Cant decide!

[ultimabond]

recently decided to upgrade my system and the biggest problem i have is deciding on a graphics card. so far i think i will get

CPU - Phenom II 940
MoBo - Asus M2N68
RAM - 4G Kit-800(2x2G) Kingston
PSU - Vantec Ion2+ 600W

GFX - 1GB 4870 Powercolor
OR
896M GTX 260 Inno3D
(if i go the 260 option is it worth the lil extra or so to get a OCed ASUS version?)

they seem very close and about the same price so let me know what u think is better (also let me know if there are any probs with this setup).

thx in advance!

 

[affinitydesigns]

What games do you plan on playing? That will determine which card is better for you. Make sure you're getting the core 216 GTX 260. It's a much better card. If you don't mind OCing the card yourself then I would get the normal card. The SSC cards tend to be of higher quality and would go for those because you know you'll get the OC.

 

[ultimabond]

games like company of heroes and fallout 3 but i want to keep in mind what is not only better today but what will be better in terms of gaming in 2-3 yrs time

 

[affinitydesigns]

Well it's impossible to predict how future games will interact with you video card. I would look up benchmarks for the games you want to play to see which card performs better at the settings you will be using.

 

[Distinct]

Benchmarks for the games would be your best bet.

 

[Tech-Boy]

Benchmarks speak louder than words!

http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1414

http://techgage.com/article/ati_hd_4870_1gb_vs_nvidia_gtx_260216_896mb/3

The gtx 260 core 216 is the best bet. You can get the BFG MaXcore for $179

Hope this helps

 

[aevm]

Careful with those benchmarks. They're not telling the whole story.

They show the HD 4870 1GB getting 63 fps in Fallout 3 at 1920x1200. Since a typical LCD monitor refreshes at 60Hz, the HD 4870 is able to max the monitor's abilities even at 1920x1200. With either of those two cards you'd end up with 60 fps actually displayed. The HD 4870 is quieter too.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-4870,1964-16.html

Anyway, I do agree that the GTX 260 Core 216 is a faster card. If the price is identical and the case is soundproofed then by all means the OP should buy the GTX 260.

However, I'd suggest getting a GTX 275 or HD 4890 if possible, rather than the older GTX 260 or HD 4870.

 

[Helloworld_98]

I'm surprised no-one mentioned his psu or mobo.

you have a HT 1.0 mobo while the P2 940 uses HT 3.0 which is 1.6ghz faster.

and your psu isn't corsair, seasonic/silverpower, silverstone, ocz ,Xigmatek or PCP&C. so the chance of the PSU holding it up isn't the greatest.

 

[ultimabond]

thx for the info guys helps alot
but does the motherboard really effect the preformance of this setup if i dont plan to overclock?

 

[affinitydesigns]

Yes HT is utilized in the transmission of the information to and from the CPU. Limiting this essentially bottlenecks your CPU's power. Not a wise move.

 

[ultimabond]

ahhh! now i know! what do ui think would be the cheapest board from the list given here as to not limit the preformance of my PII 940? http://www.msy.com.au/Parts/PARTS.pdf

 

[gkay09]

No doubt the 790GX/790X/790FX with a SB750 southbridge...
Preferable brands - ASUS, Gigabyte

 

[gkay09]

From that list, get the Gigabyte MA790GP-DS4H...though it is costly, the 790 chipsets are very good and stable...

 

[xthekidx]

I would get this MB: MA790GP-DS4H
And on the PSU, if you will only use one GPU (no xfire) then this would be good: Seasonic M12 II 500W $125
For Xfire: Thermaltake ToughPower 750W $179 or Seasonic M12 700W $189

 

[ultimabond]

hmm i am a lil straped for cash guess i will take the Thermaltake ToughPower 750W cause im guessing i will still be able to use it in 3 or so yrs time when i upgrade again but MoBo wise is there anything wrong with the G-B MA78G-DS3HP or Asus M3N78? both are HT 3.0 so wont bottleneck my CPU.

 

[Helloworld_98]

the 780G chipsets don't have as many features as their peers.

and get a silverstone 750w, it'll save you a bit of cash and be just as good, maybe better.

 

[xthekidx]

Silverstone PSU's are expensive...and I didn't see any on that parts list.