Basic video card adequate for 4k monitor, general use computing?

[wpcoe]

I'm pretty ignorant about video cards. In the past few generations of computers I've used either CPU- or mobo-integrated graphics. My use is web browsing, general office stuff and watching videos, but not gaming. (For me, a computer game = Solitaire.)

Having had high-dpi screens on my mobile phones and portable computers for a while now, my current 1920x1080 23" desktop screen seems inadequate so I'm thinking of upgrading to a 3840x2160 monitor.

My current CPU/mobo (see sig) doesn't support 4K, so need a video card. What kind of basic video card should I be looking for?

Do I need DisplayPort to use 4K @ 60Hz?

Edited to add: I'm in Thailand with no NewEgg, Fry's, Microcenter, etc, but wonder if these are what I should be looking for: XFX Radeon R7 with 2GB DDR3 for about US$90 or Gigabyte Radeon R7 360 with 2GB DDR5 for about US$100

Am I on the right track?

I found a GIGABYTE RADEON R7 360 2GB GDDR5 (the same one on NewEgg above) for ~US$124 online here in Thailand. I also found a GIGABYTE RADEON R7 240 2GB DDR3 for ~US$66. I don't want to be penny-wise/pound-foolish, but is the R7 360 worth about twice the price for my use?

 

[Zodiark1593]

If you're looking for HDMI 2.0 (4K @ 60 hz), the GTX 950 is worth a look, and probably the cheapest option currently with it.

 

[wpcoe]

TBH, I don't know what I'm looking for, other than being able to use a 4K display. :\

I guess both HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort will handle it?

The cheapest GTX950 I see online here is about US$165.

How would an ASUS NVIDIA GEFORCE GT740 2GB GDDR5 for about US$110 compare to the AMD cards above?

 

[LTC8K6]

Are you wanting to watch 4K videos?

If so, I think you need the GTX950.

If you just want the screen resolution, then the other cards will support that, even the r7-240.

 

[Silverforce11]

Depends on your 4K display, if its a 4K PC monitor it will have Display Port, if it's a TV, most of them do not.

Figure out what you need first. If it's Display Port, pretty much any low-end Radeon that supports with DP will support 4K resolution for 2D work.

Otherwise if you need HDMI 2.0, you should get the 950.

 

[redzo]

If you're looking for HDMI 2.0 (4K @ 60 hz), the GTX 950 is worth a look, and probably the cheapest option currently with it.

I would grab the 950 if I were you because of the above and because it comes with a HEVC hw video decoder. The GT740 video decoder is outdated, just as all the AMD ones are. Being able to gpu decode H.265 and google VP9 will make the entire system feel a lot snappier when playing video in the near future.

 

[wpcoe]

I'm going to use a PC monitor, and not a TV, so DisplayPort should be adequate for now, I hope. Currently I don't watch 4K videos, but for future-proofing, maybe I should consider that as a possibility.

At this point, I'm leaning toward the US$110 GT740 with 2GB GDDR5, but need to think more about the US$165 GTX950.

Another factor just came into play, too. I've been thinking about upgrading my entire system to Skylake, and the Gigabyte Z170M mobo I had been considering didn't support 4K/60Hz display. However, the ASRock Z170M mobo I just checked out does. I could use the US$110/$165 to rationalize going forth with a system upgrade sooner rather than later. :hmm:

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. Gives me some direction and things to think about.

 

[wpcoe]

The 4K monitor I'm considering is the 24" Dell P2415Q (or maybe the 27" Dell P2715Q.) The specs only say "HDMI". Do all modern monitors accept HDMI 2.0 (specifically 4k/60Hz) input? Or, might the monitor only be HDMI 1.x capable? (I'm as ignorant about cable standards as I am about video cards. )

 

[EightySix Four]

The 4K monitor I'm considering is the 24" Dell P2415Q (or maybe the 27" Dell P2715Q.) The specs only say "HDMI". Do all modern monitors accept HDMI 2.0 (specifically 4k/60Hz) input? Or, might the monitor only be HDMI 1.x capable? (I'm as ignorant about cable standards as I am about video cards. )

It has a DisplayPort connector - you're good.

 

[wpcoe]

Life got in the way, so I got distracted from getting a 4K monitor. Now that I'm close to buying, I'm not clear on the the specs of many video cards because they don't specify frequency, only resolutions supported. e.g. SAPPHIRE NITRO Radeon™ R7 360 2G D5 and GIGABYTE Radeon R7 360 -- both specify 4096X2160 on DisplayPort, but is it 60Hz or only 30Hz? Is it safe to assume that all 4K DP GPUs support 60Hz?

 

[DigDog]

bite the bullet and grab a 380 or 960 - the 950 is just too expensive for what it offers.
XFX Radeon R9 380 4GB Double Dissipation ($169.99) or a EVGA GeForce GTX 960 2GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ ($159.99)

 

[therealnickdanger]

At MSRP, the GTX 950 is overpriced as a pure gaming card, but when you factor in its other abilities as well as its current $130-140 price (Newegg, Amazon), it makes more sense and is a better choice than other more expensive GPUs.

1. HDMI 2.0 - connect to any 4K TV without buying a $30 adapter
2. DisplayPort 1.2 - connect to any 4K monitor
3. Hardware HEVC and VP9 encoding and decoding - watch or create any video without slowdown
4. PCIe-powered - no need for additional power connectors, very simple plug and play

Of course, you could always wait two months for the new GPUs to launch from AMD and NVIDIA, then make a decision.

 

[wpcoe]

bite the bullet and grab a 380 or 960 - the 950 is just too expensive for what it offers.
XFX Radeon R9 380 4GB Double Dissipation ($169.99) or a EVGA GeForce GTX 960 2GB SuperSC ACX 2.0+ ($159.99)

The cheapest Radeon R9 380 I can find here (Thailand) is ~US$219 and cheapest GTX960 is ~US$212. The Radeon 7 360's I asked about are ~US$112-$118. Quite a bit cheaper *IF* they support 4K @ 60Hz, which I still am not sure about...

Keep in mind, I'm not a gamer but simply want to do office-type work and watch (probably non-4K) videos on a 4K monitor.

 

[techne]

Are you aware of the upcoming Polaris cards by AMD? They will be released in a month or two. Of course I don't know if you can wait that much...

 

[DigDog]

you should be able to buy from korea with $20 shipping ...

 

[wpcoe]

Buying from overseas is a crap shoot in Thailand. It's a 50/50 chance your merchandise will get held up in Customs, and then there are fees/bribes that must be paid to release the goods. I had to pay US$150 fee once to get a box of personal effects released from Customs. They called it a "warehousing fee." They originally wanted double that amount, but when I said "No, thanks, just keep the stuff" since it was just "stuff" and not worth $300, they lowered the fee by 50%. I asked for a receipt, just got a silent smile in return. We expats call it "tea money."

I'm assuming the upcoming Polaris cards won't be in the US$110-120 range I'm looking at?

So. Anybody know if the R7 360 cards will support 4K @ 60Hz via DP?

 

[DigDog]

well, sucks to be you. at least you are surrounded by sexy thai girls, so you are not having it that bad.

 

[happy medium]

Just grab a gtx950. Your not gonna game much ,its the perfect card.

 

[Zanovar]

well, sucks to be you. at least you are surrounded by sexy thai girls, so you are not having it that bad.

haha

 

[nerp]

The GTX950 is the card to get, for sure. And it's very adequate for modern gaming.

 

[wpcoe]

Cheapest GTX950 is US$160. I just pulled the trigger yesterday and ordered a US$120 Gigabyte R7 360. Hopefully it will be good enough. The US$40 difference will buy a lot of "lady drinks" for those aforementioned sexy Thai girls. ()

Sad thing is that I talked myself out of a system upgrade. I looked at Skylake micro-ATX motherboards, but couldn't find a reasonably-priced one with DisplayPort to support the 4K display, so I decided to just keep my elderly i3-3225 and add in a dGPU.

 

[R0H1T]

The cheapest Radeon R9 380 I can find here (Thailand) is ~US$219 and cheapest GTX960 is ~US$212. The Radeon 7 360's I asked about are ~US$112-$118. Quite a bit cheaper *IF* they support 4K @ 60Hz, which I still am not sure about...

Keep in mind, I'm not a gamer but simply want to do office-type work and watch (probably non-4K) videos on a 4K monitor.

If your work is not being hindered in any way, currently with the system you have, you should wait for Polaris 11 &/or Nvidia's equivalent in that range. The new(er) cards will be so much better than anything currently for sale i.e. for UHD resolutions or even above that.

 

[seitur]

Wait for AMD Polaris cards, they will surely have wide 4K support build in. It is coming soon (1-2 months).

 

[MagickMan]

Buy a used 960 off ebay, ~$120.

 

[wpcoe]

If your work is not being hindered in any way, currently with the system you have, you should wait for Polaris 11 &/or Nvidia's equivalent in that range. The new(er) cards will be so much better than anything currently for sale i.e. for UHD resolutions or even above that.

Wait for AMD Polaris cards, they will surely have wide 4K support build in. It is coming soon (1-2 months).

How much will Polaris cards cost? What will they provide me that a US$120 R7 360 won't? Keep in mind that I don't game nor watch 4K videos, just want a higher-res display for my desktop computer.

Buy a used 960 off ebay, ~$120.

Plus shipping to Thailand, plus Customs duties plus 7% VAT. And, like with the Polaris, what added benefit would I get from a 960 for my usage vs the R7 360?