Newbie needs help upgrading graphics card!!!

Forum Graphics & Displays : Graphics Cards Newbie needs help upgrading graphics card!!!

Currently I have a system running AMD Phenom II X6 1035T, OCZ ModXtreme Pro 700W PSU, and single slot ASUS mobo. I want to upgrade my GT 430 in order to play lately games. My monitor res. is 1600x900. And I'm not an overclocker.

My budget is $150, a bit higher is okay. I like nVidia but I don't mind giving AMD cards a try. I'm looking at these:

MSI R6850 Cyclone PE/OC Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814127566 $157.99 after rebate
Here is the stock version http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814127576

GIGABYTE Ultra Durable VGA Series GV-R685OC-1GD Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814125353 $129.99 after rebate.

XFX HD-687A-ZHFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814150561 $149.99 after rebate. This one has some bad reviews and doesn't have warranty so I doubt it.

Any other recommendations at the same range are welcome. Thank you!

Message edited by iknowit on 12-01-2011 at 05:02:13 PM

Reply to iknowit

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102948 they must to give warranty. This is 159 after rebates an great reviews. When you purchase ask them about warranty.

Reply to sosofm

I know it seems ridiculous but save some more and give it a try for 560 Ti.
Also you could afford MSI N560GTX-M2D1GD5 GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814127592
around your budget

Reply to Anonymous

I have a question. Can a 2.1 card fit in a 2.0 slot on the MOBO? I know a 2.0 will work on a 1.0. But I don't know for sure that a 2.0 will fit in a 2.1 or the other way around?

I like Nvidia cards my self. The GTX 560 Ti Fermi would be my pick.

------------------------------ i7-2600K @4.2 GHZ -Asetek 510LC 120mm Water Cooler-1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 3.5in HD-Kingston Hyper-X DDR3 1600 mhz 4GBx4 (16GB)-Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit- MOBO Gigabyte Z68A-D3H-B3 - EVGA 2x GTX 550 Ti's-Xtremgear 800w-Thermaltake MK-1 case
Reply to DM186

for amd,go for his IceQ 6870 it.
Its better than gtx560
or pump up the budget and get gtx 560ti!

------------------------------ Frank
Reply to aakashp25

A 2.1 card will fit in a 2.0 slot, as well as 3.0, 2.1,1.1, and 1.0a.

There is a very rare issue were a 2.1 card will not WORK in a 1.1 or a 1.0a slot because, in this rare case the motherboard manufacture needs a bios update, in even rarer cases those bios updates never come out. Thus is it generally regarded as safer to purchase a 2.0 card if you only have a 1.1 or 1.0a slot instead of a 2.1 card.

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by Helltech on 12-02-2011 at 05:02:29 AM

DM186, as I read in Wikipedia, a 2.1 card will work in a 2.0 slot. They say that it's backwards compatible. And a 2.0 card also works in a 2.1 slot. Likewise, it's forwards compatible. There is almost nothing to worry about the slot, I just heard from somebody that some mobos with 1.0 slot have issues with 2.1 cards, 2.0 card is okay.

Anybody else has recommendations for those cards above?

Reply to iknowit

As you guys can see, my system is running with Phenom X6 1035t and it's a bit dated. I think that it will bottleneck the GTX 560 Ti and that would be a waste. Anyway, I try bidding on eBay for a lower price. But I have question: if I buy one from eBay, do I have the manufacture warranty for my card?

Reply to iknowit

The Phenom X6 will definitely not bottleneck the 560Ti. I have a 965BE and it does not bottleneck my Radeon 6950, which is near the performance of a 560Ti. It would definitely not be a waste.

Helltech wrote :

A 2.1 card will fit in a 2.0 slot, as well as 3.0, 2.1,1.1, and 1.0a.

There is a very rare issue were a 2.1 card will not WORK in a 1.1 or a 1.0a slot because, in this rare case the motherboard manufacture needs a bios update, in even rarer cases those bios updates never come out. Thus is it generally regarded as safer to purchase a 2.0 card if you only have a 1.1 or 1.0a slot instead of a 2.1 card.

Hey Thank you very much for taking the time to explain that and you to iknowit