I need some help picking out a new graphics card. My current one is an old 8800GT that's noisy as hell, and at the end of the line.
I've been told my computer is pretty scalable, with a Core Quad, and 4 gigs of RAM, so what should I be looking out for in terms of model? Ideally, I want to stick with Nvidia, so I'm thinking about a GTX 275, since it's in an affordable range. Is there any specific manufacturer I should go for? Or an entirely different line?
I have been thinking about a GTX 275 as well just recently. It seems that people around here consider the GTX 260 a better deal though, and one bookmark I have looked at has indeed put the BFG GTX 260 on pretty much exact same performance level as the 275. I have found a Swedish deal of Asus GeForce GTX 275 896MB incl Batman Arkham Asylum for 2149 kr. Considering I really want B:AA and it is usually 369 kr, the effective cost of that card is 1780 kr for me. Which puts my options at:
ATI 5770 - 1599 kr
GTX 260 w 216 - 1626 kr
GTX 275 - 1780 kr
But, searching through lists, there seems to be a ENGTX260 and an ENGTX260 GL+, which is cheaper. What exactly is the difference here? God, this is something of a headache.
Cherrn on
All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
Vic: There seems to be a lot of factory overclocked versions of the GTX260, which makes it even harder to decide which model to get. Some non-core 216 parts (thanks NVidia for your terrible (re)naming scheme) are still around, you'd probably want to avoid those.
As you seem to prefer NVidias offerings, I'll recommend the GTX260. I do think a 4870 has a better price/performance ratio, but as you seem to look for more expensive alternatives I think you could live with the extra cost for a bit higher performance. Considering GTX275 and 4890 performance is very similar, a 4890 seems to be much better value overall to me. That Arkham Asylum deal you found could be worth it if you want the game though.
Wow, it really is tough deciding which card to get nowadays, I guess we should blame competition for that .
I could really use some help because it is exceedingly hard to find good router/adapter reviews online, especially for Draft 2.0 N stuff.
Oh wow, thank you for that link to the adapter, I just installed Windows 7 64 bit on my 4 year old machine, and the only thing that didn't work was the wireless card. Everything else seems to run smoothly, but as the machine is getting a little creaky, it is probably time for an upgrade.
My system:
Case: Antec Sonata Case
Power Supply: Antec TruePower Trio 650W
Processor: Amd Athlon 64 X2 3800+
Memory: OCZ 2GB
Video Card: EVGA Geforce 7950 GT
Hard Drive: 300 GB Seagate SATA
So, I am looking for around a $500-ish upgrade figure. Seeing as how the case and power supply should be sufficient, I really should only need to upgrade the processor, motherboard, memory, and video card. I am looking for a 1TB hard drive eventually, but that will not be included in this upgrade. Any suggestions?
Vic: There seems to be a lot of factory overclocked versions of the GTX260, which makes it even harder to decide which model to get. Some non-core 216 parts (thanks NVidia for your terrible (re)naming scheme) are still around, you'd probably want to avoid those.
As you seem to prefer NVidias offerings, I'll recommend the GTX260. I do think a 4870 has a better price/performance ratio, but as you seem to look for more expensive alternatives I think you could live with the extra cost for a bit higher performance. Considering GTX275 and 4890 performance is very similar, a 4890 seems to be much better value overall to me. That Arkham Asylum deal you found could be worth it if you want the game though.
Wow, it really is tough deciding which card to get nowadays, I guess we should blame competition for that .
you seem to know what you're talking about, could you give me a recommendation as well?!
I'm in a similar position to Cherrn: my Geforce 7950 GTX stopped working a while ago (no warranty- it was a hand-me-down from a friend). For the last few months I've been using XP with graphics drivers disabled, for the simple reason that I have no clue what to buy and charts like this make me weep tears of misery and confusion.
I'm looking to spend around £150/€160.
It seems I'm destined for a GTX 260, but I could easily stretch to a HD 4890. Is that better? :oops:
The GTX260 and HD 4870 performance is roughly the same, but HD 4870s can often be found cheaper, making it a better choice IMO. The HD 4890 and the GTX275 seems to perform the same as well, and again HD 4890s are often cheaper.
If you decide to go with a GTX260, keep in mind that they come in two major versions, one called "core 216" and one without that designation. You want the "core 216" version, it's definately faster. It should be possible to find factory overclocked GTX260s as well that should be slightly faster at a higher price.
If you're looking to spend ~£150/€160 I think a GTX260 or a HD4870 are your best choices (assuming prices similar to Sweden, I think VAT is lower in the UK). Unless you are playing at ridiculously high resoultions, those cards should serve you well for some time to come.
Don't worry too much about the brand, if you're buying online check reviews to see if there seems to be some common problems. Most cards are built around the same reference design, so they shouldn't differ much.
I think I'll go for a GTX260 core 216.
Although, I did just find a place in the uk selling HD 4890's for £150... Does anyone know if the HD 4890 is much of a step up over the GTX260?
I'd start out with this card. Maybe pick up two more gigs if you are upgrading to W7.
Thanks again for this recommendation. I installed the new card last night.
I'd played Fallout 3 on decent settings, I guess, but I had only about 50 meters of visibility before I'd get pop-in. Jarring pop-in, like overpasses and national monuments.
Fired up my save from the end of the Vault intro last night, opened the door... Oh my god. I could see all the way to the Capital and Washington Monument. No pop-in anywhere. As if scales had been lifted from my eyes. Played a little Hell's Highway too at about 30% higher resolution than I had the first time. Ran great.
Bring on Borderlands!
Speaking of which, I've never used voice before with PC gaming, and don't even have a microphone. What's the best (low cost) way to make sure I can talk to folks I'm co-oping with? (Anyone, please. Not just llcook.)
EDIT: Is it as simple as getting something like this? I have a sound card, and have had trouble with getting USB audio devices to play nice before.
I think I'll go for a GTX260 core 216.
Although, I did just find a place in the uk selling HD 4890's for £150... Does anyone know if the HD 4890 is much of a step up over the GTX260?
it is a step up for sure. As was stated, the 4870 = GTX 260 and 4890 = GTX 275
Basically, if you're looking at that generation of cards, get a 4870 or 4890, depending on budget. They are better deals than the nvidia cards.
I have a HP Pavillion m7790e media center computer (my parents gave it to me for Christmas 2 years ago). It has 4 gigs of RAM now, AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ dual-core - 2.4GHz, Vista Ultimate, a stock 350W power supply, and a Geforce 8400 GS. It's currently hooked to my 32" 720P LCD TV at 1366x720 resolution (I think) via VGA.
I'd like to play Dragon Age: Origins, but that video card obviously won't cut it. Here are the specs for it:
Windows XP Minimum Specifications
OS: Windows XP with SP3
CPU: Intel Core 2 (or equivalent) running at 1.4Ghz or greater
AMD X2 (or equivalent) running at 1.8Ghz or greater
RAM: 1GB or more
Video: ATI Radeon X850 128MB or greater
NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT 128MB or greater
DVD ROM (Physical copy)
20 GB HD space
Windows Vista Minimum Specifications
OS: Windows Vista with SP1
CPU: Intel Core 2 (or equivalent) running at 1.6Ghz or greater
AMD X2 (or equivalent) running at 2.2GHZ or greater
RAM: 1.5 GB or more
Video: ATI Radeon X1550 256MB or greater
NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT 256MB or greater
DVD ROM (Physical copy)
20 GB HD space
Recommended Specifications
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4Ghz Processor or equivalent
RAM: 4 GB (Vista) or 2 GB (XP)
Video: ATI 3850 512 MB or greater
NVIDIA 8800GTS 512 MB or greater
DVD ROM (Physical copy)
20 GB HD space
I do not want to replace the power supply. What video card do you recommend (if any) that can play Dragon Age decently (at least PS3 quality graphics) but won't require me to get a new power supply?
EDIT: Is it as simple as getting something like this? I have a sound card, and have had trouble with getting USB audio devices to play nice before.
That would certainly work, but you will get echo from your speakers unless you're using headphones (unless whatever program you're using has a "mute while I talk" thing), which can be annoying. Most USB mics are pretty much plug in and talk kind of things.
I have a HP Pavillion m7790e media center computer (my parents gave it to me for Christmas 2 years ago). It has 4 gigs of RAM now, AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ dual-core - 2.4GHz, Vista Ultimate, a stock 350W power supply, and a Geforce 8400 GS. It's currently hooked to my 32" 720P LCD TV at 1366x720 resolution (I think) via VGA.
I'd like to play Dragon Age: Origins, but that video card obviously won't cut it. Here are the specs for it:
I do not want to replace the power supply. What video card do you recommend (if any) that can play Dragon Age decently (at least PS3 quality graphics) but won't require me to get a new power supply?
Thanks in advance.
I'd say your best bet is a 4770.
[edit] or maybe a 5750. If you can get the details of your PSU (amps on the 12V rail mostly) we can tell for sure.
lowlylowlycook on
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
EDIT: Is it as simple as getting something like this? I have a sound card, and have had trouble with getting USB audio devices to play nice before.
That would certainly work, but you will get echo from your speakers unless you're using headphones (unless whatever program you're using has a "mute while I talk" thing), which can be annoying. Most USB mics are pretty much plug in and talk kind of things.
Anyway to prevent the echo? I'd prefer to play w/ speakers instead of headphones if possible.
I have a HP Pavillion m7790e media center computer (my parents gave it to me for Christmas 2 years ago). It has 4 gigs of RAM now, AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ dual-core - 2.4GHz, Vista Ultimate, a stock 350W power supply, and a Geforce 8400 GS. It's currently hooked to my 32" 720P LCD TV at 1366x720 resolution (I think) via VGA.
I'd like to play Dragon Age: Origins, but that video card obviously won't cut it. Here are the specs for it:
I do not want to replace the power supply. What video card do you recommend (if any) that can play Dragon Age decently (at least PS3 quality graphics) but won't require me to get a new power supply?
Thanks in advance.
I'd say your best bet is a 4770.
[edit] or maybe a 5750. If you can get the details of your PSU (amps on the 12V rail mostly) we can tell for sure.
I have a HP Pavillion m7790e media center computer (my parents gave it to me for Christmas 2 years ago). It has 4 gigs of RAM now, AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ dual-core - 2.4GHz, Vista Ultimate, a stock 350W power supply, and a Geforce 8400 GS. It's currently hooked to my 32" 720P LCD TV at 1366x720 resolution (I think) via VGA.
I'd like to play Dragon Age: Origins, but that video card obviously won't cut it. Here are the specs for it:
I do not want to replace the power supply. What video card do you recommend (if any) that can play Dragon Age decently (at least PS3 quality graphics) but won't require me to get a new power supply?
Thanks in advance.
I'd say your best bet is a 4770.
[edit] or maybe a 5750. If you can get the details of your PSU (amps on the 12V rail mostly) we can tell for sure.
I have a HP Pavillion m7790e media center computer (my parents gave it to me for Christmas 2 years ago). It has 4 gigs of RAM now, AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ dual-core - 2.4GHz, Vista Ultimate, a stock 350W power supply, and a Geforce 8400 GS. It's currently hooked to my 32" 720P LCD TV at 1366x720 resolution (I think) via VGA.
I'd like to play Dragon Age: Origins, but that video card obviously won't cut it. Here are the specs for it:
I do not want to replace the power supply. What video card do you recommend (if any) that can play Dragon Age decently (at least PS3 quality graphics) but won't require me to get a new power supply?
Thanks in advance.
I'd say your best bet is a 4770.
[edit] or maybe a 5750. If you can get the details of your PSU (amps on the 12V rail mostly) we can tell for sure.
I'm replacing my Athlon X2 4200+ and Asus motherboard with a Core i5 750+Gigabyte motherboard. I have a 500W power supply. Should I get a new PSU or do you guys think the 500 is sufficient?
rest of system includes 4 SATA hard drives, DVD burner, Geforce 9800GT, and an Audigy 2
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1.5TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5
XFX HD-477A-YDFC Radeon HD 4770 512MB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card
Kingston HyperX T1 Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KHX8500D2T1K2/4G
ASUS P5Q Pro Turbo LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
hec Cougar 700cm 700W Continuous @ 40°C ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
HEC 6C28BB8S Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
CD-RW/DVD drive will be pulled from a previous box. OS will be Win 7. Anything I'm missing or should do a little differently? I have another $40 leeway in the budget for this box.
I'm currently hovering over the purchase of a HD 4890.... But I've just noticed that the 5770 is cheaper, and promises DX11 support which the 4890 apparently lacks.
Is it wise to buy a DX11 card over a DX10.1 card with significantly better performance? :?
I really can't support spending that much on a card now that that DX 11 cards are out. You should either step up to the 5850, or if you can, wait a little bit for the prices to come down.
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1.5TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5
XFX HD-477A-YDFC Radeon HD 4770 512MB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card
Kingston HyperX T1 Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KHX8500D2T1K2/4G
ASUS P5Q Pro Turbo LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
hec Cougar 700cm 700W Continuous @ 40°C ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
HEC 6C28BB8S Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
CD-RW/DVD drive will be pulled from a previous box. OS will be Win 7. Anything I'm missing or should do a little differently? I have another $40 leeway in the budget for this box.
That's way too much PSU for those components.
lowlylowlycook on
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
I'm currently hovering over the purchase of a HD 4890.... But I've just noticed that the 5770 is cheaper, and promises DX11 support which the 4890 apparently lacks.
Is it wise to buy a DX11 card over a DX10.1 card with significantly better performance? :?
That's a tricky question. There are at least two unknowns. First we don't know how quickly devs will move to use DX11. Second we (at least speaking for myself) don't know how much horsepower a card will have to have in order to run with DX11 effects enabled.
lowlylowlycook on
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
0
Options
ThomamelasOnly one man can kill this many Russians. Bring his guitar to me! Registered Userregular
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1.5TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5
XFX HD-477A-YDFC Radeon HD 4770 512MB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card
Kingston HyperX T1 Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KHX8500D2T1K2/4G
ASUS P5Q Pro Turbo LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
hec Cougar 700cm 700W Continuous @ 40°C ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
HEC 6C28BB8S Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
CD-RW/DVD drive will be pulled from a previous box. OS will be Win 7. Anything I'm missing or should do a little differently? I have another $40 leeway in the budget for this box.
That's way too much PSU for those components.
I figured that, but it's part of a bundle at Newegg for a pretty good price.
I'm currently hovering over the purchase of a HD 4890.... But I've just noticed that the 5770 is cheaper, and promises DX11 support which the 4890 apparently lacks.
Is it wise to buy a DX11 card over a DX10.1 card with significantly better performance? :?
That's a tricky question. There are at least two unknowns. First we don't know how quickly devs will move to use DX11. Second we (at least speaking for myself) don't know how much horsepower a card will have to have in order to run with DX11 effects enabled.
ah.. good point.
It seems the safest option is to do as RuddurBall says: ignore both options and step up to the 5850.
however, seeing as I've already 'stepped up' once from the GTX 260 to the 4890, I am now firmly in budget-rape territory. gah.
EDIT: Is it as simple as getting something like this? I have a sound card, and have had trouble with getting USB audio devices to play nice before.
That would certainly work, but you will get echo from your speakers unless you're using headphones (unless whatever program you're using has a "mute while I talk" thing), which can be annoying. Most USB mics are pretty much plug in and talk kind of things.
Anyway to prevent the echo? I'd prefer to play w/ speakers instead of headphones if possible.
People using voicecomms with a speaker/desk mic setup to communicate with any more than a single other person at a time should be drug into the street and shot, then drowned, then shot again.
Seriously. Get a friggin headset and show some consideration for other users.
Would a 5770 be a worthwhile upgrade from a Nvidia 9600GT? Is it possible to turn the fan completely off when idling on ATI cards?
Edit:My 9600GT is passively cooled with an Accelero S1. If I could get something as quiet when I'm not playing I would be very happy.
a 5770 would be a good improvement over a 9600GT, but I cant' speak to the turning the fan off. You can do it in the software, but you really probably shouldn't unless you get a card designed for passive cooling.
I'm currently hovering over the purchase of a HD 4890.... But I've just noticed that the 5770 is cheaper, and promises DX11 support which the 4890 apparently lacks.
Is it wise to buy a DX11 card over a DX10.1 card with significantly better performance? :?
That's a tricky question. There are at least two unknowns. First we don't know how quickly devs will move to use DX11. Second we (at least speaking for myself) don't know how much horsepower a card will have to have in order to run with DX11 effects enabled.
ah.. good point.
It seems the safest option is to do as RuddurBall says: ignore both options and step up to the 5850.
however, seeing as I've already 'stepped up' once from the GTX 260 to the 4890, I am now firmly in budget-rape territory. gah.
Honestly, I would just get the cheaper non-DX 11 card now, and then upgrade your entire system in a couple of years when DX 11 is firmly established, and we've got some more demanding titles on the market. If that is at all necessary.
Cherrn on
All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
Would a 5770 be a worthwhile upgrade from a Nvidia 9600GT? Is it possible to turn the fan completely off when idling on ATI cards?
Edit:My 9600GT is passively cooled with an Accelero S1. If I could get something as quiet when I'm not playing I would be very happy.
a 5770 would be a good improvement over a 9600GT, but I cant' speak to the turning the fan off. You can do it in the software, but you really probably shouldn't unless you get a card designed for passive cooling.
In the tests I read about the 5770 idle power was below 20w, which sounds like it would do fine without the onboard fan. Is it possible to turn the fan completely off when the card is at 40c or below. Either the ATI driver or a 3rd part solution would be fine.
Are there even any games out there really using DX10?
A few. Though not many of them really utilize it to such a degree that becomes a huge improvement. For instance, I believe you can mod Crysis so DX 9 basically looks the same as DX 10.
In any case, I certainly don't expect DX 11 to leave a bigger splash than 10 did, so I think it's somewhat foolhardy to go for a card that supports it, at this point in time. Unless you're building an entirely new system that is, but even then I'd consider waiting until something you want actually uses it.
Cherrn on
All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
Posts
I have been thinking about a GTX 275 as well just recently. It seems that people around here consider the GTX 260 a better deal though, and one bookmark I have looked at has indeed put the BFG GTX 260 on pretty much exact same performance level as the 275. I have found a Swedish deal of Asus GeForce GTX 275 896MB incl Batman Arkham Asylum for 2149 kr. Considering I really want B:AA and it is usually 369 kr, the effective cost of that card is 1780 kr for me. Which puts my options at:
ATI 5770 - 1599 kr
GTX 260 w 216 - 1626 kr
GTX 275 - 1780 kr
Edit: So it's safe to go for the 260? It has been scoring well on tests, at least: http://hwt.dk/literaturedetails.aspx?LiteratureID=11299 (Page 2 for English)
But, searching through lists, there seems to be a ENGTX260 and an ENGTX260 GL+, which is cheaper. What exactly is the difference here? God, this is something of a headache.
Any suggestions on adapters and routers? I'm thinking of picking up two of these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833180052
And as for the router... I'm not sure. I was trying to decide between this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122326
and this
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB763LL/A/AirPort-Extreme?fnode=MTY1NDA0Mg&mco=MTA4NTc4NzY
I could really use some help because it is exceedingly hard to find good router/adapter reviews online, especially for Draft 2.0 N stuff.
As you seem to prefer NVidias offerings, I'll recommend the GTX260. I do think a 4870 has a better price/performance ratio, but as you seem to look for more expensive alternatives I think you could live with the extra cost for a bit higher performance. Considering GTX275 and 4890 performance is very similar, a 4890 seems to be much better value overall to me. That Arkham Asylum deal you found could be worth it if you want the game though.
Wow, it really is tough deciding which card to get nowadays, I guess we should blame competition for that
Oh wow, thank you for that link to the adapter, I just installed Windows 7 64 bit on my 4 year old machine, and the only thing that didn't work was the wireless card. Everything else seems to run smoothly, but as the machine is getting a little creaky, it is probably time for an upgrade.
My system:
Case: Antec Sonata Case
Power Supply: Antec TruePower Trio 650W
Processor: Amd Athlon 64 X2 3800+
Memory: OCZ 2GB
Video Card: EVGA Geforce 7950 GT
Hard Drive: 300 GB Seagate SATA
So, I am looking for around a $500-ish upgrade figure. Seeing as how the case and power supply should be sufficient, I really should only need to upgrade the processor, motherboard, memory, and video card. I am looking for a 1TB hard drive eventually, but that will not be included in this upgrade. Any suggestions?
Anandtech has a good summary.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
NVidia fans will have reason to be upset though, being "forced" to one vendor due to a lack of parts isn't ideal.
you seem to know what you're talking about, could you give me a recommendation as well?!
I'm in a similar position to Cherrn: my Geforce 7950 GTX stopped working a while ago (no warranty- it was a hand-me-down from a friend). For the last few months I've been using XP with graphics drivers disabled, for the simple reason that I have no clue what to buy and charts like this make me weep tears of misery and confusion.
I'm looking to spend around £150/€160.
It seems I'm destined for a GTX 260, but I could easily stretch to a HD 4890. Is that better? :oops:
I put together a basic build, but I wasn't sure if all the parts play nice together, or if what I'm getting is good (for the price).
Some quick basics:
The parts:
G.SKILL Trident 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Desktop Memory Model F3-16000CL9D-4GBTD - Retail
GIGABYTE GA-P55M-UD2 LGA 1156 Intel P55 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Combo Price: $199.98
SAPPHIRE 100283L Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V version 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified ... - Retail
Combo Price: $214.98
Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor - Retail
Price: $199.99
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Price: $69.99
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Price: $59.95
Sony Optiarc Black DVD Burner
Price: $31.99
Total: $776.88
Shipping: $120.15
Which comes out to: $897.03
Does this seem like a reasonable build? Any glaring problems or conflicts? Any help is appreciated.
Thanks!
If you decide to go with a GTX260, keep in mind that they come in two major versions, one called "core 216" and one without that designation. You want the "core 216" version, it's definately faster. It should be possible to find factory overclocked GTX260s as well that should be slightly faster at a higher price.
If you're looking to spend ~£150/€160 I think a GTX260 or a HD4870 are your best choices (assuming prices similar to Sweden, I think VAT is lower in the UK). Unless you are playing at ridiculously high resoultions, those cards should serve you well for some time to come.
Don't worry too much about the brand, if you're buying online check reviews to see if there seems to be some common problems. Most cards are built around the same reference design, so they shouldn't differ much.
I think I'll go for a GTX260 core 216.
Although, I did just find a place in the uk selling HD 4890's for £150... Does anyone know if the HD 4890 is much of a step up over the GTX260?
Thanks again for this recommendation. I installed the new card last night.
I'd played Fallout 3 on decent settings, I guess, but I had only about 50 meters of visibility before I'd get pop-in. Jarring pop-in, like overpasses and national monuments.
Fired up my save from the end of the Vault intro last night, opened the door... Oh my god. I could see all the way to the Capital and Washington Monument. No pop-in anywhere. As if scales had been lifted from my eyes. Played a little Hell's Highway too at about 30% higher resolution than I had the first time. Ran great.
Bring on Borderlands!
Speaking of which, I've never used voice before with PC gaming, and don't even have a microphone. What's the best (low cost) way to make sure I can talk to folks I'm co-oping with? (Anyone, please. Not just llcook.)
EDIT: Is it as simple as getting something like this? I have a sound card, and have had trouble with getting USB audio devices to play nice before.
Steam profile.
Getting started with BATTLETECH: Part 1 / Part 2
it is a step up for sure. As was stated, the 4870 = GTX 260 and 4890 = GTX 275
Basically, if you're looking at that generation of cards, get a 4870 or 4890, depending on budget. They are better deals than the nvidia cards.
I'd like to play Dragon Age: Origins, but that video card obviously won't cut it. Here are the specs for it:
Windows XP Minimum Specifications
OS: Windows XP with SP3
CPU: Intel Core 2 (or equivalent) running at 1.4Ghz or greater
AMD X2 (or equivalent) running at 1.8Ghz or greater
RAM: 1GB or more
Video: ATI Radeon X850 128MB or greater
NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT 128MB or greater
DVD ROM (Physical copy)
20 GB HD space
Windows Vista Minimum Specifications
OS: Windows Vista with SP1
CPU: Intel Core 2 (or equivalent) running at 1.6Ghz or greater
AMD X2 (or equivalent) running at 2.2GHZ or greater
RAM: 1.5 GB or more
Video: ATI Radeon X1550 256MB or greater
NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT 256MB or greater
DVD ROM (Physical copy)
20 GB HD space
Recommended Specifications
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4Ghz Processor or equivalent
RAM: 4 GB (Vista) or 2 GB (XP)
Video: ATI 3850 512 MB or greater
NVIDIA 8800GTS 512 MB or greater
DVD ROM (Physical copy)
20 GB HD space
I do not want to replace the power supply. What video card do you recommend (if any) that can play Dragon Age decently (at least PS3 quality graphics) but won't require me to get a new power supply?
Thanks in advance.
That would certainly work, but you will get echo from your speakers unless you're using headphones (unless whatever program you're using has a "mute while I talk" thing), which can be annoying. Most USB mics are pretty much plug in and talk kind of things.
I'd say your best bet is a 4770.
[edit] or maybe a 5750. If you can get the details of your PSU (amps on the 12V rail mostly) we can tell for sure.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Anyway to prevent the echo? I'd prefer to play w/ speakers instead of headphones if possible.
Steam profile.
Getting started with BATTLETECH: Part 1 / Part 2
Part # 5188-2859.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817174033&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Power+Supplies-_-Hipro+Technology+Inc.-_-17174033
I'm pretty sure it's that one. How do you determine it otherwise?
Hmmmm, unless I'm being really dumb that seems to list more power on the 12V rails than the rating of the PSU. Must work on cold fusion principles.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Yea I noticed that too.
rest of system includes 4 SATA hard drives, DVD burner, Geforce 9800GT, and an Audigy 2
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Yeah, that should be good.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Would have been a day or two sooner, but the hdd was shipped separately from everything else for whatever goddamn reason.
Everything's golden so far. Thanks much for the previous suggestions, folks. Also, llcook for this thread.
Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E5200
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1.5TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5
XFX HD-477A-YDFC Radeon HD 4770 512MB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card
Kingston HyperX T1 Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model KHX8500D2T1K2/4G
ASUS P5Q Pro Turbo LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
hec Cougar 700cm 700W Continuous @ 40°C ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
HEC 6C28BB8S Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
CD-RW/DVD drive will be pulled from a previous box. OS will be Win 7. Anything I'm missing or should do a little differently? I have another $40 leeway in the budget for this box.
Edit:My 9600GT is passively cooled with an Accelero S1. If I could get something as quiet when I'm not playing I would be very happy.
Is it wise to buy a DX11 card over a DX10.1 card with significantly better performance? :?
That's way too much PSU for those components.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
That's a tricky question. There are at least two unknowns. First we don't know how quickly devs will move to use DX11. Second we (at least speaking for myself) don't know how much horsepower a card will have to have in order to run with DX11 effects enabled.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
I figured that, but it's part of a bundle at Newegg for a pretty good price.
ah.. good point.
It seems the safest option is to do as RuddurBall says: ignore both options and step up to the 5850.
however, seeing as I've already 'stepped up' once from the GTX 260 to the 4890, I am now firmly in budget-rape territory. gah.
People using voicecomms with a speaker/desk mic setup to communicate with any more than a single other person at a time should be drug into the street and shot, then drowned, then shot again.
Seriously. Get a friggin headset and show some consideration for other users.
a 5770 would be a good improvement over a 9600GT, but I cant' speak to the turning the fan off. You can do it in the software, but you really probably shouldn't unless you get a card designed for passive cooling.
Honestly, I would just get the cheaper non-DX 11 card now, and then upgrade your entire system in a couple of years when DX 11 is firmly established, and we've got some more demanding titles on the market. If that is at all necessary.
Edit: 30ish games so far:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_games_with_DirectX_10_support
A few. Though not many of them really utilize it to such a degree that becomes a huge improvement. For instance, I believe you can mod Crysis so DX 9 basically looks the same as DX 10.
In any case, I certainly don't expect DX 11 to leave a bigger splash than 10 did, so I think it's somewhat foolhardy to go for a card that supports it, at this point in time. Unless you're building an entirely new system that is, but even then I'd consider waiting until something you want actually uses it.