Hi all, I've got a Nvidia 8800GT 512MB graphics card with an Intel Q9400 2.66Ghz CPU here. I just want something on the low end that's really good value for money.
Which graphics cards should I be looking at? Is ATI or Nvidia considered better for value for money?
Thanks for any help!
Good advice. Many options in the low end price bracket are pretty bad when it comes to price/performance ratio.
yeah not gonna happen
you also make it hard on yourself because you have a 775 cpu so you'll be cpu bound
to be fair though, if you limit yourself to 720p you would still get ok performance from a 2gb 128bit card at around $150 or so?
of course 2nd hand all bets are off
Yes, limited to 720p if he's talking about gaming. But for watching a movie in 1080p (e.g. DVD), I'd think that any graphics card, including his current one, will be fine and the CPU won't even be working hard. Is the OP a pensioner who wants to get into computer gaming?
LOL. that's a good question actually. Judging from his past posts and his voting history, ThePensioner doesn't seem like the sort to play games.
Unless his account is being hijacked…. but I digress. The fact that he has an 8800GT means the computer was probably specced for gaming at some point, since the 8800GT was a high end card in its time.
If you do game, then great, get yourself an upgrade, but if you're just watching hi-def video and browsing the net, you won't need anything more powerful than what you already have.
The 7870 is the same as a 270X, not a 280X, which is equivalent to a 7970.
Whoops, thanks for picking up my typo!
Depends on the purpose of the graphics card. Your CPU is still fairly competitive but lacks onboard graphics. Why do you think you need a graphics card in the first place? VideoCardBenchmark still places your GPU in the mid-range GPU category. It's just as good as a modern integrated graphics that you might find in an all-in-one computer. http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/mid_range_gpus.html
So if your GPU has broken, then you need something to operate the monitor. One approach would be to get a new CPU with integrated graphics. For example, an AMD A6-6420K is $72 at MSY. It will run just as well as your current CPU but use around $15 less power per year assuming home use. And the big benefit is it's got integrated graphics that will beat your current card. You would also need a new motherboard so your total cost might be around $150.
Otherwise, assuming that your current GPU works but feel like it's not powerful enough to run a certain game or application, then you could upgrade. I'd suggest that anything less than a GTX 750 or R7 260x might be only a slight improvement over your current card. Go too cheap, like a Radeon HD 5450 for $29, would be worse than your current card in many respects…
if you want good performance yet cheap would advise to buy a amd graphics card during one of Centrecom's sales, last time they had a msi r7 270 2gb for $100
I bought a 7850 from them and it was used with dust in the heatsink fan.. definitely wouldn't recommend centrecom!
ATI 270X or ita nvivida EQU.
Recently I've been using http://logicalincrements.com/ for my own computer building, as it's been a long time since I built a PC. The tooltips in particular give a good, concise summary. Regarding graphics cards, the emphasis is definitely gaming, but you can at least get a feel for where the various models stand.
An i3 4350 would be twice as fast in any CPU task minimum barring heavy multi threaded work, its iGPU would be at least as fast if not double a 7yr old 8800GT and it would use half the power. An i5 4590 would obliterate that old quad. It isn't worth spending money on ancient parts. Its 2015, Core 2 is old and not worth upgrading. Any modern i3 or i5 would also open up modern chipsets and would not hesitate with either 3D or 4K either.
guy is on a fixed income dude
he can only dream of SLI 970s…
I agree that the CPU with integrated graphics would be an improvements for non gaming tasks. Quieter. Save $20+ on the annual a electricity bill, more if its constantly in use.
However, the integrated graphics in the CPUs you have given is the Intel HD 4600. The 8800GT still outperforms it by a good margin in games.
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/video-cards/63578-8800-…
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-rev…
http://www.game-debate.com/gpu/index.php?gid=1438&gid2=14&co…
A new deal might be relevant to the thread.
Probably out of your price range, and I've no experience with this mob, but the others hear might have an additional 2c to offer.
Can't answer question without knowing intended purpose - actually surprsed at number of comments given you haven't said what you want to do
If just regular desktop, internet and dvd/media and older lower demand games as lowish resolution then you don't need an upgrade at all
Hi guys,
I'm a very casual builder but unfortunately my HIS AMD Radeon 7950 3GB which I got back in Sep 2012 has died last week. It was on sale back then for a pretty good $274. Looks like its just gone past its 2 year RMA too :(
This is the rest of my system:
CPU: Intel Core i5 3470 $189
Mobo: Asrock B75M $65
RAM: G.SKill Ares 8GB(4GBx2) DDR3 1600 $49
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 2TB (ST2000DM001) $104
SSD: SanDisk Extreme 120GB $99
GPU: HIS AMD Radeon 7950 3GB $274
Case: Sharkoon T28 $60
PSU: Antec VP-550P $65
Any suggestions for a suitable replacement? Is it worth upgrading to an equivalent costed graphics card today? Or is the system too old and thus I should aim a bit lower?
I play the occasional FPS online but usually on low to maximise FPS.
Suggestions? Thanks heaps! :)
An R9 280 would be a nice replacement.
Should be able to pick one up (or a 7970 if you read the whole thread) used for $140-$180 - no need to spend big bucks if you don't want to.
Thanks.
Any issues with reliability for second hand gpus?
Where would you get them from? Ebay?
@plasmapuff:
Ebay is a good start, or you could check out the overclockers australia buy/sell forums.
Thanks guys!
Just remember if you do choose to do anything 2nd hand always remember to ask for original receipt. If it breaks within warranty you can claim RMA and just say it was a gift from so and so
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu_value.html
The problem is the two things you ask for conflict - at the top end, you pay a premium for performance, while at the bottom end, you can't pickup a graphics card below $30 or so, so there are a bunch of cards with wildly varying performance between $30 and $100 - much more than 3x variance in speeds.
Eg. Nvidia GT730 costs $65 and gets a score of ~1000, while a GTX 750 costs $137 (2x cost) but offers a score of >3000 (3x faster)
I'd suggest the sweet spot is not at the low end - the ATI HD 7870 in particular is great value. You can pickup one used for around $150 (cheap due to bitcoin miners closing up shop), and is the same chip with the same performance as a R9 280X which currently sells for over $300. Offers excellent performance, enough to justify an upgrade - would be well over 6x performance increase.