Should I only consider AMD graphics cards for my AMD processor?

[Sicariis]

I have a budget of somewhere between $400-450(not a strict boundary) for a graphics card and I have this computer http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883157361 which has an AMD processor and I was wondering if it matters whether I get an AMD graphics card to go with it or not. I have been considering the GTX series or the 7900 series. Also, any suggestions for which graphics card to get? Thanks in advance.
EDIT: Part of my budget comes from Best Buy gift cards so please keep that in mind.

 

[renz496]

simple answer: no. which card to get it depends on you. do you want the best bang for buck? or do you want specific feature offered by those gpu

 

[Sumukh_Bhagat]

No, you can get any Card over Any Brand CPU
That budget is too much.

I would say use some of it to Upgrade your CPU
A APU will not be able to handle a $400 GPU at all.

So get a better
PSU
GPU
CPU
Mobo

 

[Sicariis]

simple answer: no. which card to get it depends on you. do you want the best bang for buck? or do you want specific feature offered by those gpu

I mostly just want performance. I'm a 1080p gamer who wants to be able to play games like Battlefield 3 with at least High settings. I'm pretty much just getting a new graphics card for gaming, not really for anything else.

Also, what do you think of the aforementioned computer? Do I need an upgrade or will I be fine running a ~$400 graphics card?

 

[Sumukh_Bhagat]

For $550 you can get a Beast.
You'll be happy with it
Keep the RAM you have

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock B75 PRO3-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($76.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($219.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $556.95
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[samuelohagan]

A radeon hd 7850 would be fine for $160 bundle that with a corsair cs 430 and you will be set for 1080p high for under $200

 

[AMD Radeon]

^+1 with him, need i5 build

your amd apu will not sufficient enough to deliver good performance

 

[renz496]

it will definitely going hold back high end gpu such as amd 7900 series. APU are made for those who want simple working dekstop with better multimedia capabilities that provided by intel igp. if they want to do to a little bit of gaming (not the hardcore type) they can add entry level gpu to the system and enable amd dual graphic to boost the gaming performance. that's about it when people choose to use APU. you can add much better gpu to it but at some point the cpu processing power will not be enough to keep with the gpu specially high end cards like amd 7900 series.

if you insist on keeping your current setup i advice you to get mid range level gpu.

 

[Sicariis]

it will definitely going hold back high end gpu such as amd 7900 series. APU are made for those who want simple working dekstop with better multimedia capabilities that provided by intel igp. if they want to do to a little bit of gaming (not the hardcore type) they can add entry level gpu to the system and enable amd dual graphic to boost the gaming performance. that's about it when people choose to use APU. you can add much better gpu to it but at some point the cpu processing power will not be enough to keep with the gpu specially high end cards like amd 7900 series.

if you insist on keeping your current setup i advice you to get mid range level gpu.

Do you think I can edit my existing setup without problems?
I'll need a better CPU and power supply for sure, as I have an A8 Trinity and only 300W. I never knew how clueless I was. I only got this computer in August, when my father got it for me as a surprise. I think I'll at least have to keep this computer as a base.
Is a new motherboard completely necessary as well? Sorry for the lack of knowledge, as I said I only really got into PCs in August.
~$230 of my budget is Best Buy credit, by the way. I was looking at a MSI R7870 HAWK before I got a larger budget.

 

[Sicariis]

For $550 you can get a Beast.
You'll be happy with it
Keep the RAM you have

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock B75 PRO3-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($76.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($219.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $556.95
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

Thanks for the list, but is the motherboard completely necessary as well? I'm very new at this. And do you think I can put these parts in my existing computer without problems?

 

[completelyrandomname]

The motherboard is NECESSARY, you cannot put a Intel processor on a AMD socket, it doesn't work like that. The parts should fit in your case so it should work. Go for what Sumukh_Bhagat said, i5 will be way more powerful than that awful APU. The GTX 660 should be able to run BF3 at decent settings on 1920x1080.

 

[Sicariis]

For $550 you can get a Beast.
You'll be happy with it
Keep the RAM you have

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock B75 PRO3-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($76.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($219.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $556.95
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

One more thing. If I could get a MSI R7870 HAWK, should I go for that or stick with the 660?

 

[completelyrandomname]

Both are solid choices, the 660 is limited by a 192 bit bus though. I would just go for whatever is cheaper.

 

[Sicariis]

Thank you all so much for the input. I think I'll go with what Sumukh_Bhagat suggested, although I think I'll go for a MSI R7870 HAWK instead because I've heard a lot of good things about it and I've even heard it outperforms the regular 7950. Any suggestions are still taken, as I haven't bought anything yet and am probably waiting a little bit before I buy a graphics card.

 

[Sicariis]

Best answer selected by Sicariis.