Radeon R9 270x 4GB (PCI-E 3.0) vs. Asus P5Q3 (PCI-E 2.0)

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barry86

barry86

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Hi everyone. I have a problem with my PC and hope someone can help.

My GPU died and I need to buy a new one but my knowledge of today's hardware is a little outdated.

Let's start with my PC's specs:
CPU - Intel® Core™2 Quad Q9550 (12M Cache, 2.83 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)
GPU - Asus Radeon HD 4550 (PCIe 2.0 ×16, 1GB)
MOB - Asus P5Q3
...and 4GB of some DDR3 RAM (1333mHz)

Now then, since I want a really good GPU to enjoy modern games in best graphics available, can my PC run such a beast as Asus AMD Radeon R9 270X (PCI-E 3.0, 4GB GDDR5)?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B00IIXDMDI/ref=sr_1_3_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1411071510&sr=8-3&keywords=asus+radeon+r9+270&condition=new

I know I need more RAM too but the graphics card comes first since I can't even turn my PC on at the moment.
 
Solution
Eximo
That looks fine. PCIe 3.0 is compatible all the way back to 1.0 (Though 1.1 is near 100%)

PCIe 2.0 just has less available bandwidth, but a full 16x at 2.0 should be more then enough for a 270X.

Definitely need more ram, should be fairly cheap.

Q9550 is still a relevant CPU, might have a slight bottleneck for the 270X, but not enough to worry about.
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Eximo

Eximo

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That looks fine. PCIe 3.0 is compatible all the way back to 1.0 (Though 1.1 is near 100%)

PCIe 2.0 just has less available bandwidth, but a full 16x at 2.0 should be more then enough for a 270X.

Definitely need more ram, should be fairly cheap.

Q9550 is still a relevant CPU, might have a slight bottleneck for the 270X, but not enough to worry about.
 
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barry86

barry86

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Thanks for such a quick reply. I checked eBay, Amazon and Ebuyer and the cheapest new R9 270x 4GB is about £172.
R9 280 is £171 and R9 270x 2GB is £151.

I wanted to spend about £150 at most but that 4GB seems to be a decent future investment for only £20 more.

How do those 3 cards compare when it comes to the power supply (I can't remember what my PSU is off the top of my head)?
 
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Eximo

Eximo

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HD4550 didn't use a lot of power in its day. A lot of fanless configs.

To run a 270X you will need 2 6pin PCIe power connectors or a single PCIe 8pin connector (and an adapter to turn it into 2 6pin)

280 requires one 8-pin and one 6-pin.

If your power supply doesn't already have these, then you will likely need to add power supply to your budget.
 
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barry86

barry86

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Ok, that is now Chinese to me. I opened the case too see what brand my PSU is and it turns out to be OCZ 600SXS. I haven't got a clue how to read its specs so please check it and tell me it is good enough to run any of those R9 GPUs.

Thank you.
 
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Junit151

Junit151

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That power supply is definitely enough for the config you are in the market for.

(Having owned both a 2GB version and a 4GB version, I recommend the 4GB. Games with high-res textures really benefit. For example modded Skyrim or Watch_Dogs)
 
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barry86

barry86

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Ok, so I googled the PSU specs myself (despite knowing little about it) and one website says it's got 2 PCI-Express Connectors (1 x 6-Pin, 1 x 6+2-Pin). Since it's 6+2, is that the same as 8-pin connector? Or am I just being dumb? If they're the same, why does it say 6+2 rather than simply 8?
 
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Junit151

Junit151

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http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/attachments/pcie6-2-jpg.57637/

Yes.
 
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Thaisnang

Thaisnang

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Because it is a 6 pin connection with extra 2 pins hanging from the side. So 6+2 pin and a r9 280 is way more faster than r9 270X 2GB/4GB. More Vram doesn't mean more performance.
 
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Junit151

Junit151

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Yes an R9 280 is faster. (I only recommend the 4GB 270X over the 2GB because CFX is amazing on those cards and they are relatively cheap.) If you have the opporunity to buy an R9 280 (Or even better, an R9 280X) for a price that suits your budget then do it.


*dies*
 
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