Suggest a future GPU please

[chetorch]

Hello everyone! I just ordered the below parts from newegg. They had a great deal on the i5 3450 and also a great deal on the SSD.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3450 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($33.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($96.49 @ B&H)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($37.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($69.33 @ NCIX US)
Total: $487.77
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-11 18:46 EDT-0400)

[strike]I decided to wait out and see if there are any awesome deals for Black Friday on GPUs.[/strike] I couldn't wait

I was about to buy an HD 7770 but decided Ii'd be better to save up a bit and get something better. I have been looking at either an HD 7950 or a GTX 660ti as potential GPUS but I'm still not sure which. It may just come down to the price in the end.

 

[geofelt]

That is a great start, I like your parts.

My rule of thumb for a balanced gamer is to budget twice your cpu cost for the graphics card.
On that basis, you are looking at a $360 graphics card.
That will be in the GTX660ti/7850 or GTX670/7970 class card.

Keep your eyes open for a great deal. But, realize that the graphics card market is very competitive, and you will get fair value for your money. For great gaming, but the best graphics card you feel comfortable paying for.

 

[Smeg45]

Gigabyte's Windforce 7950 is what I got. Great gamer, will last for a while yet.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Here's some numbers:

Guru3D uses the following games in their test suite: Hard Reset, COD-MW2, Far Cry 2, ANNO 1404, Metro 2033, ANNO 2070, BFBC2, BF3, Crysis 2, AvP, Lost Planet 2. Total fps (summing fps in each game @ 1920 x 1200) are tabulated below along with their cost in dollars per frame @ 1920 x 1200:

660 PE gets 851 fps for $300 at a cost of $0.35 per frame
7950 gets 746 fps for $330 at a cost of $0.44 per frame

Techpowerup uses the following common games in their test suite ..... Alan Wake, AvP, Batman Arkham City, BF3, BattleForge, COD4, Civilization 5, Crysis. Crysis 2, Dirt 3, Dragon Age II, Hard Reset, Metro 2033, Stalker CoP, Starcraft 2, Shogun 2, Skyrim, WoW, Diablo II, Max Payne 3, Sniper Elite V2 in their test suite.

660 gets 1387.4 fps for $300 at a cost of $0.22 per frame
7950 gets 1348.2 fps for $330 at a cost of $0.24 per frame

 

[Smeg45]

Here's some numbers:

Guru3D uses the following games in their test suite: Hard Reset, COD-MW2, Far Cry 2, ANNO 1404, Metro 2033, ANNO 2070, BFBC2, BF3, Crysis 2, AvP, Lost Planet 2. Total fps (summing fps in each game @ 1920 x 1200) are tabulated below along with their cost in dollars per frame @ 1920 x 1200:

660 PE gets 851 fps for $300 at a cost of $0.35 per frame
7950 gets 746 fps for $330 at a cost of $0.44 per frame

Techpowerup uses the following common games in their test suite ..... Alan Wake, AvP, Batman Arkham City, BF3, BattleForge, COD4, Civilization 5, Crysis. Crysis 2, Dirt 3, Dragon Age II, Hard Reset, Metro 2033, Stalker CoP, Starcraft 2, Shogun 2, Skyrim, WoW, Diablo II, Max Payne 3, Sniper Elite V2 in their test suite.

660 gets 1387.4 fps for $300 at a cost of $0.22 per frame
7950 gets 1348.2 fps for $330 at a cost of $0.24 per frame

What drivers? Latest 12.8?

 

[chetorch]

Thanks for the replies!
It seems that the newer AMD and Nvidia cards are trading blows pretty well based on the benchmarks. In the end, I guess it will come down to price (where I can find the best deal).

How much of an advantage is there to cards that come factory overclocked to cards that can be overclocked to similar specs but with a lower base clock?

 

[Smeg45]

Get a factory OC card. They are built to be pushed further.

 

[spat55]

Hello everyone! I just ordered the below parts from newegg. They had a great deal on the i5 3450 and also a great deal on the SSD.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3450 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($33.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($96.49 @ B&H)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($37.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($69.33 @ NCIX US)
Total: $487.77
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-11 18:46 EDT-0400)

I decided to wait out and see if there are any awesome deals for Black Friday on GPUs.

I was about to buy an HD 7770 but decided Ii'd be better to save up a bit and get something better. I have been looking at either an HD 7950 or a GTX 660ti as potential GPUS but I'm still not sure which. It may just come down to the price in the end.

Get a full atx mobo, and also a much better quality PSU, XFX,SEASONIC OR CORSAIR as if it blows your system goes to.

I dont think you will have enough room in the case, the GPU's are quite big, unless you get a crappy low profile one.

 

[spat55]

That is a great start, I like your parts.

My rule of thumb for a balanced gamer is to budget twice your cpu cost for the graphics card.
On that basis, you are looking at a $360 graphics card.
That will be in the GTX660ti/7850 or GTX670/7970 class card.

Keep your eyes open for a great deal. But, realize that the graphics card market is very competitive, and you will get fair value for your money. For great gaming, but the best graphics card you feel comfortable paying for.

I disagree there, spend no less on a gpu than your cpu cost, but remember it is easier to replace the GPU as you dont have sockets that change every 2 years. Then when your GPU is older get a new one, use it on old rig, take it out, put on new rig, then you have a part already brought

 

[Smeg45]

I disagree there, spend no less on a gpu than your cpu cost, but remember it is easier to replace the GPU as you dont have sockets that change every 2 years. Then when your GPU is older get a new one, use it on old rig, take it out, put on new rig, then you have a part already brought

What? Get a good GPU now, not a cheap one that needs to upgraded sooner. You are not making any sense. If you spend 200 on an i5, spend at least 300-350 on a GPU for balance.

 

[spat55]

What? Get a good GPU now, not a cheap one that needs to upgraded sooner. You are not making any sense. If you spend 200 on an i5, spend at least 300-350 on a GPU for balance.

A i5 3570k will last 3-4 years and a 7850 2 years, buy the 7850 equivalent in 2 years and it'll last a total of 4 years.

 

[Smeg45]

A i5 3570k will last 3-4 years and a 7850 2 years, buy the 7850 equivalent in 2 years and it'll last a total of 4 years.

Buy a 7950 and it will last for three years. Then after 3 years look for a full system rebuild. No point getting a 7850 that way. After three years everything has changed. Your way is a waste of cash.

 

[chetorch]

Thanks, I'll be looking for factory OC GPUs then. It makes sense that they'd handle the overcloking better.

as for the case, it is able to fit GPUs up to 350mm long and has a neat hdd tray that lets you mount drives vertically. The hdd tray is removable giving more space for a super long GPU. But that's not exactly the type of build I'm going for. I wanted a small but capable gaming computer, not a full sized gaming beast. I won't be overclocking the CPU or having SLI/ Crossfire, just looking for a good single GPU. Basically, I chose the parts in this build for a reason, not just because I wanted something "cheap".

 

[spat55]

Buy a 7950 and it will last for three years. Then after 3 years look for a full system rebuild. No point getting a 7850 that way. After three years everything has changed. Your way is a waste of cash.

OR I CAN CROSSFIRE in 2 years, the 7850 is a good card at half the price of a 7950.

 

[spat55]

Thanks, I'll be looking for factory OC GPUs then. It makes sense that they'd handle the overcloking better.

as for the case, it is able to fit GPUs up to 350mm long and has a neat hdd tray that lets you mount drives vertically. The hdd tray is removable giving more space for a super long GPU. But that's not exactly the type of build I'm going for. I wanted a small but capable gaming computer, not a full sized gaming beast. I won't be overclocking the CPU or having SLI/ Crossfire, just looking for a good single GPU. Basically, I chose the parts in this build for a reason, not just because I wanted something "cheap".

They do rarely, but normally they OC them so little that you could easily do it yourself to their OC speeds.

 

[chetorch]

They do rarely, but normally they OC them so little that you could easily do it yourself to their OC speeds.

So the only difference really between non-OC cards and OC cards is the small increase in speed?

 

[chetorch]

Get a full atx mobo, and also a much better quality PSU, XFX,SEASONIC OR CORSAIR as if it blows your system goes to.

I dont think you will have enough room in the case, the GPU's are quite big, unless you get a crappy low profile one.

And btw, the PSU is made by Seasonic

 

[spat55]

So the only difference really between non-OC cards and OC cards is the small increase in speed?

Yep, sometimes if they superclock them, say increase by 15% or more they get the best chips but normally it's just luck of the drew.

 

[spat55]

And btw, the PSU is made by Seasonic

It says pc cooling on mine? Check you sure you haven't linked the wrong page?

 

[Smeg45]

OR I CAN CROSSFIRE in 2 years, the 7850 is a good card at half the price of a 7950.

Clutching at straws now. Crossfire is a pain and a single 7950 is still better driver wise than a pair of 78's.

 

[spat55]

Clutching at straws now. Crossfire is a pain and a single 7950 is still better driver wise than a pair of 78's.

Yh I agree there, but I'm not clutching at strews. A 7850 is worst but in 2 years time I can get a card much better than a 7950 for less, think we will have to agree to disagree.

 

[chetorch]

Sorry, I should have said PCP&C is the seller but the actual PSU is made by Seasonic.

Check this table out, the one before the last is the one I bought, the Silencer III 600w.

http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page1418.htm

 

[Smeg45]

Yh I agree there, but I'm not clutching at strews. A 7850 is worst but in 2 years time I can get a card much better than a 7950 for less, think we will have to agree to disagree.

Looks like. I buy a better card now, will last longer rather than the future.

 

[spat55]

Looks like. I buy a better card now, will last longer rather than the future.

Yh I see your point, I hate spending so much all at once though, and I don't mind playing at lower res and settings so I can get it to last longer. Also if I kill this GPU I haven't spent so much on it

 

[geofelt]

Thanks, I'll be looking for factory OC GPUs then. It makes sense that they'd handle the overcloking better.

as for the case, it is able to fit GPUs up to 350mm long and has a neat hdd tray that lets you mount drives vertically. The hdd tray is removable giving more space for a super long GPU. But that's not exactly the type of build I'm going for. I wanted a small but capable gaming computer, not a full sized gaming beast. I won't be overclocking the CPU or having SLI/ Crossfire, just looking for a good single GPU. Basically, I chose the parts in this build for a reason, not just because I wanted something "cheap".

VGA card vendors are wise to overclocking. They bin their chips, and select the best ones for factory overclocking so they can charge a bit more. You may get lucky with a stock card, but I think you get fair value for a factory overclocked card.
The boost you get from overclocking a graphics card varies, but the boost does not seem to me to be that great, and not worth a massive effort or price. Better to just pay more for a stronger card in the first place. A GTX670 will give you great gaming on a single monitor. Past that, you do better, but with diminishing improvements for your incremental dollar.

Since you are not exactly on a budget, and want a compact gamer, I have a few ideas:

The fractal design 100 looks like a nice case, and it is cheap. It is 16.54" x 6.89" x 13.98" and can support a cpu cooler of 135mm high.
I love small cases. I have a Silverstone TJ-08E which is 15.16" x 8.27" x 14.72". Not so different in size, but it can support full height(160mm) cpu coolers. That and the large 180mm intake fan makes the case particularly quet.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163182

For more compactness, consider a ITX based pc. You can put your parts in a lian li PC-Q08 case which is 13.58" x 8.94" x 10.71".
There is a 140mm intake fan which provides plenty of cooling. You would be restricted to the intel stock cooler or a downdraft type cooler of 110mm max. About the best that fits is the tr AXP140, or, possibly a noctua downdraft cooler.
I use one for my backup pc. For what it is worth, the anodized red color is stunning.
Do some research, there are some long threads on building a gamer with this case.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112265

Both the TJ-08E and the Q08 can accomodate any length graphics card. 11" at least.