Compatibility of my graphics card and motherboard

[ryanripka]

I would first like to say that i'm very new when it comes to upgrading my computer on my own, let alone knowing what things are in the first place. my current graphics card(s) seem to have died on me after 3 years of use, they were 2 visiontek ati hd4850 512mb PCI-e graphics processor's. I'm using an Asus 790FX M3A32-MVP deluxe motherboard, i am interested in replacing my current graphics cards with a Geforce GTX 480, would this card work well with my motherboard? also is there a different graphics card available that is better than this? (without breaking my $350 budget) any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Supermuncher85]

I would not go for a 480. They have been superseded by the 570 which is both cheaper and more quiet. I would look into either a 6950 2gb, 560ti or a 570.

What CPU are you using? And what resolution do you game at?

 

[ryanripka]

alright thanks man, hmm as i said before im new so il give u all the info i have on my comp.
Aurora
Full-Tower Black Case 2.0B Alienware P2 Chassis
Asus 790Fx M3A32-MVP Deluxe Motherboard
Amd 2.60GHZ Box 9950BE with HSF B3 Processor (im guessing this is the cpu)
Elpida 1GB DDR2 PC2-6400 U-DIMM 800 MHZ CL8 JEDEC STD REV W Memory(x4)
Seagate 500GB Sata 7200RPM 16MB Cache HDD system Drive
Visiontek Ati HD4850 512MB PCI-e Graphics Processor(x2)

a few other things but i doubt theyre important here, thanks for the help bro, i appreciate it.

 

[ryanripka]

oh and also, i dont recall the res. i use :/

 

[Supermuncher85]

Well first off I would suggest adding more ram. 1gb is not really what I would call enough. What OS are you using? If your using 32bit win XP I would add another 1gig, if your using vista or win7 I would suggest 4gb.
EDIT: nvm you said x4, 4GB is totally fine.
Also have you looked into the bios if overclocking is possible at all?

I would look into a 560ti or a 6950. Both of those will more than fulfill your wishes. If you really want 480 performance have a look at the 570. The 560 and 6950 are almost equal in performance. The 560 offers physix, while the 6950 offers Eyefinity. Furthermore the 6950 is marginally faster than the 560, however the 560 runs cooler so it is a bit quieter. Also note that the standard 6950 2GB *box looking* have a bios switch. Most of these can be flashed into 6970s which offer far superior performance.

 

[ryanripka]

alright im thinking the 6950 sounds good,i run win7 btw. What is a bios switch? and im unsure on what flashing means this stuff really interests me so the more i learn the better thanks again!

 

[Supermuncher85]

Have a look at this http://www.techpowerup.com/articles/overclocking/vidcard/159

 

[Supermuncher85]

Something like the http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127555&cm_re=6950-_-14-127-555-_-Product should unlock. It is the standard PCB design from AMD. I personally went with a 6950 1gb because the performance was more than what I needed and I got it for cheap ($210 - 130 gift card).

 

[ryanripka]

sweeet dude youre a lifesaver, thanks for everything!

 

[ryanripka]

Best answer selected by ryanripka.