Buying a new graphics card - (read first post)

So, the power supply is non-negotiable. Got it. We’ll get that sorted out then...

But now we've got Windows 7 and DX11 hitting the scene, so what's the actual deal? I mean, specifically with DX11...

Green... just green... everything turning that shade... it's all starting to shift... honestly, I don't even know where to begin with this... it’s like we’re watching the whole landscape transform right before our eyes... and frankly, it's enough to make anyone lose their cool... just constant, unrelenting change... it's exhausting... really... kaže:
So, you're talking about that whole AMD Radeon HD 5000 series lineup...

Is there actually anything decent within my budget that can handle what I need... or am I just throwing money into a black hole here...?

So, here's the plan... I'm thinking about picking up a used AMD Radeon HD 4870 with 512MB of DDR5, grabbing some 4GB of RAM, and just finding a decent power supply to get me through for now.

Honestly, I think that's the smartest move I can make right now...

Look, man, if you're running that processor on a socket 939, I'm pretty sure it doesn't even touch DDR2... it's strictly DDR territory, so definitely double-check what kind of RAM you're picking up before you drop any cash.
And honestly? I wouldn't bother with that graphics card. That CPU is gonna bottleneck the hell out of it... it just won't be able to let that card actually breathe...

Not quite... he mentioned the motherboard too. It’s an AM2 socket

It might be worth tossing in an $133 AMD Athlon II X2 240

Kyle Sanchez4 said:Nah... he actually specified the board too... we're looking at an AM2 processor here.

It’d probably be a smart move to toss in an $133 AMD Athlon II X2 240
just to be safe...

Okay, one more thing... this AMD Radeon HD 4870 uses PCI 2.0, but I can't find anything online to confirm if my motherboard even supports PCI 2.0...

Because if it doesn't, then I'm basically screwed, right? Total waste of time...

EDIT: Never mind, figured it out. XD

It's not a problem. It should work fine.

I know I’m being a total pain, but I’m seriously torn right now. My current setup is an Intel Core 2 Duo E5400, a 500W Fortron power supply, 4GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce 7600, and an LG 22-inch monitor. After being away from gaming for a couple of years, the itch is back and I really want to get back into it. I was thinking about just grabbing a new graphics card for around $833, but if I go that route, will I actually be able to run newer games without everything lagging out? If so, what kind of card should I look for? A buddy of mine mentioned that for that same amount of cash—plus maybe a little extra—I could just pick up a PlayStation 3 and have a much smoother experience playing all the latest titles. Please, help a guy out! Since I'm dropping this money specifically for gaming, should I invest in a better GPU or just grab a PlayStation 3?????

Henry Morales6 said:I know I'm being a pain, but I'm seriously stuck in a three-way dilemma right now! So, I've got this Intel Core 2 Duo E5400, a 500W Fortron power supply, 4 gigs of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce 7600, and an LG 22-inch monitor. After sitting idle for a couple of years, I'm totally getting back into gaming again. I was thinking about picking up a new GPU for maybe $833, so if I grab a card, will I actually be able to play newer games without constant stuttering? If so, what should I look for? A buddy told me that for that kind of cash plus a little extra, I could just grab a PlayStation 3 and run everything smoothly on that instead. Please help me out... if I'm dropping this much money just to play stuff, is a better graphics card or a PlayStation 3 the way to go?????

Look, you don't really need to drop $833 on a GPU, and even if you grab something in the $333 range, you might still see some lag. But hey, if you have $500, you could always snag a new processor like an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400.
Plus, you can always use the PC for gaming... you know, those "other" types of games...

The PlayStation 3 was built strictly for gaming. So, if that's the goal, it's the better pick... though availability and game prices are a different story entirely.

Given your current setup, an NVIDIA GeForce 250 or an AMD Radeon HD 4870 would be plenty to get you playing.

Thanks! I'm sticking with the PC for now. I was honestly a bit unsure because this newer setup was really struggling, but I borrowed an AMD Radeon HD 4850 from a buddy and everything just took off. Looks like my old NVIDIA GeForce 7600 was definitely the culprit.
I'm going to take your advice and look into upgrading the GPU and the CPU. I did a little digging and noticed the Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 is about $57 more expensive than the Intel Core 2 Duo E8400. Since the E8400 has 6MB of L2 cache and the Q8400 only has 4MB—because, you know, one's a quad-core and the other's just a dual-core
—I'm stuck wondering which one is actually the better move.

Don't bother swapping out the processor... there's really no point.

So I'm just gonna hold out for a better GPU for now, then maybe look at a whole new rig once I've saved up enough cash

Got another quick question regarding power supplies.

Since I’m most likely going to grab the XFX Radeon HD 4870, which PSU would actually be enough to handle it? Is a Gigabyte 460W going to cut it... or am I asking for trouble? And does it even have all the connectors I'll need?

Ryan Rogers68 said:I have one more quick question regarding power supplies.

Since I'll likely be picking up an XFX Radeon HD4870 1GB DDR5 XXX—which power supply would be sufficient for that? Would a Corsair 460 w be okay? And does it actually have all the necessary connectors?

It should be enough. It just needs to have everything required for the card. Go ahead and grab it...

That’s awesome! Looks like I finally caught you $100. Just in time...

Thanks

I figured I'd just start a new thread to ask this here...

So, my motherboard is pretty old, which means I'm limited to an AGP card. My current one (an AMD Radeon 1550 with 512 MB, if I recall correctly) is on its last legs. Does anyone have advice or a link where I could pick up a replacement? Looking for something new, ideally for around $60.

Which AMD card can actually hold its own against a 2600XT GDDR4? I'm mainly looking for something that won't hog all my power or take up too much space in the case. Also, any word on when we might see some low-end 5xxx cards hitting the shelves?