Help: 785G or low-end Discrete card?

[adamlevy]

I'm building a new system from scratch and I'm stuck deciding between the 785G chipset with integrated graphics vs. buying a lower-end discrete card like a Radeon HD 4670 or such.

I'm planning to use the system primarily for (in order) virtualization (linux in a vm to do some web development), medium-duty image-editing, and dvd-ripping. Short-term, I do not intend to play games. I might down the road, so I'd like a setup that will allow me to upgrade later.

I'm planning to build the system around an AMD Phenom II X4 965 (or an X2 555 if I can find one)

So should I go with the 785G IGP or a low-end discrete card?

 

[wa1]

I would say u will be better with discrete card(low end? it doesn't matter)
Discrete card will give u more performance than IGP.
I know u are not gaming at all, but still, discrete card is what u need...

U will be happy with that Phenom II X4.

 

[adamlevy]

So what would you recommend, then, for mobo and low-end graphics? I'm stuck in paralysis.

I'd like to stay in the $100-$130 neighborhood for each of the mb and graphics card. For the motherboard, I'm partial to Gigabyte, ASUS, or MSI.

 

[capt_taco]

Honestly, if that's all you're using it for right now, I'd just go with whichever option is cheaper.

Then if you do decide to do some gaming (which I definitely would, if I had a CPU that powerful), you can buy whatever card you want, and you'll have saved a lot of money by not having to replace the first video card. There's not much point in getting a low-end card to "maybe" do some gaming; there's no halfway.

Also, basically any motherboard with a PCIe x16 slot (which is basically all motherboards) is going to let you drop in any graphics card, so don't worry about upgradeability in that respect.

 

[JofaMang]

The IGP will probably suffice, but there is noted issues with the 3200/4200 IGPs. I recently had to research why a friends 785g was getting random BSoD, and in the end, there is no set reason, but LOTS of people with different circumstances suffering under the BSoD. From minor gaming to HD movies to surfing the net, these IGPS seem to gather issues over time. The fix for my friend ended up being investing in a 4350 for $30, and since has had no problems.

The new budget 5xxx cards are within your range, without wasting money on gaming performance, such as a 5450 or 5570, but for your needs even that much might be overkill for your usage.

 

[adamlevy]

Well from all my research and the feedback here, there isn't a clear absolute correct choice. Like JofaMang said, I've read a bit about stability issues with AMD's IGP, especially under Win7-64bit, which I plan to run.

So now I'm considering going with a non-G motherboard, and adding a Radeon HD 4670 to the list. It's an extra $80...not too bad.

Thanks for the input, everyone.

 

[anonymousdude]

Then get a 770 mobo. I'm surprised no has said to get the 955 and change the multiplier to get to 965 speeds.