Please help me upgrade graphics card

[zero55]

I recently built a computer but i didn't have the money at the time for a graphics card and power supply,but now i want to upgrade. Looking to play borderlands 2 on max settting when it comes out and max payne max settings but looking to spend around $200 all together.
my specs

mobo:
ECS A890GXM-A2(2.0) AM3+ AMD 890GX HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135298

cpu:
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727

ram:
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233180

case:
Antec Gaming Series one illusion Black Steel ATX Mid
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129182

ssd:
OCZ Solid 3 SLD3-25SAT3-60G 2.5" 60GB SATA III MLC
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227728

and another seconday hard drive
i currently have a 400w dynex power supply that a friend gave me. im looking for a power supply that will last me a while as im looking to upgrade to a 8 core amd in the future.

i did see this power supply
Rosewill Stallion Series RD500-2DB 500W ATX12V Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182044

but i am confused and overwhelmed about the 12v rails, amps and all,plus i would like a modular design but dont wanna pay alot for it.

for the graphics card i was looking at
MSI R7750-PMD1GD5/OC Radeon HD 7750 1GB 128-bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127665

but im not sure if im getting the best bang for my buck with these parts as i already feel i should have gotten a better mobo
thanks in advance for the help

 

[zero55]

and i have a old sapphire hd 3850 from my old build can my psu handle it until i buy new equipment

 

[carowden]

i imagine your psu can handle that graphics card (3850) until you swap out. when you get a new graphics card, i would get a new psu as well. i would get one from corsair, antec, seasonic, ocz, or another reputable brand. i personally have owned psus from corsair and antec and have been happy with them. heres a few suggestions for you.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500225

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371030

again those are just suggestions. its something to base your searches off of. Those two come out to $215 together with a $30 mail in rebate. Hope that helps out some

also max payne, max settings for 200 dollars is pretty tough, depending on resolution

 

[zero55]

i imagine your psu can handle that graphics card (3850) until you swap out. when you get a new graphics card, i would get a new psu as well. i would get one from corsair, antec, seasonic, ocz, or another reputable brand. i personally have owned psus from corsair and antec and have been happy with them. heres a few suggestions for you.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500225

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371030

again those are just suggestions. its something to base your searches off of. Those two come out to $215 together with a $30 mail in rebate. Hope that helps out some

also max payne, max settings for 200 dollars is pretty tough, depending on resolution

is there a significant difference between 550 and a 560,or even a step up from 560 and why dosent newegg list the wattage rquirements


well i just tried to use the 3850 with my psu and the 4pin to my cpu isnt long enough to reach with the card in,will i have this problem if i upgrade to a new psu?

 

[carowden]

is there a significant difference between 550 and a 560,or even a step up from 560 and why dosent newegg list the wattage rquirements


well i just tried to use the 3850 with my psu and the 4pin to my cpu isnt long enough to reach with the card in,will i have this problem if i upgrade to a new psu?

1)I havent ever used a 550 to tell you the truth, but i believe there is a pretty big difference between them. it honestly might just be perception. as far as a step up from the 560, there are the 560ti, 560ti 448(i own one, love it), and the 570. you'll be well out of your price range on those though. i did buy my 560ti 448 for $220, but it was refurbished. if that doesnt bother you, it was a great deal.

2)for the 550, a good 500w psu would be more than enough, for the 560ti, ti 448, and 570 i personally would get at least a 600w if not a 650 or so. i use the antec neo eco 620 with my 560ti 448 and have no problems

 

[carowden]

also please take into consideration that there are amd gpus that are in your price range that would be good as well, i just dont know them well enough to recommend them to someone and feel good about it

 

[zero55]

1)I havent ever used a 550 to tell you the truth, but i believe there is a pretty big difference between them. it honestly might just be perception. as far as a step up from the 560, there are the 560ti, 560ti 448(i own one, love it), and the 570. you'll be well out of your price range on those though. i did buy my 560ti 448 for $220, but it was refurbished. if that doesnt bother you, it was a great deal.

2)for the 550, a good 500w psu would be more than enough, for the 560ti, ti 448, and 570 i personally would get at least a 600w if not a 650 or so. i use the antec neo eco 620 with my 560ti 448 and have no problems

if i use a 600 will i be future proofing my self when i decide to upgrade again or is just a waste of money for now

i do like the prices of the ones you suggested but is this a good deal
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1025547&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=4176827&SID=16hmgud6mt0ab

 

[ncasolo]

I recently built a computer but i didn't have the money at the time for a graphics card and power supply,but now i want to upgrade. Looking to play borderlands 2 on max settting when it comes out and max payne max settings but looking to spend around $200 all together.
my specs

mobo:
ECS A890GXM-A2(2.0) AM3+ AMD 890GX HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135298

cpu:
AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727

ram:
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233180

case:
Antec Gaming Series one illusion Black Steel ATX Mid
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129182

ssd:
OCZ Solid 3 SLD3-25SAT3-60G 2.5" 60GB SATA III MLC
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227728

and another seconday hard drive
i currently have a 400w dynex power supply that a friend gave me. im looking for a power supply that will last me a while as im looking to upgrade to a 8 core amd in the future.

i did see this power supply
Rosewill Stallion Series RD500-2DB 500W ATX12V Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182044

but i am confused and overwhelmed about the 12v rails, amps and all,plus i would like a modular design but dont wanna pay alot for it.

for the graphics card i was looking at
MSI R7750-PMD1GD5/OC Radeon HD 7750 1GB 128-bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127665

but im not sure if im getting the best bang for my buck with these parts as i already feel i should have gotten a better mobo
thanks in advance for the help

I'm running an AMD 955 BE @ 3.5ghz and a 5870 1GB card currently. I get good performance out of my system on Batman Arkham Asylum. I did a triple screen benchmark and I was in the 50fps range. If you want to upgrade to a video card that offers you better performance you're going to have to upgrade your powersupply.

If you're good at looking for deals you should be able to get a 550W-600W power supply and AMD video card in your price range.

Here's one for $145 after rebate

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150561

I think that video card would match your CPU well in terms of performance. If you dump a 7970 in there you're going to be limited by your CPU. Right now you're limited by your GPU.

My only complaint is that by the time you put in a new power supply you've basically dis-assembled your current machine and assembled a new computer. If I have to get a new motherboard or power supply it is time for a new PC. Parts that I can swap out in 5 minutes no problem. In this case I don't see any way a newer GPU will run with that CPU on a 400W power supply.


Edited to add: I saw some benchmarks where the 7770 is under-performing the 5870 card. I would imagine the 7750 is below that. The 6870 should be at least as good as the 5870 series and it might push your budget a little, but it is definitely going to give you better performance.

 

[carowden]

that seems fair enough to me. the 6850 is a good midrange card in my understanding. thats the same series of corsair power supply that i owned too and it was great. and as far as future proofing, do you plan on using a second card or upgrading to a better single card in the future?

 

[zero55]

that seems fair enough to me. the 6850 is a good midrange card in my understanding. thats the same series of corsair power supply that i owned too and it was great. and as far as future proofing, do you plan on using a second card or upgrading to a better single card in the future?

upgrading to an 8 core 125w and a better single card

 

[carowden]

I'm running an AMD 955 BE @ 3.5ghz and a 5870 1GB card currently. I get good performance out of my system on Batman Arkham Asylum. I did a triple screen benchmark and I was in the 50fps range. If you want to upgrade to a video card that offers you better performance you're going to have to upgrade your powersupply.

If you're good at looking for deals you should be able to get a 550W-600W power supply and AMD video card in your price range.

Here's one for $145 after rebate

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150561

I think that video card would match your CPU well in terms of performance. If you dump a 7970 in there you're going to be limited by your CPU. Right now you're limited by your GPU.

My only complaint is that by the time you put in a new power supply you've basically dis-assembled your current machine and assembled a new computer. If I have to get a new motherboard or power supply it is time for a new PC. Parts that I can swap out in 5 minutes no problem. In this case I don't see any way a newer GPU will run with that CPU on a 400W power supply.


Edited to add: I saw some benchmarks where the 7770 is under-performing the 5870 card. I would imagine the 7750 is below that. The 6870 should be at least as good as the 5870 series and it might push your budget a little, but it is definitely going to give you better performance.

there are graphics cards that will work with a 400w psu, but they wont get him the graphics performance he wanted. also the 965be is still one of the more recommended amd cpus out there for gaming. i would suggest overclocking the current cpu before dropping another 2-300 dollars on cpu and motherboard replacement he doesnt need. i feel like the psu and gpu replacement route would get him started, although my main suggestion would be to save up for a little while to get a better gpu than even what we have discussed prior.

 

[carowden]

upgrading to an 8 core 125w and a better single card

to be honest, if thats the case, i wouldnt upgrade to one of the 8 cores of the current generation (bulldozer). and this is solely off of my reading, never from personal experience with the cpu. the bulldozers were apparently a disappointment. i would wait til piledriver is released to do all of these upgrades. mobo, psu, gpu, and cpu. save up til then and you can get a killer setup that is more current.

p.s. this might sound contradicting to the comment i just posted, but its because i didnt know a new cpu was in the future plans for this computer

 

[zero55]

I'm running an AMD 955 BE @ 3.5ghz and a 5870 1GB card currently. I get good performance out of my system on Batman Arkham Asylum. I did a triple screen benchmark and I was in the 50fps range. If you want to upgrade to a video card that offers you better performance you're going to have to upgrade your powersupply.

If you're good at looking for deals you should be able to get a 550W-600W power supply and AMD video card in your price range.

Here's one for $145 after rebate

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150561

I think that video card would match your CPU well in terms of performance. If you dump a 7970 in there you're going to be limited by your CPU. Right now you're limited by your GPU.

My only complaint is that by the time you put in a new power supply you've basically dis-assembled your current machine and assembled a new computer. If I have to get a new motherboard or power supply it is time for a new PC. Parts that I can swap out in 5 minutes no problem. In this case I don't see any way a newer GPU will run with that CPU on a 400W power supply.


Edited to add: I saw some benchmarks where the 7770 is under-performing the 5870 card. I would imagine the 7750 is below that. The 6870 should be at least as good as the 5870 series and it might push your budget a little, but it is definitely going to give you better performance.

well the power supply was free and i hadnt had the money to put in a graphics card so its like im still building it i guess,which is better the 6870 or the 560 that had been mentioned earlier

makes it even more confusing for me that the 7770 isnt as good as the 5870

 

[carowden]

well the power supply was free and i hadnt had the money to put in a graphics card so its like im still building it i guess,which is better the 6870 or the 560 that had been mentioned earlier

makes it even more confusing for me that the 7770 isnt as good as the 5870

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

that oughtta help you out a little. I wouldnt buy the 5870 solely because its 2 generations old now. if youre stuck between the 6870 and the 560(non ti), i would just choose personal preference. they are equal on the hierarchy chart, so i assume performance would be similar. if youre into overclocking, i have heard that amd graphics cards overclock better, while consuming less power, so maybe research that a little and that can help you choose.

 

[zero55]

to be honest, if thats the case, i wouldnt upgrade to one of the 8 cores of the current generation (bulldozer). and this is solely off of my reading, never from personal experience with the cpu. the bulldozers were apparently a disappointment. i would wait til piledriver is released to do all of these upgrades. mobo, psu, gpu, and cpu. save up til then and you can get a killer setup that is more current.

p.s. this might sound contradicting to the comment i just posted, but its because i didnt know a new cpu was in the future plans for this computer

i figured that would be the best way to do it but, money wise instead of buying a new mobo and a new cpu wouldnt it be cheaper to get the best cpu you can get

 

[ncasolo]

well the power supply was free and i hadnt had the money to put in a graphics card so its like im still building it i guess,which is better the 6870 or the 560 that had been mentioned earlier

makes it even more confusing for me that the 7770 isnt as good as the 5870

Great question. I can clear up some of your confusion, but I don't know enough about the NVidia 560 card to suggest for or against it.

Ignoring the first number in the series (5000, 6000, 7000) my understanding is the 700 cards are budget cards. When the 6770 came out it was always cheaper than the 5870 and 5970 card. It replaced the 5770 which was the budget card at the time. I would assume the 7770 did the same.

I'm almost certain I'm over-simplifying this, but
700 = budget performance
800 = performance
900 = extreme performance


This is the article I'm referencing for the 7770 performance.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5625/amd-radeon-hd-7870-ghz-edition-radeon-hd-7850-review-rounding-out-southern-islands/1

Though as I look at it the 5870 out performed the 6870 in most of those tests. Not all 5870s are created equal neither are all 6870s. I'm curious if the 5870 tested was a 1GB or 2GB card. Same question can be said of the 6870.

Take some of those results with a grain of salt, but the 800 series out performed the 700 series by a considerable amount. It appears the 570 did better than the 800s but the 560 did worse. They all appear to be relatively comparable cards.

 

[carowden]

i figured that would be the best way to do it but, money wise instead of buying a new mobo and a new cpu wouldnt it be cheaper to get the best cpu you can get

well if we're just taking gaming into consideration, your cpu is on the higher end of amd's chart...in fact above the 8120 that you would get. im sure that cpu has its strong points but it wont give you an improvement in gaming, or at least not noticeable. i would consider getting an aftermarket cooler and overclocking the current one.

just so you see what im referring to:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106-5.html

 

[zero55]

Great question. I can clear up some of your confusion, but I don't know enough about the NVidia 560 card to suggest for or against it.

Ignoring the first number in the series (5000, 6000, 7000) my understanding is the 700 cards are budget cards. When the 6770 came out it was always cheaper than the 5870 and 5970 card. It replaced the 5770 which was the budget card at the time. I would assume the 7770 did the same.

I'm almost certain I'm over-simplifying this, but
700 = budget performance
800 = performance
900 = extreme performance


This is the article I'm referencing for the 7770 performance.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5625/amd-radeon-hd-7870-ghz-edition-radeon-hd-7850-review-rounding-out-southern-islands/1

Though as I look at it the 5870 out performed the 6870 in most of those tests. Not all 5870s are created equal neither are all 6870s. I'm curious if the 5870 tested was a 1GB or 2GB card. Same question can be said of the 6870.

Take some of those results with a grain of salt, but the 800 series out performed the 700 series by a considerable amount. It appears the 570 did better than the 800s but the 560 did worse. They all appear to be relatively comparable cards.

well that does make a lot of sense, does the first number just refer to the generation,and is it ati and nvidia that do that
sorry for the stupid question

 

[carowden]

well that does make a lot of sense, does the first number just refer to the generation,and is it ati and nvidia that do that
sorry for the stupid question

exactly, and its not stupid...we all gotta learn it sometime haha

 

[ncasolo]

i figured that would be the best way to do it but, money wise instead of buying a new mobo and a new cpu wouldnt it be cheaper to get the best cpu you can get

Will the best CPU work with your current Mobo? Don't forget to consider that. Also I've had 5 straight AMD chips. I've just purchased my first Intel chip. The current Intel chips destroy the AMD chips in terms of performance and because of that the value is there for the first time as well. I was expecting the bulldozer chips to match the Intel chips. Sadly they barely matched the previous generation of AMD chips.

Like carowden said your current CPU is a solid performer for the price range it is in and for the video cards you're in the market for.

My comment was more along the lines of if I'm going to have to build a new PC why waste the time dismantling the one I have? Obviously if it isn't in the budget it isn't in the budget, but my point was more about the labor than a suggestion of necessity.

 

[zero55]

well if we're just taking gaming into consideration, your cpu is on the higher end of amd's chart...in fact above the 8120 that you would get. im sure that cpu has its strong points but it wont give you an improvement in gaming, or at least not noticeable. i would consider getting an aftermarket cooler and overclocking the current one.

just so you see what im referring to:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106-5.html

ok well thats good to know before i wasted some money

 

[ncasolo]

well that does make a lot of sense, does the first number just refer to the generation,and is it ati and nvidia that do that
sorry for the stupid question

Yes the first number refers to the generation of card. And no it isn't a stupid question. You could debate the numbering system and make a case for both numbering them larger number = better performance or the current system.

 

[carowden]

Will the best CPU work with your current Mobo? Don't forget to consider that. Also I've had 5 straight AMD chips. I've just purchased my first Intel chip. The current Intel chips destroy the AMD chips in terms of performance and because of that the value is there for the first time as well. I was expecting the bulldozer chips to match the Intel chips. Sadly they barely matched the previous generation of AMD chips.

Like carowden said your current CPU is a solid performer for the price range it is in and for the video cards you're in the market for.

My comment was more along the lines of if I'm going to have to build a new PC why waste the time dismantling the one I have? Obviously if it isn't in the budget it isn't in the budget, but my point was more about the labor than a suggestion of necessity.

makes sense! i understand where youre coming from for sure. i think intel is great, but also understand where amd fits into it all.

 

[zero55]

Will the best CPU work with your current Mobo? Don't forget to consider that. Also I've had 5 straight AMD chips. I've just purchased my first Intel chip. The current Intel chips destroy the AMD chips in terms of performance and because of that the value is there for the first time as well. I was expecting the bulldozer chips to match the Intel chips. Sadly they barely matched the previous generation of AMD chips.

Like carowden said your current CPU is a solid performer for the price range it is in and for the video cards you're in the market for.

My comment was more along the lines of if I'm going to have to build a new PC why waste the time dismantling the one I have? Obviously if it isn't in the budget it isn't in the budget, but my point was more about the labor than a suggestion of necessity.

right!,it will fit it but, as im learning it would just be better to upgrade the whole machine when the new line of cpus come out?but that still leaves me with a graphics card and power supply to even finish this build.
so is this a good one for around the price the reviews seem good
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102908

 

[carowden]

thats a good choice, or a little extra for the gtx 560 (non se). i found a superclocked edition refurbished for $160

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130765