Need GPU for old Athlon 64 X2 4000+ system

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jrodurnbt

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Oct 2, 2013
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I have an old Athlon 64 X2 4000+ system with 3GB of DDR2 ram, Micro-Star MS-7327 MB, and an old but reliable Antec 400 Watt PSU.

The video card died on me last month - an old nvidia card. I want to add a new card and was looking at the 7750. Also, I see a PowerColor Go! Green AX6570 1GBK3-HEV2 Radeon HD 6570 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP on sale at newegg for $30 after rebate.

My plan is to load the upcoming SteamOS on this and use it as a little steambox for indie titles, Left 4 Dead 2, Amnesia, and PC Streaming from my quad core in my office. I also want to go some light gaming with the Vista OS already installed.

What would be a good choice for the GPU without bottlenecking too much? Is this little $30 a great deal or should I get a 7750? I read that the 6570 takes 65W and the 7750 takes 55W.

Does GDDR5 make a difference with such a weak CPU or will DDR3 be fine?
Not sure if these cards are backwards capabable with PCI 1.0. and not sure how to check which version of PCI I have, but I assume it's old. Bios is American Megatrends 1.0 from 2007.
 
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ankitsid168

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May 8, 2013
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hello i also have same cpu AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ with 2gb ddr2 memory and i am using

SAPPHIRE HD 6570 1GB DDR3

i am using it since 1 year.and i am able to play latest games farcry 3,call of duty black ops 2 in low settings

 
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Melderv

Melderv

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Oct 1, 2013
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That HD 6570 for $30 is a sweet deal for an older card. I'm not sure what price you're looking at for the HD 7750, but I would think that you would need a more modern system to pair it with. HD 6570 is quite capable for your rig, though.
 
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jrodurnbt

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Oct 2, 2013
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hello i also have same cpu AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ with 2gb ddr2 memory and i am using

SAPPHIRE HD 6570 1GB DDR3

i am using it since 1 year.and i am able to play latest games farcry 3,call of duty black ops 2 in low settings

[/quotemsg]


WOW. I had no idea that was even possible. Here i was thinking I could only play indie titles and a few Valve Source games. I might actually be able to use it for regular use in the living room then. My quad-core is too noisy and hot to put in the living, so this would really be a good solution as a Steam console. I have a huge backlog of Steam games and no real desire to grab a PS4, XBONE, or WiiU. A simple GPU upgrade could really do the trick then.

Do you have the DDR3 card? I'm thinking GDDR5 is overkill on this old CPU.
Does the 6750 need the 6 pin power connector? I am not sure my Antec 400W PSU has one ---need to check. It's about 6 years old, but has outperformed lower brand PSU's that were supposedly more powerful. I guess I can pull out a few peripherals to save power.

I might check what the max CPU I can get for this old MB is too and grab it on ebay.
Otherwise, just overclock the current 4000+ to 2.8 or so.

I wouldn't mind upgrading the MB/CPU, but my $$ is tight right now and I already have a decent quad core in my office/study - just that I want something in the living room when SteamOS comes out and this beats plunking down $400-$500 for that console whenver it comes out in 2014.

Mostly, I just wait until Newegg has a deal I can't pass up.


 
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jrodurnbt

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Oct 2, 2013
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They have a Sapphire 7750 GDDR5 for $70 after rebate and a DDR3 for $50 after rebate.
Power Color brand - not 100% sure if the brand is good in the long haul.
 
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Melderv

Melderv

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Oct 1, 2013
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I have the PowerColor HD 7770 but unfortunately it died on me in about 8 months (maybe it was my fault). Not really sure what the cause was, but they're cheaper than most brands and so you could definitely invest on it. Get the DDR5 of course.
 
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coozie7

coozie7

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Jun 2, 2007
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Trouble is there's not that much out there at the 'low end' because current integrated graphics are getting so capable: GPU makers have no real market for such cards now so all that's left is largely old stock, or based on old architectures.
One point: noise. Tiny little fans, as are often found on low end cards, can make a disproportionate amount of high pitched noise.
If you trust the rebate the Powercolor is an absolute steal, true it's really more than the CPU can drive but it's also quiet, single slot and burns less energy than the 6570!
Graphics overkill in games is the ONLY kind of overkill ;) .
 
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jrodurnbt

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Oct 2, 2013
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8 months isn't too long, maybe the Sapphire is a better choice? They have a Sapphire for just $5 more. The 7750 Power Color 7750 is $50 for the DDR3 right now. Granted, with Black Friday coming we're about to see lots of deals coming soon. I could just wait a few weeks.

The 6570 Power Color AR is $39 with shipping. Sapphire 6570 is $45 AR with shipping right now.

 
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jrodurnbt

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Oct 2, 2013
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I've never had an issue with rebates from Newegg before. Granted, Power Color is a totally new brand to me and the Sapphire might be a better choice now that I look at the cost difference.

I'll check reviews for quiet fans before purchasing. Thanks on that.

 
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jrodurnbt

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Oct 2, 2013
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I'm leaning towards the 7750. I was watching some youtube vids on FPS and I took a random game from my Steam account - Resident Evil 5 - and saw it averages 30-40 FPS on the 6570 on youtube. On a 7750 with the same CPU it would get a steady 60 FPS with the GDDR5 card. Do you think putting the GDDR5 7750 would be overkill or the DDR3 7750 is fine because my CPU is so old? Not sure if it'll bottleneck on the CPU making GDDR5 essentially the same speed as a DDR3 on that old athlon64 x2 4000+. $20 difference between the two right now in the Power Color brand - which again I am not super sure about compared to a Sapphire. You know, my 2 year old laptop is an a4-3300M APU with a 6480G and runs Resident Evil 5 at 30-40 FPS at 720P allbeit runs close to 91C inside the case with a cooler fan underneath already.
 
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jrodurnbt

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Oct 2, 2013
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I tried to reply earlier, but hit the wrong button and posted by accident.
Would a GDDR5 7750 card be bottlenecked on this old CPU compared to the DDR3? Just trying to see if it's worth it to get the GDDR5 version or stick with the DDR3 version. On this old CPU it may not show any difference. I have a feeling it will outperform the 6570 in either case even on this slow of a CPU.
 
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