In need of a new GPU!

[chantme]

I'm a bit tired of the low frame rates in CS:GO and hoping someone could advise me on which GPU to purchase to improve performance. Here's my currrent build:

CPU Type QuadCore Intel Core i5-2500K, 3400 MHz (34 x 100)
Motherboard Name ASRock Z77 Extreme4 (2 PCI, 2 PCI-E x1, 2 PCI-E x16, 4 DDR3 DIMM, Audio, Video, Gigabit LAN)
Motherboard Chipset Intel Panther Point Z77, Intel Sandy Bridge
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
AMD Radeon HD 6870 DD


I've seen some people recommend the nvidia gtx 660 and the radeon 7850. Any advice to help me make a decision would be appreciated.

[AmazingRedd]

The 660 are still pretty good and are on the budget. I personalty don't own one but I've read some good reviews from newegg. If you got the money go for the 680 or 7950 if you like AMD. I know some people might be bold with their reviews but you cant go wrong with 80%+ recommendations.

edit: btw i run a 460, and it crystal clear gameplay. All high settings.

[Marv]

the 7770 HD core edition maxes out GO for me, and its only a hundred bucks?

edit: you're gpu is quite a bit better than mine, what's your defenition of 'low frame rate'?

[chantme]

It drops into the 30s and is kind of choppy.

[Dead...Again]

Check this out. Ranks video cards.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...ew,3107-7.html

[juneau]

I'm currently running the 2GB version of the HD7850. Probably my most favourite gfx card to date.

[WalkinTarget]

What doesn't make sense to me is why a 6870 card is not pulling 30 fps in CS:GO ... I have been out of the hardware loop for years (having been 'the guy' back in the day who knew his stuff when anyone asked for a hardware recommendation, but I still don't think that card should have ANY problem in that game.

And if you have a 2500k, why oh why are you not overclocking the snot out of it ?? I overclock every CPU I buy, and my 2500k will do 4.5 at default voltages. I left it at 4.1 since nothing, and I mean nothing, that I play can slow it down. But I digress ... back to the GPU discussion.

[chantme]

What doesn't make sense to me is why a 6870 card is not pulling 30 fps in CS:GO ... I have been out of the hardware loop for years (having been 'the guy' back in the day who knew his stuff when anyone asked for a hardware recommendation, but I still don't think that card should have ANY problem in that game.

And if you have a 2500k, why oh why are you not overclocking the snot out of it ?? I overclock every CPU I buy, and my 2500k will do 4.5 at default voltages. I left it at 4.1 since nothing, and I mean nothing, that I play can slow it down. But I digress ... back to the GPU discussion.

I've never overclocked my CPU and only have the stock heatsink/fan on it. Ever since I formatted to w7 x64 and run my os on a 256gb ssd (steam is on a 7200rpm drive) my frame rates have been crappy. If I walk into an open area my fps takes a hit. Not sure why.

[WalkinTarget]

So you formatted the SSD and installed the OS, or did you copy it over using a utility to copy the existing HDD over to the SSD ?? I ask because you may not have set up the SSD properly if using the second method. It needs to be set to use 4k sectors to be properly aligned, and if not you will need to address that. There are utilities that can both determine the sector size and also correct it for you if need be.

You have something going on, but I am certain it is not a GPU issue. Too many variables to determine what it is at this point, so we will keep weeding them out one at a time. You can also use Steam Mover to transfer any Steam games you use frequently from the HDD to the SSD for a speed increase. Problem is, it should only affect the loading of the game, not its in-game frame rates. It's worth a try to at least pin the blame on the SSD or the HDD and eliminate one or the other from our troubleshooting steps.

I'd buy a Cooler Master Hyper 212+ or Evo HSF and ditch that stock HSF, then enjoy a nice overclock on that 2500k. It's soooo easy to do these days. My Gigabyte Z68 board even offers to do it for you using the TouchBIOS tools that come with the board.

[juneau]

Got to agree with WT. You should be getting way higher frames than that. I'm running an old C2D chip at 1920x1080 and i'm pulling 80-120fps.

It might be a good idea to monitor your CPU and and GPU usage while playing. Do you have MSI afterburner or similar installed?

[chantme]

So you formatted the SSD and installed the OS, or did you copy it over using a utility to copy the existing HDD over to the SSD ?? I ask because you may not have set up the SSD properly if using the second method. It needs to be set to use 4k sectors to be properly aligned, and if not you will need to address that. There are utilities that can both determine the sector size and also correct it for you if need be.

You have something going on, but I am certain it is not a GPU issue. Too many variables to determine what it is at this point, so we will keep weeding them out one at a time. You can also use Steam Mover to transfer any Steam games you use frequently from the HDD to the SSD for a speed increase. Problem is, it should only affect the loading of the game, not its in-game frame rates. It's worth a try to at least pin the blame on the SSD or the HDD and eliminate one or the other from our troubleshooting steps.

I'd buy a Cooler Master Hyper 212+ or Evo HSF and ditch that stock HSF, then enjoy a nice overclock on that 2500k. It's soooo easy to do these days. My Gigabyte Z68 board even offers to do it for you using the TouchBIOS tools that come with the board.

I did a fresh install when I received the SSD drive and followed this guide for the setup: http://www.overclock.net/t/1156654/s...-for-ssds-hdds

I'll try moving GO to the SSD just for testing purposes. I actually own the 212+ but it's too big for my case and forget what it was blocking (hdd cage maybe). I may have another go at it this weekend. Maybe it wasn't blocking anything and I just had difficulty getting the push pins through to the other side of the motherboard securely. In either case, sounds like I'll have to disassemble the whole thing to try it.

Got to agree with WT. You should be getting way higher frames than that. I'm running an old C2D chip at 1920x1080 and i'm pulling 80-120fps.

It might be a good idea to monitor your CPU and and GPU usage while playing. Do you have MSI afterburner or similar installed?

I did recently install MSI afterburner but I'm not certain as to what I should be specifically looking for (temps?).



I'm wondering if it's a CPU issue.. I ran a malware bytes scan and my cpu temps jumped from 60s to 90s. I'm going to check this out when I get home and bust out the Hyper 212 box. *note* Looks like I idle in the 60s and jumps into the 70s just browsing chrome. My heatsink must not be on right.


***

Installed the 212+ and now idling low 30s:

IzmzqBY.jpg


I'll post back if it addresses any of my FPS issues.. seems like im getting solid 120fps now!! Does it matter that my fan is on the 'wrong' side according to some people? If I had it on the counter side it would block the memory axs.

[WalkinTarget]

You can still mount a fan on the RAM slot side, just move your memory to slots 2 and 4 instead of 1 and 3. Those temps were crazy high, so it looks like your CPU as throttling back once it hits those high temps in-game. It's only a matter of time til that happens with those high temps you had.

The ideal fan setup for the 212+ is a push/pull setup, with the front fan pulling air into the heatsink behind it and the rear fan pulling that air out of the heatsink. That hot air then is pulled out of the case by the rear case fan, which is the preferred method. It's not entirely ideal, as it doesn't blow on the RAM, but its the best you can do without active cooling on the RAM.

Tidy up all that wiring clutter as well .. it will drop temps a bit, as what you have is blocking the clean airflow in your case. You can route 80% of those cables underneath your board.

[goldenfooler]

If its airflow. If it is normally sitting on that shag. Raise it up on some bricks. You most likely are not getting any flow from below.
Also check under your PSU there might be a mesh to clean out. Mine has one .

[WalkinTarget]

Golden, there aren't any intake fans on the bottom of the case so no worries about it being hampered from the bottom. The PSU fan is an intake but its mounted upside down so it won't do anything but pull the warmer air from inside the case to dump on the PSU internals. I actually think the PSU may be reversible so that it will mount the correct way and pull in cool outside air, so in that case then OP would need to get it off that carpet.

That stack of 4 HDDs sandwiched in there is bad news. I'm curious of the temps on the 2 stuck in the middle - I bet they are hot as a microwave plate. I try and stagger them if I need to mount multiple HDDs, but OP may not have a choice.

[Apache Warrior]

He could always leave the case open and use this.

Apache