Best gpu for my old machine...

[FishSlayer]

Hello,

I am having a very hard time trying to figure out which card would be the best card to put in my old pc, and any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I can't buy a new pc, or motherboard or cpu right now.
I have about $100.00 tops to spend.

My pc:
motherboard is A8AE-LE, Asustek, Amberine M
cpu is Amd Athlon 64X2 3800+
4 gb ram
current gpu is radeon hd 3800

I want to get the best card I can that is a pci express x16 2.0, if there is even a card that would work decent in my system. I will put a small cpu upgrade in sometime down the road, although not many options available for that. So any help would be great as I am stumped

 

[Arachnotronic]

This card should be a good upgrade:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125774

 

[FishSlayer]

That would be a huge upgrade, I have read so many threads about pci express x16 1.0 and being compatible with 2.0 and 3.0, so many say it won't work and then there are many who say it will. Can I use a pci express x16 3.0 in a pci express x16 1.0 slot, I am sure this is asked everywhere. But I really don't know which side of the debate is right, is it all just about trial and error?

 

[Arachnotronic]

That would be a huge upgrade, I have read so many threads about pci express x16 1.0 and being compatible with 2.0 and 3.0, so many say it won't work and then there are many who say it will. Can I use a pci express x16 3.0 in a pci express x16 1.0 slot, I am sure this is asked everywhere. But I really don't know which side of the debate is right, is it all just about trial and error?

It should work!

 

[RussianSensation]

This card should be a good upgrade:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125774

Well that took 0 research on your part. I am disappointed you picked one of the worst overpriced cards under $100.

R9 270 2GB for $90 is 2X faster than the card you linked. GT740 is even worse than HD6950 and R9 270 ~ GTX950.

On the NV side, 750Ti refurbished is $95. Under no circumstances should a GT740 2GB for $90-95 be recommended.

OP, your CPU platform is horribly outdated. I suggest you consider doing a full system upgrade too that includes a new CPU+mobo+memory. Alternatively, you'd have to look for parts something along the lines of Q6600-6700 + P35 board + overclocking them.

 

[Spjut]

PCI-E is backwards compatible and shall work.

But I've seen users on various forums report various compatibility issues with the Geforce 600 and HD 7000 series and later, which were fixed first when their motherboards received new BIOS updates.
Even LGA 1155 users have reported those problems.

 

[Arachnotronic]

Well that took 0 research on your part. I am disappointed you picked one of the worst overpriced cards under $100.

That R9 270 is $110 w/o rebate, and rebates can be unreliable. The OP literally said that $100 represented the upper limit ("tops") of what (s)he wanted to spend.

EDIT: Also, I don't trust refurbished cards, which is why I didn't recommend that particular one. But of course if the OP is cool w/ refurb, the 750 Ti might be a good bet.

 

[FishSlayer]

Well that took 0 research on your part. I am disappointed you picked one of the worst overpriced cards under $100.

R9 270 2GB for $90 is 2X faster than the card you linked. GT740 is even worse than HD6950 and R9 270 ~ GTX950.

On the NV side, 750Ti refurbished is $95. Under no circumstances should a GT740 2GB for $90-95 be recommended.

OP, your CPU platform is horribly outdated. I suggest you consider doing a full system upgrade too that includes a new CPU+mobo+memory. Alternatively, you'd have to look for parts something along the lines of Q6600-6700 + P35 board + overclocking them.

Yes I am going to actually buy a whole new pc next September, just trying to improve this one as much as I can for now...and i did just finish reading your discussion on another thread about the gt740 and hd6970, and did learn a bit from reading that..so I will look into the r9 270, thank you

 

[cbn]

R9 270 2GB for $90 is 2X faster than the card you linked. GT740 is even worse than HD6950 and R9 270 ~ GTX950.

GT 740 (aka GTX 650) is around the level of HD7750 (512sp @ 800 Mhz) , so that R9 270 (1280 sp @ 900Mhz/955 Mhz is probably close to 3x faster.

1280 x 955/512 x 800 = 2.98

Amazing how poor the value scales when going from $60 (MSI GT 740) to $90 at this time.

 

[FishSlayer]

GT 740 (aka GTX 650) is around the level of HD7750 (512sp @ 800 Mhz) , so that R9 270 (1280 sp @ 900Mhz/955 Mhz is probably close to 3x faster.

1280 x 955/512 x 800 = 2.98

Amazing how poor the value scales when going from $60 (MSI GT 740) to $90 at this time.

So being my system is so old, with pci express x16 1.0, would i see a real significant difference between the 2 cards, sorry if it is a dumb question, I am a noob at this type of stuff.

 

[Arachnotronic]

So being my system is so old, with pci express x16 1.0, would i see a real significant difference between the 2 cards, sorry if it is a dumb question, I am a noob at this type of stuff.

Question: Are you willing to buy used?

 

[FishSlayer]

Question: Are you willing to buy used?

I would consider buying a used one.

 

[Leyawiin]

I have an old Athlon 64 X2 3800+ socket 939 OC'd to X2 4400+ speed. I have it paired with a GTX 650 (GT 740 is just a rebadge of it). I've tried an R7 360 and a GTX 750 Ti in it (got a boat load of GPUs floating around at any given time). It gets ZERO benefit from a faster card. In fact, the GTX 650 performs slightly better that the R7 360 just because of the lower driver overhead with Nvidia (and that old CPU needs all the help it can get).

I know I should take it to recycling, but I don't want to part with the old Athlon and DFI Lan Party motherboard - sentimental (or just mental) I guess.

 

[Arachnotronic]

I would consider buying a used one.

I'd recommend getting a used GTX 560/560 Ti from eBay. Sub-$100 and should tide you over nicely.

Here's one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zotac-NVIDI...805693?hash=item2ca6407efd:g:4r0AAOSw8-tWZUIH

 

[cbn]

So being my system is so old, with pci express x16 1.0, would i see a real significant difference between the 2 cards, sorry if it is a dumb question, I am a noob at this type of stuff.

The PCIe x 16 1.0 won't be a bottleneck, but the CPU sure will be!

Unfortunately this is a really bad time to buy a low end card.

 

[cbn]

FishSlayer, since your CPU is so weak one thing we have to be concerned with is CPU to GPU mismatch.

Example below:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=37882771&postcount=15

So, if I were to switch to a worse-performing GPU, there would also be less stress on my CPU, which would alleviate spikes/stutters but give worse performance?

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-pentium-g3258-review

In the highlighted video, you can see that running the game at the high preset (that's one 'notch' down from the ultra-equivalent, very high) in combination with a GTX 760 results in a night-and-day performance differential between the i7 4790K and the Pentium. The additional fidelity in the game simulation, coupled with the immense increase in GPU set-up costs, sees the Anniversary Edition Pentium struggle horrendously to keep pace. What we're seeing here is a classic case of a lack of hardware balance: the G3258 simply can't feed the GTX 760 quickly enough to sustain a consistent frame-rate.

Now, compare and contrast with the secondary analysis, where we drop the GPU down to a far more modest GTX 750 Ti, and lower the overall quality preset to the medium level. In this case, for the most part it is the graphics card that is the bottleneck, and the overall performance level lowers the i7 advantage significantly.

Also, I liked Flapdrol's post here:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=37502538&postcount=22

Pentium has run every game I tried very well.

If you're not gpu limited you have to sometimes use an fps cap though. Otherwise the high priority game threads hog both cores until the background/low priority threads can't be delayed anymore, and you get noticable stutters, or even have the game stall for a second.

Anyway, I have a gtx 670 so I don't often have to do that.

In a nutshell, get a smaller card and lower detail settings in order to smooth out gameplay.

 

[MrTeal]

So being my system is so old, with pci express x16 1.0, would i see a real significant difference between the 2 cards, sorry if it is a dumb question, I am a noob at this type of stuff.

PCIe 1.0 shouldn't make any difference at the kinds of specs you're looking at.

The GPUs in that graph are way more powerful than anything proposed here, and even they see a minimal penalty at lower bandwidth.

That being said, I wouldn't be spending $90 on a 740 to pair with that, or $90 on the R9 270 even if it is an excellent value. I would be looking for a used 6870 for $30-40 or 560 Ti for $50. Both would be faster than the 740, and half the price. Sure you don't get DX12 compatibility, but you wouldn't be playing AOTS on that 3800+ anyway. Hell, if you lived local to me I have a 5770 sitting in a box somewhere I'd sell you for $20, and even that would be a good pairing to what you have and worlds faster than a HD3870.

 

[cbn]

Hello,

I am having a very hard time trying to figure out which card would be the best card to put in my old pc, and any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I can't buy a new pc, or motherboard or cpu right now.
I have about $100.00 tops to spend.

My pc:
motherboard is A8AE-LE, Asustek, Amberine M
cpu is Amd Athlon 64X2 3800+
4 gb ram
current gpu is radeon hd 3800

I want to get the best card I can that is a pci express x16 2.0, if there is even a card that would work decent in my system. I will put a small cpu upgrade in sometime down the road, although not many options available for that. So any help would be great as I am stumped

This must be a HP Desktop right?

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00496280

If so, what model is it?

 

[frozentundra123456]

OP, what is your power supply, and how old is it? The 740, 750, and 750Ti all require less than 75 watts and require no six pln connector. They should run on almost any psu. The AMD cards offer better performance per dollar in some cases, but use more power and would put more strain on an aging psu. Unless you plan to transfer the card to a new build, I also question if you can utilize anything more than a 750/750Ti because your cpu is terribly outdated.

 

[happy medium]

Also how big is your PSU?

I'm glad someone finally asked this question.

I think he should just get a sub 100$ Nvidia gtx750.
Less driver overhead for his cpu, like another smart member pointed out, and chances are his psu is a lower power model and the 750 will work just fine with just about any power supply.

gtx750ti for under 100$, recommended by RS.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...tm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=afc-Skimlinks

 

[cbn]

According to that link I provided in post #18, the OP should be able to upgrade to at least a x2 4800 for the CPU

That would boost your clockspeed from 1.8 ghz to 2.5Ghz.

Still a bottleneck, but x 2 4800 is only a few dollars shipped on ebay.

 

[FishSlayer]

This must be a HP Desktop right?

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00496280

If so, what model is it?

It is a compaq presario sr1717cl

 

[FishSlayer]

According to that link I provided in post #18, the OP should be able to upgrade to at least a x2 4800 for the CPU

That would boost your clockspeed from 1.8 ghz to 2.5Ghz.

Still a bottleneck, but x 2 4800 is only a few dollars shipped on ebay.

That was actually the plan in a month or so, not many options for a cpu on this board, but that was the one I was looking at

 

[FishSlayer]

OP, what is your power supply, and how old is it? The 740, 750, and 750Ti all require less than 75 watts and require no six pln connector. They should run on almost any psu. The AMD cards offer better performance per dollar in some cases, but use more power and would put more strain on an aging psu. Unless you plan to transfer the card to a new build, I also question if you can utilize anything more than a 750/750Ti because your cpu is terribly outdated.

my psu is only a 250 watt that is from I believe 2005, but i was thinking of going to 450 or 500

 

[Arachnotronic]

That was actually the plan in a month or so, not many options for a cpu on this board, but that was the one I was looking at

With your $100 budget, you could get a used 560 Ti + Athlon X2 4800+. Not a bad interim upgrade until you can do a full overhaul.