Video card for the Intel Core i7 920 computer

TubeExperience

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Nov 11, 2013
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What video card should I get for the Intel Core i7 920 computer running at stock speed? I am running an OEM motherboard so overclocking is NOT possible.

My budget is $200 USD after rebate which is a lot considering that I have already seen the Radeon HD 7950 go on sale for $180 (after rebate) a few times.

Also, just because I have a $200 USD budget (after rebate) doesn't mean that I need to spent all of it especially if the processor running at stock speed is going to bottleneck. Realistically speaking, I am probably looking at the Radeon HD 7850 and Radeon HD 7870.

I also want to note that I am not in a hurry and can wait for a whole year until a good deal comes along.

Intel Core i7 920 @2.66 Ghz
Dell X501H motherboard
6GB (6 x 1GB) DDR3 1066
750W Thermaltake Toughpower 750W
 
Solution
Hi,
For your budget the i7 920 can easily handle R9 270 or R9 270X. Those 2 cards are in the range below $200 and you will be able to play almost all games at 1080p on high settings. If you had motherboard that supports overclocking, realistically you could even run GTX 780 or R9 290 on the i7 920.

maurelie

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Hi,
For your budget the i7 920 can easily handle R9 270 or R9 270X. Those 2 cards are in the range below $200 and you will be able to play almost all games at 1080p on high settings. If you had motherboard that supports overclocking, realistically you could even run GTX 780 or R9 290 on the i7 920.
 
Solution
It'll also depend on what card is currently installed, check the chart here: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/gaming-graphics-card-review,review-32899.html
to see how much of an upgrade any particular card will be.
Shame about the OEM MB, but the i7 920 is still a potent CPU, even at stock clocks and will have no problems with a R9 270X or Nvidia equal, in the more GPU intense games the stronger HD7870/R9 280X/GTX770 will also show some extra performance if you want to use higher settings. Yes, I know they're out of your budget range ATM, but later on?
If you're not in a hurry, don't rush, rumours of the new Nvidia cards abound, so you might want to hold off for that year!
 

TubeExperience

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Nov 11, 2013
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@maurelie @coozie7

Thank you to both of you.

I will wait for the Geforce 800 series to be release. Not that I want to buy any of them, but I want the price of the current lineup of AMD and NVIDIA cards to drop.