Graphics card for an old machine

[_Amit_]

Hi all,

I have recently started using Adobe Lightroom 3 for processing pictures clicked on my SLR. I also used to play computer games but gradually stopped as my PC became old.
I recently upgraded from a Samsung CRT to a Dell 2240L 21.5 inch LED monitor so that I can see the pictures more clearly. I have set the resolution at 1920X1080.
I also upgraded to a 500 Watts SMPS as I wanted to upgrade my Graphics card too.

Following is my current configuration:
Intel Q8400 Core 2 Quad @2.66 GHz
Intel 43NB motherboard
Western Digital 2TB Hard disk
4 GB DDR2 RAM (2+2)
Nvidia 7300LE with 512 MB RAM
Windows XP with SP3 32 Bit.

I have no plans of upgrading my motherboard and CPU at this moment.
I had almost decided upon the ASUS Nvidia 650GTX with 2 GB RAM but read on this site that a 32 bit flavor of Windows will only support a maximum of 4 GBs of RAM and the VRAM is included.
I do not want to run games at very high setting neither do I want to upgrade the GPU every year.
I have read (on Tom's Hardware itself) that its better to go in for the best card we can afford.
My questions are:
1. Is it true that Windows will only use 2 GBs of the physical RAM if I add 2 GBs of VRAM?
2. If the answer is yes to the above question, will a 1 GB card suffice for my requirement? As explained I wont play games at ultra settings.
3. I have read that more VRAM is used if the resolutions are high. Are they referring to the resolutions at which the games are being played or the normal desktop resolution? I can always play at a lesser resolution if the FPS is lagging.
4. If I go in for a 1 GB VRAM, does it make sense to go in for a DDR5 over DDR3 so that I can reuse the card on my next PC?
5. Lastly, Would you suggest the 650 GTX or would the Nvidia 630 suffice for my requirements?

Thanks,
Amit

 

[Avro Arrow]

1.) Windows XP will use a maximum of 3.25GB of RAM but 4GB is still preferable because it leverages the dual-channel speed boost. (2x2GB)
2.) Yes, a 1GB card will be fine. I recommend the XFX Radeon HD 7790 1GB at $110 (-$20 mail-in-rebate) from NCIX:
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=83729&vpn=FX779AZNJ4&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1317
3.) More RAM is generally used for larger screens (30" and above) or multiple displays. You also have to take into account the power of the card. For instance, it is a complete waste to have more than 512MB of VRAM on a Radeon HD 5450/6450 because the card doesn't have enough performance to use more than that. As for the HD 7790, the gaming performance is roughly on par with the old Radeon HD 4890 which was the AMD flagship for awhile and only came with 1GB. Nobody had any problems with it then.
4.) I didn't even realise that you could still get GDDR3. Yes, definitely get GDDR5.
5.) I already gave you a recommendation that is more powerful than the GTX 650 but less expensive.

 

[IRONBATMAN]

Wouldn't the CPU bottleneck a HD 7790 ?

 

[_Amit_]

Hi Avro,

Thanks for your reply. Following are my comments:
1.) Okay. So, is the VRAM included in this 3.25 GGs?
2.) I live in India and would prefer to order it locally. I have read NVidia is better for Adobe products amd also that ATI has some heat dissipation issues. Would you suggest something from NVidia?
3.) Done, I will go in only for 1 GBs of VRAM. The ATI cards seem to need 650 watts of power which i dont have. I am planning to buy it from www.flipkart.com and the 1GB 7790 goes a bit above my budget.
4.) DDR5 it is then.
5.) As stated above, I was looking at Nvidia as they are cheaper and are better for Adobe products.

Thanks,
Amit
.

 

[_Amit_]

Hi,

Is there a huge difference between a 630GT and a 650GTX?

Thanks,
Amit

 

[IRONBATMAN]

Hi,

Is there a huge difference between a 630GT and a 650GTX?

Thanks,
Amit

YES !!!

 

[IRONBATMAN]

If you can't find a GTX 650 , get a HD 7750. They have Very similar performance.

 

[_Amit_]

Hi IRONBATMAN,

The Asus Nvidia 650 1GB DDR5 is a bit costlier than XFX Radeon 7750 and the XFX Radeon 7770 1GB is costlier than the ASUS.
I was thinking of getting the Asus 650GTX before you mentioned about the 7750. Which of these 3 would you recommend. Is it wise to spend more and get the 7770?
Following are the links to these 3 cards. Please keep my low configuration in mind while suggesting any of these

http://www.flipkart.com/asus-nvidia-gtx650-e-1gd5-1-gb-gddr5-graphics-card/p/itmdgzguqj78z9k4?pid=GRCDGZGRZUQFJCBY
http://www.flipkart.com/xfx-ati-radeon-r-7750-1-gb-ddr5-graphics-card/p/itmdhkpzca25atp4?pid=GRCDHKPN5BVUQY9J
http://www.flipkart.com/xfx-ati-radeon-r-7770-core-1-gb-ddr5-graphics-card/p/itmdmgyzvtzcfrxn?pid=GRCDHKPNZTTYQRY3

Thanks,
Amit

 

[IRONBATMAN]

Maybe you could buy the HD 7750 as it it's the cheapest of the 3 . You can use the other money to save up and buy a new CPU

 

[_Amit_]

Hi IRONBATMAN,

I read somewhere that the Radeon cards do not come with Windows XP drivers. Not sure if this is true.
Considering that I can stretch the budget a bit, what would you recommend. Would you still recommend the Radeon 7750 or the 7770?
The ASUS 650 price has suddenly increased and I can get a Zotac 650Ti with 1GB ram in the same cost as the ASUS 650. Following is the product link:
http://www.flipkart.com/zotac-nvidia-gtx-650-ti-1gb-1-gb-gddr5-graphics-card/p/itmdezd6yn6kwa7m?pid=GRCDEZ49PTZU4G7E

The other choices are a 650Ti from Gainward or Galaxy. If you think I can go with a 650Ti, which brand would be better: Zotac, Gainward or Galaxy?
Would the 650Ti run on my system?
The Zotac cards do not have 3D support. What would that mean?

Regards,
Amit

 

[IRONBATMAN]

Here's a list from Best to worst

1. GTX 650 ti ( Just choose the cheapest one , the Main difference is the cooling system. )
2. HD 7770
-------------------
GTX 650 and HD 7750 are very similar, choose the cheaper one.



Yeah, the HD 7750 / HD 7770 doesn't support Windows XP . Sad
But the GTX 650 / GTX 650 ti does !!!



Buy the GTX 650 / GTX 650 ti , and get in game cash fro Warframe and Marvel Heroes. I'm not sure if Flipkart is participating in that deal.
Here's the link from Nvidia about it
http://www.geforce.com/f2pbundle


3D support....hmmm....I guess they don't support Nvidia's 3D Vision , which let's you play in 3D
check out the Nvidia website for more details. It shouldn't matter as I don't think you would eb playing in 3D
http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/3d-vision




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CONCLUSION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Don't worry about which brand to buy , just buy the cheapest card as the main difference is the cooling systems

The GTX 650 ti would be the best , furthermore , it supports Windows XP

But can your PSU handle it ? It needs a 400 watt PSU. Tell me your PSU's full model name for help.

 

[_Amit_]

The f2pbundle doesn't seem to be supported here.
I have a Vip Gold 500 watts psu.

Regards,
Amit

 

[IRONBATMAN]

For a system using a single Radeon HD 7770 graphics card AMD specifies a minimum of a 450 Watt or greater power supply. The power supply should also have a combined +12 Volt continuous current rating of 22 Amps or greater and have at least one 6-pin PCI Express supplementary power connectors.

The VIP 500W GOLD SMPS (460W Continuous/500W Peak), with its maximum combined +12 Volt continuous current rating of 30 Amps and with one (6+2)-pin PCI Express supplementary power connector, is should be sufficient to power your system configuration with a single Radeon HD 7770


Credits to @Ko888

 

[_Amit_]

I think I will stay with Nvidia as I use Windows XP. Have some software which would not work properly in the newer operating systems.
I will select between the 650 or thr 650ti. Is the power enough for a 650Ti?
I am looking at the Zotac 650 Ti 1Gb DDR5.

Regards,
Amit

 

[IRONBATMAN]

The GTX 650 is similar to the HD 7750 while the GTX 650 ti is slightly better than the HD 7790 which is better than the HD 7770

 

[_Amit_]

Hi IRONBATMAN,

Will the Zotac 650Ti work with my PSU?

Thanks,
Amit

 

[Avro Arrow]

Hi IRONBATMAN,

I read somewhere that the Radeon cards do not come with Windows XP drivers. Not sure if this is true.
Considering that I can stretch the budget a bit, what would you recommend. Would you still recommend the Radeon 7750 or the 7770?
The ASUS 650 price has suddenly increased and I can get a Zotac 650Ti with 1GB ram in the same cost as the ASUS 650. Following is the product link:
http://www.flipkart.com/zotac-nvidia-gtx-650-ti-1gb-1-gb-gddr5-graphics-card/p/itmdezd6yn6kwa7m?pid=GRCDEZ49PTZU4G7E

The other choices are a 650Ti from Gainward or Galaxy. If you think I can go with a 650Ti, which brand would be better: Zotac, Gainward or Galaxy?
Would the 650Ti run on my system?
The Zotac cards do not have 3D support. What would that mean?

Regards,
Amit

Honestly Amit, I have no idea where you hear such absolute crap. Adobe is not some high-end graphics-rendering machine. It's 2D motion, text pdf or image files. Also, I have one of my Gigabyte disks right here and it has XP drivers on it. It's from one of my brand-new HD 7970s. The thing is, you don't want to use the drivers on the disc anyway. It's always better to download the newest drivers from their site whether they're ATi or nVidia. You have a preference, I respect that. It's based on what I call nonsense but it's not nonsense to you so get the nVidia card if it gives you peace of mind. You'll either pay more or get a weaker but that's your prerogative. Good luck to you.

 

[_Amit_]

Hi IRONBATMAN,

I read somewhere that the Radeon cards do not come with Windows XP drivers. Not sure if this is true.
Considering that I can stretch the budget a bit, what would you recommend. Would you still recommend the Radeon 7750 or the 7770?
The ASUS 650 price has suddenly increased and I can get a Zotac 650Ti with 1GB ram in the same cost as the ASUS 650. Following is the product link:
http://www.flipkart.com/zotac-nvidia-gtx-650-ti-1gb-1-gb-gddr5-graphics-card/p/itmdezd6yn6kwa7m?pid=GRCDEZ49PTZU4G7E

The other choices are a 650Ti from Gainward or Galaxy. If you think I can go with a 650Ti, which brand would be better: Zotac, Gainward or Galaxy?
Would the 650Ti run on my system?
The Zotac cards do not have 3D support. What would that mean?

Regards,
Amit

Honestly Amit, I have no idea where you hear such absolute crap. Adobe is not some high-end graphics-rendering machine. It's 2D motion, text pdf or image files. Also, I have one of my Gigabyte disks right here and it has XP drivers on it. It's from one of my brand-new HD 7970s. The thing is, you don't want to use the drivers on the disc anyway. It's always better to download the newest drivers from their site whether they're ATi or nVidia. You have a preference, I respect that. It's based on what I call nonsense but it's not nonsense to you so get the nVidia card if it gives you peace of mind. You'll either pay more or get a weaker but that's your prerogative. Good luck to you.

Hi Avro,
I finally got the Zotac 650ti with 1GB DDR5 today and have installed it. Have been reading a lot and its possible that some of it was crap but isnt this the platform to clear these doubts?

Warm regards,
Amit

 

[_Amit_]

I just tried playing Battlefield Bad Company 2 and the graphics are smooth.. The only thing is, I can hear some sound (like the spinning of a fan) when I start the game. I dont have any speakers or headphones connected at the moment. Does the fan on the graphics card spin faster when we start a game?

Regards,
Amit

 

[Kanja007]

actually the fan is automatic when your GPU will be used at it's maximum then more heat need to be exhausted as GPU is getting hot that's why the fan speed increases gradually and you hear the voice.