I7-3770 build, just need help picking GPU and its complete.

[brandon402]

I have a build selected and getting ready to buy it, I was going to wait on graphics card but I changed my mind, I'll just put it together all at once.

I admittedly have not done a lot of research on GPUs like I have all the other parts. Mainly because I'm not a huge PC gamer, but I'll probably play some. I know that I would like to get an Nvidia card because it has CUDA and I'll be able to use it for 3D modeling and rendering that I do (don't do animation though, just some product designs). -

With the Nvidia in mind, which card would you suggest? I don't need the latest/greatest but want to get a good one, and budget for it is $300-$500. Thank you! -Brandon

 

[brandon402]

I forgot I was going to add the build I selected, here it is:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($285.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus P8H77-M PRO Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($82.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($94.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Mini MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($99.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Gold 450W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($93.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VE228H 21.5" Monitor ($122.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($90.83 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech MK520 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard w/Laser Mouse ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1151.72
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[manofchalk]

The GTX670 slots in at around $400 and is a fairly good card, will max out all games (with some exceptions) at 1080p.
MSI GTX670. $410 ($10 rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127685

If you are going to run a GPU in this rig, you will want a bigger PSU. At least 550W.

 

[brandon402]

Thank you! 670s do seem pretty good, probably not worth it for me to go all out on a 680. What about brands, there are alot right around $400 for GTX 670. Also should I go with 2gb or 4gb?

Regarding the PSU thing, the wattage of the build without GPU is 180w, and with it 350w. Do you still recommend getting 550w instead of the 450w I have listed? Thanks again.

 

[manofchalk]

The Nvidia brands to go for are ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI. Between these manufacturers there isn't really much difference, all perform similarly. I go for MSI personally because they tend to overbuild there cards (especially the Hawk and Lightning editions), but either of the other would be fine.
EVGA is another big manufacturer, but I avoid them due to their reference design cooling.

You could run this system on 450W. I just usually recommend a 550W supply for the extra headroom. The supply you picked is good quality, should be fine.

EDIT:
The amount of VRAM is only a factor when you are gaming across multiple monitors or at a large resolution. For a single 1080p screen, 2GB is plenty.

 

[brandon402]

Best answer selected by brandon402.

 

[brandon402]

Thank you so much manofchalk! I do not plan on using more than one monitor, so I'll go with 2gb.