(**SAFETY FIRST**, unplug your computer from the outlet before you ever begin to open the side/front panels)
Hey Bob,
There are a couple of things to consider before making the plunge for a new card: (just take a quick glance at the info below, afterwards I make a point finally)
1) Motherboard Expansion Slots:
- PCI Express 3.0 x 16 (standard on all modern motherboards since 2011) (typically there is very small print above or below each slot)
+ You mentioned that you currently use a GTX 660, which means that any other card WILL work in that same slot.
2) RAM:
- At least 8 Gigabytes of DDR3 RAM (frequency doesn't really matter, but each stick of RAM *MUST* match (i.e. 1600, 2133, etc.)
+ 4GB will suffice for most systems running no more than 1080p. But 8GB has become the new standard in "store-bought" computers, therefore Windows will most likely expect 8GB to operate smoothly.
++ It's the cheapest component in the system, but that doesn't mean it's the least valuable.
3) Power Supply:
- If you power supply isn't relatively new (less than 5 years old) OR has some kind of Full System warranty (Bronze, Silver, Gold, etc.), it is time to upgrade. If it blows, you could lose absolutely everything. Safety First!
- IMPORTANT: If your power supply cannot support the new Graphics Card power requirements (wattage and single rail amperage), this WILL effect the system.
+ For instance: Corsair CX500 Bronze Certified ($40): It has 5 "rails", 2 of which are +12V and -12V (Volts), but only one of them supports 456W (Watts). (This is on the label on the bottom of the unit)
4) CPU (Central Processing Unit):
- This is less important than the GPU (graphics processor) in regards to Virtual Pinball performance, because there is not that much that the GPU will not be handling.
+ At a minimum, the CPU needs to be a dual core (each additional core, 4,6,8, greatly increases performance), with a minimum of 2.5 GHz (clock rate).
++ The more cores a CPU has, the less GHz required to outperform lesser CPUs, and decreases power consumption and heat. (Fun fact for people who like quiet systems)
5) Operating System (OS):
- This is least important, but worth mentioning. The OS differences in performance from XP -> 10 are pretty huge in some respects, but more specifically they directly relate to Nvidia and AMD graphics drivers.
+ Most major updates to these drivers are for modern PC games, but occasionally they have a major update that allows for more serious improvements related to CPU (main processor) and GPU (graphics processor) sharing loads.
+ This is where the updated Windows 10 shines regarding lower end CPUs and GPUs dividing workloads and overall performance increases substantially.
NOTE:
- (Hard Drive Replacement) - "SSD" (Solid State Drive, no mechanical parts) performance is also a major update with modern Operating Systems. This will increase your load times drastically (minutes -> seconds).
OKAY!!! So in a nutshell:
- If you are willing to pay $800 (cost of GTX 1080 ti on 8/17/17) you had better have at minimum, all the things I described above. Because a 1080ti is supreme overkill (so much so that I would say it's almost a silly purchase 
).
- I'd suggest something like a GTX 1060 6GB or RX 580 4GB, both of which are roughly $300, you could easily play any table available today in 4K. While also possibly eliminating the requirement to upgrade MANY other parts in your current system.
I hope I didn't go overboard with the explanation and I hope I helped in some small way. 
Edited by exradar, 22 August 2017 - 05:46 PM.
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