'low-cost' upgrade from AMD HD 6850

[craftycarver]

I recently finished fixing my computer to avoid re-installing windows and all my programs, with the thought that 'i don't really play many GPU demanding games' so I'd rather get a replacement motherboard rather than upgrade, hur hur. Then i started getting back into gaming and thought it might be nice to play some newer games on medium settings (specifically No Man's Sky). Anyway looking for a 'low-cost' upgrade, something that could run games better, enough to upgrade, but not looking to spend more than 200$, ideally around 125-150 if that is at all possible. Anything higher and I would rather save up for one of the 'slim' versions of the consoles coming out.

i7-2600 @ 3.4 ghz
AMD Radeon HD 6850 1GB
16 GB RAM
IPISB-CH2 (chicago) motherboard
EVGA 500B PSU

The max that seems compatible is a GTX 660 but i can't find any actual documentation on it (kind of a noob with this compatibility stuff), I could at the moment get a GTX 960 for just under 300$

Help is appreciated!

 

[BIGMACASSASSIN]

i currently have a asus gtx 660 and its kinda long but i love this card the gtx 950 is a good option and you can get one around $150 on newegg

 

[maxalge]

I recently finished fixing my computer to avoid re-installing windows and all my programs, with the thought that 'i don't really play many GPU demanding games' so I'd rather get a replacement motherboard rather than upgrade, hur hur. Then i started getting back into gaming and thought it might be nice to play some newer games on medium settings (specifically No Man's Sky). Anyway looking for a 'low-cost' upgrade, something that could run games better, enough to upgrade, but not looking to spend more than 200$, ideally around 125-150 if that is at all possible. Anything higher and I would rather save up for one of the 'slim' versions of the consoles coming out.

i7-2600 @ 3.4 ghz
AMD Radeon HD 6850 1GB
16 GB RAM
IPISB-CH2 (chicago) motherboard
EVGA 500B PSU

The max that seems compatible is a GTX 660 but i can't find any actual documentation on it (kind of a noob with this compatibility stuff), I could at the moment get a GTX 960 for just under 300$

Help is appreciated!

the only things you need to worry about are power supply wattage, and your motherboard having the proper pcie slot


for ~$150

+1 on the gtx 950, big upgrade for you ( it's better than a gtx 660 )

 

[Martell1977]

For the middle of your price range, the GTX 950 is the way to go, but at the $200 range, the RX 470 is what you'll want.

 

[craftycarver]

the only things you need to worry about are power supply wattage, and your motherboard having the proper pcie slot


for ~$150

+1 on the gtx 950, big upgrade for you ( it's better than a gtx 660 )

What about bios compatibility?

 

[maxalge]

the only things you need to worry about are power supply wattage, and your motherboard having the proper pcie slot


for ~$150

+1 on the gtx 950, big upgrade for you ( it's better than a gtx 660 )

What about bios compatibility?

nothing in life is guaranteed with absolute certanty, make sure whoever you get it from has a good return policy

 

[Martell1977]

I just saw in my e-mail that Newegg has a R9 380X on sale for $149.99 after $20 mail in rebate. The 380X is much more powerful than the 950.

 

[craftycarver]

I just saw in my e-mail that Newegg has a R9 380X on sale for $149.99 after $20 mail in rebate. The 380X is much more powerful than the 950.

does anyone know how to find out which cards are compatible with non-UEFI boards? Read a lot of posts about 950 and 960 not supporting legacy BIOS.

 

[Martell1977]

does anyone know how to find out which cards are compatible with non-UEFI boards? Read a lot of posts about 950 and 960 not supporting legacy BIOS.

I haven't seen anything with BIOS issues and AMD GPU's in that board, however, I do see several posts that boiled down to PSU issues with both AMD and nVidia cards. Considering you have a decent PSU, you should be Ok, but anything higher than a 380X, you might run into lack of power.