Question Advice on replacing RX580

[FlyOdd]

I have recently repurposed an older machine to use for data analysis on Windows 11 Pro. Primary apps will be Excel, Access, and the excel Power suite (Power BI, Power Pivot). I will NOT be gaming. The machine is plenty fast enough for my needs, but what I CAN'T stand is the the 22" 1080/60 spare monitor I have. I want to upgrade the monitor to something with a lot of screen real estate--either 32" flat screen, or an even wider curved display. I've become accustomed to high refresh rates, so 4K@144HZ is my target.

Specs:
MOBO: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5
Processor: Intel 4790k
RAM: 32 GBs
GPU: Radeon RX580 8GB RAM
Power supply: EVGA 750 gold

My initial research indicates the RX580 can't handle 4k@144HZ. Can anyone recommend a cost-effective replacement GPU for this MOBO/Processor combo that will manage this resolution/refresh rate requirement? (The GPU is all I'm willing to upgrade at this time.)

Thank you.

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

Can anyone recommend a cost-effective replacement GPU for this MOBO/Processor combo that will manage this resolution/refresh rate requirement?
What sort of a budget have you allocated towards your GPU purchase?

Power supply: EVGA 750 gold
EVGA is the brand of the unit while 750W is the advertised wattage of the unit. Gold is the advertised 80+ efficiency of the unit. How old is the unit and what is it's model?

 

[FlyOdd]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

Can anyone recommend a cost-effective replacement GPU for this MOBO/Processor combo that will manage this resolution/refresh rate requirement?
What sort of a budget have you allocated towards your GPU purchase?

Power supply: EVGA 750 gold
EVGA is the brand of the unit while 750W is the advertised wattage of the unit. Gold is the advertised 80+ efficiency of the unit. How old is the unit and what is it's model?

Thank you for the reply and the welcome!

I built this machine way back in 2015, so I can appreciate that it's old tech by now. But the 4790 still seems quite capable, and it's getting the job done that I need from it.

For GPU budget, I'd like to keep at or below $300 if possible. (Lower is even better!)

The power supply was purchased in 2015. I managed to find the manual, and the model is noted as the "SuperNOVA 750 G2".

 

[Darkbreeze]

So, the G2 series was a very good power supply, made for EVGA by Super Flower and based on the Leadex platform. You'd be hard pressed to find anybody who is even semi knowledgeable about PSU technology that would indicate otherwise, however, having been purchased in 2015 that unit is nearly ten years old. That unit originally had a 7 year warranty that could be extended to 10 years if you registered it with EVGA within 30 days of purchase. I'd likely trust the unit with any hardware that was of a similar age that had been put into service at the same time as that PSU was but if you are going to spend money on a new graphics card it is an extremely poor idea to pair it with a nearly ten year old power supply no matter what model or how good that PSU is. I would recommend against it even if it was a high end Corsair HX or AX model or a Seasonic Prime Titanium, at ten years old.

And beyond that, at the age of that PSU, it would be an investment in the rest of your system's continued health in any case since as you have said it still does what you need it to and you'd like to see it last a while longer. Even the best of PSUs become a liability at, or especially beyond, the 7 to 10 year mark. And for most models, which aren't as good as that G2, I'd change that to the 5-7 year mark.

As for the graphics card and resolution, if you are not gaming there is literally no benefit to you that could be discernible running 4k/144hz other than the pixel density and additional real estate of a high resolution, larger physical size panel. The 144hz refresh rate gives you nothing tangible if you aren't gaming. For productivity, general use and even watching movies or video, it would be of far more value to place your emphasis on resolution and color accuracy.

Regardless of all that, the fact that you want a graphics card with more modern capabilities is understandable to some degree, although, the RX 580 you have now can easily do 4k on both HDMI and DP, it just won't do it at 144hz because it does not have modern enough standards, but what you haven't offered is whether you have any preference as to whether you would prefer the card to be AMD or Nvidia based, and specifically what type of output/connection (HDMI, Displayport, etc.) you plan to use so that we can be sure the card chosen supports the standard that will give you the resolution you desire AT the refresh rate you desire. There are some fairly modern cards that don't use the latest standards, using older HDMI and DP standards instead, so knowing these specifics might be of importance.

Another consideration is your case. We have no idea what size card you can go with because we have no idea what case you have. We don't know if you have a SFF RX 580 or any specifics in that regard and that might also be important. Granted, most lower end or entry to mid level cards are usually of reasonable length, but reasonable is rather subjective especially if you're using an older case with a bunch of drive bays or a smaller micro ATX type case, so knowing the case model is imperative.

 

[FlyOdd]

So, the G2 series was a very good power supply, made for EVGA by Super Flower and based on the Leadex platform. You'd be hard pressed to find anybody who is even semi knowledgeable about PSU technology that would indicate otherwise, however, having been purchased in 2015 that unit is nearly ten years old. That unit originally had a 7 year warranty that could be extended to 10 years if you registered it with EVGA within 30 days of purchase. I'd likely trust the unit with any hardware that was of a similar age that had been put into service at the same time as that PSU was but if you are going to spend money on a new graphics card it is an extremely poor idea to pair it with a nearly ten year old power supply no matter what model or how good that PSU is. I would recommend against it even if it was a high end Corsair HX or AX model or a Seasonic Prime Titanium, at ten years old.

And beyond that, at the age of that PSU, it would be an investment in the rest of your system's continued health in any case since as you have said it still does what you need it to and you'd like to see it last a while longer. Even the best of PSUs become a liability at, or especially beyond, the 7 to 10 year mark. And for most models, which aren't as good as that G2, I'd change that to the 5-7 year mark.

As for the graphics card and resolution, if you are not gaming there is literally no benefit to you that could be discernible running 4k/144hz other than the pixel density and additional real estate of a high resolution, larger physical size panel. The 144hz refresh rate gives you nothing tangible if you aren't gaming. For productivity, general use and even watching movies or video, it would be of far more value to place your emphasis on resolution and color accuracy.

Regardless of all that, the fact that you want a graphics card with more modern capabilities is understandable to some degree, although, the RX 580 you have now can easily do 4k on both HDMI and DP, it just won't do it at 144hz because it does not have modern enough standards, but what you haven't offered is whether you have any preference as to whether you would prefer the card to be AMD or Nvidia based, and specifically what type of output/connection (HDMI, Displayport, etc.) you plan to use so that we can be sure the card chosen supports the standard that will give you the resolution you desire AT the refresh rate you desire. There are some fairly modern cards that don't use the latest standards, using older HDMI and DP standards instead, so knowing these specifics might be of importance.

Another consideration is your case. We have no idea what size card you can go with because we have no idea what case you have. We don't know if you have a SFF RX 580 or any specifics in that regard and that might also be important. Granted, most lower end or entry to mid level cards are usually of reasonable length, but reasonable is rather subjective especially if you're using an older case with a bunch of drive bays or a smaller micro ATX type case, so knowing the case model is imperative.

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I realize I'm trying to squeeze life out of an old machine. But it will be used for a very singular purpose, so investing a ton of money isn't sensible.

I use an M2 Pro Mac for as my daily computer. It's awesome, but the Excel for Mac version is missing features I need for contract work I'm doing. I am currently running Windows 11 ARM and Excel for Windows inside a virtual machine using Parallels, but the physical machine with its 32 GBs RAM is a better experience.

Re: refresh rate, I absolutely CAN discern the difference between 60 and 120 (or higher) hz in regular usage. I have become used to the higher rates. You're correct in that it's not essential, but it's nice to have. But I won't break the bank for it, or purchase an all-new machine.

I forgot the brand of the case, but it is full-sized with copious amounts of room. (It has eight drive bays.) It's a monster. I'm confident the case would not be an issue.

I assume, then, that I am looking at the choice of using 4K at 60hz, or perhaps 1440 at 120hz with the RX580? I can choose either resolution or refresh rate, but not both? Either that, or upgrade both the GPU AND the power supply?

(I always run all my gear on a voltage regulating UPS, so I suspect this has something to do with the gear's longevity--I've never even replaced a single 4TB drive in my 5-bay NAS since the same year, 2015.)

Edit: Forgot to mention: I'm agnostic as to brand of GPU: either AMD or Nvidia--either/or. With respect to monitor connection, the monitor would be a newer Dell released within the last year or two. So DP or HDMI 2.1.

Thanks.

 

[thestryker]

The RX 580 has DP 1.4 so you should be able to do 4k/120hz on an 8-bit panel without DSC coming into play.

 

[Darkbreeze]

This card can do 10k resolution at 120hz, so it can also do 4k@144hz, over HDMI since it has HDMI 2.1.

It can do like 4k@120hz I believe on DP with it's DP 1.4a.

PCPartPicker Part List

Video Card: Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 6500 XT 4 GB Video Card ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $139.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-03-24 15:30 EDT-0400


This card is a bit better, and can do 4k@144hz over HDMI but can also do 4k@144hz via DP, or even 5k @180hz with it's DP 2.1 x3 outputs.

PCPartPicker Part List

Video Card: XFX Speedster SWFT 210 Core Radeon RX 7600 8 GB Video Card ($249.99 @ B&H)
Total: $249.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-03-24 15:34 EDT-0400


But I'd still recommend putting a new, preferably high quality PSU into service along with any new card you choose. It simply isn't worth the risk to your new or existing hardware to roll the dice on a 9-10 year old power supply no matter how good it was when it was new. I really can't overstress this enough.

 

[FlyOdd]

The RX 580 has DP 1.4 so you should be able to do 4k/120hz on an 8-bit panel without DSC coming into play.

Good to know. Thanks.

When I first started researching this, I only ever encountered reports that 120hz would not work at 4k with this card. First I've heard mention of DSC and 8-bit vs 10-bit panels. More reading to do.

 

[FlyOdd]

This card can do 10k resolution at 120hz, so it can also do 4k@144hz, over HDMI since it has HDMI 2.1.

It can do like 4k@120hz I believe on DP with it's DP 1.4a.

PCPartPicker Part List

Video Card: Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 6500 XT 4 GB Video Card ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $139.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-03-24 15:30 EDT-0400


This card is a bit better, and can do 4k@144hz over HDMI but can also do 4k@144hz via DP, or even 5k @180hz with it's DP 2.1 x3 outputs.

PCPartPicker Part List

Video Card: XFX Speedster SWFT 210 Core Radeon RX 7600 8 GB Video Card ($249.99 @ B&H)
Total: $249.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2024-03-24 15:34 EDT-0400


But I'd still recommend putting a new, preferably high quality PSU into service along with any new card you choose. It simply isn't worth the risk to your new or existing hardware to roll the dice on a 9-10 year old power supply no matter how good it was when it was new. I really can't overstress this enough.

Thank you for the recommendations.

I appreciate your advice regarding the power supply, and will certainly consider options. Much appreciated.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I was however still wondering if you have a preference between AMD and Nvidia, since for a lot of people who use the GPU for various productivity and other non-gaming processes it is sometimes of particular consideration for CUDA and the fact that just in general, for things like video editing and some other applications, Nvidia cards tend to generally have better performance. But they are also generally more expensive, however if it's something relevant to your use case and if it's work or enthusiast level hobby, the difference in price is often justified.

 

[NedSmelly]

Consider ‘downgrading’ to a slot-powered GPU with DP 1.4a to reduce your power consumption if it’s just productivity work. RX580 is fairly thirsty. Options include GTX1050Ti, GTX1650, and Quadro T400.

 

[FlyOdd]

I was however still wondering if you have a preference between AMD and Nvidia, since for a lot of people who use the GPU for various productivity and other non-gaming processes it is sometimes of particular consideration for CUDA and the fact that just in general, for things like video editing and some other applications, Nvidia cards tend to generally have better performance. But they are also generally more expensive, however if it's something relevant to your use case and if it's work or enthusiast level hobby, the difference in price is often justified.

No, no real preference. I've used both in past, and had no issues with either. Cost-effectiveness is the top priority.

Thanks.

 

[FlyOdd]

Consider ‘downgrading’ to a slot-powered GPU with DP 1.4a to reduce your power consumption if it’s just productivity work. RX580 is fairly thirsty. Options include GTX1050Ti, GTX1650, and Quadro T400.

Thanks for the suggestion. More to consider...