Need a new video card

Tu_Ultimate · 05-30-2009, 08:40 AM

I have about £180 to spend, however if i can spend less thatwould be welcome, as i want to get new memory as well. My current card is an xfx 8800gt 1gb (stock clocks) and I am thiking about the 4890=£180-200 the 4870=£120-140 and the GTX 275=£180 ( not sure about gtx 260 216). Anyway i've seen lots of reviews but I am looking for the best performance for money, as long as it is over 50% over my 8800gt. Basically is the 4890 worth £60 over the 4870, and is the gtx 275 worth it?

**floop12444** · 05-30-2009, 09:52 AM

Well, i would go for the gtx 275 in this situation. Its a brilliant card that will run at more than 50% better than the 8800gt. The thing is you need a good PSU to run it. What is your Power supply at the moment? (Brand and wattage)

Tu_Ultimate · 05-30-2009, 10:16 AM

ah, its not amazing its a jeantech 600w. It does the job in my current system, its got 39A on the 12v and also the total power usage of my system under load is 250W. Im hoping it will be powerful enough to run it, until i get more money for a new psu.

**emosun** · 05-30-2009, 03:24 PM

That power supply isn't good enough for those cards. It's not 80+ certified which means it's wattage that it's actually producing is about 432 watts.

But out of the cards you listed the 4890 would be best , the 4870 is actually comparable to a gtx 280.

**floop12444** · 05-30-2009, 03:41 PM

With a 4890 your going to need at least a Corsair 750W. Something like this :
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139006

Tu_Ultimate · 05-30-2009, 03:45 PM

I thought efficiency was the other way round, as in if its 80% then if it draws 1kW from the mains the PSU only outputs 800W total on all its rails ( otherwise if the 800w PSU only outputted 650W, then it wouldn't be an 800W psu????) Also it doesnt even go to the highest fan speed

so it could still have more in it?
I have decided to go with a GTX 275, as i can get one for £170, its also quieter and if it does go wrong I can return it for a 4890 (power issues)
I'd prefer not to need a new PSU, as I really dont have the money, the 8800gt draws a lot of power as well. Also im running a C2D e4500 @ 3.6 Ghz OC- not the most powerhungry chip in the world.
In all honesty, do you think, my psu can handle it (even if only just) also it says its rated at 40A on the 12v rails, which is what nvidia recommend?

**wrench97** · 05-30-2009, 04:56 PM

Low power or slow peak response time from a under spec'd PSU will lower card performance also.

Tu_Ultimate · 05-30-2009, 05:18 PM

hm, well I really dont have money tbh, I found the 4890 on overclockers uk for £165 so if i did that, I might be able to afford a PSU of around £50-60
and is my psu honestly not able to cope? I need a new one anyway but I'd rather not comprimise on graphics. Also a modualar one, or one with few cables would be good :P ( I have a small case) It also needs to have 8 pin for CPU and ofc the 2x6pin for PCI-E and at least 3-4 sata power connecters, since my dvd drive is sata.
Any recommendations? (also isn't 4890 much louder than gtx 275)?

**floop12444** · 05-30-2009, 06:14 PM

See how your current PSU deals with the new video card and if the performance is bad, you need a new PSU. And yes the 4890 is louder than the 275.

**emosun** · 05-30-2009, 06:31 PM

Power supply efficiency works backwards. Meaning the IF your power was running at 100% efficiency it would output 600w. But since it typically runs at 72% it only outputs 432watts.

Once you get into higher end parts , noise control is put on the back burner. The parts need lots of airflow and generally make a lot of noise. When you try to reduce the noise by removing fans or setting them at low speeds the parts overheat. It's pretty much a constant in the world that higher end machines of any kind make more noise then slow or lower end machines.

Tu_Ultimate · 05-31-2009, 05:33 AM

Ah, i'm getting very confused about efficiency now :P basically if it lowered the wattage out put, wurely they couldn't rate it at 600w?
also here's a link.
http://www.motherboards.org/articles/guides/1487_7.html
they say its to do with the draw from the wall as well :S.

Also on the new psu front, If i had to get a new one would something like this be enough.?
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/141006

It has 3 12V rails, One for Mobo and CPU, One for other stuff and the 25A one for PCI-E (I read somewhere the gtx 275 needs about 210W under full load) so with 300w just for the GPU, Will it be ok? This seems to be just about in my budget, as all the PSU prices have risen here recently.

Also they have a deal on this 850W one.
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/124736
would, either of these be sufficent?

**floop12444** · 05-31-2009, 06:30 AM

The last PSU you gave us a link to is a very efficient PSU and i think it would power the GTX 275 nicely.

**wrench97** · 05-31-2009, 06:47 AM

I would go for the OCZ unit over the Earthwatts, it's not one of my favorite supplies but it's not all that bad either.

**grimx133** · 05-31-2009, 06:55 AM

I've found the OCZ power supplies to work ok, they aren't bottom feeders, but aren't top of the line either. Also found them quite a bit noisier than Corsair, which is my psu of choice.

The Antec wouldn't be enough for a GTX275, and their quality is suspect of late. They changed the supplier of their internals a couple of years ago, and not for the better.

The Corsair 750TX would be an excellent choice, however it is a tad dearer. http://www.ebuyer.com/product/134677

**Tyree** · 05-31-2009, 07:52 AM

Why purchase the video card and worry about damaging it and other hardware with an insufficient PSU?
Spend the money for a quality PSU now and purchase the video card later?

Tu_Ultimate · 05-31-2009, 08:20 AM

Yeh, thanks for all the opinions, The money isn't that much of an issue, I can go up to about 100 which means the OCZ, and the 750TX are just about affordable.
Is the OCZ better than the 750TX, and also the corsair says its got 4x 6+2 PCI-E's, will these break off so i can use the 2x 6pins for the gtx 275?
Also, any other PSU's which are better for around that price?

**wrench97** · 05-31-2009, 08:50 AM

The Corsair is the better unit and yes the 6+2 connectors can be either 6 or 8 pin pcie power connectors.

Tu_Ultimate · 05-31-2009, 08:58 AM

Ok, ill get that one then, Its a pity it isn't modular since i dont have a lot of space left for cable managment.
Will it be powerful enough to handle an overclocked quad core as well?
Also, the 850tx is only 110, do you think its worth buying the 850 over the 750? or is it just overkill?

**wrench97** · 05-31-2009, 10:41 AM

The 750 will handle the oc but if you think you might upgrade later the price difference to the 850 isn't that great it may pay to do it now. But for your current setup and video card upgrade the 750 is plenty.

Tu_Ultimate · 06-03-2009, 04:58 AM

Ok, well ill go for the 850 tx if it will be good for later upgrades, thanks for the help everyonw, with choosing everything.

05-30-2009, 08:40 AM	#1 (permalink)
Tu_Ultimate Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 95 OS: Vista Business x86	Need a new video card I have about £180 to spend, however if i can spend less thatwould be welcome, as i want to get new memory as well. My current card is an xfx 8800gt 1gb (stock clocks) and I am thiking about the 4890=£180-200 the 4870=£120-140 and the GTX 275=£180 ( not sure about gtx 260 216). Anyway i've seen lots of reviews but I am looking for the best performance for money, as long as it is over 50% over my 8800gt. Basically is the 4890 worth £60 over the 4870, and is the gtx 275 worth it?

05-30-2009, 09:52 AM	#2 (permalink)
floop12444 Senior Tech, Games Team Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: England Posts: 1,068 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3 My System	Re: Need a new video card Well, i would go for the gtx 275 in this situation. Its a brilliant card that will run at more than 50% better than the 8800gt. The thing is you need a good PSU to run it. What is your Power supply at the moment? (Brand and wattage) __________________ Everest Home Edtion ♦ System requirements test ♦ Nvidia Drivers ♦ ATI Drivers ♦ Revo Uninstaller ♦ GPUz Forum Rules Steps Before Posting

05-30-2009, 10:16 AM	#3 (permalink)
Tu_Ultimate Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 95 OS: Vista Business x86	Re: Need a new video card ah, its not amazing its a jeantech 600w. It does the job in my current system, its got 39A on the 12v and also the total power usage of my system under load is 250W. Im hoping it will be powerful enough to run it, until i get more money for a new psu.

05-30-2009, 03:24 PM	#4 (permalink)
emosun Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: usa Posts: 7,106 OS: xp pro sp2 My System	Re: Need a new video card That power supply isn't good enough for those cards. It's not 80+ certified which means it's wattage that it's actually producing is about 432 watts. But out of the cards you listed the 4890 would be best , the 4870 is actually comparable to a gtx 280. __________________ Gpu Benchmarks Cpu-Z Power supply information and selection Gpu-Z Video card quick list

05-30-2009, 03:41 PM	#5 (permalink)
floop12444 Senior Tech, Games Team Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: England Posts: 1,068 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3 My System	Re: Need a new video card With a 4890 your going to need at least a Corsair 750W. Something like this : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139006 __________________ Everest Home Edtion ♦ System requirements test ♦ Nvidia Drivers ♦ ATI Drivers ♦ Revo Uninstaller ♦ GPUz Forum Rules Steps Before Posting

05-30-2009, 03:45 PM	#6 (permalink)
Tu_Ultimate Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 95 OS: Vista Business x86	Re: Need a new video card I thought efficiency was the other way round, as in if its 80% then if it draws 1kW from the mains the PSU only outputs 800W total on all its rails ( otherwise if the 800w PSU only outputted 650W, then it wouldn't be an 800W psu????) Also it doesnt even go to the highest fan speed so it could still have more in it? I have decided to go with a GTX 275, as i can get one for £170, its also quieter and if it does go wrong I can return it for a 4890 (power issues) I'd prefer not to need a new PSU, as I really dont have the money, the 8800gt draws a lot of power as well. Also im running a C2D e4500 @ 3.6 Ghz OC- not the most powerhungry chip in the world. In all honesty, do you think, my psu can handle it (even if only just) also it says its rated at 40A on the 12v rails, which is what nvidia recommend?

05-30-2009, 04:56 PM	#7 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,883 OS: Win7	Re: Need a new video card Low power or slow peak response time from a under spec'd PSU will lower card performance also. __________________ Power Supply and Selection

05-30-2009, 05:18 PM	#8 (permalink)
Tu_Ultimate Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 95 OS: Vista Business x86	Re: Need a new video card hm, well I really dont have money tbh, I found the 4890 on overclockers uk for £165 so if i did that, I might be able to afford a PSU of around £50-60 and is my psu honestly not able to cope? I need a new one anyway but I'd rather not comprimise on graphics. Also a modualar one, or one with few cables would be good :P ( I have a small case) It also needs to have 8 pin for CPU and ofc the 2x6pin for PCI-E and at least 3-4 sata power connecters, since my dvd drive is sata. Any recommendations? (also isn't 4890 much louder than gtx 275)?

05-30-2009, 06:14 PM	#9 (permalink)
floop12444 Senior Tech, Games Team Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: England Posts: 1,068 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3 My System	Re: Need a new video card See how your current PSU deals with the new video card and if the performance is bad, you need a new PSU. And yes the 4890 is louder than the 275. __________________ Everest Home Edtion ♦ System requirements test ♦ Nvidia Drivers ♦ ATI Drivers ♦ Revo Uninstaller ♦ GPUz Forum Rules Steps Before Posting

05-30-2009, 06:31 PM	#10 (permalink)
emosun Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: usa Posts: 7,106 OS: xp pro sp2 My System	Re: Need a new video card Power supply efficiency works backwards. Meaning the IF your power was running at 100% efficiency it would output 600w. But since it typically runs at 72% it only outputs 432watts. Once you get into higher end parts , noise control is put on the back burner. The parts need lots of airflow and generally make a lot of noise. When you try to reduce the noise by removing fans or setting them at low speeds the parts overheat. It's pretty much a constant in the world that higher end machines of any kind make more noise then slow or lower end machines. __________________ Gpu Benchmarks Cpu-Z Power supply information and selection Gpu-Z Video card quick list

05-31-2009, 05:33 AM	#11 (permalink)
Tu_Ultimate Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 95 OS: Vista Business x86	Re: Need a new video card Ah, i'm getting very confused about efficiency now :P basically if it lowered the wattage out put, wurely they couldn't rate it at 600w? also here's a link. http://www.motherboards.org/articles/guides/1487_7.html they say its to do with the draw from the wall as well :S. Also on the new psu front, If i had to get a new one would something like this be enough.? http://www.ebuyer.com/product/141006 It has 3 12V rails, One for Mobo and CPU, One for other stuff and the 25A one for PCI-E (I read somewhere the gtx 275 needs about 210W under full load) so with 300w just for the GPU, Will it be ok? This seems to be just about in my budget, as all the PSU prices have risen here recently. Also they have a deal on this 850W one. http://www.ebuyer.com/product/124736 would, either of these be sufficent?

05-31-2009, 06:30 AM	#12 (permalink)
floop12444 Senior Tech, Games Team Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: England Posts: 1,068 OS: Windows XP Pro SP3 My System	Re: Need a new video card The last PSU you gave us a link to is a very efficient PSU and i think it would power the GTX 275 nicely. __________________ Everest Home Edtion ♦ System requirements test ♦ Nvidia Drivers ♦ ATI Drivers ♦ Revo Uninstaller ♦ GPUz Forum Rules Steps Before Posting

05-31-2009, 06:47 AM	#13 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,883 OS: Win7	Re: Need a new video card I would go for the OCZ unit over the Earthwatts, it's not one of my favorite supplies but it's not all that bad either. __________________ Power Supply and Selection

05-31-2009, 06:55 AM	#14 (permalink)
grimx133 Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada eh Posts: 3,176 OS: xp mce sp2, xp pro sp2, windows 7 beta My System	Re: Need a new video card I've found the OCZ power supplies to work ok, they aren't bottom feeders, but aren't top of the line either. Also found them quite a bit noisier than Corsair, which is my psu of choice. The Antec wouldn't be enough for a GTX275, and their quality is suspect of late. They changed the supplier of their internals a couple of years ago, and not for the better. The Corsair 750TX would be an excellent choice, however it is a tad dearer. http://www.ebuyer.com/product/134677 __________________

05-31-2009, 07:52 AM	#15 (permalink)
Tyree Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 5,896 OS: XP Pro-7RC-Mandriva My System	Re: Need a new video card Why purchase the video card and worry about damaging it and other hardware with an insufficient PSU? Spend the money for a quality PSU now and purchase the video card later? __________________ Posting your PC specs will help us to help you quicker and more efficiently.

05-31-2009, 08:20 AM	#16 (permalink)
Tu_Ultimate Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 95 OS: Vista Business x86	Re: Need a new video card Yeh, thanks for all the opinions, The money isn't that much of an issue, I can go up to about 100 which means the OCZ, and the 750TX are just about affordable. Is the OCZ better than the 750TX, and also the corsair says its got 4x 6+2 PCI-E's, will these break off so i can use the 2x 6pins for the gtx 275? Also, any other PSU's which are better for around that price?

05-31-2009, 08:50 AM	#17 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,883 OS: Win7	Re: Need a new video card The Corsair is the better unit and yes the 6+2 connectors can be either 6 or 8 pin pcie power connectors. __________________ Power Supply and Selection

05-31-2009, 08:58 AM	#18 (permalink)
Tu_Ultimate Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 95 OS: Vista Business x86	Re: Need a new video card Ok, ill get that one then, Its a pity it isn't modular since i dont have a lot of space left for cable managment. Will it be powerful enough to handle an overclocked quad core as well? Also, the 850tx is only 110, do you think its worth buying the 850 over the 750? or is it just overkill?

05-31-2009, 10:41 AM	#19 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,883 OS: Win7	Re: Need a new video card The 750 will handle the oc but if you think you might upgrade later the price difference to the 850 isn't that great it may pay to do it now. But for your current setup and video card upgrade the 750 is plenty. __________________ Power Supply and Selection

06-03-2009, 04:58 AM	#20 (permalink)
Tu_Ultimate Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 95 OS: Vista Business x86	Re: Need a new video card Ok, well ill go for the 850 tx if it will be good for later upgrades, thanks for the help everyonw, with choosing everything.