Best i7 GPU For My Needs?

Forum Graphics & Displays : Graphics Cards Best i7 GPU For My Needs?

Hey Everyone,

All of the parts for my first CPU build are on the way.

Antec 900 Case
i7 920 2.6GHZ
Asus P6TD Deluxe
6 GB Patriot 1333 Ram
Thermaltake 750watt PSU
Windows 7 Prof 64 bit.

I am undecided so far on what to do for a graphics card... I've narrowed it down to the following (to fit within my budget)

GTX 260 Core 216
HD 5770 1GB
HD 4870 1GB

Those are all within the $180-$300 price range. My concern is DirectX 11 support, which Nvidia doesn't seem to currently have? Are there many games that require DX11? Will they in future???

The enhanced graphics capability of DX11 looks cool though

The 5770 seems comparable to the GTX 260 in performance, but has the DirectX11 support, which might give it more longevity...

Having always used Nvidia cards what will I be giving up switching to a Radeon? What about PhysX?

I currently have a XFX 9800 GT that I can use to tide me over. Should I wait for the prices to drop some more?

I just want to have an above average gaming experience and not buy something that will be obsolete shortly., my cpu is also used frequently for work, which is web design.

Any thoughts or help would be appreciated

Carl

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to carlsor

What resolution will you be playing at? The 5770 performs similarly to the 4870 but is cooler and has DX11 support, so its probably your best option, but you may want one stronger depending on your resolution.

Reply to hunter315

Right now I have a 19" monitor and play most my games at 1280x1024

I wouldn't mind getting a bigger monitor but don't know much about them either.

Carl

Reply to carlsor

I'd definitely consider a bigger LCD as #1 priority.

The 3 cards you listed are pretty much the same overall. The gtx260 is the only Nvidia card I don't go out of my way to bash actually...but I still wouldn't buy one compared to the 4870 or 5770.

------------------------------ Thuban Gaming Benchmarks. The Shocking Truth.
Reply to jennyh

I agree a bigger monitor is in order, but I am not too big a fan of the widescreen monitors... They don't have enough depth and I am stuck scrolling up/down all the time while working.

Are there any 22" monitors that aren't widescreen?

Carl

Reply to carlsor

^Everything is going wide screen, get with the program. Just get a 22", they are not that expensive. A 22" wide screen is roughly the same height as a 19" just wider. What do you mean they don't have enough depth? They are awesome for games and let you see more and give your work working space on your desktop.

As far as the video cards go... I'd use your 9800GT until you can get a 5850, the 5770 performs just under the 4870, but when you throw in DX11 it will probably bog down a little. You really want a 5850 so just wait until they are in stock. Use the 9800GT till then and for GOD SAKES, get a bigger monitor. A new card needs some room to run man. and running a 19" display isn't really a challenge for a higher end card.

Message edited by jay2tall on 11-12-2009 at 09:02:34 AM

------------------------------ Big Brother Rules with an Iron Fist
Reply to jay2tall

carlsor wrote :

Hey Everyone,

All of the parts for my first CPU build are on the way.

Antec 900 Case
i7 920 2.6GHZ
Asus P6TD Deluxe
6 GB Patriot 1333 Ram
Thermaltake 750watt PSU
Windows 7 Prof 64 bit.

I am undecided so far on what to do for a graphics card... I've narrowed it down to the following (to fit within my budget)

GTX 260 Core 216
HD 5770 1GB
HD 4870 1GB

+1 for getting a new monitor, something with at least 1680x1050.

I highly recommend reading this Tom's article, one of the better articles Tom's has done in a long time.

Building A Balanced Gaming PC

Based on that article, I would not recommend any of those gpu's. This article offers great info and benchmarks regarding games, resolution, and frames per second based on what cpu and gpu are paired together. It totally worth reading...has made me reevaluate my choice of gpu...if only the 5870's were more in stock.

Seriously, read the article, it will most likely answer your question. At the very least it will point you in the right direction for your budget.

Good luck!

Message edited by chunkymonster on 11-12-2009 at 04:40:38 PM

------------------------------ ASRock X58 Extreme i7 920 @ 4GHz 6GB Crucial Ballistix DDR3-1600
XFX 5850 CoolerMaster HAF 932 Corsair 750W
Reply to chunkymonster

Thanks for all the help guys.... I appreciate it.

I was sort of thinking just hold onto the 9800GT for now, it seems to play most games on my Core2Duo 2.4. And I imagine with the i7 my performance will be even slightly better.

I guess it's just a waiting game for the 5850 to be in stock somewhere?

What about running 2 5770's in crossfire? I've read a few reviews that suggest this combo is not a bad one either?

Carl

Reply to carlsor

Most games will see a slight improvement to an i7 from a C2D. However, you will still be limited by your 9800GT. TECHNICALLY, your monitor is your limiting factor. You probably won't see a benefit with a higher card until you have a monitor with a higher resolution. And trust me, the new LCD's look awesome. I have an older 22" and the new 22" lcds look even better.

As far as the 5770 combo. Yes, in most cases they do perform better than a single 5850. But in most cases a single card is far less headache than 2 cards. Plus if you have one 5850, you can always add a second.

If I were you, and this is just me. This is what I would do.
1)upgrade to a larger display, 22" or 24". The gaming experience is so much better.
2)upgrade your video. I'd spring for a 5850 as the performance is great for the $300 price tag. Hopefully when the stock of these cards comes in, the price will eventually come back to the $269 price.

------------------------------ Big Brother Rules with an Iron Fist
Reply to jay2tall

Dude... You're killing me. When I moved from a 17" 100lb old school monitor to my current viewsonic 19" I thought it was the cat's ass.

If I went for a 22" monitor what is a good one? I've always had viewsonics. Do I need certain specs to maximize gaming?

The 5850 is in stock at FutureShop.ca right now, but they want $399.99 Canadian for it and they want $549.99 for the 5870. also in stock.

I think I'll just use my current 9800GT until after Christmas and hopefully the prices will fall quite a bit. I don't see the point in buying anything without DX11 support but because I've always used Nvidia, am leery about switching to the ATI as the driver reviews seem to have left many with buggy experiences.

However, that said the drivers are still young and it will only improve?

The prices on the ATI's are sure nice, and I like the lifetime warranties put forth by XFX and BFG. I guess it's just a waiting game now!

Carl

Message edited by carlsor on 11-12-2009 at 07:39:31 PM

Reply to carlsor

Tell me about it. It was really bad when i sold a 17" LCD samsung that I bought for $500 for a 17"viewsonic that I bought for $260, because the old samsung has horrible ghosting problems. Sell a 17" for a 17", blah. But that is technology for you.

You will find a few flavors. There are 22" (res of 1680x1050) and then there are 21.5 & 23" lcds that have a res of 1920x1080. Its sorty or personal preference and your budget. As far as brands, Asus, Acer, viewsonic, samsung, are all pretty decent brands. I like to check out the reviews on newegg to see what people say about a product before i but it. You can get a good idea just from that.

To maximize your gaming? just make sure you run it at the native resolution. A wide screen display gives you a broader view when in game which is REALLY nice once you use it.

------------------------------ Big Brother Rules with an Iron Fist
Reply to jay2tall

For 300USD, you can get a Radeon 4870 X2 2GB.

Reply to MARSOC_Operator

Ask the community Add a reply

Tom's Hardware > Forum > Graphics & Displays > Graphics Cards > Best i7 GPU For My Needs?

Go to:

Help |
Forum rules

There are 2101 identified and unidentified users. To see the list of identified users, Click here.

Page generated in 0.352 seconds

Please mind

You are about to answer a thread that has been inactive for more than 6 months.
If you still wish to proceed, please ensure that your posting is original and does not duplicate or overlap any prior responses to this thread.

Add a reply Cancel