Buying new card - HD - Gaming - $200-250

[floydtheduck]

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APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: 1-2 weeks

BUDGET RANGE: USD $200-250 (I am looking for the best cost/benefit ratio. I usually buy a new machine every 3 years and pay about $800-1000 for it. I don't want ultra-high end, but I don't want something that will be obsolete in 1 year... something in the middle)

USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: This will be 50/50 of gaming and watching blu-ray movies. Games: FPS games (FEAR3, Tribes Ascend, The Secret World). Also some RPG's like Mass Effect, and maybe a game or two like Starcraft or Heroes of Newerth

CURRENT GPU AND POWER SUPPLY: GPU is onboard Intel, Power supply is: OCZ StealthXStream OCZ700SXS 700W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341019


OTHER RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS:
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233 - Cooler Master HAF 912
MOBO: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271 - ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072 - Intel Core i5 2500k
SSD (OS is installed here): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441 - Crucial M4 64GB
Cooler: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835288001 - EVGA M020-00-000234 Superclock CPU Cooler
Memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231460 - G.Skill 2x4GB sniper series
HDD (for data): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148681 - Seagate Green 2TB
HDD (used, for data): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136792 - Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com (open to other suggestions, though)

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

PARTS PREFERENCES: nvidia

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe SLI Maybe (see comment below)

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I currently have a 42" HDTV as my monitor (HDMI) running 1080p. I'm looking to get a second monitor to use for gaming (perhaps a 24" DVI capable of 1080p). I do some web design and work with virtual machines, which is why I like having the higher resolution for workspace.

I was looking at the GT550 and the GT560 nvidia cards, but I noticed I could practically get two 550's and run SLI for the price of one 560... I just don't know if that would be better or if I should get a single card. I was reading in the FAQ that higher res should use SLI/two cards.

I've built my own machines for years, but I've never been much into computer games (always played console as the cost of the machine was always so much cheaper). So, I'm very new to graphics cards, etc.

If possible, I'd like to still be able to use my HDMI connected TV with the new card (even if it's mini-HDMI to HDMI). If I have to buy a second monitor to play the games on using DVI, that's fine (idk if there is a performance difference in DVI vs HDMI), as long as I can still use my TV with my PC.

 

[inzone]

EVGA SuperClocked 01G-P3-1563-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
$249.99 and a $25 rebate makes it $224.99 and free shipping.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130610

This would be a great caed to get and will run pretty much everything at reasonable settings , amtbe some games not maxed out but high settings and it does depend on the game. Two of these would be awsome and you could save to add another later.

EVGA SuperClocked 01G-P3-1557-KR GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
$144.99 and a $20 rebate makes it $124.99.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130629

You could get two of these for the price of the 550Ti and get better performance than the one 560Ti but if you added another 560Ti then that combination would blow away two of these. It's a choice you will have to make as to what your finances are and what you can do to save for a second 560Ti. Both cards have the mini HDMI port.
I know if it was me I would be getting the 560Ti and saving for the second card. At least there's a chance you won't need the second 560Ti but you would need the second 550Ti.

 

[floydtheduck]

EVGA SuperClocked 01G-P3-1563-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
$249.99 and a $25 rebate makes it $224.99 and free shipping.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130610

This would be a great caed to get and will run pretty much everything at reasonable settings , amtbe some games not maxed out but high settings and it does depend on the game. Two of these would be awsome and you could save to add another later.

Thanks for the quick reply, inzone.

So will the single 560Ti run 1080p sufficiently with normal settings, you think (as opposed to what it says in the FAQ thread stickied in this forum)? Also, will I be able to run this on mini-HDMI or would I need to get a DVI monitor? I'm not sure if there is any performance difference in HDMI vs DVI.

 

[sk1939]

Yes and No respectively.

You just need to convert HDMI to DVI.

 

[floydtheduck]

Yes and No respectively.

You just need to convert HDMI to DVI.

Sorry if I sound naive... why would I need to convert HDMI to DVI? If my TV is HDMI, and the card has mini-HDMI, could I not use a mini-HDMI/HDMI cable?

 

[inzone]

DVI is for video only and HDMI will carry the audio along with the video and you don't need to get a HDMI to DVI adaptor , the video card will usually come with a mini HDMI to full size HDMI adaptor so you just need the HDMI cable to go from that adaptor to your tv. There is no video performance difference between DVI and HDMI they will both carry High Definition/Digital signal.

 

[Technology That Lasts]

The NVIDIA GTX 560 Ti sounds right for you. The Ti version of the GTX 560 offers additional processor cores than the non-Ti version, thus increasing overall performance. This version of the GTX 560 Ti, from EVGA, a very respectable brand, costs just $200 with no shipping costs. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130604

At 1gb of GDDR5 RAM, the EVGA GTX 560 Ti should be able to handle pretty much every modern game on the market at ultra settings, with the exception of, MAYBE, something like Battlefield 3. That you just might have to settle for high settings with. Too bad.

If you really want something that will perform well on, quite literally, every game on the market currently, get the GTX 570. You won't be disappointed. However, it is a little bit outside your budget. The cheapest one at Newegg will set you back a total of $270, excluding shipping costs. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814162075

It's your call. Considering your budget, I would stick to just having one card. You'll probably get better performance from just one rather than having two crappier ones.

 

[Guest]

I would go with the gtx 480 its faster and cheaper and also has 1536 mb vram.Its faster then the gtx 570 to and $100 cheaper http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130759

there really is no other card under the $300 price range id put ahead of it.For $209 its a steal

 

[floydtheduck]

Best answer selected by floydtheduck.