Want gpu, have GTS 250. ~350$ budget

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warakomd

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Dec 18, 2010
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Hello,
I have an evga gts 250 1g ddr3 and it's not cutting it any longer as i just purhcased a 24 inch 1080p hd monitor. My purposes are for gaming and my frames dropped pretty dramatically since i upped my resolution to 1920x1080.

The model of my gts 250 is an older one ( 01G-P3-1158-TR ).


APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: asap

BUDGET: 350$ preferably

USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming: Oblivion / Fallout / Dragon Age / some MMOs I.E.- Rift, WoW / CoD: BO / Mass Effect. The list goes on, I game on computers rather than console.

CURRENT GPU AND POWER SUPPLY: evga geforce gts 250 1g DDR3 (its an older edtion, model#- 01G-P3-1158-TR) and 1000w psu

OTHER RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS: windows 7 64bit ultimate, amd phenomII x4 940 3ghz (overlcocked to 3.6) , asus m3n78 pro AM2+, 8 gig ocz ram, coolermaster haf 932 w/additional 120 mm fans.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: anywhere

PARTS PREFERENCES: doesnt matter

OVERCLOCKING: Yes

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe

MONITOR RESOLUTION:, 1920x1080
 
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Grab an HD5870. It will more than double the frames from your current card.

As an aside, you should upgrade your motherboard as well. Grab a motherboard capable of crossfire (you would be able to keep your current RAM), which should run about ~$100. If you do decide to do this, grab an HD6870.
 
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I was already thinking about purchasing another mobo because mine was never the greatest even when i got it ~year and half ago(was included in a bundle for a good deal). I've learned ALOT since i built this computer, but its better to get a second opinion from an expert when doing upgrades . Which mobo make would you prefer? A lot of people don't like asus but i haven't had a problem with them yet. Would http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4444096&CatId=5534 be sufficient? Give me your feedback, thank you.

Edit: i noticed the mobo i linked takes ddr3 ram so i'd have to re-ram it, probably wouldnt want to do that right now.
 
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I would get a good single card.
Sli does not scale well in some games.
Your old GTS250 is worth $50 or so on e-bay.

Look for a GTX460-1gb or a GTX470. Is a GTX570 out of the question for you?

I see no good reason to get a new motherboard. Your cpu is doing fine. It was strong enough to drive the higher frame rates you had with a smaller monitor.

If you want a great upgrade, consider a SSD for the OS and apps. Everything will feel snappier.


 
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yes i think that the gtx 570 is too high up there in the price range, the highest i could go is about $300 or so. I want to be able to use this card for the next two years if im gonna purchase it for ~~300$. The GTX 470 is looking good, but i was also looking at the HD 5870. I was doing some reading and the only problem i saw with the ATI GPUs is that there is no PhysX so when it comes to games that use it they lack a lot.
 
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I aws giving him options. Yes, I do like AMD more. Is there anything wrong with recommending an AMD card if it is good? NO!
 
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So have you sorted out your driver problems then?

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/305433-33-more-driver-problems

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/305067-33-someone-drivers :)
Click to expand...

Lol.

Anyway, no more bashing people, help me please :) .

The hd 5870 is pretty cheap w/ mail in rebate on new egg and is looking pretty nice. It has great scores on toms hardware 2010 benchmark list overall. My only concern is for some PhysX games it would lack. Would i be able to dedicate my GTS 250 for physx processing? I read somewhere that would be do-able.
 
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...hapens to people who pratically beg for it by buying ATI

:kaola:
 
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Still haven't had driver problems. I'm beginning to suspect it's the people, not the drivers 😗

Anyways, grab an HD5870 if you're not going to crossfire later. If you are, get an HD6950. The 5870'd be better than the GTX470, unless you want PhysX (which will have to be run on low settings).
 
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Even Nvidia drivers are bad some times. Nvidia are maybe a little better than AMD's drivers, but Nvidia or AMD you still might have driver problems. So still Nvidia might have problems. I like AMD more though.
 
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The only Nvidia driver scandle i can think of in recent history is the one where the drivers forced the fans to liek 1% speed, and killed a lot of peoples cards who had some serious volts.

Other than that, All i can think of is dozens of instances of AMD failing realy hard on the drivers front.
 
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It is not a serious driver issue. Yes, AMD does not have Nvidia quality drivers, but my driver issue is a small driver issue. I think the problem is that I have Nvidia integrated GPU. I do not think it is AMD's fault. Anyone who says AMD sucks is just an Nvidia fan- boy. I personally do not like Nvidia because of their bad business practices. The re-labled cards. (8800gt - 9800gt, 8800gtx - 9800gtx, 9800gtx+ - gts 250 512mb) Before the gtx 470 and GTX 480 were out (the "new" Frimis) ,in a meeting, the C.E.O. of the company help up a card that he called a "Firmi" when it was not even a real card. :fou: Nvidia does not have my business. If I can find a AMD card at the same price I'll grab that. (was gonna get a gtx460 until I saw the hd6850)
 
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ATI doesnt suck, they just have been ever since December 7th.

They were on top From 9/25/2008- 12/7/10.

Thats a fairly long time to be on top, now its over, deal with it.

As for AMD's CPU division, they havent made anything worthwhile since the P4 days.

They had like 3 months on top in the past 20 years, and that was 5+ years ago.
 
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ok well i really dont know what to do? GTX 470, hd 5870. Any other recommendations? i need a solid answer of pro and con. i'd like to spend around 250$ but if it was REALLY worth it i could go up to 300$.

I want to max the settings out on any game i play.
 
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Radeon hd5870 or gtx 470 would be good. It just depends on price. If you can find a cheaper gtx 470 then go ahead. If you want Physx then clearly go for a Nvidia card. (only cards that support Physx) If you want raw power then a hd5870 should outperform a gtx 470.

BTW AMD makes great CPUs even though they are not the most powerful. AMD sells for a affordable price and has some pretty cool items. The new x6 that AMD just came out with beat the I7 860 in most cases. AMD's hd5970 still beats the gtx 580 (Nvidia's best card) and now AMD just came out with a stronger card. (hd6990) AMD does not have as good of drivers and you are correct on that. They also normally have better prices. ($100 hd4870 vs. $200 gtx260) AMD makes great CPUs and has better GPUs. (raw power of course)
 
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besides the GPU, the system you have is fine for now. It should give you a good bit of life gaming. Do you what a GPU to get you through your present build? Or one to bridge you into your next build?

The HD 5780 is a good value as is the GTX 470 for what you have now, if you want to bridge, I would look at the HD 6000's or the GTX 500's.


GTX 470

HD 5780


 
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For some reason i have my heart set on the hd 5870. How would this card perform if it was put to the test in a physx based game. What would you personally take. The gtx 470 or the hd 5870?
 
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I definitely am more familiar with Nvidia and i think they have great support and drivers. I just read all of the reviews and most are very good. I'm definitely thinking about this superclocked gtx 470, thanks!!
 
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