Hi all, I've got no idea regarding computer parts these days and was hoping for some advice regarding GPU options for a HP Z220 PC to use it for gaming.
Its specs are:
intel i7-3770 @3.40GHZ
24gb ram
Corsair TX650
It currently is only using onboard graphics (due to old GPU dying) so I'm after a recommendation of what GPU to purchase for under $500.
Games would be GTA5 and pretty much anything new it can handle.
Thanks
It wouldn't be wise to spend too much on such an old system.
Though an option would be to buy a second hand GPU like GTX 1060 / 1070 or 1660 for under $150
OP's gaming requirements are a bit vague but if it's targeting GTA 5 then these options will be more than fine.
I agree with your conclusion but I don't agree with your rationale.
reBAR is a technology for CPU to have direct access to GPU memory, doesn't change how GPU do its calculation. Usually it's only single digit percentage gain, and in some poorly implemented game you could even see performance regression.
PCIe 3.0 x16 or even PCIe 3.0x8 isn't a bottleneck unless you are running something super high-end, like 3090 or higher,
or something like AMD Rx6500xt where it only have 4 PCIe lanes (card runs at PCIe 4.0 x4 which the bandwidth is same as PCIe 3.0 x8, but if motherboard supports 3.0 only, it'll run at 3.0x4 which then became too slow).
it has been proved by reviewers, and ITX user using mediocre PCIe raiser cable and have to lock down with PCIe3.0 for stable connection.
the REAL problem is IVY Bridge (intel 3xxx series), was the first generation(or 2nd if you argue Sandy bridge was the first) implemented UEFI BIOS, and the implementation is usually broken, which doesn't run properly with newer GPU with UEFI only vBIOS
and the CPU performance itself will create bottleneck.
NVIDIA GTX 1660 Super: Solid 1080p performance, budget-friendly.
NVIDIA RTX 2060: 1080p with ray tracing, mid-range option.
AMD RX 5600 XT: Great 1080p, competitive with GTX 1660 Super.
AMD RX 6600: Newer, efficient, and strong 1080p performance.
Thanks for your input all, I really appreciate it.
Sorry for being vague.
I understand that the PC is old, but the kids mostly want to play GTA 5 for now, probably some Batman Arkham Asylum games and I'll probably play Doom Eternal (I haven't really gamed since the mid 2000's lol) and maybe Indiana Jones and the Great Circle if it can run it.
I might look at the AMD RX 6600. Hopefully there's some deals coming up.
If they get more into PC gaming I'll look into purchasing a new, more powerful system for them then.
Thanks again.
check my post above,
there's a chance new GPU with UEFI vBIOS won't play well with your older PC.
a BIOS update of motherboard might help (you can test your new GPU, and if you have trouble you can update BIOS with new GPU unplugged)
Thanks for your advice.
Taking this into consideration, what card would you recommend that would be the most powerful my system could handle without issues? I wouldn't want to purchase a card such as the RX 6600 and then not be able to use it due BIOS issues.
Thanks again.
pretty much anything over GTX 600 (same age as your Ivy bridge CPU) has UEFI bios, I think if I wasn't wrong anything GTX 10xx is UEFI only.
you pretty much have to bite the bullet on some card, update your bios and hope for the best.
just be prepared to buy a new CPU/mb/RAM combo if it doesn't play well (performance bottleneck or compatibility)
Good news is a new i3 12100 combo will be much more powerful than your old i7 and is new, compatible, and doesn't cost much at all.
there's plenty of choice if you don't mind investing another few hundred $
You have a processor from about 12 years ago, and PCIe revision 3.0 (old) with no support for Resizable BAR, so basically your platform is a problematic bottleneck for some modern graphics cards.
Some don't have full width PCIe 16x lanes and some run very poorly without Rebar support (eg Intel Arc cards)
Something older and mid-range like a RTX 3060 or Radeon 6700 would be your best bet but that CPU is going to be an issue, the graphics card is going to be sleeping on the job waiting for the CPU to play catch up.
Not a good idea to throw money on parts on an aging system since you won't get full performance out of it, I'd be saving up for a new build