Thoughts on the ATI HD 7770 please

[carlw]

I currently have an Geforce 9800 GTX+ which is still working perfectly well with anything I throw at it. However, I tried to play the Crysis3MP beta the other day and it wouldn't let me as it needs a DX11-compatible card. No big deal but it did make me wonder if it might be worth thinking about an upgrade.

I like my games but I'm not fanatical about them and don't need (and can't afford!) the absolute best, top-notch, bleeding-edge cards. As long as it gives a decent FPS (30+) at "high" or better settings on my 1920 x 1080 screen I'll be a happy chappy.

Looking at the latest Best Graphics Cards For The Money: January 2013"Best GFX Cards" article I am liking the look (and price!) of the Radeon HD 7770.

My latest game is NFS:MW2012. Would this new card make the game look any better, given it's DX11 as against my current DX10?

As i have an Intel i3 AMU, would getting an ATI card be preferable to an Nvidia in any way? (ie might the Intel AMU add a little bit of a performance boost instead of an NVividia card? (If you see what I mean?)

Any thoughts or comments appreciated.

 

[carlw]

Can't edit original message

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: ASAP
BUDGET RANGE: £80-100 ($125-155 approx)

USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming - NFS, some FPS.

CURRENT GPU AND POWER SUPPLY: Nvidia 9800+GTX / 700q PSU

OTHER RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS: Intel Core i3, 4GB RAM, Win7Pro

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: ebuyer.com
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK

PARTS PREFERENCES: None

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe (but probably not!)

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
See original post

 

[Onus]

With a budget of up to $155, you should be able to find a GTX650Ti (as low as $139 now).
As to AMD vs. nVidia, check benchmarks for the specific games, as some games favor one over the other. Otherwise, it really doesn't matter. The cards offer different features, which may or may not matter to you, but performance will be "comparable." In my own opinion, on a limited budget, AMD often offers higher bang/buck, but in the mid and upper ranges, that really isn't true any more.
You've read the Best Graphics Cards for the Money article, which would have been my suggestion.

 

[carlw]

I just read the Graphics Card Hierarchy Chart and notice that neither the 7770 nor the 650 is that much further up the chart.

That said, it's more the DX11-compatibility that I need rather than performance boost as the FPS and detail I get on the 9800+ is good enough.

 

[bak0n]

The big advantage you'll get from the 7770 will be reduction in power consumption and heat. It'll still game decently. For more performance bang go up to a 7800 series or 660 geforce. But you'll have to save a little for either of those, but not a lot more.

 

[MC_K7]

I think you can even get a 7850 if you stretch your budget just a little. When they're on sale I think you might even find one that fits your budget. That's really a great card too for the price and I like the fact it has a 256-bit memory interface especially since you'll want to play demanding games like Crysis 3 or others in the future.

 

[carlw]

I think you can even get a 7850 if you stretch your budget just a little.

I'm not sure almost doubling the cost can be considered as only "stretching the budget"

7770
7850

But then I suppose it's actually not that far off the 650Ti

 

[swifty_morgan]

don't forget, when you put a DX11 card in it will be working harder to render more. ( DX10 vs DX11 ). you're going to have to turn back settings to get decent playability.

 

[carlw]

So I'm going to have to spend more to get a better card to get the same playability?

What a rip-off!

Might have to wait until it's absolutely necessary in that case

 

[carlw]

Never mind. I see what you mean, swifty.

The new card is/will be much better/faster/etc. than my old one.

Here's a comparison.

http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=571&card2=682

 

[carlw]

They're pretty-much the same price but which is better, over-clocking or more RAM?