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Recommend a gfx card please

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  • 30-10-2008 1:08am
    #1
    Dcully
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 14,710 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Hi folks,my brother is looking to get a new graphics card after seeing far cry 2 on my machine compared to his.

    While mins is a quad core ,4 gig ddr etc the gfx card is only a 8800gtx while the bro has a dual core and some 7900 GS card.
    He is willing to part with 200-500 for a card,obviously the best value for money being sought after.

    Im not up to speed on the latest cards so thought id ask on here.
    Looking on komplett now im lost if im being honest.


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    #2
    deceit
    Registered Users Posts: 2,315 ✭✭✭deceit


    An ati 4870 is the best choice gaming card at the moment.
    http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=383240
    With the 1gb model being worth the small extra bit of cash.
    http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=387435
    If he has a 500 budget then could add in a new cpu and motherboard which would make a quick machine.


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    #3
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 83,210 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    You actually wont get as much of a performance boost out of a quad core upgrade as you might think, so I would consider a CPU and MoBo upgrade the last thing. Definitely go with the 4870 though. You get a few more frames out of the GTX 280 but the difference in price is just not worth it IMO. He should spend the rest on 4 GB of performance Ram or a performance HDD.


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    #4
    TerrorFirmer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,930 ✭✭✭✭TerrorFirmer


    Some facts first would be good like monitor size, rest of the machine and so on - e.g there's no point shelling out huge money primarily on a card if his machine is a dual core Celeron or Pentium D. A 45nm core 2 with 4850 would outperform a pentium d with 8800gtx 3 way sli for example. Likewise monitor size would be another of the the most important things, if he's gaming on a 17" screen or something it'd be pointless to get a 1gb card.

    Assuming his spec's are decent - even if they're not a decent dual core plus 2gb of ram would be 150 tops anyway - this would be my advise.

    17" - cheapest 9800gt 512mb
    19" - cheapest 512mb 4850
    20-22" - cheapest 512mb 4870
    24" - cheapest 1gb 4870
    Inches-don't-matter-because-I'm-going-to-spend-every-last-bitchin-cent-oblivious-to-logic-and-value" - GTX280.
    Actually the GTX280 isn't anywhere near the 500 so let me add that option as the 4870X2, the GTX occupies that slot in between 4870 and 4870X2 price wise (and generally only about 10% faster then the 4870) but is crap value for money


    A sweet spot assuming he's got a relatively decent machine/not a great monitor already would be a combo of something like a 4870, more ram and a nice 22" monitor for the 500.


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    #5
    papu
    Registered Users Posts: 3,357 ✭✭✭papu


    TerrorFirmer wrote: »
    Inches-don't-matter-because-I'm-going-to-spend-every-last-bitchin-cent-oblivious-to-logic-and-value" - GTX280.

    That would either be a 4870X2 to a sane person , or tri SLI 280's for the clinically insane..


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    #6
    TerrorFirmer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,930 ✭✭✭✭TerrorFirmer


    Actually I completely forgot about the X2 (I think my brain subconsciously filters out these things I want but can't afford), but at least that's actually somewhat value for money compared to what you pay - time to nuke that gtx suggestion. Oops.


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    #7
    papu
    Registered Users Posts: 3,357 ✭✭✭papu


    I know the feeling , trying to protect myself against the new Corei7 ... cause i know I'll just cry myself to sleep thinging about trying to afford one ... and DDr3.... and a new gfx... :confused::p


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    #8
    Skittle
    Registered Users Posts: 413 ✭✭Skittle


    What kind of wattage would you need for a 4870 card or even the 4870x2? I've a 3GHz Dual Core and a 8800GTX being currently powered off of a 700w PSU


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    #9
    Wagon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,119 ✭✭✭Wagon


    Get himself a MSI HDRadeon 3850X2. They're going for about 250 euro on dabs now and the clock speed is 1800MHz (combining the two GPUs). Im only on a dual core 2.1GHz myself but I'm generating full graphics on Unreal 3, Test Drive Unlimited etc... And it's a HD card.

    http://www.dabs.ie/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4YRS&CategorySelectedId=11137&PageMode=1&NavigationKey=11137,50520000


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    #10
    papu
    Registered Users Posts: 3,357 ✭✭✭papu


    Skittle wrote: »
    What kind of wattage would you need for a 4870 card or even the 4870x2? I've a 3GHz Dual Core and a 8800GTX being currently powered off of a 700w PSU

    700 is more than enough , I'd guess a 4870x2 sucks the power of less than 2 4870's 700 Psu would be enough for either , a decent 520W would do a 4870 , prolly be pushing it on an X2 tho. just amke sure you have all the connectors


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    #11
    Dcully
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 14,710 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dcully


    Cheers guys, ill have to pay him a visit to check out his spec fully.
    I did order the parts for him when he first got the machine.
    I do recall a very good intel dual core cpu and i think but am not sure that we went with a 450w or 500w psu.

    So baring this in mind what card can he expect to be ok with that spec?

    Depending on cost and if its really needed he may opt for a new psu if its essential but id imagine he would settle for a good performing gfx card to slot into his current spec.


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