Low-profile gaming card for HTPC needed (low power consumption)
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
I am building an HTPC and looking for a low-profile gaming card. The HTPC will get an i3-3225 for HD movied and light gaming. For heavy gaming I want to add a dGPU. Lucid Virtu technology is used to switch between iGPU and dGPU.
Restriction will be power consumption: The HTPC will be powered by a 150W PicoPSU and there will be other components (Bluray drive, TV tuner card, 2TB storage drive) drawing power.
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Q2/2013
BUDGET RANGE: cheap
USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming (Playstation-like games)
CURRENT GPU AND POWER SUPPLY: i3-3225 iGPU, PicoPSU 150W
OTHER RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS: ASRock Z77 Pro4-M, 4GB DDR3 RAM, MStech MC-1200AN case
PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: amazon.de
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Germany
PARTS PREFERENCES: none
OVERCLOCKING: don't know (and don't care as long as it works)
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: don't know (and don't care as long as it works)
MONITOR RESOLUTION: FullHD TV
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Needs to support Licur Virtu technology, needs to have low power consumption and low heat
Restriction will be power consumption: The HTPC will be powered by a 150W PicoPSU and there will be other components (Bluray drive, TV tuner card, 2TB storage drive) drawing power.
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Q2/2013
BUDGET RANGE: cheap
USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming (Playstation-like games)
CURRENT GPU AND POWER SUPPLY: i3-3225 iGPU, PicoPSU 150W
OTHER RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS: ASRock Z77 Pro4-M, 4GB DDR3 RAM, MStech MC-1200AN case
PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: amazon.de
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Germany
PARTS PREFERENCES: none
OVERCLOCKING: don't know (and don't care as long as it works)
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: don't know (and don't care as long as it works)
MONITOR RESOLUTION: FullHD TV
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Needs to support Licur Virtu technology, needs to have low power consumption and low heat
Quote:
I am building an HTPC and looking for a low-profile gaming card. The HTPC will get an i3-3225 for HD movied and light gaming. For heavy gaming I want to add a dGPU. Lucid Virtu technology is used to switch between iGPU and dGPU.Restriction will be power consumption: The HTPC will be powered by a 150W PicoPSU and there will be other components (Bluray drive, TV tuner card, 2TB storage drive) drawing power.
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Q2/2013
BUDGET RANGE: cheap
USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming (Playstation-like games)
CURRENT GPU AND POWER SUPPLY: i3-3225 iGPU, PicoPSU 150W
OTHER RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS: ASRock Z77 Pro4-M, 4GB DDR3 RAM, MStech MC-1200AN case
PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: amazon.de
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Germany
PARTS PREFERENCES: none
OVERCLOCKING: don't know (and don't care as long as it works)
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: don't know (and don't care as long as it works)
MONITOR RESOLUTION: FullHD TV
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Needs to support Licur Virtu technology, needs to have low power consumption and low heat
Looks like an HD 5450. Your 150W PSU is the limiting factor. If you would be willing to upgrade that you could get some 7000 series cards. Your setup will draw around 100W as is and the 5450 was tested to 35W at max load. Still really pushing the psu.
A Radeon HD 5450 is actually less powerful than the Intel HD 4000 graphics core in the i3-3225. The older Intel HD 3000 basically performs just as well as the Radeon HD 5450, but lacks support for DX11.
The Intel HD 4000 is approximately 35% more powerful on average than the Intel HD 3000. Which also means it is about 35% more powerful than the Radeon HD 5450.
The Intel HD 4000 has approximately 85% - 90% performance of a Radeon HD 5550. Therefore, a Radeon HD 5550 would provide marginally better performance than the Intel HD 4000 on average.
Unless the 150w PSU is upgraded, there is basically no option to improve graphics performance.
EDITED
I typed in Radeon HD 4000 instead of Intel HD 4000 in the 2nd to last sentence.
The Intel HD 4000 is approximately 35% more powerful on average than the Intel HD 3000. Which also means it is about 35% more powerful than the Radeon HD 5450.
The Intel HD 4000 has approximately 85% - 90% performance of a Radeon HD 5550. Therefore, a Radeon HD 5550 would provide marginally better performance than the Intel HD 4000 on average.
Unless the 150w PSU is upgraded, there is basically no option to improve graphics performance.
EDITED
I typed in Radeon HD 4000 instead of Intel HD 4000 in the 2nd to last sentence.
jaguarskx said:
A Radeon HD 5450 is actually less powerful than the Intel HD 4000 graphics core in the i3-3225. The older Intel HD 3000 basically performs just as well as the Radeon HD 5450, but lacks support for DX11.The Intel HD 4000 is approximately 35% more powerful on average than the Intel HD 3000. Which also means it is about 35% more powerful than the Radeon HD 5450.
The Intel HD 4000 has approximately 85% - 90% performance of a Radeon HD 5550. Therefore, a Radeon HD 5550 would provide marginally better performance than the Radeon HD 4000 on average.
Unless the 150w PSU is upgraded, there is basically no option to improve graphics performance.
Thanks I forgot to check that. I was so focused on finding the low profile card I forgot to check that it was worth it.
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I built a little gaming computer using a half-height HD7750 and i3-3220 in an ISK-310. It all runs on a 150W PSU just fine. Using a Kill-A-Watt, here's what it draws:
Idle = 46.8W
Gaming (Skyrim) = 99.3W
3DMark Vantage = 109W
FurMark = 120W
Yeah, there were nay-sayers that said 150W would never work and tried to tell me that 400W was the minimum. The card only draws 43W peak at full load, however (source). So as long as your other parts don't draw too much power, your 150W pico-PSU is enough.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Idle = 46.8W
Gaming (Skyrim) = 99.3W
3DMark Vantage = 109W
FurMark = 120W
Yeah, there were nay-sayers that said 150W would never work and tried to tell me that 400W was the minimum. The card only draws 43W peak at full load, however (source). So as long as your other parts don't draw too much power, your 150W pico-PSU is enough.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
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