Upgrade from 1GB XFX HD 6950 XXX

[marshalex]

Hi All

It looks like it's finally time to upgrade my graphics card. After trying to stutter through COD:MW on 720p and being miserable with how it looks I've decided to take a look at upgrading it. The 6950 has lasted me around 4 years so if I can get something that will last a similar amount of time without breaking the bank it would be great.
Current reviews and info I've gathered have lead me to either the 960 or 380 ,though I have seen this 290 on amazon which represents the top of my budget.
I'm basically after gaming at 1080p with a decent level of detail (high or above) on COD:MW, Ashes of The Singularity (when it comes out) and StarCraft.

Thanks for the help!

[Professor Frink]

I don't think you will go far wrong with a GTX 960. They are also being bundled with Metal Gear V atm.

[jigger]

I would go with the 290 or this,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00N4LXZGI/?tag=pcp0f-21

Both are bargains.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

The R9 290 will be a big upgrade over what you have now.

[The Hand]

For 1080p gaming I would go for either the GTX 960 or the R9 285. The R9 380 4GB is going for around £170-£180 at the moment (rebadged 285).

Aria.co.uk are doing the Sapphire R9 380 4GB for £169 . IF you're quick enough the Aria have an offer on 1 card at £163.

[law000]

Personally in your position I would get either an R9 290 or a GTX 770. Both go on ebay around £120-£150 2nd hand, with the R9 typically being faster.
Previous gen top cards for current gen budget cards.

Typically @1080p, R9 290 is 38% faster
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/G...960_OC/27.html

[Obie]

If you're wanting to play ashes, you want an amd card as their hardware has shown to run very well in that game, If you want a card to last I suggest buying new.
I would recommend this card from Scan

[Obie]

This is also a good buy for about 15% more performance than the 380/285.
280x

[law000]

If you want a card to last you should buy one with more at least 3gb card. Even at 1080p, as game companies use more and more RAM for textures, 2gb is going to be limiting.
If you have are going new, this should be your minimum http://www.scan.co.uk/products/4gb-s...treams-dp-hdmi

[marshalex]

I'm definitely leaning towards a 4GB card as I don't want to come up against the issues I've got now where I'm out of graphics memory. My only issue with the 290 over the 380 is the extra power consumption (along with the extra cost). Will there be that much of a difference at 1080p between the 2 cards?

[law000]

Yes:
http://www.eteknix.com/sapphire-nitr...card-review/7/

GTA5 for example, min/avg from 19/47 (380) to 32/58 (290). 19fps will no doubt be be the rural areas with high levels of foliage, but still that is unacceptable frame rates.
Also keep in mind that the 290 in this test is probably reference - you will want something like a Tri-X or similar. Avoid the Asus DCUII - they run hot still

Also the cost of running the GPU is going to be negligible. The only cost may be an upgrade to a new PSU~750w

[marshalex]

I'm definitely leaning towards a 290 then going on those framerates. Don't want to have to be in a similar situation in a couple of years time so would like a bit more longevity if I can help it.
Don't fancy upgrading the PSU though as that adds a fair chunk on to the price, in which case I'd be looking at a 970 instead

PS has anyone used Nigel O'Hara before? They seem to have a Gigabyte Windforce OC 290 for £181 which seems a bit too good to be true...

[Revvvhead]

If you're looking at the R9 290 I'd suggest ebay.
I had a great R9 290 tri-x OC which I sold when the GTX 900 series came out as I wanted physx for batman.
I know that a lot of AMD users were blown away when the 900 series came out and lots of these cards started cropping up on ebay barely used.
There are a hell of a lot of PC gamers out there that want the latest kit in there rigs, so plenty of barely used last gen cards going for a song on ebay and gumtree.
And EVGA for one, give the second user a warranty for up to 3 years.
I bought my GTX 970 second hand, it did develop an issue after a month or so, EVGA swapped it for a GTX 980 for me.
I got a £410 card for £230.

[marshalex]

Had a quick scout on eBay last night but couldn't see anything within budget from a 970 point of view. Few more options for 290's but I'm just a bit worried about the power requirements with my current psu. Starting to lean towards the 380 unless there's something else on the horizon (a 960 Ti for example?)

Have found a reasonable 290 on offer from ccl. It's the Asus one mentioned before. Only thing which has also sprung to mind is the size of these cards. Will one of these fit inside my CM 690 case.

Starting to think I'm going to need more than just a graphics card at this rate!

[marshalex]

I've just got one of these in the end. Seemed to keep missing out on the various 2XX deals which keep coming up and I didn't fancy the Asus 290 with the reported heat issues. This should hopefully keep me going for a few years yet.