Question Graphics card advice

Jul 24, 2019
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Hi!

I am considering upgrading my current graphics card - NVidia GeForce GTX-970 - and would love to get some advice from people who are a lot more knowledgeable than myself about such things.

Gaming is what I use my computer for and I have been generally happy with the 970 but I have seen that some games are coming out with higher recommended requirements. I also have had a lot of trouble with my computer lately with the bsod and ended up having to get another motherboard and ram as apparantly they were faulty. Since getting the computer back from the technician with the new motherboard and ram I have only had the bsod pop up a couple of times but now I am getting the problem of my computer freezing up. I can be in the middle of the game or the computer can be just sitting there doing nothing and suddenly it freezes. I have read that this can indicate a graphics card problem and since I have wanted to upgrade anyway I thought I may as well see if a new one fixes my current problems.

I have done some researching on the internet but not knowing much about graphic cards I really need some help choosing the right one. Budget wise I am looking at either the MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Ventus XS 6GB OC Graphic Card or MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6GB Graphic Card. I've seen a lot mentioned about Vram and how it is used in games but I've no idea what that means and how it is reflected in the 2 cards I have mentioned here.

My next question is how do I find out if the new card will fit into my existing case.

For anyone that can help me out here I thank you and appreciate your time.

Cheers
Carol
 
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Hiya,

As for the two specific models you list, I could not find anything really precise on what makes them different, but talking generally, looking at their original pricing (i.e. not discounted one) should give you a hint on which one uses better components and/or has better cooling.

Talking about the VRAM question you posed, it's really simple: the more RAM your GPU has, the more stuff it can put in it for games. Particularly, more textures and pre-calculated polygons (in some specific games, this helps a lot). Particularly, I'd suggest for you to try and squeeze your budget a bit more and go for either a 2060 Super or a 2070 vanilla (non-Super) instead, as they come with 8GB of VRAM and will be a better generational swap for your GTX970 in my opinion.

And as for the "will it fit"... Well... It will depend on the card you end up buying, really. Unless you're buying a heavily modified aftermarket one, the chances they're "bog standard" (size-wise) are pretty high. As for the power requirements, the RTX2060S and RTX2070 vanilla should be a direct swap from your GTX970, as they consume around the same amount of power.

Cheers!
 
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Jul 24, 2019
13
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Hiya,

As for the two specific models you list, I could not find anything really precise on what makes them different, but talking generally, looking at their original pricing (i.e. not discounted one) should give you a hint on which one uses better components and/or has better cooling.

Talking about the VRAM question you posed, it's really simple: the more RAM your GPU has, the more stuff it can put in it for games. Particularly, more textures and pre-calculated polygons (in some specific games, this helps a lot). Particularly, I'd suggest for you to try and squeeze your budget a bit more and go for either a 2060 Super or a 2070 vanilla (non-Super) instead, as they come with 8GB of VRAM and will be a better generational swap for your GTX970 in my opinion.

And as for the "will it fit"... Well... It will depend on the card you end up buying, really. Unless you're buying a heavily modified aftermarket one, the chances they're "bog standard" (size-wise) are pretty high. As for the power requirements, the RTX2060S and RTX2070 vanilla should be a direct swap from your GTX970, as they consume around the same amount of power.

Cheers!
[/QUOTE}

Thanks for the advice Yuka, it is much appreciated.

I would like to get the cards with the 8gb ofVRAM as they seem to be the better way to go. Problem is my daughter now also wants her graphics card upgraded so I have to stretch the budget even more than I originally thought. :)

In searching around I came across these 3 cards:

MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 AERO ITX 8GB Graphic Card ($799 AU)
MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Ventus 8GB Graphic Card ($789 AU)
MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Gaming Z 8GB Graphic Card ($899 AU)

As with the other 2 cards I listed in my initial message I have no idea which, if any are better than the other. I've only looked at one online store so far as I just need to find the best card for what I need and then I will start to check around on prices. I've also neglected to include any AMD graphics cards and I am wondering if this is a good thing or not. For some reason I have always gravitated towards NVidia cards for no logical reason since I am obviously a novice when it comes to this sort of thing. I have noticed that AMD is cheaper than NVidia - should I be taking them into account or are NVidia cards a more powerful graphics card?

It seems the more I look into getting a new card the more unsure I get as to what I should be purchasing.

Anyway thanks again for taking the time in replying to my initial questions .

Cheers
Carol
 
Thanks for the advice Yuka, it is much appreciated.

I would like to get the cards with the 8gb ofVRAM as they seem to be the better way to go. Problem is my daughter now also wants her graphics card upgraded so I have to stretch the budget even more than I originally thought. :)

In searching around I came across these 3 cards:

MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 AERO ITX 8GB Graphic Card ($799 AU)
MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Ventus 8GB Graphic Card ($789 AU)
MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Gaming Z 8GB Graphic Card ($899 AU)

As with the other 2 cards I listed in my initial message I have no idea which, if any are better than the other. I've only looked at one online store so far as I just need to find the best card for what I need and then I will start to check around on prices. I've also neglected to include any AMD graphics cards and I am wondering if this is a good thing or not. For some reason I have always gravitated towards NVidia cards for no logical reason since I am obviously a novice when it comes to this sort of thing. I have noticed that AMD is cheaper than NVidia - should I be taking them into account or are NVidia cards a more powerful graphics card?

It seems the more I look into getting a new card the more unsure I get as to what I should be purchasing.

Anyway thanks again for taking the time in replying to my initial questions .

Cheers
Carol
Oh, what is your daughter moving/upgrading from? Does she need a beefy card as well? I'm asking from the power consumption perspective as if she's using a lesser card, then she may need to also upgrade her power supply unit (PSU). If you're using the same configs, then no worries.

Other than that. Would you have any EVGA options around? Or some Asus ones? If they're all around the same price and those variations for you are no trouble, always pick the one with the beefier looking cooling solution. For instance, out of the three cards you list, the "Ventus" is the best middle ground. The "Aero ITX" is meant for small spaces and sacrifices performance (a bit). The "Gaming Z" is huge and probably the best to pick, but since you're conscious about space, it could not fit your case unless you measure it. So, in short, I'd say go for the "Ventus" if you're concerned about space or the "Gaming Z" if you think it will fit.

EDIT: Forgot to mention about the AMD cards. If you're fine with trying them out, then the RX 5700XT would be the card you should aim for. I believe it's on the same price range as the 2070 vanilla. Now, if you ask me, I'd wait until there's aftermarket cards, as the only version available today is the "blower" type of cooling, which I personally don't recommend people to buy.

Cheers!
 
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Jul 24, 2019
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Oh, what is your daughter moving/upgrading from? Does she need a beefy card as well? I'm asking from the power consumption perspective as if she's using a lesser card, then she may need to also upgrade her power supply unit (PSU). If you're using the same configs, then no worries.

Other than that. Would you have any EVGA options around? Or some Asus ones? If they're all around the same price and those variations for you are no trouble, always pick the one with the beefier looking cooling solution. For instance, out of the three cards you list, the "Ventus" is the best middle ground. The "Aero ITX" is meant for small spaces and sacrifices performance (a bit). The "Gaming Z" is huge and probably the best to pick, but since you're conscious about space, it could not fit your case unless you measure it. So, in short, I'd say go for the "Ventus" if you're concerned about space or the "Gaming Z" if you think it will fit.

EDIT: Forgot to mention about the AMD cards. If you're fine with trying them out, then the RX 5700XT would be the card you should aim for. I believe it's on the same price range as the 2070 vanilla. Now, if you ask me, I'd wait until there's aftermarket cards, as the only version available today is the "blower" type of cooling, which I personally don't recommend people to buy.

Cheers!


My daughter also has the GTX970 and pretty much the same computer as I had until my recent problems that forced me to change my motherboard and case etc. So are you saying that if the system she has can fit the GTX970 then it will also fit say the RTX 2070 Gaming Z 8GB Graphic Card or shoudl I get out the mesasuring tape? ;)

I'm afraid you lost me with the EVGA ad AUS options you mentioned. I googled them but I am still not sure what you mean by those terms.

Cheers
Carol
 
My daughter also has the GTX970 and pretty much the same computer as I had until my recent problems that forced me to change my motherboard and case etc. So are you saying that if the system she has can fit the GTX970 then it will also fit say the RTX 2070 Gaming Z 8GB Graphic Card or shoudl I get out the mesasuring tape? ;)

I'm afraid you lost me with the EVGA ad AUS options you mentioned. I googled them but I am still not sure what you mean by those terms.

Cheers
Carol
EVGA and Asus are other brands, just like MSI, that make good quality nVidia video cards.

To explain this a bit better: nVidia is the "chip" (GPU) provider and MSI (in the list of cards you gave me) assembles the actual video card and sells it. MSI, Asus, EVGA and others are called "OEM partners" of nVidia.

And no. The Gaming Z is a big card, so you will need to really measure inside your case if it fits. This is one of the "heavily modified" aftermarket examples I mentioned that goes the extra mile adding cooling and other bells and whistles to the card, making them behemoths that not all cases can house.

Cheers!
 
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Jul 24, 2019
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EVGA and Asus are other brands, just like MSI, that make good quality nVidia video cards.

To explain this a bit better: nVidia is the "chip" (GPU) provider and MSI (in the list of cards you gave me) assembles the actual video card and sells it. MSI, Asus, EVGA and others are called "OEM partners" of nVidia.

And no. The Gaming Z is a big card, so you will need to really measure inside your case if it fits. This is one of the "heavily modified" aftermarket examples I mentioned that goes the extra mile adding cooling and other bells and whistles to the card, making them behemoths that not all cases can house.

Cheers!

Yuka I just want to give you a big thank you for all the help you have given me over the past few days. You have taught me a lot and have been a great help in pointing me in the right direction when it comes to choosing graphic card.

Wishing you all the best! :)

Cheers
Carol
 
Yuka I just want to give you a big thank you for all the help you have given me over the past few days. You have taught me a lot and have been a great help in pointing me in the right direction when it comes to choosing graphic card.

Wishing you all the best! :)

Cheers
Carol
Hey, not a problem. That's why we all are here in the forums for.

Let us know what you went with at the end and if you had any problems (hope not, obviously).

Cheers!
 
Hi!

I am considering upgrading my current graphics card - NVidia GeForce GTX-970 - and would love to get some advice from people who are a lot more knowledgeable than myself about such things.

Gaming is what I use my computer for and I have been generally happy with the 970 but I have seen that some games are coming out with higher recommended requirements. I also have had a lot of trouble with my computer lately with the bsod and ended up having to get another motherboard and ram as apparantly they were faulty. Since getting the computer back from the technician with the new motherboard and ram I have only had the bsod pop up a couple of times but now I am getting the problem of my computer freezing up. I can be in the middle of the game or the computer can be just sitting there doing nothing and suddenly it freezes. I have read that this can indicate a graphics card problem and since I have wanted to upgrade anyway I thought I may as well see if a new one fixes my current problems.

I have done some researching on the internet but not knowing much about graphic cards I really need some help choosing the right one. Budget wise I am looking at either the MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Ventus XS 6GB OC Graphic Card or MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6GB Graphic Card. I've seen a lot mentioned about Vram and how it is used in games but I've no idea what that means and how it is reflected in the 2 cards I have mentioned here.

My next question is how do I find out if the new card will fit into my existing case.

For anyone that can help me out here I thank you and appreciate your time.

Cheers
Carol
Check this out and try not to have a heart attack:
https://www.newegg.com/sapphire-radeon-r9-fury-100379ntoc-sr/p/N82E16814202340?Description=r9 fury&cm_re=r9_fury--14-202-340--Product
The sale has seven days left. I didn't post anything about it previously because I wanted to make sure it was legit. I already had an R9 Fury and wanted one for Crossfire. Well, factory refurbished or not, it works perfectly! You can literally get two of these for $250 (as long as your board has two slots and you have a PSU rated at around 1kW like I do). Still, $125 for an R9 Fury is STUPIDLY LOW. I'd take a hard look at it because anything that is at that level is going to be at least $500+. Now, it's not a big increase from the GTX 970 but two of them sure would be and it would only cost $250! I bought one, it works and so I feel comfortable recommending it.