of 500w and rest of my specs are

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3770 CPU @ 3.40GHz
Manufacturer Intel
Speed 3.4 GHz
Number of Cores 4
CPU ID BFEBFBFF000306A9
Family 06
Model 3A
Stepping 9
Revision
Video Card AMD Radeon R9 200 Series
Manufacturer ATI
Chipset AMD Radeon R9 200 Series
Dedicated Memory 4096 MB
Total Memory 4.0 GB
Pixel Shader Version 5.1
Vertex Shader Version 5.1
Hardware T & L Yes
Vendor ID 1002
Device ID 6810
Plug and Play ID VEN_1002&DEV_6810&SUBSYS_E271174B&REV_00
Driver Version 15.301.1801.1001
Memory 16 GB
Operating System Microsoft Windows 10 (build 10586), 64-bit
Service Pack 0
Size 64 Bit
Edition
Version 10.0.10586
Locale 0809
BIOS BIOS Date: 07/21/14 10:57:51 Ver: 25.01
Version American Megatrends Inc. 2501
Manufacturer American Megatrends Inc.
Date 07/21/14
Display Maximum Resolution 1920 x 1080
Sound Device 1 Realtek High Definition Audio
Driver Version 6.0.1.6526
Sound Device 2 AMD High Definition Audio Device
Driver Version 10.0.0.2
Sound Device 3 HyperX 7.1 Audio
Driver Version 10.0.10586.0
DVD Optiarc DVD RW AD-7280S
CD Optiarc DVD RW AD-7280S
Drive
Size 931.0 GB
Free 520.0 GB
Browsers
Internet Explorer 11.103.10586.0
Chrome 48.0.2564.116
Firefox
Safari
Software
Java
Flash 18.0.0.203
DirectX 11.0
.NET 3.5.30729.4926
QuickTime
Adobe PDF Reader

Id like to know what i would need to upgrade if anything and how hard is it to take out and replace a graphics card? I am not the most computer savi so i am worried i am going to buy a new card and it is not going to work in my computer

 

[Benab3]

For the question of how good a graphics card will your system support well... pretty much anything, a Titan X will run fine in your PC.
What Graphics card is your AMD series card? Because if it is a 290, then a 970 will show very similar gaming results.
Pretty much any recent Nvidia card will work on a decent 500W PSU, apart from the 980 ti and Titan X.

It is very easy to replace a graphics card, you need to take out the power cables, and push down the lock arm on your motherboard, and you can pull it out.

 

[K1LLSW1TCH1]

For the question of how good a graphics card will your system support well... pretty much anything, a Titan X will run fine in your PC.
What Graphics card is your AMD series card? Because if it is a 290, then a 970 will show very similar gaming results.
Pretty much any recent Nvidia card will work on a decent 500W PSU, apart from the 980 ti and Titan X.

It is very easy to replace a graphics card, you need to take out the power cables, and push down the lock arm on your motherboard, and you can pull it out.

No unfortunately it is a 270x it was good at the time i bought it but fairly updated now so i could go for this graphics card with my spec and power supply?

 

[Benab3]

Yeah, the rest of your computer is still up to spec for gaming.
16 GB of RAM and an I7 3770 will still do you very well.

What power supply do you have, and if it is decent, then the 970. or even 980 will work well.

 

[clutchc]

The GTX 970 will let you play any game at max settings @ 1080p with your processor. If you know how to physically remove the old card, installing the new card is just the reverse.

To make life easy on yourself when you are ready to swap cards, run DDU from safe mode and have it uninstall the AMD gfx driver. It will clean up hidden registry remnants and files otherwise left behind by poorly written uninstall programs. Shut down, swap cards, reboot, and install the latest driver for your new card and OS.
DDU: http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/display_driver_uninstaller.html

 

[K1LLSW1TCH1]

Yeah, the rest of your computer is still up to spec for gaming.
16 GB of RAM and an I7 3770 will still do you very well.

What power supply do you have, and if it is decent, then the 970. or even 980 will work well.

i have a XIGMATEK 500W Dual Rail RLTM according to the sticker im not sure whether this is a decent brand or not i got this powersupply with the original build of my pc

 

[Benab3]

From what I can see they are Tier 3 Psu's with 1 being excellent and 5 being dangerous. It will run the 970 fine, but it would be something that I would look at upgrading in the future.

 

[K1LLSW1TCH1]

From what I can see they are Tier 3 Psu's with 1 being excellent and 5 being dangerous. It will run the 970 fine, but it would be something that I would look at upgrading in the future.

is the PSU easy to upgrade as well i might look to do that at the same time plus which nvidia 970 shall i go for there seems to be a lot of different versions on amazon i am not 100 percent which one is better or if they are all similar i will defo upgrade the psu in time though ive had it for 3-4 years now and ive had no issues with it.

 

[Benab3]

The PSU is fairly easy to upgrade. But it takes a bit of time.
Basically just need to plug everything back into the new one, in the right place of course, and manage the cables.
It takes time though, as almost everything in your system has a power connector.

For your PSU, I recommend an EVGA B2 750W. It is a Tier 2 PSU, with great voltages and plenty of headroom if you ever upgrade or go SLI.

 

[K1LLSW1TCH1]

The GTX 970 will let you play any game at max settings @ 1080p with your processor. If you know how to physically remove the old card, installing the new card is just the reverse.

To make life easy on yourself when you are ready to swap cards, run DDU from safe mode and have it uninstall the AMD gfx driver. It will clean up hidden registry remnants and files otherwise left behind by poorly written uninstall programs. Shut down, swap cards, reboot, and install the latest driver for your new card and OS.
DDU: http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/display_driver_uninstaller.html

thank you my friend very helpful advice i will use that program i am not sure whether my psu will be suitable for the 970 i have a XIGMATEK 500W Dual Rail RLTM i have had it for 3 years maybe 4 now will this be ok for this card?

 

[K1LLSW1TCH1]

The PSU is fairly easy to upgrade. But it takes a bit of time.
Basically just need to plug everything back into the new one, in the right place of course, and manage the cables.
It takes time though, as almost everything in your system has a power connector.

For your PSU, I recommend an EVGA B2 750W. It is a Tier 2 PSU, with great voltages and plenty of headroom if you ever upgrade or go SLI.

thank you for all your help sorry only one more question lol do you think this psu will be alright for now while i swap the cards will it be alright running the card until i get some money to upgrade the psu?

 

[Benab3]

Yeah, there should be no issues running a 970 on it.

 

[K1LLSW1TCH1]

Yeah, there should be no issues running a 970 on it.

Cheers you have been a massive help i will look around for a 970 then

 

[Benab3]

If you live in the states, here is a good deal: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp42974kr
and here is the PSU I recommend: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-110b20750vr

 

[K1LLSW1TCH1]

If you live in the states, here is a good deal: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-04gp42974kr
and here is the PSU I recommend: https://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-power-supply-110b20750vr

no unfortunately i am from the uk so it will probs have to be from Amazon i found this though it comes with Tom Clancy The Division http://www.amazon.co.uk/MSI-GTX-970-Graphics-Express/dp/B00NOP536Y and this for the psu http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-SuperNOVA-Crossfire-Warranty-110-B2-0750-VR/dp/B00KFAFRW6?

 

[Benab3]

I am from the UK also, just most people on here are in the US.
That is a good price for the card.

 

[K1LLSW1TCH1]

I am from the UK also, just most people on here are in the US.
That is a good price for the card.

thank you my friend for all your help i will order the card then and i think the psu too from the link above both got very good ratings

 

[Benab3]

Glad I could help!

 

[K1LLSW1TCH1]

Glad I could help!

sorry lol very last question is this the psu you were talking about http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-SuperNOVA-Crossfire-Warranty-110-B2-0750-VR/dp/B00KFAFRW6 as i think i might order this too i did not think it would be so cheap

 

[Benab3]

Yeah that is the one.

 

[clutchc]

The GTX 970 will let you play any game at max settings @ 1080p with your processor. If you know how to physically remove the old card, installing the new card is just the reverse.

To make life easy on yourself when you are ready to swap cards, run DDU from safe mode and have it uninstall the AMD gfx driver. It will clean up hidden registry remnants and files otherwise left behind by poorly written uninstall programs. Shut down, swap cards, reboot, and install the latest driver for your new card and OS.
DDU: http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/display_driver_uninstaller.html

thank you my friend very helpful advice i will use that program i am not sure whether my psu will be suitable for the 970 i have a XIGMATEK 500W Dual Rail RLTM i have had it for 3 years maybe 4 now will this be ok for this card?

If it is a "real" 500W with 2 x 6+2 pin connectors, it should be fine. I can't find that exact model you listed. Here is the website for Xigmateck. Which one is yours? http://www.xigmatek.com/product.php?productid=239

 

[K1LLSW1TCH1]

The GTX 970 will let you play any game at max settings @ 1080p with your processor. If you know how to physically remove the old card, installing the new card is just the reverse.

To make life easy on yourself when you are ready to swap cards, run DDU from safe mode and have it uninstall the AMD gfx driver. It will clean up hidden registry remnants and files otherwise left behind by poorly written uninstall programs. Shut down, swap cards, reboot, and install the latest driver for your new card and OS.
DDU: http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/display_driver_uninstaller.html

thank you my friend very helpful advice i will use that program i am not sure whether my psu will be suitable for the 970 i have a XIGMATEK 500W Dual Rail RLTM i have had it for 3 years maybe 4 now will this be ok for this card?

If it is a "real" 500W with 2 x 6+2 pin connectors, it should be fine. I can't find that exact model you listed. Here is the website for Xigmateck. Which one is yours? http://www.xigmatek.com/product.php?productid=239

im not sure on the exact model but i know it is one of the NRP- selection and my graphics card at the moment has 2 pcie cables connected into it

 

[clutchc]

The GTX 970 will let you play any game at max settings @ 1080p with your processor. If you know how to physically remove the old card, installing the new card is just the reverse.

To make life easy on yourself when you are ready to swap cards, run DDU from safe mode and have it uninstall the AMD gfx driver. It will clean up hidden registry remnants and files otherwise left behind by poorly written uninstall programs. Shut down, swap cards, reboot, and install the latest driver for your new card and OS.
DDU: http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/display_driver_uninstaller.html

thank you my friend very helpful advice i will use that program i am not sure whether my psu will be suitable for the 970 i have a XIGMATEK 500W Dual Rail RLTM i have had it for 3 years maybe 4 now will this be ok for this card?

If it is a "real" 500W with 2 x 6+2 pin connectors, it should be fine. I can't find that exact model you listed. Here is the website for Xigmateck. Which one is yours? http://www.xigmatek.com/product.php?productid=239

im not sure on the exact model but i know it is one of the NRP- selection and my graphics card at the moment has 2 pcie cables connected into it

Then it is probably OK. If you want further verification, open the case and read the nameplate on the PSU.

 

[K1LLSW1TCH1]

The GTX 970 will let you play any game at max settings @ 1080p with your processor. If you know how to physically remove the old card, installing the new card is just the reverse.

To make life easy on yourself when you are ready to swap cards, run DDU from safe mode and have it uninstall the AMD gfx driver. It will clean up hidden registry remnants and files otherwise left behind by poorly written uninstall programs. Shut down, swap cards, reboot, and install the latest driver for your new card and OS.
DDU: http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/display_driver_uninstaller.html

thank you my friend very helpful advice i will use that program i am not sure whether my psu will be suitable for the 970 i have a XIGMATEK 500W Dual Rail RLTM i have had it for 3 years maybe 4 now will this be ok for this card?

If it is a "real" 500W with 2 x 6+2 pin connectors, it should be fine. I can't find that exact model you listed. Here is the website for Xigmateck. Which one is yours? http://www.xigmatek.com/product.php?productid=239

im not sure on the exact model but i know it is one of the NRP- selection and my graphics card at the moment has 2 pcie cables connected into it

Then it is probably OK. If you want further verification, open the case and read the nameplate on the PSU.

alright mate thank you i will open it now and look one sec cheers

 

[K1LLSW1TCH1]

The GTX 970 will let you play any game at max settings @ 1080p with your processor. If you know how to physically remove the old card, installing the new card is just the reverse.

To make life easy on yourself when you are ready to swap cards, run DDU from safe mode and have it uninstall the AMD gfx driver. It will clean up hidden registry remnants and files otherwise left behind by poorly written uninstall programs. Shut down, swap cards, reboot, and install the latest driver for your new card and OS.
DDU: http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/display_driver_uninstaller.html

thank you my friend very helpful advice i will use that program i am not sure whether my psu will be suitable for the 970 i have a XIGMATEK 500W Dual Rail RLTM i have had it for 3 years maybe 4 now will this be ok for this card?

If it is a "real" 500W with 2 x 6+2 pin connectors, it should be fine. I can't find that exact model you listed. Here is the website for Xigmateck. Which one is yours? http://www.xigmatek.com/product.php?productid=239

im not sure on the exact model but i know it is one of the NRP- selection and my graphics card at the moment has 2 pcie cables connected into it

Then it is probably OK. If you want further verification, open the case and read the nameplate on the PSU.

It is a NRP-VC503 SWITCHING POWER SUPPLY http://www.xigmatek.com/product.php?productid=41 ive ordered this anyway so im gonna be replacing it but it might not come till after the g card