Best video card for this HTPC build

[boardumb]

Hey guys,

New here so if I forgot a rule, etc. i don't mind being hounded for being a noob. part of the internet game.

Anyway, I'm looking for the best available (or upcoming) video card for what I have. I know it's hard to say about upcoming since there are no hard specifications out though.

What I will have

i7 ivy bridge processor (I'm banking on getting one through work for a really sweet deal)
Pc power and cooling silencer mk III 400w I had for about 3 months running pretty low loads (AMD trinity, no graphics card).

Most likely I'll run a 7200rpm ide hard drive and a bluray drive. I'll be running it through a somewhat large HTPC (Along the lines of the Silverstone GD07)

Thanks in advance!

 

[Rugger]

Will the HTPC build be used for a lot of gaming? Any gaming?

 

[Rugger]

Budget?

 

[boardumb]

I intend to use it for gaming on my 51" 1080p tv. Budget isn't really a concern but I don't expect to spend too much cause how much can a 400w really even power?

I was going through a power supply calculator but it didn't seem accurate. It says I could almost run a 680, which I doubt... then again I guess most won't be running a processor that sips down only 77 W.

I don't intend to overclock anything either.

 

[Pearlmam]

If you plan on gaming, you should get the best graphics card you can afford. I am particular to Nvidia because of their history, but I hear ATI is equally as good for gaming.

I own GeForce GTX 560 Ti, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130604, and I love it. I bought this a year ago and the price has not changed yet. I'm assuming we are due for a price drop soon. Maybe not though. With this graphics card, you would need more power than 400 W.

One thing I think is overrated in GPUs is memory. How much memory do you actually need for gaming? Ive monitored my GPU memory usage during game play and I never even come close to using 1 GB (i dont remember the actual values). Does any game require the use of a lot of memory? The only reason it seems to get more memory on the GPU is if you are going to do GPU computing.

 

[boardumb]

If you plan on gaming, you should get the best graphics card you can afford. I am particular to Nvidia because of their history, but I hear ATI is equally as good for gaming.

I own GeForce GTX 560 Ti, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130604, and I love it. I bought this a year ago and the price has not changed yet. I'm assuming we are due for a price drop soon. Maybe not though. With this graphics card, you would need more power than 400 W.

One thing I think is overrated in GPUs is memory. How much memory do you actually need for gaming? Ive monitored my GPU memory usage during game play and I never even come close to using 1 GB (i dont remember the actual values). Does any game require the use of a lot of memory? The only reason it seems to get more memory on the GPU is if you are going to do GPU computing.

Thanks, but price really wasn't a concern. I'm just worried about my PSU limitations. Nvidia's 500 series is too power hungry for my tastes, so I'm looking into either AMD's 7000 series or Nvidia's surprisingly efficient Kepler series. I figure with a 400 watt power supply I would limit myself from graphic cards that are too noisy as well. I'm just not too knowledgeable on what's a safe card that my PSU could handle.

Considering I'm only using only 1 "monitor", a 1080p tv, I know memory isn't really a factor there.

 

[Rugger]

I intend to use it for gaming on my 51" 1080p tv. Budget isn't really a concern but I don't expect to spend too much cause how much can a 400w really even power?

I was going through a power supply calculator but it didn't seem accurate. It says I could almost run a 680, which I doubt... then again I guess most won't be running a processor that sips down only 77 W.

I don't intend to overclock anything either.

With 1080p resolution you need to get a decent amount of GPU power for higher end games or FPS games. Your PSU has 30A on the 12V rail and one 150W 8-pin PCIe power connector. That PSU meets the specs for an HD 7850. Any card higher than the 7850 requires two PCIe power connectors; I would recommend staying with a PSU that comes with sufficient PCIe power connectors. An HD7850 in a system with highly overclocked, power-hungry i7 965 pulled 256W at full load: http://www.guru3d.com/article/amd-radeon-hd-7850-and-7870-review/7
You're PSU will run close to the efficiency sweet spot even at load.

 

[boardumb]

With 1080p resolution you need to get a decent amount of GPU power for higher end games or FPS games. Your PSU has 30A on the 12V rail and one 150W 8-pin PCIe power connector. That PSU meets the specs for an HD 7850. Any card higher than the 7850 requires two PCIe power connectors; I would recommend staying with a PSU that comes with sufficient PCIe power connectors. An HD7850 in a system with highly overclocked, power-hungry i7 965 pulled 256W at full load: http://www.guru3d.com/article/amd-radeon-hd-7850-and-7870-review/7
You're PSU will run close to the efficiency sweet spot even at load.

Thanks Rugger! That's the kind of answer I was looking for. 7850 doesn't sound bad at all. My main gaming computer (23" monitor, going to be 3) has a 6950 currently but my friend is buying that off of me while I upgrade to a GTX 670. Having a secondary computer with a 7850 to use with my microsoft controller doesn't sound so bad now!

 

[boardumb]

Best answer selected by boardumb.

 

[Rugger]

Thanks Rugger! That's the kind of answer I was looking for. 7850 doesn't sound bad at all. My main gaming computer (23" monitor, going to be 3) has a 6950 currently but my friend is buying that off of me while I upgrade to a GTX 670. Having a secondary computer with a 7850 to use with my microsoft controller doesn't sound so bad now!

Glad I could help. My primary has a 6950 in it and I game at 1080P...the 7850 is a slight step down but will provide a great gaming experience for you. Enjoy!