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FIRST-TIME Graphics Card buyer - Best card for i3 2120 and FIFA 15

Tags:
  • GPUs
  • Cases
  • Graphics Cards
  • Power Supplies
  • Graphics
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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September 11, 2014 11:26:50 PM

Hello,

As a previous poster I found this site invaluable in building my current HTPC. Here are my specs:

i3 2120 (3.30 GHz; 3MB Cache)
AS Rock H77M Motherboard
Zalman 64GB SSD
Seagate 3TB HDD
8GB DDR3 RAM
Antec 450W Power Supply
Silverstone Milo ML03 Case

I'm pumped to buy and play FIFA 15, however, I am uncertain if my system will be able to play it. I'm pretty sure my CPU is ok (though correct me if I'm wrong) but I need to buy a graphics card.

I am also concerned about heat (since my case is limited in space when compared to a tower, and I don't have a dedicated fan), power, and price (approximately $100).

After researching this site I have found some possibilities that I have found available to me here in Korea (fyi, here is the link in case anyone wants to compare prices here and at home: http://icoda.co.kr/goods/goods_list.html?crid=040483000...)

Here are the cards I have in mind: Radeon 7750/ 7770; GeForce GTX650.

So, I have 4 key questions that could help me a great deal in my purchase plans:

1. Will my CPU accommodate FIFA 15?
2. Which of the above mentioned cards should I buy? Or, Can anyone recommend a better card (even say up to $150)?
3. Would I need to buy a new power supply to run any of these cards? If so, could you please recommend one?
4. Would I need to buy a dedicated fan to control for heat?

I welcome any thoughts or suggestions. Thanks!

More about : time graphics card buyer card 2120 fifa

a b U Graphics card
September 11, 2014 11:53:58 PM

FIFA 15 recommends either an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 or AMD Radeon HD 6870 to run their game, so that's a good starting point. Your CPU is enough to run it on minimum requirements! Here's the link to look at your game's requirements: http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri/requirements/...

It might be worth looking at an AMD build as the FX-6300 is much cheaper than the alternative i5-2550k that FIFA recommends if you want to upgrade. If you're fine with the minimum CPU then cool, just laying out your alternatives. If you need help with a possible AMD build, that's what we're here for.

I'm not an expert on HTPC cases, but typically you only need the stock cooler unless you are planning on overclocking, which I am doubting. Your power supply will definitely give enough wattage to run things. Instead of a tiny SSD and a gigantic HDD, I got you a good-sized SSD and a 2-tb HDD for about the same price I'd guess. If you can live with 1gb (which most can) it'll be cheaper. Here's my shot at a build using mostly your components.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-2120 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor ($117.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($118.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($73.49 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R7 250 1GB Video Card ($75.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Silverstone ML03B HTPC Case ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $616.41
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-12 02:50 EDT-0400

Hope that helps :) 

J
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September 12, 2014 2:47:38 AM

Hi, thank. It does help. Though I think there may have been a slight misunderstanding. I already own the HTPC with the specs mentioned. Thus, I am trying to find a graphics card to match the specs I listed.

So, if I get the graphics card you listed here , Radeon R7 250, I can play the game on minimum requirements?

Is there any way to play with higher gameplay settings by keeping my CPU?

Thanks
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a b U Graphics card
September 12, 2014 1:01:00 PM

The most important thing for gaming performance is your graphics card, that's the best chance you have of using higher settings. Typically get the best card you can afford. I'm not sure if the 250 is within your price range or not but I'd suggest trying it if it is. If you still cannot play it with higher settings, only then consider getting a different CPU.
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September 12, 2014 1:27:52 PM

Your cpu is ok....jusr take a gtx 750
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September 12, 2014 7:13:33 PM

Ok, this is good. I like both suggestions (Radeon R7 250 & Geforce gtx750) as these were cards i hadn't considered. And they both fit within my budget. Thanks a lot.

Would I need to buy a larger PSU to power either of them? Or would the 450W be ok.

And would there be any particular benefit of one over the other?

Thanks again!
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September 12, 2014 7:13:38 PM

Ok, this is good. I like both suggestions (Radeon R7 250 & Geforce gtx750) as these were cards i hadn't considered. And they both fit within my budget. Thanks a lot.

Would I need to buy a larger PSU to power either of them? Or would the 450W be ok.

And would there be any particular benefit of one over the other?

Thanks again!
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a b U Graphics card
September 12, 2014 9:35:10 PM

The benefit would be that the R7 250 costs about $75, and the Gtx 750 Ti costs about $155. Because of your case there are a limited number of graphic cards that are compatible, so that's the jump in cost you'd be considering. It is about four tiers higher in terms of performance, so if you can afford it go for it; I am pretty sure the Gigabyte version would fit.
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September 12, 2014 10:23:28 PM

Hmm...thanks. Your post made me do some more research.

I read an article (http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/nvidia_geforce_gtx...) that rated the 750 and 750 Ti cards as excellent with regard to power consumption, heat and noise. These are important for me as I want my HTPC to run well with these factors considered. It also noted that they have a small size factor, so I'm thinking/hoping they would fit.

After checking prices, I see that here in Korea I can purchase the R7 250 for $100, the GTX 750 for $130, or the GTX 750 Ti for $160 (like you said). So even though they're more expensive, at the moment I'm leaning toward either the 750 or the 750Ti due to their performance in power, heat and noise.

Any thoughts on these choices? Which would give me the best value for money? And any particular brand I should go with: Gigabyte, Asus, MSI?

Thanks again!

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a b U Graphics card
a b ) Power supply
September 12, 2014 10:35:37 PM

have_it said:
Hmm...thanks. Your post made me do some more research.

I read an article (http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/nvidia_geforce_gtx...) that rated the 750 and 750 Ti cards as excellent with regard to power consumption, heat and noise. These are important for me as I want my HTPC to run well with these factors considered. It also noted that they have a small size factor, so I'm thinking/hoping they would fit.

After checking prices, I see that here in Korea I can purchase the R7 250 for $100, the GTX 750 for $130, or the GTX 750 Ti for $160 (like you said). So even though they're more expensive, at the moment I'm leaning toward either the 750 or the 750Ti due to their performance in power, heat and noise.

Any thoughts on these choices? Which would give me the best value for money? And any particular brand I should go with: Gigabyte, Asus, MSI?

Thanks again!



The 750/750 ti would be ideal considering your case/psu.

You can't go wrong with those brands, just keep the size of your case in mind.

The versions can vary in dimensions and some need additional 6-pin connections to power.

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Best solution

a b U Graphics card
September 12, 2014 10:44:41 PM

I'd say if you can afford it get the Ti, they will give you the best performance you can get, especially if there's only $30 difference. I didn't realize you were in Korea, the pricing there will be different. One thing in looking for a card is the measurements of how much space the card takes up. This will vary whether you are getting a Gigabyte, Asus, MSI, EVGA, Sapphire, etc. My source says the Gigabyte 75 Ti GV-N75TOC-2GL card will fit it (it's low-profile and its length is 6.65"), I don't know anything about the other ones.

Here's what your user's manual says about how much room you have to fit a graphics card: "With a 3.5” SATA hard drive installed on the right front, the ML03 can accommodate low profile expansion cards up to 8.78” long. Standard low profile cards usually are only 6.6” long so the ML03 should fit nearly all types of low profile cards"

Use that as a determining factor (along with price) to decide which version you will get.
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September 12, 2014 11:11:45 PM

Ah - I didn't think all cards would vary in size. That's a good point. And thanks for noting what my user manual said - mine's all in Korean! I guess I should look for and English one online.

Though I'm now confused about ddr3/ddr5 RAM. I currently have 8gb of ddr3, but all the 750 ti cards I see for sale call for ddr5. Am i missing something here? Can I use this card with ddr3? Or, can I just insert ddr5 ram? Or...???
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September 12, 2014 11:16:37 PM

Or...maybe I'm a dumbass. After more though I'm guessing the ddr5 I'm reading is the video card memory.

Guess this confirms my first-time buyer status!?
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a b U Graphics card
September 12, 2014 11:58:38 PM

Yep, ddr5 is the video card memory, your regular memory that you install on your motherboard is ddr3, that's just fine.

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September 13, 2014 1:02:00 AM

Great - Thank so much for your help!
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