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Looking for a new graphics card

Discussion in 'Audio and Video' started by DanMan, Sep 9, 2012.

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  1. xcylent TechSpot Booster Posts: 261   +16

    Hm. you do make a valid point.
    and I second the option of the HD7870. I helped a friend install one of those into his rig and it's a powerful card to say the least.
  2. DanMan Newcomer, in training Posts: 25

    Any cheaper card options?
  3. xcylent TechSpot Booster Posts: 261   +16

    Absolutely. but remember, the cheaper, the lower the performance.
    The HD7850, which I listed before, can be found for around $220-240
    then there's also the GTX 560, which is a step below the HD7850. the 560 is around $180-200
    Below that, there's the HD6870, which can be found for about $160-170
    then if you really must go cheaper, there's the HD7770, which you can find for around $120-140.
    that's the lowest I would go though, if you want to do any gaming.

    Here's a hierarchy of graphics cards so you can do a bit of perusing (scroll down a bit)
  4. DanMan Newcomer, in training Posts: 25

    Okay, so say I decide the gtx560 and the antec cooler... is this a good choice? and where should I buy them from?
  5. DanMan Newcomer, in training Posts: 25

  6. xcylent TechSpot Booster Posts: 261   +16

     
  7. xcylent TechSpot Booster Posts: 261   +16

  8. DanMan Newcomer, in training Posts: 25

  9. xcylent TechSpot Booster Posts: 261   +16

    Looks fine to me. it's a good step up from your current performance level.
    although if you can afford it, why not go for the 7850? it's much faster than the 560.
    here's the Sapphire HD7850, which is $189 after MIR.
    it would easily outperform the 560 in gaming. plus, it has a nice cooler so you can expect quieter, colder performance.
  10. DanMan Newcomer, in training Posts: 25

    Hmmm yes, I do like this suggestion.. But as to my other questions, what kinds of problems could go wrong? and what should I be looking for as far as reliability?
  11. DanMan Newcomer, in training Posts: 25

    And whats the significant difference between a regular gtx560 and a gtx560 TI?
  12. xcylent TechSpot Booster Posts: 261   +16

    To answer your first question, nothing should go wrong. the PSU and GPU are compatible, and as long as you don't screw up the actual installation (which is difficult to mess up), you'll be fine.
    in terms of reliability, Antec is a great brand if you want reliability, and for the graphics cards, EVGA and Sapphire make great cards. The only thing that could go wrong is if you get a DOA (dead on arrival) card. even then, that only happens maybe 2% of the time.
    In terms of longevity and future-proofing, then the 7850 is the way to go, since it's a newer architecture than the 560.

    to answer your second question, there is a difference between the 560 and 560Ti, but it's not incredibly significant. I won't go into the technical details, but basically the Ti version is just more powerful than the non-Ti version, simple as that.
    even then, the 7850 is still faster than the 560Ti.
  13. slh28 TechSpot Paladin Posts: 1,701   +111

    Yeah I'd really recommend the 7850 over the 560 as well, you also have twice the VRAM so will last you a lot longer. 1GB of VRAM is not really acceptable any more for games nowadays.
  14. DanMan Newcomer, in training Posts: 25

    Alright, great! I will most likely order these by today or tommorow. ( the 7850 and Antec power supply). On a side note though; Will I be missing any features from NVidia that radeon doesnt have?
  15. slh28 TechSpot Paladin Posts: 1,701   +111

    Main thing you'll be missing is PhysX, here's a list of games which use it. Be aware that it's quite taxing in terms of GPU performance so if you do like the PhysX effects then you should go for a 660Ti and above.
  16. xcylent TechSpot Booster Posts: 261   +16

    Well. that's a long story.
    in terms of features, it's apples and oranges. both AMD and Nvidia cards have fancy pants features which make stuff look shiny.
    Ok, that's a huge generalisation, here's a quick read which may give you a heads up.
  17. DanMan Newcomer, in training Posts: 25

  18. DanMan Newcomer, in training Posts: 25

  19. DanMan Newcomer, in training Posts: 25

    Any more comments?
  20. xcylent TechSpot Booster Posts: 261   +16

    You'll be fine.
    just make sure you watch a TON of instructional videos so that there will be no margin for error.
    when you mount the PSU, make sure the fan is facing toward the inside of the case, so that it's not suffocated against the panel.