Graphics card a good idea?

mrapoc

New member
I'm currently on a 8800gt with an accellero cooler.

Was wondering if a graphics card would be a decent upgrade at this point in time or if I should save for a full system (?)

Currently:

Q6600 @ 3.0ghz

4gb Reaperx ddr2

8800gt s2 acellero cooler

2x raptorx raid0

ocz gamextreme 600w psu

asus maximus formula bios flashed to rampage formula
 
Perfectly good system you are running there. I had a 9800GT which is a rebranded 8800GT and it wasn't a patch on a 5770. I also had an accelero twin turbo on it too.

And even though I was only running a E4500 OC @ 2.9ghz at that time when I put in my 280 I could run games I hadn't dreamed of before. Fallout 3 stuttered along on very high on the 9800GT yet on the 280GTX ran like silk. I was even able to install the super HD pack plugin and get that running smoothly.
 
name='AMDFTW' said:
maybe a 465 or a extra 40-50 and get a gtx 470

Well clearly absolutely no question about what to buy should ever be answered with "465GTX". Can't comment on the 470 as we haven't tested it.

Really though, in price/performance terms, you'd be foolish to stay nVidia at the moment unless you go all out for the GTX480.
 
name='VonBlade' said:
Well clearly absolutely no question about what to buy should ever be answered with "465GTX". Can't comment on the 470 as we haven't tested it.

It's not all that from the look of things. (the 470 that is). It also shares the same el cheapo plastico heatsink that doesn't even look as nice as the 200 series one. Over all it's supposed to be a decent card but - here we go again - too hot too greedy in power and too expensive.
 
name='AMDFTW' said:
o well test the 470 then lol

I don't think the 470 will contain the silver lining you are looking for. Look around you and read all of the reviews. Ignore the ones that are obviously completely silly and then make an opinion.

I don't know if you are aware of how Nvidia operate (I doubt it) so I will enlighten you. Review samples of Nvidia cards were only handed to people prior release that would give favourable reviews. And should that person then dare to voice an honest opinion? Well they wouldn't get any more. Alienware used to do this too and that was my only bugbear with the original company.

When Fermi released I read countless reviews. I spent hours and hours and hours looking to back up what had been said in a leaked info review that Fermi was too hot, too slow (pre release samples) and would be too expensive.

Yet in all the early reviews I read they said how amazingly awesome Fermi was and how fast it was and how the 480 was the fastest single GPU card on the planet.

That may have been the case but they completely ignored the fact that it guzzled down power and ran ridiculously hot. It took people to actually buy the cards and then look them over to realise that in Furmark the card could top 100c. Which is not really acceptable.

Some reviews did mention this in the closing statements or small print but then went on to say how amazingly fantastic the cards were.

Now to you heat and power consumption may not be a problem. Fair enough. But to 90% of the population things like that really matter. Especially when you look at it scientifically and realise that no ICs or electronics should run that hot. Then when you take into account the power consumption and realise that power = more heat in wasted power then the Fermi cards are not worth even entertaining. Why? because you have a choice. And pound for pound (in sterling) ATIs cards are faster cooler and use less electricity. By faster I mean pound for pound dollar for dollar. On a scale.

Now I know you have an Nvidia card and thus I would imagine you are a fan of theirs. But on this one you would be absolutely crazy to sit here and reccomend Fermi cards (especially the 465) to any one.
 
Aye tbh fella a modest overclock on that cpu and a new gpu would be plenty. If you are used to an 8800gt then a 5850 would be an insane upgrade!

;) get that CPU cool and clock the nads off of it, no excuse with not doing so tbh.

Dont think about getting a whole new rig till you can do it right.
 
name='mrapoc' said:
gonna check out the 5850s and get to 3.6 ghz i reckon :)

cheers guys

It will be a different PC fella! Just remember to keep the CPU cool. A wisely chosen CPU cooler that could be used if you rebuild wouldnt go a miss....
 
I got a zalman cpn7000 or something like that on there

about 40-45c load

are the asus 5850s the ones to go for? or any make

asus top 5850 seems the way forwards
 
Yeah I will vouch for the 5850 as a single card. My pal has one in his rig and he's only running a Athlon X2 at around 2.8ghz stock (the old Athlon not the new A2) and he hits something like 49 fps in dirt 2. Which is good considering the CPU was about $60 nearly two years ago.

Also if you have been green for a while then prepare for a nice surprise. These new Radeons are the absolute shiz.
 
Back
Top