I've been toying with this idea for a while -- what if I upgrade my GPU to something seriously powerful? Like a GTX 570 or a HD 6970? Basically, take my GPU processing power out of the equation when I ask myself "can I run this?"

I'm on an i5 750, 4GB DDR3, HD 5770 rig and I'm just yearning for something faster. Or at least something that can give me more eye-candy, or deal with multi-monitor/triple-screen setups. Or at the very least, inch my way up the performance ladder bit-by-bit.

So is it even worth considering a beefier GPU or will my other components just hold it back?

The i5 750 is not yet obsolete. Get that video card you yearn for. Go ahead and help the economy. Also wait till Cyber Monday as there should be some good deals at the egg and Amazon.

I've got that CPU and I bought a GTX 570 and upgraded to 8 gigs of ram. It helped make BF3 playable for me and Skyrim runs well too with minor exceptions.

Monday the 28th? Perhaps I will see a deal on the EVGA GTX 560 2GB by then.

If one wants triple screen with one card, then a high-end AMD/ATI card will pay off -- e.g. HD6970 or HD6950.

Rumor still says high end HD7xxx in January. A lot more power (on paper) and priced higher than HD6xxx (it is rumored). But, with all the delays so far (due to manufacturing process, not lack of GPU performance it is rumored), one can't be sure there won't be another delay, another excuse.

Next generation Nvidia cards have been rumored March/April for a long time now.

That's not a sarcastic remark now, is it?

Yeah, I've been looking at a 570-or-it's-equivalent card, but the price seems too high. Still, I'd like to buy my games and "just play it" so I guess the extra processing power would be justified.

No, just tongue-in-cheek. The difference between a new Sandy Bridge CPU and your i5 would be at best 5 to maybe 10 percent. That's being real. The biggest difference is the SB chip can OC to 4.5Ghz and for some, 5Ghz. Your i5 can only do a measly 4.1Ghz or so maxed out.

The bottleneck is your GPU, not your CPU.

Lol, yeah, no worries.

My i5's not OC'ed at the moment though. Is it a possible bottleneck at stock speed?

Probably. Big difference on my machine when playing FSX. When not OC, lots of slowdowns and slideshows. FSX eats most CPUs that are not running near 4Ghz.

Riiiiiggghhhhttttt.......

Care to point me to a reputable, reliable i5 overclocking guide?

Depends on your mobo. They are all different. Mine is set at 19 multiplier since the P55 chipset OC better with uneven multipliers. And my bus speed for the CPU is 208. My Vcore is at 1.4.

http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=2116265