New Graphics card?

Scoutsifer · 09-19-2009, 02:52 PM

Hey all,
I was thinking of upgrading my graphics card. At the moment, my specs are:

Processor:
AMD CPU AM2 9750 Phenom 64 Quad Core
Memory:
4094MB RAM @ 800Mhz
Hard Drive:
500 GB
Video Card:
NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX Overclocked
Motherboard:
Asus motherboard M3A AM2+ AMD 770 SB600 DDR2 ATX
PSU:
OCZ 600SXS StealthXStream 600W PSU

I'm tempted to get the GTX 260... but I don't think it's THAT big of an upgrade from my 9800 GTX. What card would you reccomend? I think I'd spend... £160 on it? (The card itself)
Also, would I need a new power suply? How do I make sure it's compatible with all my other equipment?

Thanks!

Phædrus2401 · 09-19-2009, 03:43 PM

Your power supply is... adequate, I guess. OCZ is a mid-range maker.

The largest graphics card *I'd* put in with that PSU would be a GTX260 or Radeon 4870. You *might* manage a Radeon 4890, but again, I wouldn't risk it. And as you said, a GTX260 or 4870 won't be a huge improvement over what you've got. A 4890 might be, but...

The 9800GTX+ is still a fairly decent card, and should pull the highest settings in most games on a 1280X800 resolution, and the same for all but a few games on 1440x900. Why are you looking to upgrade?

Scoutsifer · 09-19-2009, 04:02 PM

Meh, I want to get the most out of current games! I mean yeah I can run most stuff at medium, but who would settle for medium? ;)

What happens if your PSU underperforms?

Phædrus2401 · 09-19-2009, 05:46 PM

I gave a good explanation here, it might give you an idea: Video Cards not performing as expected

It can cause bad performance, random crashes, in some cases overheating, and if the PSU fails it can take the rest of the system with it.

**emosun** · 09-19-2009, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scoutsifer

I mean yeah I can run most stuff at medium

I don't like that statement as even I can run most stuff at medium. That card should be able to do high. What games are you playing at what settings specifically? Might be something up with your rig.

Scoutsifer · 09-20-2009, 06:44 AM

I mean... Games with bad engines, such as Stalker Clear Sky... I'd like to run in DX10 however this creates some bad lag =/ Maybe I should try lower resolutions? I run everything on my desktop resolution (1680 x 1050)
I'm not underpowered or anything. Maybe I phrased that wrong... I can run most games on high, it's just the titan games I'd like to run aswell! Hehe

Maybe I'll just wait it out a little longer for the next big cards that come out? Direct X 11?

**emosun** · 09-20-2009, 09:05 AM

You should. I usually don't recommend moving from a high end card , to a slightly higher end card. You'll spend a lot for a not so noticeable increase in speed.

Phædrus2401 · 09-20-2009, 11:44 AM

ATI is going to start releasing the Radeon 5000 series cards on Tuesday, starting with the 5870, and Nvidia is going to be releasing the GeForce 300 series around Christmas time, so if you wait until next spring you'll have a whole lot more options and better cards available.

09-19-2009, 02:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
Scoutsifer Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 29 OS: Vista	New Graphics card? Hey all, I was thinking of upgrading my graphics card. At the moment, my specs are: Processor: AMD CPU AM2 9750 Phenom 64 Quad Core Memory: 4094MB RAM @ 800Mhz Hard Drive: 500 GB Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX Overclocked Motherboard: Asus motherboard M3A AM2+ AMD 770 SB600 DDR2 ATX PSU: OCZ 600SXS StealthXStream 600W PSU I'm tempted to get the GTX 260... but I don't think it's THAT big of an upgrade from my 9800 GTX. What card would you reccomend? I think I'd spend... £160 on it? (The card itself) Also, would I need a new power suply? How do I make sure it's compatible with all my other equipment? Thanks! Last edited by Scoutsifer; 09-19-2009 at 02:54 PM.

09-19-2009, 03:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,782 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: New Graphics card? Your power supply is... adequate, I guess. OCZ is a mid-range maker. The largest graphics card I'd put in with that PSU would be a GTX260 or Radeon 4870. You might manage a Radeon 4890, but again, I wouldn't risk it. And as you said, a GTX260 or 4870 won't be a huge improvement over what you've got. A 4890 might be, but... The 9800GTX+ is still a fairly decent card, and should pull the highest settings in most games on a 1280X800 resolution, and the same for all but a few games on 1440x900. Why are you looking to upgrade? __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.

09-19-2009, 04:02 PM	#3 (permalink)
Scoutsifer Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 29 OS: Vista	Re: New Graphics card? Meh, I want to get the most out of current games! I mean yeah I can run most stuff at medium, but who would settle for medium? ;) What happens if your PSU underperforms?

09-19-2009, 05:46 PM	#4 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,782 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: New Graphics card? I gave a good explanation here, it might give you an idea: Video Cards not performing as expected It can cause bad performance, random crashes, in some cases overheating, and if the PSU fails it can take the rest of the system with it. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.

09-20-2009, 06:44 AM	#6 (permalink)
Scoutsifer Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 29 OS: Vista	Re: New Graphics card? I mean... Games with bad engines, such as Stalker Clear Sky... I'd like to run in DX10 however this creates some bad lag =/ Maybe I should try lower resolutions? I run everything on my desktop resolution (1680 x 1050) I'm not underpowered or anything. Maybe I phrased that wrong... I can run most games on high, it's just the titan games I'd like to run aswell! Hehe Maybe I'll just wait it out a little longer for the next big cards that come out? Direct X 11?

09-20-2009, 09:05 AM	#7 (permalink)
emosun Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: usa Posts: 6,948 OS: xp pro sp2 My System	Re: New Graphics card? You should. I usually don't recommend moving from a high end card , to a slightly higher end card. You'll spend a lot for a not so noticeable increase in speed. __________________ Gpu Benchmarks Cpu-Z Power supply information and selection Gpu-Z Video card quick list

09-20-2009, 11:44 AM	#8 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,782 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: New Graphics card? ATI is going to start releasing the Radeon 5000 series cards on Tuesday, starting with the 5870, and Nvidia is going to be releasing the GeForce 300 series around Christmas time, so if you wait until next spring you'll have a whole lot more options and better cards available. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.