I would like to extend the life of my Inspiron 530 by upgrading the graphics card in the $150-200 range if it will make a significant improvement in video gaming.
The current configuration is:
Inspiron 530 (Case)
CORE 2 Q6600 @3GHz 1333 FSB (OCed with BSEL single pin mod)
8GB ADATA DDR2 800MHz memory
WD Caviar Black 640GB System Drive
2x500GB Secondary HDDs (Samsung and WD)
Optiarc DVD-RW drive
350 watt Dell PSU
XONAR D1 Sound Card
Windows 7 64-bit
and....
HP w2207 Monitor (1680x1050, HDMI)
Sapphire Radeon HD 4830 (512MB) Graphics Card
I know I will have to upgrade the PSU and am looking for a deal on a 600-750 watt active PFC, modular PSU.
That being said I have been reading Tom's Graphics Card Heirarchy chart as well as searching the various forum entries and an currently considering a Radeon 6850 or a GTX 460 (1GB RAM).
From what I have gleaned the Radeon 6870 will not fit in my current case without removing the secondary hard drive because of the power connector placement. I am unsure about the Radeon 6950. The GTX 5xx series and the Radeon 6950s are a bit out of my price range at the moment but, who knows, a ONE DAY ONLY or BLACK FRIDAY deal may be right around the corner.
Questions:
1) Would the Radeon 6850 or GTX 460 max out my current configuration?
2) Would the Radeon 6950 or GTX 560 (if either would fit in case) be overkill and my CPU/MOBO just bottle neck?
3) Is bottle necking that bad? After all one component or another is always the bottleneck (old saying - choose your system and you choose your problems).
4) Would the choice of any of the above options improve the graphics gaming performance over and above the existing Radeon 4830 enough to make it worth the $150-$250 expense (PSU and Video Card)?
5) Is a "superclocked" GTX 460 worth the additional cost or is it just as good to get a "standard" GTX 460 and manually overclock it?
I don't replace my system often and overall I am currently satisfied with my current system, especially since my next system will be $$$$ as I try to buy the best I can afford when I do commit.... (though and SSD system drive would be nice for Christmas... hmmm.... ) At any rate I am trying to stretch the enjoyable life out of the current setup as money is tight right now.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions or comments!
The current configuration is:
Inspiron 530 (Case)
CORE 2 Q6600 @3GHz 1333 FSB (OCed with BSEL single pin mod)
8GB ADATA DDR2 800MHz memory
WD Caviar Black 640GB System Drive
2x500GB Secondary HDDs (Samsung and WD)
Optiarc DVD-RW drive
350 watt Dell PSU
XONAR D1 Sound Card
Windows 7 64-bit
and....
HP w2207 Monitor (1680x1050, HDMI)
Sapphire Radeon HD 4830 (512MB) Graphics Card
I know I will have to upgrade the PSU and am looking for a deal on a 600-750 watt active PFC, modular PSU.
That being said I have been reading Tom's Graphics Card Heirarchy chart as well as searching the various forum entries and an currently considering a Radeon 6850 or a GTX 460 (1GB RAM).
From what I have gleaned the Radeon 6870 will not fit in my current case without removing the secondary hard drive because of the power connector placement. I am unsure about the Radeon 6950. The GTX 5xx series and the Radeon 6950s are a bit out of my price range at the moment but, who knows, a ONE DAY ONLY or BLACK FRIDAY deal may be right around the corner.
Questions:
1) Would the Radeon 6850 or GTX 460 max out my current configuration?
2) Would the Radeon 6950 or GTX 560 (if either would fit in case) be overkill and my CPU/MOBO just bottle neck?
3) Is bottle necking that bad? After all one component or another is always the bottleneck (old saying - choose your system and you choose your problems).
4) Would the choice of any of the above options improve the graphics gaming performance over and above the existing Radeon 4830 enough to make it worth the $150-$250 expense (PSU and Video Card)?
5) Is a "superclocked" GTX 460 worth the additional cost or is it just as good to get a "standard" GTX 460 and manually overclock it?
I don't replace my system often and overall I am currently satisfied with my current system, especially since my next system will be $$$$ as I try to buy the best I can afford when I do commit.... (though and SSD system drive would be nice for Christmas... hmmm.... ) At any rate I am trying to stretch the enjoyable life out of the current setup as money is tight right now.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions or comments!