The HD 3850, obviously—it’s got faster memory, more bandwidth, and just feels like a better-built card overall. 🙂
Though, I’m not sure how much sense it makes to dump money into that specific rig. With a P4 3.0, you might struggle to even get the full performance out of a weaker HD 4650... 🤷
You should be able to run newer titles without much trouble. I guess if you're actually planning on picking up a new card, maybe let me know what the rest of your build looks like? 😉
It shouldn't be an issue for the graphics card to work with the motherboard if both have a PCI-e x16 slot... I guess you just need to be careful if you're switching to Nvidia; you should probably uninstall every single trace of ATI from your PC first—drivers and all—just so nothing crashes. ☕
I’d go with the Zotac GeForce GTS 250; honestly, anything more than that feels like massive overkill for that resolution. Is that your native res? You might want to look into a new power supply too, since this one is 👎
You could grab a Radeon HD 5770 in that price range, which is cheaper, supports DirectX 11, and runs a bit cooler and more efficiently. It really just depends on what kind of games you're into, but if you're strictly looking for raw gaming performance, I guess the GeForce GTX 260 might be my pick...
AM2 processors are selling pretty poorly and you can barely find them anywhere anymore; the only thing left is the ADM Phenom x4 9650 for $267, but I don't think that's worth it since you'll probably be building a whole new PC soon anyway, and besides, the tech is getting old.
The GPU and power supply should be more than enough for now 😉
silentfalcon422 said:Yeah, while I'm at it, I'm wondering what would be a decent CPU upgrade that actually fits my current motherboard (AM2)?
Most AM2 boards should handle an AM3 processor if you flash the BIOS... 😉 If you aren't on a super tight budget, maybe look at an Athlon ii X2 240/250 (around $167)... though personally, I'd suggest grabbing an Athlon ii x4 630 ($267) 🙂
silentfalcon422 said:hmm, but I can grab this 4850 for $233, while this one is $650.. What does it actually mean if my processor is too weak for the GPU? Is it just that it won't be able to fully utilize it, or are there other side effects, like getting worse performance than I would with the weaker card?
Alright, let's go with the HD 4850 then... 🙂 Your CPU is hitting a bottleneck, so yeah, it won't be able to push that GPU to its limit...
But honestly, your gaming performance will still be way better overall.😉
You don't really need a VX450W; a CX400W could probably handle both of your rigs, or maybe even a Fortron PNF400W if you're trying to keep costs down on this build. 🙂
Since your processor isn't exactly a powerhouse, I guess buying something high-end wouldn't make much sense. If I were you, I'd look at this one:
Which 400W are we talking about? There's a huge difference between junk like EVGA or some generic brands versus actual quality units from Corsair, Antec, Seasonic, or SilverStone...
placidsurfer9 said:That’s true... I guess they might swap things up with McLaren at some point during the season🙂
I suspect RB might have the edge in Monaco since the track demands massive downforce, and from what we've seen, RB seems to be leading the pack there.
True, but traction and braking stability are the real keys here. Cornering speed isn't as vital since there aren't many high-speed turns outside of the tunnel and that chicane after the swimming pool, which is where RB really shines.🙂
I suspect Red Bull is only this fast because of the specific track layout. They probably won't be quite so dominant at places like Canada, Monza, or Monaco; I imagine McLaren could be a real threat there. 🙂
Sebastian Vettel will probably lead from lights to flag with a full minute over second place, only for his car to fall apart right on the finish line with two laps left...
Don't go any higher than this, or you're going to run into a massive bottleneck with the processor... ☕ Unless you're planning on picking up that Intel Core i7 they have over at Micro Center for $267 😛 I'm thinking that motherboard is pretty mediocre. It's just an old socket... 🤔