Work to Switch from ATI to GTX?

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wingclip

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Hi folks,
I'm trying to figure out how much trouble I would have and what kind of work I would have to go through to change from an "ATI Radeon graphics card based" set up, to a GTX based system?

Better put; if I switch my graphics card from an ATI which I presently have, to a GTX, I'm sure I would have to remove all my ATI software, drivers, and tools. I have no idea just how much I would be getting myself into and that's what I'm trying to determine.

My Asrock Z77 eXtreme4 motherboard is not capable of crossfire configurations. And my R 7850 can only do crossfire so purchasing a second 7850, (prices are good right now), isn't going to help me. *But MORE importantly, I almost exclusively fly FSX and according to the info I’ve read here and in other places, FSX doesn’t gain anything from dual cards in SLI or Crossfire.

I've been seeing some good prices on GTX cards and even more important, it seems that many of the reviews are pointing to the GTX cards as being the better performer in the "top five or six" list.

Because I can’t afford changing the motherboard to one that can take more hardware and configurations at this time, I was considering buying a more powerful single, GTX card and replacing the 7850.

Because I almost exclusively fly FSX, (a CPU intensive flight Sim), to make any significant difference in graphics performance, I would have to go with a graphics card that is a significant step up from the 7850 I presently have.

It seems that recently, the GTX cards that "qualify" for that significant leap, are being offered at some pretty good prices and so that's the reason I'm asking these questions today.

So once again; would it be much of a job to switch to a GTX set up from my present ATI-based graphics?

And secondly; what would be a good GTX card that would be considered a "significant improvement" over the 7850 for under $280.00?
Thanks, Rich
 
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toyftw
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wingclip

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Maybe I got it backwards then. Was it that the 7850 is SLI... no. No I have the boxes in front of me and I see what I did. I read the specs on the side of the Asrock box that said "Supports Nvidia Quad SLI" and thought that if the board supported SLI, then it didn't support Crossfire and vice versa.

So, of course you're right, (as you wouldn't be running any crossfire config if you weren’t), it does support Crossfire and to my surprise, it also supports SLI. I didn't know a mobo could do both.

OK, so that out of the way, what about the question regarding the work behind a switch from ATI to GTX? And also, is there a GTX that can be considered a 'significantly' strong leap up from the 7850 for under $280.00?
Thanks
 
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cklaubur

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For the most part, when switching from ATI/AMD to Nvidia, as long as you make sure the old drivers are completely removed (AMD has a tool here) before you install the Nvidia card, you should be fine.

As for whether it would be a large difference in performance, I can't be certain since I don't get a chance to use Nvidia cards very often (last one I used was a 6200 TC! :lol:).

Casey
 
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toyftw

toyftw

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Hi - Your least expensive option to significant invcease in performance is
to purch another hd7850 if your PSU can support 2 7850's in CF.

To get a big performance jump with Nvidia, you need to go to gtx770, but
they are a lot more than $280. A gtx760 is stronger than a 7850, but the price/perf
of it doesn't seem to make economic sense relative to getting another 7850.

As long as you are using only one monitor the 7850's in CF will work fine. The
latest driver fix doesn't help multi monitor setups.

 
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wingclip

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Thanks ALL!
@toyftw:
According to the Toms Hardware sticky, crossfire configs for FSX will have no performance gain at all. I think their right on this point but I'll check araound and see if anyone who fly's FSX with all the HD addons, (UTX, GEX FTX ST etc., etc.), have had any better results.

The route to buy a 2nd 7850 was certainly my first thought until I read the info in that Sticky. Here's the statement in the Q&A: Do SLI or CrossFire always improve performance ?
Not always.
There are some games that don't benefit from MultiGPU technology(or require a patch in order to utilize it).
For example,Flight simulator X doesn't benefit from either SLI or CrossFire.
Another example is StarCraft2 which barely benefits from more than 1 card
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crossfire-sli-scali...

And this is the link: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/245454-33-crossfire-faqs
Thanks again, Rich
 
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toyftw

toyftw

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Ah, good catch, my bad. Become too used to just judging general performance,
with the high proliferation games out there, like BF, Crysis, & others.

So, if your game of choice doesn't benefit, then I guess you are back to finding
a single GPU for < $280, which pretty much brings it to a 760, or now that
there are a few 7970's at $280,(stronger than a gtx760)
you could consider one of those if your PSU has enough power and it will fit in your case.

http://pcpartpicker.com/mr/ncixus/powercolor-video-card-ax79703gbd52dhv3

http://pcpartpicker.com/mr/newegg/sapphire-video-card-100351sr
 
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wingclip

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Oh, thanks a lot! I'll check those out. I'm pretty sure the PSU should be ok, (OCZ 700w, and a Corsair 500R case). If the cards you listed show some significant increase in the spec break-downs I may go for it.

Otherwise, I'll probably have to look at saving enough to jump to a Sabertooth mobo and a $400.00 card. I figure, if I go into much more of an expensive GPU than the $270-$290.00 mark, I may as well get a high-perf board that can get me the 'headroom' for it.

As it is right now, the i7-2600k gives me a nice, steady, 5GHz when I 'fly' and never breaks 70C, (I run a Swiftech H220 LCS). And the 7850 will give a 1120Mhz core/11480mhz mem, but I can only get 1015mhz on the core and 1430mhz mem because the board seems to keep me from increasing the voltage any more than 1.210v. I've tried every OC tool and the one I have now is the TRIXX 4.6.

I know of a MSI Afterburner hack that would let me get the 1.275v that I'd need for higher, stable, clocks but it just looks like a lot to go through and there's still no guarantee that I'd be able to get past whatever it is that the mobo is doing to hold me back.

My 7850 is air-cooled, (MSI R7850PE), and hasn't ever got hotter than 57C at the clocks I run now. So I'm not worried about temps but it's that voltage that I need to punch up before I ever do.

I'll check those out, Thanks again.
Rich
 
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toyftw

toyftw

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Hi again - Yes that PSU & case are enough power & space-wise to accomodate
a 7970 or 760. Yoy might want to post in the motherboard section, as I
don't believe you will see a performance increase with a single GPU by
switching to the Sabertooth (the mobo I'm going to use in my next PC).

I really do believe that any lack performance you are experiencing is strictly
the limitation of the vid card, and going either gtx760 or hd7970 will offer
substantially better graphic performance than you now have.

Anyway, a Sabertooth and a $400 card (gtx780?) will be an upgrade from either of those.
 
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wingclip

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Yes, but my point is that if I go with a $400, (give or take), card, I may as well go with a high perf board. As for the card limits, the 1.275v and clock speeds to 1040/1055mhz, (and even higher), are real numbers that many people have been getting with it. I spoke to the design engineer of that edition, (mine's a MSI R78950 PE - Performance Edition- which has a better heat sink material than the Twin Frozer edition), and even he suspected that the voltage was being held down by the board but I won’t bet on it myself.

This isn't anything new to me. I've covered this with '5 coats' of research spanning months. The bottom line is that I need more voltage to get that 1050mhz core speed and as I said earlier, there's a way to hack the MSI Afterburner software, (I don't have the version handy at the moment), that will then let me get the voltage from the mobo but it's a pain in the A.

I love that Asrock Z77 Extreme4, I mean, I am getting 5GHz with no problems, but if I want to hit a more serious monetary mark for a new GPU, then I think I should put it in a serious mobo, don't you?

I know I can put a $400. card in the Asrock 4, but it would be like putting a $16k, 426 Hemi in your 'go to the grocery store' family car, (feel free to insert the car of your choice in place of "go to the grocery store").

I will have to agree that there were some people who did get the voltage they needed, (1.275 to 1.310), from their Asrock 4 but it was to a different 7850 manufacturer, (like Gigabyte or someone).

So, the card has something g to do with it but I, (and others), can't find where the 'voltage governor' would be hiding and so it's one of those things that pretty much falls on '6 of one, and half dozen of the other', take your pick.

Still, the main idea for the Sabertoothe switch is just to meet the level of the hardware I'd put in it. I’m running 16GB of Crucial Ballistix Tactical 1600mhz RAM, (2x4) and the Asrock lets me take it to about 1866 comfortably. I did get 2100 from it but it wasn’t as stable and it wouldn’t have made a big enough difference to fight with it. In fact, I pretty much leave it at 1600 and though the stock timing is 8-8-8-24, I just pushed it a little to 8-8-7-21.

After all that, I wouldn't bet 10 bucks on what I said, lol. These kinds of things, (reasons for variations between two like products), are almost never what they seem and it could be something altogether different.
Thanks again!
 
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toyftw

toyftw

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Yes - absolutely agree that you should keep system balance, i.e. if you're going to upgrade
to a high end GPU, then the mobo (&PSU) should be equivalent in their respective categories.

Enjoy your new system once you get it all together!

 
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