Choosing a Video Card for First Computer(Diablo3)

[mattlee90]

Hello, I am a total newbie since this is my first time
buying & building a computer myself. Can't reuse anything from my old computer
since it's 5 years old and made very cheap for non-gaming.
This new computer will be basically for internet surfing, HD movies, music, and Diablo 3.
I don't play demanding games like BF3 and I hear D3 isn't as demanding as I thought it would be.

I've already decided on other parts. Here's the list
Zalman Z9 Plus ($45)
Celeron G530 ($41)
Antec Neo Eco 450C Power Supply ($35)
Corsair Vengeance Blue 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 ($45)
Corsair Force Series GT 120GB SSD Refurb ($85)
MSI H61MA-E35 (B3) SATA3 USB3.0 Motherboard ($80)
Logitech Mouse(M100)+Keyboard(K120) ($16)

Please tell me if any of these are not compatible with each other or with the graphic card I will buy.
I was going to buy a Gigabyte Radeon 6770 for $84 after rebate but noticed that they're out of stock T_T at NCIX(i plan to pickup everything here).

I guess my other options are GTX550Ti Superclocked for $105 after rebate or Powercolor Radeon HD 6850 for $135(no rebate).

I am wondering if there are any other good value video cards like Radeon 6770 and under $100
because I'm hearing that Celeron G530 is enough for Diablo 3 but might be bottlenecked(not sure what that means)
if i get a high end video card.

Sorry for babbling so much and Thank you!!!

 

[unksol]

What is your budget and what resolution is your monitor?

I would suggest an i3 if you can, or maybe a higher.level Pentium. just to give you some headroom for things besides Diablo 3.

Bottlenecking is simply when one component holds another back. So lets say your CPU is capable of handling the processing for the game at 30FPS. And your GPU could do 45FPS. The CPU would hold the system back and you'd be stuck at 30FPS.

There is nothing wrong with buying a component that will bottleneck another as long as you understand it. For instance you could buy a high end CPU knowing you GPU will bottleneck it in games until you can upgrade it, or just because you need a high end CPU for something else.

For a new build for gaming and you though you want to match components to avoid any bottlenecks. If you buy a higher GPU than the CPU can keep up with you are paying for performance you can't use. basically wasting money. Instead you'd want to shift some of the money from the GPU to the CPU to keep it balanced and get more performance for your money.

 

[mattlee90]

My current monitor is 19 inch but i plan on getting a 23.6/24inch widescreen Asus monitor
later(when it goes on sale). I'd love to stay under $500 for everything and
it's $306+CPU+GPU or $347+GPU if i just get the G530. I might spend up to
$250 on just CPU+GPU so $550 for everything. I'll have to save up for the monitor
and 3TB Barracuda and fetch them when they go on sale.
And again, Diablo 3 will probably be the only demanding game I'll play. But it would
be nice to play D3 in high settings. Thank you everyone!!!

 

[unksol]

I assume that monitor(the new one) will be 1080p?

the thing is D3 isn't demanding at all relativly. Which is good for you. but since this is your first gaming build would you be interested in similar games? There are a lot of other RPG type games that are very good. My point here is building a rig dedicated to one game that may have 50 hours of play time (I am guessing) may not be the best plan.

I'd think a Pentium g860. although an i3 is maybe 20 bucks more.

And maybe a 6790. I'll admit, its late here and I am just looking at toms best cpu/gpu for the money lists.

Also I don't see windows 7 cost in your build.

 

[tjs4ever]

I didn't see a case in your shopping list. Also, your CPU should make up a larger % of your build cost. Personally I would buy a regular HDD and use the savings to buy a better CPU. An I5 can be had for ~$200. With a celeron, it may not "feel" like a new pc. There is nothing in your preposed build that is high end, and the usage you describe won't take full advantage of a SSD. You can get a much larger HDD for the same, or less money.

Maybe in a few months your friends are talking about skyrim, or COD 35 (or whatever the future holds) and you want to play, too. Build a machine that will give you that option.

I just did a lot of Craigslist/Kijiji/Ebay to complete my first build in a few years. And yes, most of the parts are used, but I saved a ton of money! I am always buying/selling/trading online, and in the end my actual cost was quite low. If you look carefully, deals can be found.

 

[ohyouknow]

I agree with what people have stated above about at least picking up an i3 for your cpu. On graphics card I suggest the HD6770, around $100. According to tom's it will run D3 well on highest settings at 60+fps, ahead of the pricier 550TI.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/diablo-iii-performance-benchmark,3195-5.html

Good luck.

 

[rdc85]

Yup D3 5770/6770 glitch is a blessing..... as i check the NCIX web there XFX and ASUS 6770 under 100 CAD after rebate, and XFX under 100$ after Rebate.

 

[Deemo13]

I can play Diablo 3 on a Celeron G530 just fine just sayin. It lags only in the largest of battles, and imo is one of the best budget processors ever.