[SOLVED] Compare SAPPHIRE RX580 NITRO+ OC 4GB BACKPLATE GDDR5

[pablorz99]

I want to buy a SAPPHIRE RX580 NITRO + OC 4gb BACKPLATE GDDR5 and I have several questions. Is it compatible with Windows 8 Pro? Is it worth buying it to play Fortnite? What requirements does my PC need to support it? What should I consider when buying it? I hope quick response.

 

[Lutfij]

What are your current system's specs? List them like so:
CPU:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:

How old is your PSU? Ideally you should be on Windows 10 but it has drivers that will install on Windows 8. I would still ask you to go for Windows 10.

 

[pablorz99]

What are your current system's specs? List them like so:
CPU:Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3770CPU @3.40GHz 3.90GHz 64 bits
Motherboard:
Ram: 8GB RAM
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:Windows 8
Where can I find other information?

How old is your PSU? Ideally you should be on Windows 10 but it has drivers that will install on Windows 8. I would still ask you to go for Windows 10.

 

[Shock34]

It's vital to remember that any modern-day card is compatible with windows. Compatibility issues only arise with bottlenecks, power consumption and whether a CPU can fit in its socket nowadays, so no worries with that.

Let's go through the most important variables one-by-one for future reference.

Your CPU is very well suited for that card. For reference, a modern CPU like a Ryzen 5 1500X (budget) performs at your CPUs level. No worries though, its a fantastic CPU. So no issues here with bottlenecking (when a CPU is too good or not good enough for the GPU, resulting in heavy performance reductions)

8GB RAM is great for a modern-day system used for gaming, however I would upgrade to 16GB if you ever move to any other 'hardcore' games besides Fortnite, as they say, 16GB is the new 8 in 2019.

Your GPU choice (RX 580) Is a fantastic card, that is on par performance-wise with a GTX 1060. Its a card focused solely on 1080p gaming and for the budget-mid range market. This card can run Fortnite at 1080p ultra settings, at a comfortable 60-100FPS depending on where you are in the map. The card can also run most other recent games at high-ultra 60FPS at 1080p.

The one issue with your card is that it's very power hungry as opposed to its competition (GTX 1060 6GB). I will need to know your PSU (power supply) wattage before recommending the card specifically to you. For wattage, I'd recommend 550W. An easy way to find out is to google your system, look at the manual (if it came with one) or simply open your PC and look at the label on the unit. The PSU is often at the top or bottom of the case and is easily recognisable as a big metal box (it's where your PC plugs into the mains power).

If your system has 500-550W, then you're good for that card! However, I'd still recommend a PSU upgrade as OEM units are known for being unreliable.

Now that we've covered the component issues, we can raise the questions based on chassis. Your case should have at least 2 intake fans (120mm minimum) and one exhaust fan. Airflow is commonly overlooked, but is vital to avoid temperature throttling issues or damage to your card. If you don't that or it's all gibberish, a solution is to leave the side door on the PC open. This provides adequate airflow, but I may cause a build up of dust, making clean ups more frequent (especially if your PC is on the floor)
As a final measure, you should also make sure the card can fit in your case. Since I don't know your case, I'll assume its standard ATX. If it's thin and small, you may have issues. If its short, measure the clearance above the PCIe x16 lane on your motherboard (this is where the card will sit) to the front of the case. If this is longer than the length of the card (you can google the dimensions) you're golden!

Best of luck, and I hope you understood what I said!