The Best Cheapest Video Card For Skyrim

[zabuscus]

Hey ppl, I'm new to this site. I've been wondering what Graphics/Video Card I should get for skyrim. I can play the game on low with quite a bit of lag. If you need my specs, here:

Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) CPU G840 @ 2.80GHz
Memory: 4.00GB
Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard Company
Model: p6-2120t

Thanks for taking your time to read!

 

[PCgamer81]

GTX560 minimum.

GTX580 preferable.

Next question?

 

[dish_moose]

also need PSU & BUDGET!!!
-Bruce

 

[DXRick]

It has a 300W PSU, and the info on their site is:

Must select one of the following options:

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD Integrated Graphics
GeForce GT 520 (1 GB)
Radeon HD 6450 (512 MB)
Radeon HD 6450 (1 GB)
Radeon HD 7350 (512 MB)
Radeon HD 7450 (1 GB)

Unless you upgrade the PSU too, you can't do much.

 

[auntarie]

GTX560 minimum.

GTX580 preferable.

Next question?

Dafuq?

We're talking about Skyrim, not BF3

Now really, a lot of websites suggest a gtx 260 as recommended. So I'd say a gtx 275 or gtx 260 core 216, just to be on the safe side.

 

[ko888]

Without a power supply upgrade, the best card that doesn't require a PCIe power connector, is the Radeon HD 7750.

If you don't turn on AA you might be able to achieve 30 FPS at 1920 x 1080.

 

[Guest]

weak psu but my old gtx 460 could max out skyrim without a problem.Not sure why people think bf 3 is like the benchmarks of all benchmarks its not even close.my gtx 460 could run bf 3 in ultra minus the aa at 30 fps smooth.arma 2 is the only game i could not max out.bf 3 is actually really well optimized.25 fps on bf 3 feels very smooth unlike arma 2

 

[jaguarskx]

300w PSU?

Your best bet is the Radeon HD 7750.

 

[PCgamer81]

GTX560 minimum.

GTX580 preferable.

Next question?

Dafuq?

We're talking about Skyrim, not BF3

Now really, a lot of websites suggest a gtx 260 as recommended. So I'd say a gtx 275 or gtx 260 core 216, just to be on the safe side.

Huh?

A 560ti would do everything maxed out at 1080p just fine, so why is a 560 minimum and a 580 preferable?

If he is gaming at <1080p and doesn't care about ultra settings with tons of AA, then both those cards are major overkill for his needs.

I had an 8800 GTS 320 (which is equivalent to like a $75 GPU right now) and played pretty smoothly at 1080p high settings with no AA. Skyrim is not a GPU-demanding game.

If you want to play Skyrim at high visual quality and at 1080p then you are going to want a GTX 560 at minimum. The 560 is about like a 6870. I disable crossfire when I run Skyrim and get about 50-80 fps totally maxed out in Ultra and in 1080p.

If you want to experience the game as it's meant to be played, and not have to worry about lowering the settings or resolution or a sub 60 frame rate, then you better go with a 560/6870 at the minimum.

And if you want to enjoy the various mods and texture packs that are out now and will continue to be released over the next several years, then I would suggest a 580/7950.

If you are shooting for Xbox quality, fine. Go with a weaker card.

 

[PCgamer81]

Fix'd. Any sub $100 GPU will get you far better than Xbox quality (i.e. high settings without AA, 1080p, 40+ fps average). The game only needs substantial GPU muscle for AA and graphics mods.

It doesn't matter anyways - he needs a new PSU before he can do any GPU upgrading.

Hey, he asked for opinions. The title of the thread is best cheapest card for Skyrim.

The 560 is extremely cheap. But I guess the word "cheap" is subjective.

560/6870 = low end
570/6970 = mid range
590/6990 = high end

Anything past that is what I call a beast.

Anything less than the 560/6870 is what I call unacceptable.

 

[azeem40]

Huh?

A 560ti would do everything maxed out at 1080p just fine, so why is a 560 minimum and a 580 preferable?

If he is gaming at <1080p and doesn't care about ultra settings with tons of AA, then both those cards are major overkill for his needs.

I had an 8800 GTS 320 (which is equivalent to like a $75 GPU right now) and played pretty smoothly at 1080p high settings with no AA. Skyrim is not a GPU-demanding game.

He is referring to the 560 non ti.

 

[PCgamer81]

He is referring to the 560 non ti.

Grazie.

 

[andrewcarr]

Instead of arguing why not let the OP respond?
What is your budget? Resolution?
By cheapest you could say anywhere from $50 to $250, so no real answer unless told what to work with.

 

[Onus]

On your existing PSU, a HD7750 is the best you'll do. You need to post a budget, so we can recommend both a PSU and a GPU; and a location, otherwise you'll get a lot of Newegg links which may not be relevant.

 

[photonboy]

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Pentium+G840+%40+2.80GHz

I would say a GTX560Ti would be the most you could support.

PSU:
It's NOT just the overall Wattage, it's also the AMPS required by the graphics card. Your +12V rail must provide more AMPS so you MUST obtain the specs for both your +12V rail and the graphics card.

I would be surprised if your PSU would supply enough Amps.

If you shop around, start with NCIX, you can find a good PSU that will meet your needs for as little as $60 (look for sales):

So my advice is:
1) HD7750 or HD7770 (I recommend the HD7770 from Sapphire Tech)
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=68715&vpn=11201-00-20G&manufacture=SAPPHIRE
2) PSU
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=35456&vpn=OCZ700MXSP&manufacture=OCZ%20Technology&promoid=1215

The graphics card is about $160 for HD7770, $120 for HD7750, and the PSU I chose was on sale for $45 after rebate.

So the way I see it you have three choices:
1) HD7750 and NO PSU (if your PSU has enough Wattage and +12V amps. I doubt it)
2) HD7750 and PSU
3) HD7770 and PSU

Cheers!

 

[PCgamer81]

+1 to you.

Skyrim is not demanding on gpu's.
It requires a beefy cpu.

It does not require a beefy CPU. It is limited by the CPU. That is not the same thing.

A beefy CPU would be an utter waste on Skyrim. Only 2 threads can be utilized at any given time. The only advantage a quad-core CPU would give you in Skyrim is that it would run cooler, seeing as how the 2 threads are tossed around all 4 cores to reduce heat. The clock-rate of the CPU is far more important in Skyrim as long as it's a dual-core.

Skyrim runs much better when you have a strong card behind it.

Might want to take your "+1" back.

 

[bestlink101]

requirements
http://www.systemrequirements.in/system-requirements-for-the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim.html not sure if outside links are aloud, i go on to many forums its hard to remember
Minimum System Requirements

* OS: 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
* CPU: Dual Core 2.0GHz or equivalent processor
* RAM: 2 GB
* HDD: 6 GB
* Graphics: 512 MB card
* Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
* DirectX: Version 9.0c
* Internet for Steam activation

Recommended System Requirements

* OS: Windows 7/Vista/XP (32 or 64 bit)
* CPU: Quad-core Intel or AMD CPU
* RAM: 4 GB
* HDD: 6 GB free disk space
* Graphics: 1 GB Graphics Memory
* Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
* DirectX: Version 9.0c
* Internet for Steam activation

Supported Graphics Cards:

Minimum – nVidia GeForce 8800 / ATI Radeon HD 3850
Recommended -Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 or higher; ATI Radeon 4890 or higher

 

[PCgamer81]

* OS: Windows 7/Vista/XP (32 or 64 bit)
* CPU: Quad-core Intel or AMD CPU
* RAM: 4 GB
* HDD: 6 GB free disk space
* Graphics: 1 GB Graphics Memory
* Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
* DirectX: Version 9.0c
* Internet for Steam activation

Again, the quad-core is beneficial but for purely heat related reasons.

I am telling you, Skyrim uses two threads at most. Period.

What each gamer expects and is comfortable with is purely subjective, so the system requirements mean nothing to me. I recommend to the OP at the minimum a 560/6870, and I stand by that with all the confidence in the world based on everything I have heard, seen, and experienced first hand.

I see no reason why anyone would settle for less, or should settle for less.

If you can show me one video of Skyrim being run at high visual settings and in HD at a good framerate with a GTX260 or 4890, I will reconsider.

Until then, your refutation of my assertion fails to hold water.

 

[Onus]

Getting a quad has nothing to do with heat, but with providing extra threads for all the background tasks that Windows likes to run; plus probably Steam, an A/V program, and possibly other things.
The OP still has not provided his resolution, but just looking here: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/fx-4100-core-i3-2100-gaming-benchmark,3136-7.html it looks like a HD6850 can keep FPS above 30 on "Ultra;" a HD6770 on "High."

 

[andrewcarr]

Why argue with each other needlessly when it provides no real contribution to the thread? The OP has yet to make any contribution besides starting the thread.

(although just to mess with him, he doesn't have any graphics badges )

 

[jjack339]

I played skyrim on high at over 30fps on a 5870mobile GPU.... For Ultra? Maybe a mid level 6000s or 7000s. That paired with an i3 or 2500k would get you to Ultra on skyrim for maybe 250 in upgrades, add another 50 if you need a 500 watt PSU to handle it.

 

[photonboy]

Let's be CLEAR:
This guy is UPGRADING his current system. He basically wants a half-decent graphics card and doesn't want to spend too much. Let's stick with a discussion of what would be the best bang-for-the-buck for him.

In my opinion, he would be best to get an HD7770 and a suitable PSU as discussed in my post above. Remember, the PSU not only supply enough overall Wattage but also enough AMPS on the +12V rail for the graphics card.

He can upgrade his system with the HD7770 and a better PSU for roughly $210 + tax. I recommend NCIX and looking at sales on the PSU, such as the one I linked to above (if it's still on sale).

 

[PCgamer81]

Let's be CLEAR:
This guy is UPGRADING his current system. He basically wants a half-decent graphics card and doesn't want to spend too much. Let's stick with a discussion of what would be the best bang-for-the-buck for him.

In my opinion, he would be best to get an HD7770 and a suitable PSU as discussed in my post above. Remember, the PSU not only supply enough overall Wattage but also enough AMPS on the +12V rail for the graphics card.

He can upgrade his system with the HD7770 and a better PSU for roughly $210 + tax. I recommend NCIX and looking at sales on the PSU, such as the one I linked to above (if it's still on sale).

Actually, the 7770 does make a lot more sense, especially with him needing a new PSU; from what I hear the 7xxx series has far lower power demands.

 

[Onus]

The HD7770 is not a bad choice, however the HD6850 is cheaper, a little stronger, and can run on a 380W Antec Earthwatts PSU.

 

[PCgamer81]

The HD7770 is not a bad choice, however the HD6850 is cheaper, a little stronger, and can run on a 380W Antec Earthwatts PSU.

Very good point.

I wonder why the OP hasn't responded so much as once since the thread was started...