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Hi looking at graphics upgrade :)

daniel!!!daniel!!! Member Posts: 400

As the title says i'm looking for a graphics card upgrade, just wondering on opinions.

This is my current computer hardware.

Motherboard :Asus M4A78LT-M-LE

Chipset : AMD 780

Processor : AMD Athlon II X4 630 @ 2800MHz

Physical Memory : 4096MB (2 x 2048 DDR3-SDRAM )

Video Card : ATI Radeon HD 5670

i was wondering whether to get a nvidia gt 560ti e.g. http://www.ebuyer.com/254405-asus-gtx-560ti-directcu-ii-1gb-gddr5-dual-dvi-mini-hdmi-pci-e-engtx560-ti-dcii-2di-1gd5

along with a new power supply : http://www.ebuyer.com/265709-ocz-zx-series-850w-80-gold-psu-fully-modular-psu-ocz-zx850w-un

I was just wondering if i should get an ati graphics card over the nvidia one because I don't have sli enabled on my motherboard, plus I was wondering if id need to make any other upgrades. thank you

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Comments

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347

    First, I'd say don't upgrade at all unless you've found some particular game where you're unhappy with the performance.  There are a lot of games that will struggle with a Radeon HD 5670, so you might have hit on such a game.  But there are also a lot of games that are lighter on hardware requirements so that the 5670 will max settings just fine.  If you happen to be playing such a game right now, then there's no need to upgrade yet.

    If you do need to upgrade your video card and want to buy from Ebuyer, then I'd recommend one of these, depending on budget:

    http://www.ebuyer.com/248745-powercolor-hd-6870-1gb-gddr5-dual-dvi-hdmi-dual-mini-displayport-pci-e-ax6870-1gbd5-2dh

    http://www.ebuyer.com/254405-asus-gtx-560ti-directcu-ii-1gb-gddr5-dual-dvi-mini-hdmi-pci-e-engtx560-ti-dcii-2di-1gd5

    http://www.ebuyer.com/280423-powercolor-hd-6970-2gb-gddr5-dual-dvi-dual-mini-displayport-hdmi-pci-e-ax6970-2gbd5-2dh

    They're sorted by both price and performance.

    Your case and power supply may restrict upgrades.  You seem to be aware of that with your power supply.  It would be good to list exactly what you have to see if an upgrade is really necessary.  If you do need a new power supply, then I'd recommend one of these:

    http://www.ebuyer.com/159918-antec-truepower-new-550w-modular-psu-tp-550-ec

    http://www.ebuyer.com/257232-corsair-tx-650w-v2-psu-80plus-bronze-certified-cmpsu-650txv2uk

    Those are both pretty nice, and the first is semi-modular, too.  I'd definitely go with the Antec TruePower New if you want a Radeon HD 6870 (which will roughly triple the graphics performance of your current 5670), and you could make an argument for either one if you get one of the faster video cards.

  • daniel!!!daniel!!! Member Posts: 400

    well im currently on this power supply 

    http://www.ebuyer.com/255694-cit-600w-power-supply-gold-12cm-fan-2x-sata-psucit600ugold

    got it from my old computer, just thought id need an upgrade for a much more powerful graphics card, plus what is it you look for in psu when buying ? like i did build this computer myself but i decided not to max everything out until i had greater knowledge hehe

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  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347

    What you really look for in a power supply is reviews from reputable tech sites that say it's good.  Power supply reviews can be hard to read, though, as there are a lot of worthless reviews out there, and you need to know what you're looking for.  Even among the good review sites, different sites have different methods.  At minimum, you want to see them pull the rated load from the power supply (e.g., pull 600 W from a 600 W power supply) and measure the ripple and voltages while doing so.  A power supply review that doesn't at least do that is useless, unless perhaps the power supply managed to die before they got all the measurements, in which case, you know to avoid it.

    There are several major red flags for the power supply that you have.  One is that a decent 600 W power supply is guaranteed to cost a lot more than £26.  Another is that there isn't any 80 PLUS certification.  A third is having only one PCI-E power connector on a "600 W" power supply; decent quality 500+ W power supplies nearly always have at least two.  Having only two SATA connectors and no 8-pin CPU connector also both scream cheap junk.

    So yes, you really do need to replace your power supply.  I'd recommend replacing it even if you weren't going to upgrade the video card.  What case do you have?

  • daniel!!!daniel!!! Member Posts: 400

    as you can tell from the motherboard only a Matx

     

    http://www.ebuyer.com/product/146272

    ebuyer dont sell it anymore but yeh here it is :)

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  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347

    Looks like a typical cheap junk case.  I'd worry about video cards physically fitting into the case.  You might want to consider replacing it outright.  This should work, and is pretty cheap:

    http://www.ebuyer.com/143854-antec-300-three-hundred-case-0761345-08300-3

  • daniel!!!daniel!!! Member Posts: 400

    so that case would fit my micro atx motherboard ? sorry im asking alot of dumb questions just been out of the building computers stuff for a while.

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  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347

    The case sets a maximum motherboard size, but not a minimum.  A mid-tower case can take an ATX motherboard, micro ATX, or presumably mini ITX.

  • daniel!!!daniel!!! Member Posts: 400

    would it be worth getting maybe a new motherboard, since maybe the graphics can wait since im only really waiting on guild wars 2, and along with it get a new case and power supply ? 

     

    so for example i get an am3+ board ? or wouldnt my current am3 processor fit ? just thinking for future upgrades, so i can in effect have a longer life on my computer and give it more upgrades over time?

     

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  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347

    I don't see any real need to replace the motherboard.  Normally you only do that if you want to plug something into the motherboard that your current motherboard can't take.  If it's for a processor upgrade, then wait for AMD's next processor with Piledriver cores to launch and see what socket that takes.

    While I wouldn't have bought such a low end motherboard in the first place, that's not automatically a reason to replace it now.  Upgrading from a $70 motherboard to a $100 motherboard would have only been $30 when you bought it, but might be $200 now if it also makes you replace the OS license.

  • daniel!!!daniel!!! Member Posts: 400

    ok :) well thank you for the help, i will be looking at the case and most probably the lower end ATI graphics card and psu sometime in the near future :) thank you

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  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347

    You should realize that prices change.  Parts that are a good deal today might not still be a good deal a month from now.  In particular, that power supply is on sale right now, and might be a lot more expensive in a month.

  • daniel!!!daniel!!! Member Posts: 400

    chances are il be buying the case and the psu any time in the next week, btw which one out of the two would you recomemd ? as the price difference isnt much ?

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  • daniel!!!daniel!!! Member Posts: 400

    sorry about that im guessing the antec, especially with the case and since its on sale lol sorry.

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  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347

    If you mean which of the two power supplies, then I'd say whichever is cheaper when you go to make the purchase.

  • daniel!!!daniel!!! Member Posts: 400

    i bought the 


    Antec TruePower New 550W Modular PSU 

    and the 

     


    PowerColor HD 6870

    but the graphics card needs 2 x 6 pin pcie power connector, and it only came stocked with a 1x 6-2 one for it :| any advice or should i just buy an adaptor for a sata to pcie

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  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347

    The power supply should have one 6-pin PCI-E connector, and one 6+2-pin PCI-E connector that can be used as either a 6-pin or an 8-pin.  Use it as a 6-pin connector (the extra two pins just dangle off to the side rather than plugging into anything) and you're set.

    The idea of 6+2-pin PCI-E power connectors is that Antec thinks the power supply should be able to handle a card that takes two 6-pin connectors, one that takes both a 6-pin and an 8-pin, or two separate video cards that each take a 6-pin connector.  Rather than having to include two 6-pin and one 8-pin to accommodate all of these configurations, they one 6-pin and one 6+2-pin can do the same work with only two connectors rather than three.

    It looks to me like the 6-pin connector is hard-wired to the power supply, while the 6+2-pin is one of the modular cables that has to plug in at both ends.  Make sure you've found both of those, and that you check both places.  For what it's worth, a 6+2-pin connector is very different from a 4+4-pin one, as the latter goes to the processor (though it directly plugs into the motherboard).

  • daniel!!!daniel!!! Member Posts: 400

    there wasnt one in the box, but i contacted ebuyer and they have sent one off :) 

     

    im just wanting a new motherboard n processor now, anything you can recommend ?

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  • daniel!!!daniel!!! Member Posts: 400

    like i know a little about amd, but nothing at all on intel hehe 

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  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383


    Originally posted by daniel!!!
    like i know a little about amd, but nothing at all on intel hehe 

    Well, you have a decent power supply and graphics now, it's more a matter of how much you want to spend.

    I take the position that there are generally only two options here:

    Intel Core i5 2500
    or
    AMD Phenom II X4 (or FX4100)

    The Intel one will run a bit faster, but either one is more than fast enough for gaming for the next couple of years. The AMD one generally runs about $125 cheaper (the CPU is about $75 less, and the motherboards are about $25-50 less), the Intel one you can expect to get another year or two of use out of before you feel like you need to upgrade. AMD lets you overclock for free - Intel charges you about $25 (you need to get a K-edition CPU).

    Once you have the CPU picked out, then it's just a matter of picking out a motherboard with the right socket that has all the options you need (without paying for a lot of options you don't). I like Asus motherboards, and have had good experiences with MSI and Gigabyte ones as well. Any other brand name and ... caveat emptor.

    Any more-than-quad core CPU is largely wasted, as gaming can't take advantage of it. Anything slower or less expensive and your trading a lot of performance to save a very little bit of money.

    Also of some note, Intel's new Ivy Bridge CPU's are due out "Soon", which are slated to take the place of the current Core i5/Core i7's. They are supposed to be socket compatible with existing motherboards, but I wouldn't wait for their release: At best they may be 20% faster for the same price - which sounds like a lot, except the current Core i5's are able to get that much (and often more) just out of overclocking.

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347

    Why do you need to upgrade the processor and motherboard at all right now?  An Athlon II X4 is still a capable processor.  A couple of years from now, you may need to upgrade, but there will probably be better hardware on the market by that time.

  • aranhaaranha Member UncommonPosts: 171

    Been building and overclocking setups since forever and my tips are:

    1. Dont buy a radeon card.. Games are made for Nvidia circuts and while not being that much diffrent that is still how the gaming scene developes. Recommend 560, 570, 580 for most bang for the buck!

    2. Buy a Corsair PSU 800w+ and you will pretty much never have to change. These PSU 's are the shit!

    3. Change to a x58 or a higher end Asus motherboard as they are just reliable and a bang for the buck. Republic of Gamer motherboards are amasing for gaming setups.

    4. If you can afford it buy a i7 processor as in recent years they are much faster than the AMD. I used to use AMD exclusively until the i7 930-970 series was released. Couldnt be happier with the change. The CPU evolution is currently at a deadend so there wont be many CPU's released that are stronger.

    5. If you buy a higher end 580 type card get good cooling with either air or water (i prefer air cooling) and if your up for it you can buy custom GPU fans which are amasing. I lowered my GPU temp by about 20* with the one im currently using on my overclocked 580.

    Good luck mate!

  • daniel!!!daniel!!! Member Posts: 400

    Originally posted by Quizzical

    Why do you need to upgrade the processor and motherboard at all right now?  An Athlon II X4 is still a capable processor.  A couple of years from now, you may need to upgrade, but there will probably be better hardware on the market by that time.

    well its just since i upgraded my computer that everytime i boot my computer says i have a new cpu, of which i dont, so i tried removing the battery and even replacing it, but that dosnt seem to be the problem, since every time i boot the bios remembers the date and time, its just every time i do boot it says i have a new cpu, i havnt noticed any difference in speed atm on my computer but im just wondering if its anything to worry about ? and yes i did take the right precautions when building e.g. used an anti static wrist band and also have one of them anti static rubber mat things to build it on :( and i am fairly gentle with building :/

    image

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347

    Originally posted by aranha

    Been building and overclocking setups since forever and my tips are:

    1. Dont buy a radeon card.. Games are made for Nvidia circuts and while not being that much diffrent that is still how the gaming scene developes. Recommend 560, 570, 580 for most bang for the buck!

    2. Buy a Corsair PSU 800w+ and you will pretty much never have to change. These PSU 's are the shit!

    3. Change to a x58 or a higher end Asus motherboard as they are just reliable and a bang for the buck. Republic of Gamer motherboards are amasing for gaming setups.

    4. If you can afford it buy a i7 processor as in recent years they are much faster than the AMD. I used to use AMD exclusively until the i7 930-970 series was released. Couldnt be happier with the change. The CPU evolution is currently at a deadend so there wont be many CPU's released that are stronger.

    5. If you buy a higher end 580 type card get good cooling with either air or water (i prefer air cooling) and if your up for it you can buy custom GPU fans which are amasing. I lowered my GPU temp by about 20* with the one im currently using on my overclocked 580.

    Good luck mate!

    1)  Game developers try to make their games run well on both Nvidia and AMD cards.  Nvidia and AMD both work with game developers, and for particular titles, sometimes the developers will work more closely with one studio or the other.  But they always try to make the game run well on cards from both vendors.  In fact, they even try to make their game run well on Intel graphics, even though that's really hard to do.

    AMD offers cards all up and down their lineup that are a good value for the money.  Nvidia only offers a few that are a good value, and a lot that are overpriced.  The GeForce GTX 580 is severely overpriced for what you get.

    2)  Very, very few people need an 800+ W power supply.  There's very rarely any reason to go over about 650 W for a single GPU system.  CrossFire/SLI setups can sometimes need 800 W or so, but even some of those don't need that much wattage.  It's quality that you need, not wattage.

    3)  The X58 platform launched way back in 2008, and is now thoroughly obsolete.  Even two years ago, it was hard to justify for gaming purposes.

    4)  Intel's fastest desktop processors are indeed faster than AMD's fastest.  But Intel's Core i7 9** Bloomfield processors can't keep pace with AMD's fastest, as those aren't anywhere near Intel's fastest anymore.

    5)  If you want a better cooler on your video card, then get an SKU with a better cooler on the card directly.  Modifying the card yourself is very much enthusiast territory, and not appropriate for most users.

  • daniel!!!daniel!!! Member Posts: 400

    Originally posted by daniel!!!

    Originally posted by Quizzical

    Why do you need to upgrade the processor and motherboard at all right now?  An Athlon II X4 is still a capable processor.  A couple of years from now, you may need to upgrade, but there will probably be better hardware on the market by that time.

    well its just since i upgraded my computer that everytime i boot my computer says i have a new cpu, of which i dont, so i tried removing the battery and even replacing it, but that dosnt seem to be the problem, since every time i boot the bios remembers the date and time, its just every time i do boot it says i have a new cpu, i havnt noticed any difference in speed atm on my computer but im just wondering if its anything to worry about ? and yes i did take the right precautions when building e.g. used an anti static wrist band and also have one of them anti static rubber mat things to build it on :( and i am fairly gentle with building :/

    just clutching at straws now, so i flashed my bios with the latest version, but there is no improvment 

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  • daniel!!!daniel!!! Member Posts: 400

    is it anything to worry about ?

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