6 replies to this topic

[harleymhs]

Hey Guys.. I am thinking about upgrading my video card.. I curently have a GTX470 Nvidia.. ( Running win 7 , 64bit, SSD for os, Raptor for FSX, i7 930 2.80 GHZ and 12 GB Ram ) Would I gain alot if I upgrade to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 HD 2560MB... Any thoughts would be great! Thanks!!!!

Edited by harleymhs, 19 November 2011 - 01:25 PM.

[djMot]

I'm sure that's a great card (whoever's it is,) although I don't see it listed in the CPU magazine December 2011 issue Video Buyer's Guide. They list several 560s and 580s, but no 570s. However, I'm sure this issue only scratches the surface of the overall playing field since there are literally dozens of manufactures that use the NVIDIA GeForce chip sets. 2.5GB video RAM is great, but I really would look at the specs in a lineup of all 570 cards to see how the one you have your eye on performs against the rest.

That said, and assuming you're interested primarily in FSX over, say, X-Plane, you should consider looking into overclocking that CPU. An i7 930 ought to get easily into the mid/upper 3.xGHz range. I run an i7 950 at 4.2GHz, but I'm water cooled with a Corsair H70. It has been said that one of the biggest factors in FSX performance is raw processor speed. I run an NVIDIA GeForce GTX285 (albeit an out of the box overclocked edition from EVGA) and I think the card generally loafs in FSX. I think many running higher clocked processors believe that an NVIDIA 8800 is one of the best ever for FSX, and clearly well below the capabilities of a series 5 card. So the question better asked might be whether you can just get the CPU clock into overdrive.

BUT, careful to ensure your power supply is okay with the extra demand. This is as much a concern, and perhaps even more so, when replacing the video card. The faster the video card goes, the greater the thirst for power. The faster the CPU goes, the thirstier it gets for power. And with that extra power comes the need to keep things cool.

I think overall, and assuming FSX is the driving force here, overclocking is going to giver you more bang, and possibly without any bucks spent at all. Of course, if there's other games that need the 570, then that's a different matter. Definitely look at some of the sites that benchmark lots of cards. Tom's Hardware is one site I've relied on for such benchmarks; I'm sure there's others out there, too.

[timmo32]

i agree with djmots comments,fsx is a cpu driven proggram,and i dont think you will see a huge increase in frames with the new card,tho most likely you will get a better picture or clearer picture.

[harleymhs]

Thanks Guys.. I wasnt concerned too much with Frame Rates.. I average 1bout 35 FPS with ALL the sliders to max, running REX and My Traffic 2010 ... I wanted to know if I upgraded the video card will I get a much better quality of the way FSX looks overall! How about if I went to the NEW GTX 580

[djMot]

Well, again, much of the FSX magic occurs in the CPU, not the GPU. Not that the GPU is unimportant, it is of course, just not as much as you might think. There are undoubtedly some benefits to gain by upgrading the video card, but if you're already running all sliders maxed out and getting 35fps, aren't you really throwing good money at a non-problem? Perhaps the $$$ would be better saved up for that next killer system. You know, the one you'll need for MS Flight, or X-Plane 10.

(Although I'm betting the magic in X-Plane 10 happens far closer to the GPU, so that 580 card is looking better all the time.)

Bottom line, if you just have to do an upgrade, is to ask yourself if you have the power and cooling the card will need. If so and the money's burning holes in your pocket, I'd compare benchmarks and put my money in the best card. But again, I can't stress it enough - if you're under powering an awesome new video card, it's likely to perform worse than a lesser card that's properly powered. Under powered video cards have to compromise to keep running, or they just crash and make things generally messy.

[harleymhs]

Thanks DJ.. My wife too says the same thing in different words! Dont fix something that isnt broken!

[dikkeduif]

I have a gtx 570 and it's a good card, I can play most recent games on max settings in fact.
I have an intel i7 2.8ghz. But it's true that fsx demands a lot from the cpu.