Suggest a graphics card

[truegoon]

Hello all,

I recently assembled a PC

Here are the specs:

1)AMD Phenom 955BE with C3 stepping
2)Biostar 890GXE MoBo
3)Corsair XMS 4gb (2x2) Ram
4)320gb WD HD

Now i already have a , so called "crappy" IGP in the form of HD4290. So for a system performance boost which graphics card should i go for.

Please note that I don't game much (just fifa 2011 and fifa manager 2011 which both perform admirably as of now)
OR

Should i leave the graphics card part altogether or go for something like an SSD for a better performance or may be liquid cooling for overclocking.

Bottomline is i want to know whether installing a better graphics will result in a noticable performance boost in general gaming and movies etc.... (Sorry if this sounds too stupid)

 

[shadow187]

If you're not gaming much than an HD4290 is one of the best IGPU solutions, especially if it doesn't stress out your current games. If you do want a good card, an HD6850 will carry you for a long time, and if you get into demanding games, crossfire them.

 

[plastichairball]

Hi, and no worries about all the questions. They're good and relevant!

I'd say you'll notice an improvement from updating your graphics card. What you're using now is functional at best. If you want to watch Bluray or something like that, you'll something with more grunt.

Do you have a budget in mind?

 

[truegoon]

Thanks for the answers.

My budget is pretty flexible,but one thing I do not want to do is to spend on stuff which i won't use anyways.

Currently I have these things in mind:
1. Graphics Card
2. SSD
3. A CPU fan (for overclocking my proccy)

What i want is a good mixture,so that I can get maximum juice from my PC.

So currently i am leaning a bit towards a good SSD and not buying the graphics card at all.
But again there is a dilemma of waiting till jan (or feb in India) so that Intel G3 SSD's are out.

 

[plastichairball]

Indeed. If you're looking for just general ways to improve your system in Windows, then you should think about adding more RAM.

For anything gaming or media related, I'd get a decent graphics card. The 5670 mentioned above is very good, but for your needs also consider a 4670, GT 240 or really maybe even an 8600 GT 512mb. That would probably give you a cheap, noticeable performance boost.

 

[plastichairball]

Perhaps, but if you weren't a gamer of any description then it would be fine at least for everyday needs! Heck, I got by on a 256mb 8600GT for 2 years and only retired it this year!

 

[truegoon]

thanks once more for the suggestions.

So between HD5670 and HD6850,i am thinking of going for HD5670
Hope it wll last for my general needs for the next 2 years. (I repeat that i have no plans to game as such)

Also planning to wait till 2011 Q1 for ssd, then go for OCZ vertex 2 or crucial C300

And regarding an increment in RAM,will it be a boost as such? Isn't 4gb sufficient and going for another 4gb an overkill. As far as i know there is no way any ordinary user can exhaust 4gb easily unless doing photoshop or video encoding. Please clarify on this regard.

 

[shadow187]

If you're not planning to play many games than by all means the HD5670 is your best friend. Just be warned that it won't run high-action FPS games at higher resolutions well.

 

[truegoon]

OK guys, thanks for the answers.

 

[truegoon]

Best answer selected by truegoon.

 

[Maziar]

This topic has been closed by Maziar