Help an old dog out

[mac_mogul]

I joined this forum in 2003 and was an active member for 5 years before I built my first PC.
I spent about $500 on the following:
Wolfdale e7200 2.53ghz Core2 Duo
EVGA 512mb 9600GT (later Replaced with EVGA 1gb 9800GTX)
2gb gskill 800mhz DDR2 (later replaced with 3gb Kingston HyperX 1066)
250gb WD hdd (Added 500gb WD hdd for 750gb total)
450w CoolerMaster Centurion case/psu (Later replaced with 500w OCZ psu)
Gigabyte EP35-DS3L mobo

Its a great computer and it'll basically play any game I throw at it. What I'm really missing out on though is DX11 and PhysX. I bought the Batman Arkham pack on Steam last weekend and the demands of those games surpass what my system is able to deliver. (Arkham Asylum ran okay, but Arkham City is such a beast I have to keep everything turned way down to maintain smooth action)

I've been looking into upgrading the GPU again to something like a GTX460. I understand this to be a DX11 card and it would be powerful enough to run PhysX on its own AND it is budget friendly.

BUT, the more I looked into it; newer games are requiring more powerful CPU hardware as well as GPU. My question is, would buying a GTX460 do wonders for my gaming experience or would it be worthless paired with my old components? Should I just plan on building a whole new machine soon or do you think I can keep upgrading what I've got?

I appreciate all opinions and suggestions!

I'm not really a "PC Guy" but I'm a gamer and I enjoy building and upgrading things and I enjoy playing games on the PC much more than consoles.

 

[Mischa]

IMO I would start saving for a new rig. I think if you upgrade just to a 460 you will find yourself needing to upgrade other parts within a year or two so why not get a new rig now and you will be good for another few years.

 

[PP Mguire]

Instead of a 460 you can get the 560se. Similar components but should be cooler and clocked higher (according to reviews).

I don't think adding the card to your machine would be a waste but to get full potential I would say get a whole new rig. You would be able to play your games at higher settings though.

 

[tj_extreme]

I'd save up and go with a new build, IMHO. That CPU is going to bottleneck any new(er) GPU you put in the system, and like you said CPU requirements are going up.

Edit: Ninja'd.. Twice.

 

[Trotter]

I will echo the above. You are on a LGA775 platform that is completely dead now. Adding more graphics horsepower will only serve to bottleneck the GPU.

What kind of a budget will you be working with? I know you prefer Intel. The Ivy Bridge quads start at $200 for a Core i5-345 which would make your e7200 curl up in the fetal position. DDR3 is pretty cheap right now so you could snag 2x2GB of 1600 G.Skill for $30 or 2x4GB for $47.

Hard drives have become much more expensive, but you could reuse what you have. A SSD for your OS would be a nice addition but that would depend on your budget.

 

[mac_mogul]

My plan is to sell my current rig once I get a new one built. I'd be upgrading to a 1TB HD and 8gb RAM.

My budget would be around $600-$650


I was looking at the GTX 560 and that looks like a good place to start. I'm not sure about i5 as I think an i3 could serve me just as well. I don't think I need 4 cores yet. (unless someone can convince me)

I know you prefer Intel.

What a great guy, knows just what I like

 

[PP Mguire]

Eh, that e7200 isn't too bad. I ran a pair of 9800GTX+ cards on it and the GTX560se doesn't have THAT much horsepower to it. The better way to go is obviously build a new rig for these newer games, but I think you will still see a good amount of difference between the 9800 and a 560se.

 

[mac_mogul]

Thanks guys! I think what I'm going to do for now is search for a used GTX 460 and consider that as the 'Final Upgrade' and then start planning out a new build. Maybe this way I can funnel a few more $$ into a new machine and get something a bit more powerful in the end.