[Graphic Cards] Recommend a graphic card

[whatever06]

Hi.
I've never purchase any graphic card before.
I'm planning to buy a new pc to replace my old P4 system.
My monitor is 19" and I would like a graphic card that support between 1440x900 - 1680x1080 with high quality setting and smooth playing.
Preferable ATI 5000 series with CF but no need too high end or too low end and not quickly outdated.
Not a first-person-shooting fan.
Any recommendation?

Thanks.

 

[wa1]

What about the rest of your specs?
CPU? RAM? PSU? Motherboard? Budget?

 

[Maziar]

Hello and welcome to the forums
For that resolution, a HD 5770 is a good choice

 

[whatever06]

Hello and welcome to the forums
For that resolution, a HD 5770 is a good choice

Really? That's what I thought in first place.

 

[whatever06]

What about the rest of your specs?
CPU? RAM? PSU? Motherboard? Budget?

Well I havent really thought about it yet. Which cheapest board that can perform CF full speed?

 

[Maziar]

A single 5770 suffices for your resolution IMO,no need to CrossFire

 

[jyjjy]

Yeah, a single HD5770 should do very well on your monitor.
If you are talking about a crossfire board so you can have an upgrade path later on then look for one where the second slot operates at at least x8. x4 should be avoided. If you want a more specific recommendation you will need to pick out a processor first. I would recommend an Athlon II x4, Phenom II x4 or i5-750 depending on how much you want to spend.

 

[whatever06]

A single 5770 suffices for your resolution IMO,no need to CrossFire

Got it. Thanks.
So is there any good mobo for single card let say I pick Phenom II X4.

 

[whatever06]

Yeah, a single HD5770 should do very well on your monitor.
If you are talking about a crossfire board so you can have an upgrade path later on then look for one where the second slot operates at at least x8. x4 should be avoided. If you want a more specific recommendation you will need to pick out a processor first. I would recommend an Athlon II x4, Phenom II x4 or i5-750 depending on how much you want to spend.

Ok. As curiosity I would like to know what CF mobo you recommend if I pick Phenom II X4.

 

[jyjjy]

Well it depends on how much you want to pay. Optimally you'll want the newest chipset with 6g/s SATA and USB3.0 but those boards also cost more.
Looking on newegg this board seems to be the best deal;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157198
It's got the latest USB/SATA and worthwhile crossfire abilities while costing noticeably less than most with all of that.

 

[Maziar]

That looks good
Another good board would be
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131631

 

[jyjjy]

Yeah, both of those boards a re good choices as well. I recommended the ASRock board because it is $30 cheaper and they have developed a rather good reputation over the last few years. ASUS and Biostar are fine brands as well.

 

[whatever06]

Well it depends on how much you want to pay. Optimally you'll want the newest chipset with 6g/s SATA and USB3.0 but those boards also cost more.
Looking on newegg this board seems to be the best deal;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157198
It's got the latest USB/SATA and worthwhile crossfire abilities while costing noticeably less than most with all of that.

It's a great board.
Is Unified Video Decoder(UVD)2, ATI Stream Technology, ATI Powerplay really matter if I'll be using the 5770?
If not this board is the perfect choice for me.

 

[whatever06]

That looks good
Another good board would be
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131631

Thank you. But 890 is too much for me. How about 870/880 SB8xx with only single PCIex16?

 

[Maziar]

Then have a look at this one
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131649

 

[jyjjy]

That one doesn't have USB3.0. These are both $90 with free shipping after the promo code on the second;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130275
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131651
The first has a $10 MIR.
I do think the ability to crossfire is worth the $20 more for the ASRock board however. Two HD5770s in crossfire perform similarly to an HD5870. Eventually you will want an upgrade and saving $20 now may cost you much more in the future.

 

[whatever06]

That one doesn't have USB3.0. These are both $90 with free shipping after the promo code on the second;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130275
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131651
The first has a $10 MIR.
I do think the ability to crossfire is worth the $20 more for the ASRock board however. Two HD5770s in crossfire perform similarly to an HD5870. Eventually you will want an upgrade and saving $20 now may cost you much more in the future.

You got a point there. I'll try to search weather the ASRock board available in my area.
How about RAM?

 

[jyjjy]

If you aren't in the US then link to whatever site(s) you plan on ordering from so we can take a look at what is available to you at what price.
For ram all these boards take DDR3. 1333 would be fine but 1600 usually doesn't cost too much more. 4gb should be enough for a normal person.

 

[whatever06]

If you aren't in the US then link to whatever site(s) you plan on ordering from so we can take a look at what is available to you at what price.
For ram all these boards take DDR3. 1333 would be fine but 1600 usually doesn't cost too much more. 4gb should be enough for a normal person.

ASUS M4A88TD-M EVO/USB3
ASUS M4A87TD/USB3
ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3

If I can't find that ASRock then the only option left is the board above.

You mean I should take 4gb DDR3 Dual Channel 1600 Ram?
http://www.kingston.com/asia/hyperx/products/khx_ddr3.asp

 

[jyjjy]

There isn't all that much difference between the boards you listed. Mainly the M4A87TD doesn't have integrated graphics while the other two do. It is nice to have as a backup I guess but it is no big deal. The M4A88TD-M is microATX which means it is smaller than the other 2. It has 1 PCI slot while the other have 3 but it also has two PCIE x1 slots while the others only have 1. The M4A88TD-V has two PCIE x16 slots but it only operates in x4 mode so it isn't very useful.
None of these differences are particularly important IMO. I would choose mainly based on price.

 

[whatever06]

Thanks. But I found the ASRock board.

Now left RAM, PSU & case.
Any recommendation?

 

[jyjjy]

I think I covered the RAM already.
For the PSU the main thing is you want a good brand. Considering you found the ASRock board with crossfire I guess you should get one capable of supporting 2 HD5770s. For that a quality 600w should be more than enough. Some good brands are Corsair, Antec, Seasonic, Silverstone, Enermax, PC Power & Cooling, OCZ and FSP.
Antec also makes nice cases. This one is a good value in the US;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
It is kind of a standard as you can see from the number of reviews. I don't know about its availability/pricing where you are though. Cases are mostly about aesthetics really. Pick one that looks good to you and is reasonably priced.

 

[whatever06]

Sorry I changed my mind. I don't know if I'll be still playing games in the future. Since Maziar & you already said my single 5770 is sufficient for my resolution, I shall stick with that. If my current monitor fails me, I'll probably go for 22" which probably still running at 1680x1050.
So I pick ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 board.

I believe PSU watts should be reduced. Is 80+ cert necessary?

As for RAM, which would you pick:
-KHX1333C7D3K2/4G, DDR3-1333, unbuffered DIMM. (7-7-7-20, 1.7V)
-KHX1600C9D3K2/4G, DDR3-1600, unbuffered DIMM. (9-9-9-27, 1.7-1.9V)

Thanks.

 

[jyjjy]

Yeah, a single HD5770 should be fantastic for 1440x900 and very good for 1680x1050. A crossfire board would be nice to have as an upgrade path for the future but if the price difference is more than it is worth then a single slot board is fine.
If crossfiring wont be an option then you can get away with a lower rated PSU. Something like this would be an excellent choice for a single HD5770 and is pretty cheap(here at least);
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139008
Corsair is pretty much the best brand you can buy and that unit is better than most 500w PSUs from other brands.
That ram is actually probably pretty similar. They could very well use the same chips, just with different default speed/timings. I'd probably get whichever is cheaper.

 

[whatever06]

I see. Thank you.
But I changed my mind again.
Since I'll buy on early August, I still have 2 weeks to tweak around.
The new GTX460 seems a little better than 5770.
Can the nVidia card used in AMD board?