As the title says what do you think. I bought a hd 7970 last year but the rest of my computer is about 4 years old. Also how worth while is it running 2 cards next to each other so 2 7970s?
It's an okay time. Haswell's out, which brings new 1150 socket motherboards. GTX 700 cards are out. RAM prices have spiked a bit lately, but that's not really a factor.
I've never thought running two graphics cards was a good idea, but some people do it. It's just not worth the headache to me. SLI and Crossfire technology still seems weirdly immature, but that's of course from an outsider's perspective.
It's a fine time to build. It was smart to wait for the next gen console specs to be released. RAM prices are on the rise...but I'm only seeing a 20 USD increase on most pairs/sticks.
While @jjweatherman is right about Haswell being available, I could still recommend a processor a kin to the i7 3770k. I use it in my rig (along with a HD 7970 GHZ edition) and get stellar performance in every game at 1080P. If Intel runs with socket 1150, it might be wise to go with that for future processor updates...up to you.
I only run a single 7970 GHZ and have occasional flights over to Newegg to tease myself with the prospect of adding another GPU to my gaming rig. Honestly, it seems crossfire/SLI are mixed gains at best. Lots of horror stories floating around the web about certain games straight up crashing (or having dreadful performance) with Crossfire/SLI setups. The benchmarks on sites like Toms Hardware show less than 100% FPS boosts with Crossfire/SLI; meaning a second card does NOT double your FPS typically. So it would be a 400 USD upgrade for maybe 15 FPS increase. Here is one resource: http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/5414/amd-radeon-hd-7990-6gb-and-hd-7970-ghz-edition-video-cards-in-crossfirex/index.html
If you plan on doing something bonkers like Eyefinity on three screens, you will need the graphic horsepower afforded by the Crossfire/SLI. If you are staying on one screen while gaming, you should be fine with a single HD 7970 and can put that 400 USD towards some sweet upgrades like SSD(s), top tier case, Blu-Ray Drive, etc.
Now is a fine time to build New intel chips out recently and new amd graphics cards are looking nov-Feb. Unfortuneatly ram prices have gone but but you can't have everything.
Games are pretty much completely built around consoles these days, so I am personally going to wait 6 months to a year after the next-gen consoles come out... basically once a game comes along that you might want to upgrade for. That will basically guarantee you won't need to upgrade until the next consoles come out. You also will want about 30% more beef than the consoles to tackle any visual enhancement mods your games might have.
Remember though, the longer you wait, the cheaper things get. Seems like a waste to upgrade in anticipation rather than to wait for the next new CPU or GPU(that you don't need) to come out so the one it replaces drops in prices.
While @jjweatherman is right about Haswell being available, I could still recommend a processor a kin to the i7 3770k. I use it in my rig (along with a HD 7970 GHZ edition) and get stellar performance in every game at 1080P. If Intel runs with socket 1150, it might be wise to go with that for future processor updates...up to you.
As I am currently considering building a PC: Here (EU/CH) the Haswell-CPUs/boards are only slightly more expensive than the Ivy ones. About 20 bucks each. That might be very different in the US.
I don't know much about building a PC but lots of people do it and it should have lots of guides online so you should google it and look around before you start.
I'm also looking to build a new PC. Although I need to save up a bit more, it will probably be done by the end of august. Guess that answers your question.
@raindog505: Awesome thanks for the advice, im not planning anything crazy so ill just stick to 1 graphics card, this is going to give you an idea of how knowlegable I am on these things (not very) but is very any disadvantages for using different cpu motherboard and graphics card? My card being AMD am I best of sticking with AMD?
It's an okay time. Haswell's out, which brings new 1150 socket motherboards. GTX 700 cards are out. RAM prices have spiked a bit lately, but that's not really a factor.
I've never thought running two graphics cards was a good idea, but some people do it. It's just not worth the headache to me. SLI and Crossfire technology still seems weirdly immature, but that's of course from an outsider's perspective.
Actually I agree. There are plenty of decently priced cards that can handle anything currently on the market by themselves. If you go dual monitor or play at insanely high resolutions it might pay out, but for most people.... not worth the extra cost.
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