It really depends on what resolution you’re running. If you're looking at something lower than 1680x1050, honestly, 512MB is plenty. But if you're pushing higher than that, you'll definitely want to aim for 1GB. Check out the 4850, the EVGA GeForce GTS 250, or even a 4870.
It’s reliable enough, sure, but don't forget—this is just a heavily factory overclocked NVIDIA GTX 460 Hawk Talon Attack. That other card is a stock NVIDIA GTX 470.
They're around here somewhere. The Hawk pulls a bit more power, but the Toxic is more efficient and actually vents the heat out of the case. You can just overclock both without much fuss—and honestly, a Seasonic unit will handle it just fine enough.
If we’re just looking at heat dissipation—assuming the case has decent airflow—I honestly think that Intel Core i7 could be pushed to 3.6-3.8 GHz for 24/7 use without breaking a sweat.
Look, you've got options. Grab a Seasonic 430W, a Silverstone 400W, or maybe a Corsair CX series 400W if you can even find one in stock anymore. Honestly, though? That LC Power Silent Giant Green Power 460W actually turned out to be a decent little unit if you're trying to keep things cheap.
The gts 250 isn't actually all that much worse than those two. For the most part, it performs right up there with them, but it’s an older card that runs hotter, pulls more power, and lacks DX11 support.
It really depends on what you’re planning to play. I wouldn't say you don't "need" one, but rather that your processor is just too weak to actually let anything better than the cards you mentioned reach its full potential—even if you overclocked it, which isn't exactly a miracle worker anyway. Regardless, if I were you, I'd grab either the 5750 or the 450. The next step up from those is a massive downgrade in performance compared to these two, especially when the price gap is pretty negligible.
Honestly, I’d say you're already pushing it too far because of that CPU. You should probably grab a decent cooler for under $67, overclock the processor, and then pick up a gts 450 🙂.
A CM Hyper TX3 for the $50 or maybe a Freezer Pro 7, then overclocking the CPU to hit 3GHz along with some used GPU depending on what the PSU can handle and the resolution—maybe a GTS 250, GTX 260, 4850, or 4870—that’s probably the best bang for your buck in my opinion.
@Olivia Collins5/">@@Olivia Collins5: That 240 is definitely weaker than yours—assuming you're running a 4850... for $233, honestly, you aren't going to find much better than what's already in your rig. Maybe a used 4870, but even then, it's barely a step up. Your best bet? Sell your current card for maybe $400 and pick up a gtx 460 768. Though, if I'm being real, I don't even get why you're bothering; all this hardware is massive overkill for that monitor anyway.
Just take a look at the performance gap here and try to wrap your head around those $18 differences: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/A...768_MB/31.html
That’s your call, but honestly? It’s a bad one. For $140, you can easily grab a 6850 or an Nvidia GTX 460 with 1GB that will absolutely demolish this 5770... not to mention you can find a Sapphire 5770 at Best Buy for $366 .
It’s a waste of breath even discussing it. Just pick up a Gainward or a Point of View Nvidia GTX 460 for $115 or maybe $389 and call it a day. At that price point, there's zero point in looking at anything else.