Help please! Looking for new graphics card.

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Kurumiwings

Kurumiwings

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Jul 3, 2014
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I'm looking to purchase a new graphics card but I'm not too clued up when it comes to specs and compatibility. My current setup is as follows:

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
Mainboard: ASUS P5K-E
Graphic Interface: PCI-Express x16
Memory: 6GB DDR2
GPU: ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series (512MB)

If you need any more information let me know. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
 
Solution
Cryoburn101


I recommend a non-reference version of the R9 290. Its about as good as you can get for the price, and in general. Its high-end, will run fine on a 650w PSU, will run 1-2 monitors fine, etc.. The only issue is that your CPU will likely bottle-neck it a lot. You will still see great performance though, just not as good as it could be.

One...
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Cryoburn101

Cryoburn101

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Apr 16, 2014
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Things that we need to know-
Price range (less than $100 is going to different than $150-200 for example)
Whats your PSU wattage?
What case are you using?
What do you plan on doing? Professional work is going to be different than gaming. Multi-monitor setups and 4K resolutions are also going to effect the card of choice.
 
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coastie65

coastie65

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May 26, 2010
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Hi. The thing you failed to mention and probably the most important is your Powersupply specs. Having said that, most of the newer cards may be bottlenecked by your processor, but that is not to say you wouldn't see some improvement.
 
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Kurumiwings

Kurumiwings

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Oh yeah sorry I forgot. My power supply is 650W. I'm mostly using it for gaming. I may go for two screens somewhere down the line but I am happy with only one. I'm not certain about the case but from what I know it's an X CLIO and it's fairly large, there is a good amount of space around the current graphics card. Thanks for your quick response.

Also for price range I'm happy to go up to £300.
 
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Cryoburn101

Cryoburn101

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Apr 16, 2014
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I recommend a non-reference version of the R9 290. Its about as good as you can get for the price, and in general. Its high-end, will run fine on a 650w PSU, will run 1-2 monitors fine, etc.. The only issue is that your CPU will likely bottle-neck it a lot. You will still see great performance though, just not as good as it could be.

One non-reference model I recommend -> http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-video-card-r9290aedbd

If you would like a cheaper card that wouldn't be bottle-necked quite as bad (though still not perfect), the 280X or 270X would be a viable option.

 
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Solution
coastie65

coastie65

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May 26, 2010
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Wattage wise the PSU is fine and then some. Biggest issue is usually the +12v Rail and what is on that in the way of Amps. For most cards, f you have say 38a on the +12v rail, then you should be fine.
 
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coozie7

coozie7

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Jun 2, 2007
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You're in for a HUGE surprise! ;)
First a downer: That old Quad is going to restrict a fast card, even with dual screens, it's just getting on a bit and is going to be an issue with new games that demand a fast, modern CPU for best performance.
Now a question: Do you intend to do a big upgrade/new build fairly soon? By years end for example.
If you're going to keep that Q6600 I'd look around the GTX660/HD7870 class of card as a maximum: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/gaming-graphics-card-review,review-32899-7.html although I'd probably look at the GTX750/GTX750Ti class as your best available option.
If you're going to do a new build or a major upgrade then yes, the R9 290/GTX780 is a better option, particularly for dual screens but for the current build they'll be too badly restricted by that ancient ;) CPU.
A few places to shop in the UK: Scan, Overclockers, Dabs, Novatech, CCL, Aria, Ebuyer, Amazon, Pixmania, Maplins and QuietPC...Amongst many others.
 
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stokes1790

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Feb 18, 2013
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I would want to get more information on that PSU before making a recommendation. a 300 euro card is a quite an investment, you do NOT want to use a junk PSU to power that. (you don't want a junk psu powering anything really)
Edit: by more info I mean make/model, if that wasn't clear.

Piggy backing off of coozie7's comment it might be more worthwhile to spread that 300 euro around on cpu/mobo/psu upgrades to alleviate bottlenecks before looking into a high end GPU.

Above all else, more info on that PSU would be needed before recommending such a large investment.
 
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