Joined: Feb 24, 2009
Posts: 379
I am looking for recommendations for a new video card for Christmas.
Right now I will just be dropping it in my current system. I was hoping to build a new system but that will have to wait a while longer.
Personally I prefer Nvidia cards but I am looking for the biggest bang for the buck. Currently all I have is a 9800gt.
Here is a link to my motherboard
EVGA 122-ck-nf. My processor is an
[url=
e8400e8400[/url]It has Nvidia chipset, I am not sure what if any compatibility issues ther would be with an AMD/ATI video card.
My budget is $150 at the max. I am just looking for the single card for now. Brand name is not that important other then I want sombody that will stand behind there produ
ct and that makes a quality piece.
Joined: May 31, 2011
Posts: 2631
Location: Fort McMurray, AB
An ATI / AMD HD 6850, or a Nvidia 550ti, by the loks of it. Though with holiday sales, I'm sure you'll be able to get yourself a good bump.
As for the AMD vs Nvidia thing, I'd used and had great experiences with both. If you want to run mroe than 2 screens, you only need a single AMD card. If you're using the PC as a media machine, I'd suggest Nvidia, and their HDMI support is easier and works a little better.I slightly prefer AMD hardware, and also slightly prefer Nvidia software.
The power requiremetns for those cards - and newer cards in general - are pretty low. But i must ask; what PSU do you have, currently? (hah. Currently - get it?)
-- Of all the soles I've ever tasted, his had the most ....cumin. --
Joined: Feb 24, 2009
Posts: 379
This is my power supply.
OCZ Stelath 600w.
Do you think that this is going to be enough or will I have to upgrade?
I was looking at this card for Nvidia
EVGA 550ti
As for AMD, I am not sure yet.
I thought that I saw on here a link that compared the specific AMD and nvidia cards but I can find it now.
Joined: May 31, 2011
Posts: 2631
Location: Fort McMurray, AB
Going over budget already, eh? haha
That PSU will suffice, as will that EVGA card. Though a AMD 6870 is the same price and will definetly out-perform the 550ti. However, it only has 1gb VRAM. What resolution fo you run games at?
Running out of VRAM will make the rest of your hardware do more work, and often introduces stutter in games. But woudl you need and use more than 1gb? What resolution for you run your games at? Resolution, texture size, shaders, and anti-aliasing tend to have the largest impact on VRAM usage.
For instance, i just ran BF3 at 1920x1200, Ultra/Max settings, 4xMSAA, and my VRAM usage topped out at 1.2gb. So if you're planning on high resolutions and heavy AA, 1gb will not do.
It's a tough choice. You may want to wait for post-holiday sales. If you live in Canada, DEFINITELY wait for Boxing Week sales. Does the US have after-xmas sales? I dunno, as with UK or other countries...
-- Of all the soles I've ever tasted, his had the most ....cumin. --
Joined: Feb 24, 2009
Posts: 379
Right now I am running 1280x1024.
I'm hoping that maybe a sale will come up that will knock at least $20 off that price. I can get it at Best Buy for the same price and I know I will be getting $10-30 dollars in coupons sometime soon.
I would like to run BF3 in at least medium or high settings. I know that my CPU will limit that somewhat.
Joined: May 31, 2011
Posts: 2631
Location: Fort McMurray, AB
Hm i ran it at same settings as that res and it still took more than 1gb. Barely. Well i guess 2gb it is, then. Having a faster card will mean next to nothing if you run out of video memory.
FYI running at High, AA off, at 1280x1024 tops out at 900mb usage.
You may also want to check out the 4xx series of Nvidia cards. They still run DX11, and being older (barely) cards, some will still out-perform the 550ti, yet be lower in price. Though the newest series often use less power and run cooler.
-- Of all the soles I've ever tasted, his had the most ....cumin. --
