Choosing a new graphics card and/or processor

[Gnurg]

When playing LoL and WoW at the same time, my computer tends to get a bit noisy, so I thought I'd upgrade some parts on my computer. I did read that someone just upgraded their graphics card and the computer's noise went down, which would be less costly for me having to buy only a new graphics card. Whenever that is true or not, I don't know, so if someone could help me out choosing the products, that would be great!

Currently I have the following...
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2500K CPU @ 3.30 GHz (it shows 4 times in device management, so I guess it has 4 cores? :#)
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti.

I want to be able to have two monitors, both connected with DVI cables, so it would be nice if the graphic card supported that.

Browsing for just a few minutes, I found these two and I am really curious to why one of them is 40 % more expensive when it from what I can tell is just the next card in the line? (Sorry for the norwegian site!)
https://www.komplett.no/product/839636/ ... gaming-4gb# (236 euro)
https://www.komplett.no/product/824864/ ... tx-970-4gb# (323 euro)

Is there much difference between an MSI GeForce GTX 960 and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960? The current one is NVIDIA.

[Matsy]

Hi Gnurg, the two ones you linked are 960 and 970.
The 970 will give you more performance for the price, about 15-20 more FPS in games.

Leave the processor, the 2500k is still totally fine (I still use one). If you wanted to upgrade the processor you'd have to get a new motherboard as-well as the socket will be different.

If you are concerned about noise, the fan on your GPU may be running too high.
Download MSI Afterburner, go into settings, Fan and tick Enable user definded software automatic fan control. Use the graph to plot your GPUs fan speed, set 0-70 to a point where you cant hear it and then go up in 5% incriments every 5c. As long as you card isnt running above 85+ on games, you are fine. Also set it to run on startup

[Gnurg]

Asked Matsy in-game and he convinced me to buy the 970 I linked above and me being patient as usual bought it right away.

[Rohit]

Asked Matsy in-game and he convinced me to buy the 970 I linked above and me being patient as usual bought it right away.

Err, shouldn't have just yet. Read this before you buy a gpu.
http://www.cnet.com/news/nvidia-gtx-108 ... ilability/

[Gnurg]

Asked Matsy in-game and he convinced me to buy the 970 I linked above and me being patient as usual bought it right away.

Err, shouldn't have just yet. Read this before you buy a gpu.
http://www.cnet.com/news/nvidia-gtx-108 ... ilability/

2.5 times as much for just minor details...

[Matsy]

970 is last generations price to performance sweet spot.
The 1070/80 are far too expensive for what they are and the 480 will be faster than a 970, but not worth it anyway till non reference designs come out. I would say buy a used 970 if you require a new GPU straight away, or wait and see what the 480's can do.

[Rohit]

2.5 times as much for just minor details...

Are you kidding me?

Have some patience and wait for the release of RX480. You'd be surprised what it can do and the price it is coming for is actually unbelievable.

[Boxis]

If you can wait week or two more and don't want to spend much, then get a 1060. It should be as fast as 980 with the price tag of 970 or even less. It will be faster than RX480 as well. It is always good to buy current generation gpu's, if possible, instead of older one.

http://videocardz.com/61753/nvidia-gefo ... han-rx-480

[Fastor]

Gnurg, STOP!!!

What they are saying its actually right:

• 1. Your CPU is more than fine, do not touch it.
  2. Noise from your PC is coming from Fans that reduce heating on your CPU and GPU. You have not said with what cooler are you cooling your CPU?
  3. Yes, true that some GPUs are producing less noise than others and that is because two things: how much GPU chip is generating heat and which cooler is used to remove that heat

For example lets take a look at coolers of those two cards you linked first



If we imagine that both GPU chips are making same amount of heat, you can recognize yourself that cooler with two fans (of same size like on pictures) would be more effective in reducing heat than single fan. Now that brings us to second FACT.
Two fans are making more noise than single fan, right? Yes if you are comparing them when they are both at full speed but with twin fans it wont happen and here is why. Single fan to make airflow to lower temperature down to 50 degree need to work at FULL speed and produce lot of noise, while on other hand two fans to make same airflow wont even need to work at half of that speed thus they would make far less noise.
So better watch card with better cooler.

• 4. Brace yourself, new graphic cards are coming this month!

Graphic cards GTX 1080, GTX 1070 and AMD RX480 are already out and l wont consider any of those three because first two are not in same price range and third one is HORRIBLE DESIGNED and is KILLING MOTHERBOARDS.
Now there is GTX 1060 that is coming this month and l suggest you to wait for it since it will be similar to GTX 970 which Matsy told (and l confirm its sweet spot of that generation) but it would be:

• be latest generation with all its benefits
  more FPS than GTX 970
  will have 6GB RAM compared to 3.5GB which GTX 970 have
  probably hold more monitors than you want
  similar or same price as 970.

IN CONCUSION

Just clear dust of your PC case, maybe add few 12cm fans on your PC case for more airflow which will result lower temps which result less work for CPU and GPU fans which result less noise and longer life of your PC components.
And wait to see will GTX 1060 would be more dear to you than GTX 970 (Both with better cooler on it OFC) which would be released this month.

[Matsy]

Lastest generation will always be better, depends if Grung has the patience to wait ;p

[Fastor]

Lastest generation will always be better, depends if Grung has the patience to wait ;p

One month, fuck hell must have patience. Its not that GPU died.

[Jiranthos]

Fastor has a point. The only things that make sounds from computers are beeps (not relevant here) and spinning mechanisms such as fans, coolers and rotating HDD components (e.g. heads).

If I were Gnurg, I'd inspect the source of the noise, this could likely be also the CPU fan, as much as it could be the GPU fan or even the PSU (Power Supply Unit) fan, clean those out and if it's still too loud, only then think of silencing or muffling options, such as replacing fans or the components themselves.
Just open the case and put your ear to it and locate the source of the loudest sound. Is it the CPU, the GPU, the HDD, the PSU?

[Gnurg]

Asked Matsy in-game and he convinced me to buy the 970 I linked above and me being patient as usual bought it right away.

Even if that new card is to be released very soon, it wouldn't suprise me that it wouldn't be available or super pricey (even if it was supposed to be 'cheap'). The 970 is probably more than good enough for now.

As for cooling, there's a big fan in front of it and a small one in the back of it. I try to vacuum it once a year, so it shouldn't be too dusty. Would it help placing more fans inside it even if I don't see places for air to go out?

[Matsy]

Asked Matsy in-game and he convinced me to buy the 970 I linked above and me being patient as usual bought it right away.

Even if that new card is to be released very soon, it wouldn't suprise me that it wouldn't be available or super pricey (even if it was supposed to be 'cheap'). The 970 is probably more than good enough for now.

As for cooling, there's a big fan in front of it and a small one in the back of it. I try to vacuum it once a year, so it shouldn't be too dusty. Would it help placing more fans inside it even if I don't see places for air to go out?

General rule is to have more air blowing into the case than out.
As I said in first post, use MSI afterburner to lower the fan speed of your GPU's if thats whats making the noise.

[Matsy]

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