Build or upgrade

[noob81]

Trying to decide whether to upgrade my machine or build new for BF3 - you guys helped me build my current one, and its been running strong, thought I'd turn to you guys again for advice.

Current build:
Corsair 520w
P5b-e motherboard
E6600
4g Corsair DDR2 800
Nvidia 9800 GTX

Do you think I can just upgrade to a $200ish video card (probably need to upgrade PSU too) and play on decent settings, or is the rest of my machine going to be a bottleneck?

Or should I start thinking about a new build? I would rather spend less, but is it worth throwing money into the current rig?

I've been browsing trying to find info on what card to get, but should I wait a month or two till the game comes out? Are there new cards coming out soon that will drive down current prices?

Thanks for any input.

[glc]

Your CPU and video card both exceed minimum requirements. Try the game first before you spend any money.

Minimums are a 2.0 Ghz dual core and a 8800GT, but you will need Vista or Win 7.

[noob81]

Originally Posted by glc Your CPU and video card both exceed minimum requirements. Try the game first before you spend any money. Minimums are a 2.0 Ghz dual core and a 8800GT, but you will need Vista or Win 7.

I should have read a few more threads before I posted, seems like this is a popular topic.

I have the beta installed, going to give it a try tonight.

Thanks.

[noob81]

Well, it doesn't seem like my graphics card likes the beta drivers. The game seems to run ok while it's working, with lower graphics settings.

Thinking about the Asus 560 ti. My board does not have the PCI 2.0 - is that going to limit the card alot?

And what kind of sales does newegg generally have on graphics cards on black friday?

I have till the beginning of Nov to put it on my cc and pay no interest for 12 months.... don't know if I should pull the trigger before Black friday and pay no interest (would probably build a new rig), or hope for a better deal.

[glc]

What beta drivers? You should be using the current release Nvidia drivers. Are you running Win 7?

[noob81]

Originally Posted by glc What beta drivers? You should be using the current release Nvidia drivers. Are you running Win 7?

Yes, Windows 7 64. It's the beta 285.38 (I think). The game wouldn't launch with anything older.

[noob81]

Decided to get a new card. Was going to get the ASUS 560ti but it is out of stock at newegg. Is there another brand that is good - gigabyte?

Or would it be better to get the Sapphire 6950? 1GB or 2 GB? (worth the extra $20?)

[glc]

The 6950 outperforms the 560 Ti according to Tom's Hardware.

Best PCIe Card: $180 To $300 : Best Graphics Cards For The Money: September 2011

Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100312-1GDP Radeon HD 6950 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity

[noob81]

Originally Posted by glc The 6950 outperforms the 560 Ti according to Tom's Hardware. Best PCIe Card: $180 To $300 : Best Graphics Cards For The Money: September 2011 Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100312-1GDP Radeon HD 6950 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity

Ordered

Thanks for your help glc. Going to see how this performs with my games. May upgrade board/cpu/ram in a few months.