Curse

Whatway · Jun 28, 2011, 07:18 PM // 19:18

I bought this iBuyPower computer from Newegg and it should be arriving this week. While I know my way around a computer pretty well, I'm not a tech guy and I don't know a lot of the terminology or recent developments in computer tech. I do know that iBuyPower is known for shipping out garbage power supplies, so I've got a SeaSonic S12II 520w coming to fix that issue.

That said, I need you guys' help understanding what I can expect out of the Nvidia GeForce GT 520 (1gig) that the machine comes with.

Is this a usable GPU for some of the newer games (namely SC2, GW2, and the newer FPSs)? If not, what can I upgrade it with for under $100 that'll fit? Newegg lists PCI slots available as 1x PCI-Express x16, 1x PCI-Express x1, and 2x PCI, but I don't know what this tells me as far as physical space available for a new GPU.

I'm not expecting any kind of awesome gaming machine. Just something that can replace my half-decade-old Dell laptop as my primary computer and play games better than said laptop.

Thanks in advance.

Snograt · Jun 28, 2011, 07:41 PM // 19:41

Not much for under $100 to be honest. Even on Newegg, that'll only stretch as far as a HD 6670.

For a bit more, you can get a 1GB GTX 460 - $170 but $140 after the usual mail-in rebate.

That PCIe 16x means you can put pretty much anything in there, by the way - unless your case/mobo is particularly small and you go for a card that's particularly big.

Quaker · Jun 28, 2011, 10:13 PM // 22:13

As you can see from this chart:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...70,2935-7.html
from Tom's Hardware, the GT520 is a low-end card. (It's ranked down around the 6800GT)
You can use the prior screens in that article to help you determine if a <$100 card will be useful - an HD5570 or HD5670 would be quite an improvement over the GT520.

Showtime · Jun 28, 2011, 10:57 PM // 22:57

There are tons of reviews and comparisons online. Better to trust general consensus of various review sites than peoples opinions in a non tech forum.

Dont get caught up hype. $100 will get you plenty of gpu nowadays. Especially if you take the time to research and wait for a sale. After researching what card(s) will work for your application, research sales. Use websites like fatwallet or slickdeals to find when vid cards etc go on sale. There are also threads on building systems etc and getting the most bang for your buck.

What resolution will you be running and what games you will you be playing. Don't buy today for a game that wont be out til next year cuz a video card could drop by half in that time and better ones will come out. Buy a decent card or get by with what you have and then look out for sales around the time you need to upgrade.

You might not have even needed to upgrade your ps. Though seasonic is good for peace of mind. They are oem manufacturer and haven't resorted to making junky ps yet.

The more research you do, the more tempting it is to build a nice system. I've built a few, but what I've found is most people don't need that much power. So don't get caught up. Most hardware drops by 30-50%+ a year after it comes out.

Whatway · Jun 29, 2011, 12:03 AM // 00:03

Thanks for the insight so far. I had not heard of Tom's Hardware so I'll have to read up on that. I've reposted this on a couple tech forums I just registered for, but the ability to play GW and GW2 is somewhat high on my priorities list so I felt it safe to ask here.

I'm not sure where to determine the resolution I'll most likely be playing on. Since my monitor lost a tussle with a lightning storm and I've got to replace that too, I'm noticing most options are in the 20-23.5" range, typically HD and 1080p. Not sure what resolution that translates to or where I'd find that. I can positively say that I won't be using two monitors.

Since it sounds like the 520 isn't going to cut it for me, gonna take a looksy at a few of the GPUs folks are pointing me to. Current prospects for replacement GPUs: GTX 460 ($130 on sale), GTX 550 Ti ($100 after rebate), GTS 450 ($80 after rebate) for Nvidia, and Radeon 5570 ($35-50 after rebate) and 5670 ($60 after rebate) for ATI.

Sun Fired Blank · Jun 29, 2011, 04:56 AM // 04:56

Right now, the GTX 460 is pretty much the sweet spot of budget cards. All three versions are quite solid, but obviously the best is the 1 GB version with 336 CUDA cores. It's definitely worth taking the step up from the GTX 550 Ti. As far as ATI goes, the rough equivalent is probably the Radeon HD 6870. Slightly more expensive, slightly more powerful.

The HD 68xx and GT4x0 lines as a whole are designed for that performance to cost ratio, but I (just my opinion) think those are the two best overall cards from the lines. The GTX 465 and HD 6850 are also pretty good, but I feel that it's worth stepping down for the GTX 460, and it's worth stepping up for the HD 6870.

I wouldn't buy a purely budget card (e.g. the ATI 5670 or 5850, the GTX 260). They're amazing budget cards but they have very little future proofing.

Showtime · Jun 29, 2011, 05:16 AM // 05:16

the usual rez for 20-23" widescreens is 1680x1050 (16:10) or 1920x1080 (16:9). @24"+ it's usually 1080 or 1920x1200 (16:10). There are also the higher resolution monitors that you probably wont be using. IMO the best monitor size/resolution is the 24" 1920X1200 IPS panels. unless you are picky most any decent ws lcd will work from dell, samsung, viewsonic etc.

you have a list of cards and how they perform. can't tell you how much you will need for gw2. cards run in 3 tiers: high, mid, low.
before gw came out i had a 9800np and it handled gw1 at medium settings. So I would assume that most of the current mid range cards will do the same for gw2 @1080. figure the type of mid range cards you think will work and then spend a few days/wks checking the deals sites, and you might get lucky and score a nice card for real cheap. i also had a 6800gt (similar to your card) and that was plenty for gw 1 so test it out before upgrading unless you find a smoking deal.

Snograt · Jun 29, 2011, 02:03 PM // 14:03

I've got the habit of qouting the Steam surveys lately.

The majority (21.1%) game at 1920*1080 these days, followed by 1680*1050 (18.2%) and 1280*1024 (12.5%). That roughly translates as 23/24" monitors, 21/22" monitors and 19/20" monitors.

Interestingly, regular 16:9 HD is the norm, rather than the computerised 16:10 1920*1200.

Anyhoo, splash out on a 24" flatty and 1920*1080. You'll kick yourself otherwise. Plug it into the GTX 460 you mentioned - quickly, before the AMD brigade arrive to have their say

Quaker · Jun 29, 2011, 02:35 PM // 14:35

Just to make it easier, here's the link to the start of the Tom's article:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...6670,2935.html

Note that the GTX460 is not on the list - which is why Snograt wants you to buy one quickly.