Help choosing a graphics card...

[d3fu5i0n]

Hey guys,

Well to start, I have to stay around my grandparents a lot of the time (lol ) and y'know, you get a bit bored from time-to-time, so you game in these situations (if there's nothing else to do, and/or your grandparents are a bit silly as being over-protective and you can't really go out).

So my grandparents current comp (which I built) consists of the following:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ (@ Stock 3.0GHz)
2X2GB Crucial DDR2-800MHZ CAS5 RAM.
XFX 4550 512MB GDDR2 Fansink stock 625/500 OC'd to 650/550
ASUS M3A76-CM Motherboard (BIOS 2101 / Latest)

The resolution of the monitor [which I also gave them, lol] is 1280x1024

Even at the lowest game settings (aside from the res. being native) with the GPU OC'd, framerates will be beyond dramatically poor.


There are forum threads out there discussing the best GPU for the 6000, although they have never come to a conclusion. I am planning to go ATi for this rig anyway, best price wins, and I'm finicky about keeping everything one branded. xD


Now, VRAM isn't much of an issue at this resolution, and 512MB GDDR5 should do it (if I go for something in the 5K series). Arvutihull on YouTube told me that a 5670 would be the best match.

I don't want ANY power of the GPU wasted. I feel that if I spend 'wasted' money, that it's pointless, especially in the situation of trying to get the best price.


What would be the best choice?

And if I were to run some Anti-Aliasing; say... MW2 maxed at 1280x1024 with 4xAA, would 512MB still cut it, or would I need the higher VRAM buffer to use AA at this res with high game settings?

I'd also be looking for 60FPS+ on games like that. Some games such as Crysis are an exception. BTW, does the original Crysis have a key 'limit' (Not referring to Warhead with it's revoke tool)? I've heard yes and no. Would like to know that as well.

[I can grab a HyperMemory version of the 512MB GDDR5 5670. So if the card wants more VRAM, it can more-or-less, temporarily "eat off of" the system memory. I could also go for one of those 'Green' 5750s, as I'd need to change the PSU which would also cost money. and a 'Green' edition would normally be a little weaker than the reference card and come without a power adapter, and being a little weaker might make it the right speed for the CPU.]

Hope you guys can help me ASAP.

Thanks

 

[d3fu5i0n]

Oh the RAM is 2X1GB, not 2X2GB (typo, and Tom's HW doesn't seems to say 'you do not have permission to edit' your own post).

 

[sabot00]

I would choose the 5670:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102871&cm_re=5670-_-14-102-871-_-Product

The RAM doesn't matter, even the 4870 (which is around 2x more powerful), only sees about a 10% gain from the extra 512MB.

If you don't want ANY GPU wasted then get a 5550 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131355&cm_re=5550-_-14-131-355-_-Product), but there's always going to be situations where the GPU does get wasted.

I gave my old 2.2Ghz Core 2 Duo rig a 4670, and in C&C 3 there were indeed some situations where the 4670 was powerful enough to be bottlenecked, but does that mean I should get a 4350? Hell no.

I don't think any card below the 5670 would really be a big boost in value (if any), so even if the 5670 might get a little wasted in a some situations, it really is rendered moot.

 

[d3fu5i0n]

I would choose the 5670:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102871&cm_re=5670-_-14-102-871-_-Product

The RAM doesn't matter, even the 4870 (which is around 2x more powerful), only sees about a 10% gain from the extra 512MB.

If you don't want ANY GPU wasted then get a 5550 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131355&cm_re=5550-_-14-131-355-_-Product), but there's always going to be situations where the GPU does get wasted.

I gave my old 2.2Ghz Core 2 Duo rig a 4670, and in C&C 3 there were indeed some situations where the 4670 was powerful enough to be bottlenecked, but does that mean I should get a 4350? Hell no.

I don't think any card below the 5670 would really be a big boost in value (if any), so even if the 5670 might get a little wasted in a some situations, it really is rendered moot.

Yes it does depend on the game being played. Some are more CPU dependant, and other more GPU dependant. As it is an ageing K8 technology CPU and if I were to stick Crysis onto the computer, I'd probably smack the physics to medium to help out the CPU.

But it was Arvutihull after all, that said '5670'.

The games I will definitely play on that computer are:
GRID,
MW2,
HL2,
FEAR 2

 

[d3fu5i0n]

Oh and by the way, I live in the UK, so no Newegg for me
I tend to use Play, Amazon, eBuyer. I never have but using BT Shop is fine too.

 

[sabot00]

Well, find your favorite retailer or etailer, and find the cheapest 5670, compare with the 4670, 5570/50, and any other cards you want.

 

[d3fu5i0n]

Well, find your favorite retailer or etailer, and find the cheapest 5670, compare with the 4670, 5570/50, and any other cards you want.

For £58-59 I can get a 512MB GDDR5 5670.
For £38 I can get a 1GB GDDR2 4670. The slow memory interface will let it down, which even lends the 1GB of VRAM to being more useless. The price isn't too bad though.

I do want something that'll allow me to play MW2 with 4XAA at max settings 60FPS+ (don't forget it's 1280x1024)

And there is no 'other cards I want' situation as this is the reason for making this thread, lol

The big problem is, is that everyone seems to have a different card choice... does know one have a clue? This is why I made it an 'exact answer post'.

On OC3D, the user GBcf said: "Well a Hd 5670, 5750 is as high as you want to go with this hardware.. 512mb is enough for that resolution. If you dont want any power on the gpu to be wasted go with a 5670 to be certain, but than it still isn't good enough for a maxed out smooth mw2.. I say go with a 5670 and be happy with medium setings."


I replied: However I would disagree with the settings.
When I had a single 5770 @ stock in my rig (being based with a Q6700 @ Stock 2.66GHz in this example) @ 1920x1080, I would get maxed out + 16X AF, no AA, 60FPS+

The 5750 based on benchmarks looks to be around 1/3 faster than the 5670.

When I said 'power wastage' it depends. If the 5670 is a bottleneck to the CPU, and e.g. 10% CPU power would be wasted versus using a 5750 and 5% of the 5750 GPU being wasted (CPU is the bottleneck) and it wasn't much more expensive, I'd vouch for the 5750.


Can you try help me a bit more please?

As I said, I can do no more based on searches as the other threads I have seen have come to no conclusion at all (in my opinion. Only one I found was where the OP was running at the same screen resolution - 1280x1024).

 

[sabot00]

I'd get the 4670, it's much cheaper and my 4670 will max out MW2.

 

[d3fu5i0n]

I'd get the 4670, it's much cheaper and my 4670 will max out MW2.

I've already ordered and been using the 5670 512MB (GDDR5) HyperMemory for a while now. It doesn't max out and average 60FPS or above.
I have it maxed out with 2xAA and running at 1280x1024 (I also needed to add a third 1GB DIMM). When not much is going on I will get 60-70FPS (a little shooting). Nothing going on and depending on the scenery I will get between 70-85/90FPS. With high intensity action I will get 45-55FPS.