[svartelric]

Hi all, I'd like to know if my nVidia GeForce 9500 GT (with these specs: 550MHz Core Clock, 800MHz Memory Clock, 1350MHz Shader Clock, 1024MB of 128-bit DDR2) would be enough to run the game at a decent FPS on a medium setting. Would you suggest getting an entirely new card or could it suffice to pair the one I mentioned with another identical one?
Thanks!

[Aaden]

I'm afraid the Geforce 9500 GT is way, way below the minimum specs for TW2, which is a 8800GT. It's a really low end card (a quick glance on a few benchmarks suggests less than half the power of a 8800GT!).

So, the only way to go is getting a completely new one. But make sure it fits in your case (length of the card!), your PSU is powerful enough and your setup is able to handle the additional heat produced by a more powerful video card - the rest of your configuration shouldn't be so weak that it's a bottle-neck for your new video card either. Gladly, we'll give you further advice on this, if you tell us what the rest of your system is and what budget you have in mind.

[M4xw0lf]

For medium settings, you should look in the Radeon HD7800 or Geforce GTX660 region. But as Aaden said, the rest of your system should not be limiting your new card.

[svartelric]

Thanks for your reply!

My system is this:
- Asus P8H61-M LX R2.0 Motherboard
- Intel Core i5-2500 CPU @ 3.30 GHz
- 8 GB RAM
- Win 8 64 bit

Can't remember what type of RAM I put in my machine, but I think it's DDR3.
Anyway, any help is welcome!

[M4xw0lf]

Yep, DDR3. Okay, your processor can handle almost every graphics card. Now the question is how much money you'd like to spend

[svartelric]

I'm on a "TAKE MAH MONEH" mode atm, so feel free to suggest uber-ware.

[zeta16]

It also depends on the power supply you have, does it have 6 and 8 pin connectors? Only 6 pin? None at all?

[Aaden]

How about a GTX Titan then? Will cost you a lousy $1000.

Seriously though, if you really are in spending mood, go for a Geforce GTX680 or alternatively a Radeon HD7970 GHz.
If you want the most bang for your buck GTX660 or HD7870/HD7950 are your best bet.

Just make sure your Power Supply can handle it, and the length is okay for your case. A quality 500W PSU should be the minimum to aim for. No chinacrackers, solid devices from reputable brands (Seasonic, Enermax, Corsair to name a few).

[M4xw0lf]

Geforce Titan?! http://geizhals.at/e...TX+Titan#xf_top
Naah. let's not get silly ^^
If you're in the mood to spend some money, I'd recommend a Radeon HD7970 (or 7970 GHz Edition) or Geforce GTX680. The Radeon is cheaper (also the GHz Edition, even if it's faster than the 680) , but it draws about a bit more power while gaming. You could even try Ubersampling, if you can do with ~20 FPS
Some cards which are not too loud: http://geizhals.at/e...5997&cmp=735670
And also for the Geforces: http://geizhals.at/e...0611&cmp=824582
If you want a Geforce and the 680 prices are a bit too steep, you can always take a 670. The 7970 has the better performance/monies ratio.

Edit: ah, I took too long searching the cards.

[svartelric]

Thank you very much, guys!

[.Volsung.]

Or you could invest your money wisely. Cards like the GTX 670 and GTX 680 will be noticeably more powerful than their cheaper siblings in higher resolutions (probably multi-monitor resolutions) and an extreme amount of graphical effects. Nowadays, something like a GTX 660 Ti would handle The Witcher 2 with maximum settings (maybe even Ubersampling) at a good framerate, well over 50 FPS, at 1920x1080.

Take a look at this: the GTX 660 Ti and the GTX 670 are identical in every aspect except the 660 Ti uses 192-bit memory interface and the 670 uses a 256-bit interface. Performance-wise, this is unnoticeable except in multi-monitor resolutions. Question is, is that worth over a hundred dollars to you?

Seriously guys, as much as you like having a state-of-the-art PC most of the time it is not necessary to play games with a satisfying performance.

[Guy N'wah]

svartelric said:

Hi all, I'd like to know if my nVidia GeForce 9500 GT (with these specs: 550MHz Core Clock, 800MHz Memory Clock, 1350MHz Shader Clock, 1024MB of 128-bit DDR2) would be enough to run the game at a decent FPS on a medium setting. Would you suggest getting an entirely new card or could it suffice to pair the one I mentioned with another identical one?
Thanks! ›››

It's known to work at a pretty low performance level. (There are many cheap newer cards that are much worse than this oldster.) Reduced resolution (preferably 1280x720) and low to medium settings should be workable.

The rest of your setup makes it look like you can use a substantial card, but you have to be careful with space and heat, because it is a micro-ATX setup, and micro-ATX cases often limit what you can stuff into them.

Along the length of the PCI-Express slot (where your 9500 GT now sits), measure the distance from the opening where the video connectors come out to the first obstacle (usually the drive cage or a protruding drive). This is the maximum card length you can accommodate. (A card with auxiliary power connectors facing the rear of the card will have to be even shorter than that.)

After allowing for whether any particular card will actually fit, you should limit yourself to approx. 150 watts TDP. Anything more is asking for heat problems in a micro-ATX case. AMD cards up to the 5850, 6870, and 7850 are under or at that limit. In nVidia, suitable cards are the 560 (but not the 560Ti), 660, and 660Ti.

[M4xw0lf]

.Volsung. said:

Or you could invest your money wisely. Cards like the GTX 670 and GTX 680 will be noticeably more powerful than their cheaper siblings in higher resolutions (probably multi-monitor resolutions) and an extreme amount of graphical effects. Nowadays, something like a GTX 660 Ti would handle The Witcher 2 with maximum settings (maybe even Ubersampling) at a good framerate, well over 50 FPS, at 1920x1080.

Take a look at this: the GTX 660 Ti and the GTX 670 are identical in every aspect except the 660 Ti uses 192-bit memory interface and the 670 uses a 256-bit interface. Performance-wise, this is unnoticeable except in multi-monitor resolutions. Question is, is that worth over a hundred dollars to you?

Seriously guys, as much as you like having a state-of-the-art PC most of the time it is not necessary to play games with a satisfying performance. ›››

He said: shut up and take my money - these are the appropriate options

Plus: the small memory interface DOES matter for Ubersampling, which is high resolution. The 7970 with its 384bit interface is faster than the GTX600s with Ubersampling due to this.

[svartelric]

Again, thanks for the input! To be honest, I am very keen on acquiring a GTX, and since budget isn't really at stake I just have to see what technical restraints I have. I need to check the power supply, but IIRC it's a 550W psu, can't really think of the brand, though. Oh well, I'll be opening the case again tomorrow I guess, fun times.

Edit: I'll probably go with an overkill GPU, just to stay a bit ahead with the work when TW3 comes out... so maybe the Titan might be an investment. j/k, but I can dream, right? still, I'm probably looking at a GeForse GTX 670, if my slot and PSU support it.

[.Volsung.]

Consider the cost of possibly upgrading your PSU and the space you need to fit a top-performing card. Most modern cards do get quite big.

[Guy N'wah]

.Volsung. said:

Consider the cost of possibly upgrading your PSU and the space you need to fit a top-performing card. Most modern cards do get quite big. ›››

The GTX 660, 660Ti, and 670 (but not the 680) are actually pretty short (the reference cooler is longer than the card). Some manufacturers have taken advantage of this to fit it with short coolers that are just 7.5 inches or so long.

AMD's 7850 (but not the 7870) is also a short card; it is just 7.75 inches long, and some manufacturers make it with a cooler of the same length.

So even if you have a little less than 8 inches clearance, you should be able to get a high-performing card into a microATX case. But not if you are at all unsure about the case airflow. Most of the aftermarket cooler designs will fill your case with hot air before you get to the first battle.

[bulll]

ive got a 560 ti and run the game on high ubersampling off ... n it runs mostly at 50-60 and its buttery smooth ... im sure u wont go for 500 series ... 660ti or 670 are good ... and also i dont think 550w is enough for 670 ... 660ti u should be fine ... as i have a corsair gs500w n its running fine

[gregski]

I can definitely recommend ASUS GTX660i. It's silent and it runs TW2 in 1920x1080 on Ultra (without annoyances like VSync, cinematic DoF etc) like a charm without overclocking.