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Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....?
    #14269188 -

So I really don't know much about graphics cards, except that I really need to upgrade my integrated one!
I have tried educating myself regarding them, but I still get lost when deciding on a good deal, what my PC can handle, etc.

So... if there is anyone that can help steer me in the right direction, I would REALLY appreciate it.

My PC stats are:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 3800+, 2 GHz, 2000 MHz system bus
250 GB hard drive, with 1 TB external.
4 GB RAM (although I know my Vista 32bit can only use about 3 GB of it)
Antec True Power Trio 550w PSU
3 cooling fans, (one of which I installed to cool the VC when I get it)
23" LG LCD flat screen monitor
NVIDIA 6150SE (the last thing I need to upgrade until I buy a new PC)

I know my processor will bottleneck any serious graphics card I get, and my PSU is limited also, I am just looking for recommendations on what you guys think will run without issue on this machine.

I have been looking at NVIDIA: 9500GT, 9600GT, the GT 430 and GT 440 (fermi's)

If you folks have suggestion, I am all ears!!
Thanks in advance ;-)

-G7


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--


"To live content with small means. To seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion. To be worthy not respectable, and wealthy not rich. To listen to stars and birds and babes and sages with an open heart. To study hard, think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions. Never hurry. In a word, to let the spiritual, the unbidden and the unconscious rise up through the common. This is my symphony." --William Henry Channing

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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: G77]
    #14269762 -

It depends on your motherboard, which you left off your list, but assuming it has a PCI-Express slot then you're good to go for a video card.  CPU bottlenecking isn't a huge issue unless you get into the enthusiast level shit, but you aren't.  You're main issue left you've addressed, and that's your PSU.  Since it isn't 80+ bronze, silver, or gold certified then it probably performs well under 500 watts under load and at higher temps.  Google some of the cards you're looking at and what their power consumptions are.  The mid to high end (especially higher) cards use a lot of juice.  Many of the companies that make PSUs have calculators that give you an ok estimate.  Check out the calculators and input your system specs after you find the power consumption of the cards you're interested in (again google should make this easy to find or even the specs from websites like newegg or something).


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Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge. - My hero, who will be forever remembered, Carl Sagan.


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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: 5HTSynaptrip]
    #14269904 -

Thanks for the reply Synaptrip. Sorry about that, yes there is indeed a PCI-E slot I plan on using.

The current cards I am looking at are mostly NVIDIA 9500gt/9600gt, and the gt430 and GT440 (fermi's).
As you can see I am not looking to spend too much either.
Do you think there will be an issue running these?

As far as using the calculator idea, are you saying that, in my case, go to the Antec site and see if the specs of those cards fit? I've never heard of such a thing, but it sounds like a great help!!

Are there any other cards you think would be better that will run?
around $100 is what I am looking to spend, unless there's a card that is substantially better than these for $150ish.

Thanks again,

-G7


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"To live content with small means. To seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion. To be worthy not respectable, and wealthy not rich. To listen to stars and birds and babes and sages with an open heart. To study hard, think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions. Never hurry. In a word, to let the spiritual, the unbidden and the unconscious rise up through the common. This is my symphony." --William Henry Channing

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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: G77] * 1
    #14273109 -

It would help if you list your primary intended purpose, as in: what games do you intend to play, how good do you expect them to perform, etc?

I would stay away from the 9500GT/9600GT, while they are GREAT cards for the average gamer, they are near end of life.
You will probably want a 400/500 series GPU for DX11 support in the future, which many games will have, and if you are using Win7?
For $100-150 you aren't going to get the highest end cards out there, but for that price range, I would recommend the following 2 'budget' 400/500 cards:
GTX 550 Ti
GTS 450 FPB

Your PSU should support either one of them in that system provided it is working properly and doesn't have a failing or degraded 12v rail
Your major concern is probably going to be CPU bottlenecking provided the PSU can handle it


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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: Shroomism]
    #14273186 -

I think you can get by with a Radeon 5770... if not then a 5570.  The latter is going to allow you to run games from last year and before and close to high or high settings but not new games w/ DX11.  The 5770 may better suit your needs.


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Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge. - My hero, who will be forever remembered, Carl Sagan.


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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: 5HTSynaptrip]
    #14273275 -

Yeah except... ATI sucks :P


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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: Shroomism]
    #14274164 -

No Win 7, just windows vista 32bit. I plan on playing any games that my PC will play from that price range, really, and maybe accelerating some graphic intensive web browsing.

What about ATI HD 5670? I saw that card for ~$70 on Newegg and other sites.
My issue is I have never installed a GC before, and have no experience with regard to either ATI or NVIDIA, (short of my NVIDIA integrated CRAP) so I can't be biased yet. But if there is a reason I should be, please let me know!! :wink:

Thanks for the replies

-G7


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--


"To live content with small means. To seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion. To be worthy not respectable, and wealthy not rich. To listen to stars and birds and babes and sages with an open heart. To study hard, think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions. Never hurry. In a word, to let the spiritual, the unbidden and the unconscious rise up through the common. This is my symphony." --William Henry Channing

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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: G77]
    #14274859 -
Log in to view attachment

So those capacitor looking thingys right above my PCI-E slot...
Will those be an issue with the larger cards like the 5770?
...this feels like a pandoras box all of a sudden...  :wink:

Thanks,
-G7


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--


"To live content with small means. To seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion. To be worthy not respectable, and wealthy not rich. To listen to stars and birds and babes and sages with an open heart. To study hard, think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions. Never hurry. In a word, to let the spiritual, the unbidden and the unconscious rise up through the common. This is my symphony." --William Henry Channing

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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: G77]
    #14274896 -

I'm a bit biased since I work for an Nvidia based company, I hear a LOT of complaints about ATI..
But it basically boils down to:

ATI: cheaper... more bang for your buck
Nvidia: more support, better quality, more expensive usually

As a consumer it's all up to you. ATI makes some great cards at affordable prices.
Nvidia are at the forefront of gaming technology. ATI & Nvidia are in a constant battle to produce the higher end GPU and are constantly swapping back and forth. I prefer quality over the alternative even if it means paying just a little more.


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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: G77]
    #14274916 -

I wouldn't worry too much about those capacitors.. I would measure how far it is to the right of the PCIe slot.. it looks like you could hit some clearance issues with a longer card, possibly with the RAM slots.


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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: Shroomism]
    #14275028 -

Thanks Shroomism, I could never figure out which cards were the lower quality/better price vs. the higher quality/higher price. Makes sense now though.

It looks like I have roughly 9 inches total from back of case to HD casing.
Also The GC should clear the RAM if it clears the capacitors, as the capacitors are much closer to the slot that the RAM are, as far as I can tell.

It "should" fit, as most cards are 8-8.5 in long.
I am more worried about the dual slot cards like the 5670 and 5770.
I may have to get a low profile/single slot card. Or maybe I'll just buy and try and return it if it doesn't fit.
This is why I never spent the money, I have no clue if they will fit or not!!

-G7


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--


"To live content with small means. To seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion. To be worthy not respectable, and wealthy not rich. To listen to stars and birds and babes and sages with an open heart. To study hard, think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions. Never hurry. In a word, to let the spiritual, the unbidden and the unconscious rise up through the common. This is my symphony." --William Henry Channing

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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: G77]
    #14275373 -

When measuring double slot or not... you are measuring down from the slot.. a most cards I can think of have a flat PCB on that (top) side and sit pretty much flush with the slot or a few mm off... in other words you don't really have to worry about it hitting those capacitors.. or shouldn't.

Low profile is not single slot, low profile is half size height (media centers and such), single slot is single slot width.
You definitely do not want low profile and you can definitely use a double slot card provided you don't need that PCI-e x1 slot.
With 9 inches of clearance you should be able to fit most cards in there, just make sure you note the length of the card, some of the higher end cards can approach 10" or more, but most are 6-8.5"


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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: Shroomism]
    #14275500 -

Ok so def no low profile cards, got it.

I'll shop around for the GTX 550 Ti, GTS 450 FPB, the ATI's 5570, 5670 and 5770.

Learned a lot bro, thanks to all.

-G7


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--


"To live content with small means. To seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion. To be worthy not respectable, and wealthy not rich. To listen to stars and birds and babes and sages with an open heart. To study hard, think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions. Never hurry. In a word, to let the spiritual, the unbidden and the unconscious rise up through the common. This is my symphony." --William Henry Channing

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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: G77]
    #14279054 -

since your build looks a bit older, make sure your PSU has pci-e connectors too.


--------------------
Everything is better than it was the last time.  I'm good.

If we could look into each others hearts, and understand the unique challenges each of us faces, I think we would treat each other much more gently, with more love, patience, tolerance, and care.

It takes a lot of courage to go out there and radiate your essence.

I know you scared, you should ask us if we scared too.  If you was there, and we just knew you cared too.

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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: CosmicJoke]
    #14279088 -

The PSU is newer-ish, it has PCI-E connectors.
I grabbed the ATI 5670 to see if it would make a difference.
That card doesn't need a connector I guess, runs of the slot itself.
If the card doesn't do it's job, return a turn-turn.

-G7


--------------------
--


"To live content with small means. To seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion. To be worthy not respectable, and wealthy not rich. To listen to stars and birds and babes and sages with an open heart. To study hard, think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions. Never hurry. In a word, to let the spiritual, the unbidden and the unconscious rise up through the common. This is my symphony." --William Henry Channing

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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: G77]
    #14542002 -

I have have purchased two GeForce GT 430 for two separate computers. I dont play games with my computers, I use the video cards for running two monitors on one system, and on a different computer the card is connected a 37 inch TV. No complaints and for about $55 its s steal.

ASUS ENGT430/DI/1GD3(LP) GeForce GT 430 (Fermi) 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Ready Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121397

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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: G77]
    #14542157 -

I don't know much about what you just listed. but like you said, no matter how high quality of a graphics card you get, your system will bottleneck any memory if it can't fit it into that graphics card fast enough.

to make a long story short, no matter how fast your graphics card is, you need a certain amount of system requirements to actually get good use out of that graphics card.

your pc specs don't look too bad though. when you buy the card, just make sure it's compatible with your motherboard. for example if your motherboard has pci express then make sure your nvidia card uses pci express(not saying it does, just an example given)


i hate to say, i'm not too familiar with new hard ware. the hard ware you are describing doesn't look BRAND new, but new enough that i'm not familiar with it.

can you list your motherboard again, all those other specs won't mean much without your motherboard.

you can open the case to look at it. or you could download astra 32, and it should tell you all of that. maybe you already know this. i haven't really read the rest of this post, and i should, before we go any further. maybe you resolved this already. i just read the o p


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:kingcrankey: I did not say to edit my signature soulidarity! Now forever I will never remember what I said about understanding the secrets of the universe by paying attention to subtleties!

:facepalm: I'm never giving you the password again. Jerk

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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: 5HTSynaptrip]
    #14542211 -

5HTSynaptrip said:
It depends on your motherboard, which you left off your list, but assuming it has a PCI-Express slot then you're good to go for a video card.  CPU bottlenecking isn't a huge issue unless you get into the enthusiast level shit, but you aren't.  You're main issue left you've addressed, and that's your PSU.  Since it isn't 80+ bronze, silver, or gold certified then it probably performs well under 500 watts under load and at higher temps.  Google some of the cards you're looking at and what their power consumptions are.  The mid to high end (especially higher) cards use a lot of juice.  Many of the companies that make PSUs have calculators that give you an ok estimate.  Check out the calculators and input your system specs after you find the power consumption of the cards you're interested in (again google should make this easy to find or even the specs from websites like newegg or something).



wow, you learn new things every day. I didn't know your psu could limit how well the rest of your computer works. I thought if your motherboard supported it, it would work for anything. your saying what he wants will pull too much power for his psu to handle that?

also, the nvidia card he has now is actually a CHIP SET. are you sure his motherboard uses pci express? did he list his motherboard, or just his pc specs without his motherboard?


--------------------
:kingcrankey: I did not say to edit my signature soulidarity! Now forever I will never remember what I said about understanding the secrets of the universe by paying attention to subtleties!

:facepalm: I'm never giving you the password again. Jerk

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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: Shroomism]
    #14542250 -

Shroomism said:
I'm a bit biased since I work for an Nvidia based company, I hear a LOT of complaints about ATI..
But it basically boils down to:

ATI: cheaper... more bang for your buck
Nvidia: more support, better quality, more expensive usually

As a consumer it's all up to you. ATI makes some great cards at affordable prices.
Nvidia are at the forefront of gaming technology. ATI & Nvidia are in a constant battle to produce the higher end GPU and are constantly swapping back and forth. I prefer quality over the alternative even if it means paying just a little more.



wow, you work for an nvidia based company? high end huh?
up here in north fort lauderdale, we have the citrix head quarters. that's pretty big to me. but your job doesn't sound too low end either.


--------------------
:kingcrankey: I did not say to edit my signature soulidarity! Now forever I will never remember what I said about understanding the secrets of the universe by paying attention to subtleties!

:facepalm: I'm never giving you the password again. Jerk

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Re: Does anyone know anything about graphics cards....? [Re: cokane]
    #14542424 -

430s are shit, you're better off buying a 240, (check the benchmarks the 240 wins everytime)

i would suggest you go with an overclocked 5770. cheap and will allow you to play most games at high for the next couple years.

google for benchmarks and read reviews before wasting your time/money

i dont think your power could handle it but a 5830 would also work amazingly. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=365456&Sku=P450-5837

Edited by I R Crankey (05/31/11 08:49 PM)

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