Non-gamer seeking 4K monitor video card recommendations

[W00dmann]

Hi all, I posted this question before but I don't think I included enough information which may have coloured the responses. I am a non-gamer and I just bought a 4K monitor (here it is: link) Others on this board were helpful in understanding that I need a GPU with more horsepower simply to run the 4x pixels on this monitor. However, I have other considerations - here they are:

-Stability is key. I am using this to run day trading software.
-Hoping to find a card that doesn't run too hot or too loud (hate noisy fans!)
-May run the occasional game, but nothing bleeding-edge
-Card must have digital video output to plug into my monitor

So there we have it. Needing something that can power my 4K monitor with ease, with some extra horsepower for the occasional game. That's about it. Some have recommended the R9 290 and I'm definitely willing to buy this, but the various customer reviews I read on newegg and such scare the bezeesus out of me with stories of leaking cooling fans, overheating cards, and fans that "sound like a hair dryer", not to mention "crashy and buggy drivers" which is an absolute no-no for me. I also wonder if such a card would run with my 500W power supply? As someone who is not a hardcore gamer, I don't know 'dis tings.

Here are the specs for my current system:

-Quad core i7 290 @ 2.66 GHz
-ASUS P6T SE S1366 mobo
-9GB 1333 RAM
-250GB SSD hard drive
-Antec Sonata III case with 500W power supply

Thanks guys!!!

 

[W00dmann]

Quick note: I meant to say the card should have a Display Port output in order to run the monitor at full rez and 60Hz. Thanks.

 

[Vynavill]

Issues are common with cards from both AMD and Nvidia, either because of software (drivers) or hardware. It's just a matter of "fanboyism" mostly, and more rarely of previous experiences. People can be silly, and if their first product from a brand doesn't perfectly work as they desire, they'll go "IMA NEVER GONNA BUY ANYTHING EVER FROM U!!!".
The only "serious" issue I've seen with AMD cards the whole time I had them, was with flash-based content. For some reason, the drivers can crash when video/audio is being loaded on your browser, either gracefully shutting down (with windows recovering them right after) or by going for a free-fall landing (BSoD). The best part? it's COMPLETELY random, meaning that it could happen once a week, once a month, once a year or never...

That said, they're still very good pieces of hardware (and IMO sport a better quality/price rate). With a 500W, however, you wouldn't be able to run a 290. You'd need 600W for it, or if you want some more headroom for future upgrades/ease of mind and soul, 700W-750W; in both cases, 80+ Bronze. Anything else would probably be overkill.
Even so, a 290 would probably be overkill anyway if you're not going to play videogames with it. A 280x would be more than capable of handling common 4k desktop operations, and you would be able to run any it with a 500W PSU, although I'd still get a 600W.
If your day-trading application isn't VERY GPU-intensive, I'd consider taking a step down from the top tier, as it would prove to be a waste of money.

As per silence, I think ASUS sports the most silent operation, with the 280x probably being their top. Fans usually cap at 50% of their speed unless you manually crank them up, and even at that, they manage to keep the card cool while being close to inaudible. Their cooling is not the best of the bunch (that would be Sapphire Tri-X/Toxic, as for all I know, but it would be a bit more noisy), but if you want silent and cool operation, I highly suggest you get the ASUS 280x (and it should also have DP output).
Wait for someone else to confirm this anyway, as I may be recalling wrongly and I might be confusing things up

 

[W00dmann]

Awesome response Vynavill. Thanks!

 

[W00dmann]

My confusion continues. I'm at a computer shop to buy a video card for my 4k monitor, and the guy said he has nothing to sell me. Says he has no video cards that will display native 4k resolution. Eg. A gtx650 will only display up to 2560 x 1600, so my monitor will default to that. Wtf? I thought so long as you had displayport you can go 4k resolution @ 60hz, but just don't play lots of games and expect good results. Halp!

 

[manofchalk]

Nope, the salesperson doesn't know what he is talking about, or at least only knows whats written on the back of the box. The GPU will output whatever resolution you want it too, from there its just a matter of whether the display and cable can handle it. That monitor and a DisplayPort connection can definitely handle 4K.

For absolute assurance

Maximum Digital Resolution - 4096x2160

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-650ti/specifications