I'm thinking about upgrading my GPU to a GTX 960 from a GTX 660 TI. Do you think it will make much of a difference? I've heard rumors of a GTX 960 TI or 965 TI. I'm probably going to wait to the end of the summer to see if a TI version is released. Before you make any other recommendations please know that I'm very limited. I have an Alienware X51 R1 with a 330w power supply. I'll post the rest of my specs below.

Alienware X51 R1 Andromeda R5
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3770  @ 3.40GHz CPU 3.90GHz Turbo
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB GDDR5
16 GB RAM
Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" HDD
Alienware AW2310 23" Full HD 3D Monitor 120Hz
Alienware TactX Keyboard & Mouse

A 660TI to 960 probably wouldn't yield an incredible difference in performance, especially given the money you'd have to put into buying one. 

Personally, I'd buy a GTX 970, funds permitting, or wait for the much anticipated AMD card refresh. 

However, a 330w Power Supply? Yikes, cards are becoming more power efficient but that is cutting it close. (500w recommended Min.) 

Additionally, you could look into a second 660TI (SLI), but that would most certainly require a second PSU, and SLI generally isn't recommended over single card configurations. 

From what I've heard I can upgrade to a 970 if I upgraded my Alienware motherboard from a R1 version to an R2. I'm probably just going to wait to see if a 960 TI comes out. I first started out with a GTX 555 OEM then upgraded to the GTX 660 TI.

From what I've heard I can upgrade to a 970 if I upgraded my Alienware motherboard from a R1 version to an R2. I'm probably just going to wait to see if a 960 TI comes out. I first started out with a GTX 555 OEM then upgraded to the GTX 660 TI.

​Sorry about the delay responding. 

Unless you got one weird GTX 660 TI and motherboard, a GTX 970 will already be compatible with your current motherboard. 

All graphics cards use the PCIe standard.

Additionally, AMD is doing a graphics card refresh soon, so I'd hold off until that happens. 960TI is probable, but looking more and more unlikely. 

N/A

Edited November 14, 20178 yr by Account Deleted

I've got an X51 r1 with a 330W PSU and have just replaced the GTX 660 Ti with an EVGA GTX 970, and it's running like a dream. I suggest getting the reference card (24cm length; single fan) which will be the same form factor as the stock card. If you buy a longer card you'll need to remove the front intake fan for it to fit in the case. Also, the single fan version will maintain good airflow through the case, as intended by Alienware - avoid the dual fan cards if possible, as these may create more heat in an X51 case.

The 970's TDP is 145W according to Nvidia, which is 5W lower than the 660, so it actually requires  slightly less power than its predecessor and generates less heat, while delivering huge performance gains. :)

Benchmarked fully with 3DMark and results were amazing - ranked as better than 81% of all machines.

Been replaying Crysis 3 with all settings on ultra, and it never breaks a sweat. Highly recommended upgrade. :)