Would you upgrade a GeForce 560 (1 GB)?

By Elliot B.
in Hardware Hangout

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

Elliot B.

Posted
Posted

I have a 560 (1 GB) (with an i5-750) and I'm deciding whether it's worth upgrading.

I play the latest games (e.g. Far Cry 3, Crysis 3), at 1680x1050.

I have drawn up a chart below of all the modern video cards, the data coming from Ebuyer and Tom's Hardware.

Text with a strikethrough are no longer available.

post-645-0-70138400-1359654662.png

Collaborator

hckngrtfakt

Posted
Posted

when you say "latest" .. which games in particular ?

i was playing some of the "not so latest" (guild wars 2, sleeping dogs, hitman)

and my 560ti could barely touch the high settings (had to play at mid res on 1080p for constant 60fps)

upgraded to 7970 and the difference was beyond obvious (plus didnt break the bank compared to a 680/690)

Grand Master

Elliot B.

Posted
  • Author
Posted

when you say "latest" .. which games in particular ?

i was playing some of the "not so latest" (guild wars 2, sleeping dogs, hitman)

and my 560ti could barely touch the high settings (had to play at mid res on 1080p for constant 60fps)

upgraded to 7970 and the difference was beyond obvious (plus didnt break the bank compared to a 680/690)

I'm not sure I can justify ?318, since I wouldn't even be getting double the performance of this card.

I'm frustrated at how expensive NVIDIA cards are, because I love their unique technologies (PhysX etc.).

Collaborator

hckngrtfakt

Posted
Posted

I'm not sure I can justify ?318, since I wouldn't even be getting double the performance of this card.

I'm frustrated at how expensive NVIDIA cards are, because I love their unique technologies (PhysX etc.).

Yeah, is not double the performance but leaves some headroom for futureproofing with crossfire

and if your system has a good motherboard you can always run both cards AMD+nVidia (leaving the 560 for your PhysX processing)

but remember "Titan" is also coming, may be worth waiting for that one. :)

Grand Master

Elliot B.

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Yeah, is not double the performance but leaves some headroom for futureproofing with crossfire

and if your system has a good motherboard you can always run both cards AMD+nVidia (leaving the 560 for your PhysX processing)

but remember "Titan" is also coming, may be worth waiting for that one. :)

There are no new LGA1156 motherboards any more, even second-hand. So I can't ever run SLI/CFX with this set up.

And I won't wait for the new cards, it takes ages before older cards drop in price.

Grand Master

Blackhearted

Posted
Posted

I'm not sure I can justify ?318, since I wouldn't even be getting double the performance of this card.

I'm frustrated at how expensive NVIDIA cards are, because I love their unique technologies (PhysX etc.).

Things like physx aren't used in remotely enough games to make it worth having any say in your purchasing choice.

Collaborator

hckngrtfakt

Posted
Posted

Things like physx aren't used in remotely enough games to make it worth having any say in your purchasing choice.

Unless he plays borderlands or batman (which rely heavily on nVidia cards due to physx)

plus Bioshock is coming as well as grid and crysis and a 560 would fall short of making these games "visually enjoyable" :)

Grand Master

Elliot B.

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I guess my main realistic (i.e. not very expensive) options to replace my GeForce 560 (1 GB) (May 2011) are:

Quicker: 660 Ti (2 GB) (Aug 2012) (?215) / HD 7870 (2 GB) (Mar 2012) (?170)

Quickerer: HD 7950 (3 GB) (Jan 2012) (?210)

EDIT: I didn't realize 560's seem to go for at least ?75 on eBay UK. That helps pay for the new card :)

Collaborator

hckngrtfakt

Posted
Posted

I guess my main realistic (i.e. not very expensive) options to replace my GeForce 560 (1 GB) (May 2011) are:

Quicker: 660 Ti (2 GB) (Aug 2012) (?215) / HD 7870 (2 GB) (Mar 2012) (?170)

Quickerer: HD 7950 (3 GB) (Jan 2012) (?210)

EDIT: I didn't realize 560's seem to go for at least ?75 on eBay UK. That helps pay for the new card :)

i'd personally go for the Quickerer: HD 7950 (3 GB) (Jan 2012) (?210)

and as you say, sell the 560 to subsidize the purchase :)

Grand Master

mattmatik

Posted
Posted

Just to throw out some info if it will help you: I'm running 660 Ti in SLI and in Crysis 3 I'm barely maintaining 60fps, everything maxed. I play on the same resolution as you. I am not sure what the 7950 can do but I can say that a single 660 Ti will get you about medium, maybe medium high settings. Now, this is a beta game for sure and drivers and such can probably be optimized more (I'm hoping!). In FarCry 3 I have no issues using frame limiter @ 60fps, everything maxed w/ 4xMSAA-4xSGSSAA 16xAF.

Hope this helps a little bit, man. Interested to see what you end up doing so post back and I'd like to see what results in your games you get with whatever card you go with.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Posts

    • Samsung, Amazon extend 990 PRO 2TB NVMe SSD deal beyond Prime Day 2026

      By seeprime · Posted

      I like to reminisce about the good old days, way back in autumn 2025 when building a gaming machine was fun and the drives were about $150 when you caught a deal. Yes duh, back in the day we had it gone. Then baby Skynet came along, hiding in AI datacenters demanding more processing power until it reached singularity. End of a not totally fictional story.
    • Bypassed Windows 11 shows surprising stability on ancient, completely unsupported hardware

      By +Spark99 · Posted

      My experience in the past with older Windows 11 builds was not great on unsupported machines but I recently used Rufus to put the latest build on a older 5th Gen Core Thinkpad T that we upgraded with a SATA SSD and 8GB of RAM four years ago when hardware was reasonable and it seemed pretty fast and solid. Customer is very happy with the performance and will probably get four more years out of that venerable laptop that he loves so much. Another customer just retired his Dell Studio laptop from 2009 running Windows 10. It got an SSD over 10 years ago and did everything he needed it to for 17 years but he also retired last year and is happy doing everything on his iPad now.
    • Apple's newest AirTag 2 gets first big discount

      By TarasBuria · Posted

      Apple's newest AirTag 2 gets first big discount by Taras Buria In late January 2026, Apple introduced its second-generation AirTag trackers, bringing a refresh to the old model that has been on the market for half a decade. Now, you can get these new trackers at an all-time low price, thanks to the first big discount that brought the price down by 17% on Amazon. While the second-generation AirTag looks identical to its predecessor, it packs meaningful upgrades inside. The second-gen ultrawideband chip works 50% farther than the original AirTag, allowing you to detect lost items in a wider range. In addition, the second-generation AirTag features an upgraded Bluetooth chip for extended range and a significantly louder speaker (up to 50%) so that you can hear it better when locating a lost item. Note that the second-gen AirTag only works with iPhones and iPads that run iOS/iPadOS 26 and newer, so you need a compatible device to use the tracker. Like the original AirTag, the AirTag 2 is available in two packs: one and four pieces. Both are now available at a notable discount on Amazon, and you can purchase them using the links below. Apple AirTag 2 tracker - $24 | 17% off on Amazon Apple AirTag 2 tracker (four-pack) - $89 | 10% off on Amazon Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S.- specific and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Tidal won't monetize AI slop music, company says

      By monterxz · Posted

      I've been on Deezer for over a decade, but glad that Tidal joined them in fighting AI slop. Can't stand such takes as Spotify's: "Spotify's CEO recently pushed back against listeners who call AI music "slop," urging people to stop using the term and instead embrace the creative potential of AI music."
    • Why it's almost impossible to produce a smartphone in the United States

      By Cosmocronos · Posted

      “Could” … in the IS the healthcare is run by insurance companies that make indecent profits denying basic treatments to people that are paying money for nothing. Besides, where are all the Trump epigones who were stating that the tariffs were going to paid by foreign companies and not the US citizens? …

  • Recent Achievements

    • Reacting Well
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Week One Done
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Year In
      BA the Curmudgeon earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Conversation Starter
      rosiecharles earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • First Post
      KMilenkoski1202 earned a badge
      First Post

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      538
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      266
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      151
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      98
    5. 5
      macoman
      66
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!