Looking to upgrade

Guttzu

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It's been a long time since I posted on here but I figured I really need to upgrade my old ass video card and RAM and possibly the motherboard... Let's start with the Video card. I currently have an EVGA GTX-285 and I'm looking for suggestions...

I'm looking for something between $250-$350... I just want a single card for now and something to get me by for a year or two... My 285 has done well but it's time for an upgrade. I'm not really biased towards EVGA so I'll look at the best cards in that price range...

Now on to the RAM. I currently have 3x2GB sticks of OCZ Platinum 1600 triple channel for my intel i7 - 920...

I'm looking at something like this for 3x4GB triple channel: Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 12GB (3 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9T-12GBRL

What speed would you guys suggest? 1600, 1866, or 2000? Maybe get something that will be good for awhile? I'm thinking 12GB of RAM will be good but maybe get a faster speed? Maybe something like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226196

Real quick on my current motherboard which is an EVGA X58 SLI, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188039, I know it's old. It says it can run up to 24gb of RAM but I've been reading that there is a BIOS option in the newer boards called XMP which I couldn't find in my BIOS... Maybe it's time to upgrade my motherboard as well!

Motherboard would have to fit the i7-920 which is the intel 1366 chipset... Any suggestions on that? I know this is going to add up fast but I'd rather get good stuff and be set for awhile... Maybe keep the motherboard and just upgrade the ram and the video card? Thanks in advance for suggestions and ideas!
 
No love... :( I know someone has a Video Card, RAM, or possible Motherboard upgrade suggestion...
 
Guttzu, it's Sunday. Most of us are with our families.

I'm not that familiar with the 1366 chipset. Also not sure on the GPU.

As far as RAM goes, 8GB is enough for an game. Unless you are compiling data, it is not worth it.
 
Thank for the info. I'll be patient :) I'm still thinking maybe stick with my current motherboard and just get some new RAM and a sweet video card...
 
Well I can say that I have had fun doing research on what RAM to use... Next up is the video card!
 
1600 is pretty much the base standard right now. Not really any real world performance difference between that and even 2133. If you can fork for 12GB then I'd say do that.

The 285 is still a good card, edging towards my 465 stock for stock. I'd say a good upgrade in that price range would be a GTX 570, and I would say eVGA at that lol.

You don't need to upgrade your motherboard for XMP. XMP is a set of RAM profiles for particular sticks of RAM to run at higher speeds. Also, the 1366 is a dead and aging platform. I really can't say getting a new motherboard for that platform is a good idea at all. You would be better off getting a Z77 motherboard and getting a 2500k or 3570k.

I couldn't post because I was busy playing BF3 lol.
 
Thanks for the info and the advice on not buying a new motherboard... I've had great experience with EVGA both MB and video card so I'll stick with it...

How about this for RAM: Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 12GB (3 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9T-12GBRL I checked EVGA's site for compatibility, EVGA | Support | Home, and that RAM is compatible...

Well since I'm not upgrading the MB I can spend more on the video card... Maybe $450 to $550... Would it be worth it to get a Heatsink for the video card and if so which card+HS would work the best? I'm liking the GTX 680 so maybe something like this that comes with a decent cooling setup: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130797 Or maybe something like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130771
 
Yea the eVGA X58 boards were beast man. I wish I had the pleasure of having one of those setups.

That RAM is good.

The GTX680 and 670 cards run fairly cool with the new Kepler chips having such a good design over Fermi. Either 670 or 680 eVGA cards with the stock cooler will be an excellent addition to your rig.
 
Thanks for the info PP... I'm going to order that RAM tonight! Now on to the GTX 680. I am tossing up between the 2GB or the 4GB... Also, what is the difference between these 2: Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked+ 02G-P4-2684-KR GeForce GTX 680 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card and Newegg.com - EVGA 02G-P4-2685-KR GeForce GTX 680 SC Signature+ w/Backplate 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card. It looks like the only difference is the clocks are a little higher on the second one... Here is a link to the EVGA 680's... Can't decide! I need some professional advice before dropping $600 on a card :) Thanks again to all who help.

Ok found this showing the difference between the Signature and the FTW:

The FTW model uses the same PCB and shroud as the signature model. Both models have the same clock speed. Once you remove the shroud you may see the differences.

First of all the FTW model has an 8-phase power design, whereas the Signature model has a 5-phase power design.

The FTW model has the vapor chamber cooling. So the FTW model should run a few degrees cooler. The Signature model uses the standard cooler.

If you plan to overclock the card then get the FTW. If you're not gonna then stick to a lesser model.
 
Really, a single standard 2GB 680 takes everything you throw at it and spits it up like nothing. Hell, so does a 580. The only time you need more power or VRAM is when you want to do 2D surround.
 
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