First build, what GPU?

[fimbles]

Im building a pc on a budget..

I have so far..

Processor:
Amd phenom x4 9500 2.2 ghz.

Mainboard:
Asrock ALiveN570SLI-eSATA2.

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=ALiveN570SLI-eSATA2

4 gig of Dual Channel DDR2 1066

Not got case or psu yet.

Im really not sure what graphics card to buy though.. coming from the old world of agp!!

I got around 150 pounds to spend (250 dollars??)
Any suggestions on a good one in that price range would be great. Ive had a look around but am confused as to which is best.

Is this any good?

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 or an similar spec ati?
http://www.nvidia.co.uk/object/graphics_cards_buy_now_uk.html

Thanks in advance.

 

[SeanCollinDuffy]

yes you want to buy the GTX 260, be sure to buy the 55nm and not the 65nm they have the same name. so check the manufacture date.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121257

you can save a little money and loose a little performance with the equivalent Readeon

 

[redk]

http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=345656&CatId=0
That's a good card for you.

 

[SeanCollinDuffy]

nice job suggesting an ati card for an SLI capable motherboard.

stick with the gtx260, you can put in a second one if you need. but you will only be able to run 1 ati card a time (because your MoBo is SLI but not crossfirex certified)

 

[redk]

Well, he never said anything about needing SLI, and he has a budget, and you failed to suggest a card which retails within his price range from a site he can order from, SO. Nice job being no help.

 

[SeanCollinDuffy]

if you look again. i suggested the best card in his price range ($250) it happens to have the advantage of sli, as does his mobo. i never said he had to order it from that site.

 

[fimbles]

Thanks for the responces..

I didnt have any plans to put 2 cards in but in the future who knows??

What about this one against the gtx 260?

Inno3d gts 250

http://www.inno3d.com/products/graphic_card/gtx200/gts250.html

Again.. ty in advance. Any other suggestions are most welcome, im not really sure whats available atm.

Ps: whats the bottom line i should be looking for on these cards? texture fill rate?

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

The GTS 250 is basically a renamed 9800GTX+. I would recommend an HD 4870 only if you are going to play at resolutions higher than 1600x1200. Ditto for 2x GTX 260s in SLI, which are actually meant to be used for 2560x1600 screens. For any other resolution below these, look at the HD 4850 instead.

You can grab this HD 4850 for 110 quid or so with free delivery. redk's recommendation is decent, but the extra memory is not very important and it is also far more expensive compared to the one I have linked to. But it's your choice entirely.

For an HD 4870, I recommend this one, available for 170 quid or so with free delivery as well.

 

[EXCellR8]

+1 for the 4870... but just because I'm the proud owner of two

 

[fimbles]

Thanks a lot for the replies!

I think ill go for the HD4870 as its slightly above what i wanted to spend and i would rather have a bit extra than a bit less .

I wont be running in high resolutions because they have a tendancy to make my eyes water for some strange reason

Thanks again for the help

 

[EXCellR8]

Well what resolution do you plan on running? Because if you're going to spend the money on a HD4870 you'll only be paying for half its potential at lower resolutions... running ~1280x1024/1440x900+ or so would still be fine but the card is designed to really push the resolution up. Either way, I think you will be very happy with the card, just download some RivaTuner to adjust those stock fan speeds!

 

[fimbles]

1440 by 900 is about the limit i can take

Will i get a big improvement in framerate playing the same game on both cards (HD4870 & HD4850) at this resolution? Or will the extra grunt be wasted?

Ive always prefered smooth gameplay over nice graphics. but both would be awesome

On a side note.. would i be better returning my mobo and ordering a crossfire one instead?

 

[EXCellR8]

You can expect to be able to crank the graphics settings right up to max on that resolution. The card should handle it just fine and you could probably even run some games with v-sync enabled for a nice seamless and smooth display. Either way your games are going to run very smooth and you will notice a good improvement in framerate.

As for the CrossFire, if you are only going to use one card on a smaller monitor then a mobo w/ that capability is of little use to you. CrossFire is designed for really high resolution gaming and will produce smooth frames when enabled. Of course, if you plan to upgrade to a bigger monitor and buy a second card in the future, then having a CrossFire setup is a huge plus.

 

[fimbles]

You can expect to be able to crank the graphics settings right up to max on that resolution. The card should handle it just fine and you could probably even run some games with v-sync enabled for a nice seamless and smooth display

That sounds great! HD4870 is is.. ill keep my mobo for now.

Thanks all.