Best video card for under $300..

[SeductivePig]

I plan to do some heavy gaming this fall. Currently I have a 19'' monitor (1440x900) with a 2500k, 8gb ram, z68 mobo.

I have the option of going all out and getting a beastly card for less than $300, or I can pay half that, get a cheaper card, and buy a new 1080p monitor.

If I were to buy the monitor and card, I would go with a 6870 for $150.

The other option however, leaves me wondering.. there's a 2gb HIS 6950 for $270, an OC'd 560TI for $260, crossfiring two 6850's for $300, etc..

What's my best option?

 

[DesiPower]

GTX 480

Bench

*Edit*
In fact a 6850CF would be better than 480GTX for gaming.

 

[TakeNoPrisoners]

I would get a new 1080p monitor for that price. Any $300 card at 1440x900 resoultion would be wasted. A 6870 and a 1080p monitor will make you happier.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

As the poster above said, the GTX 480. The ones that started to come out ~3 months after initial production have less leaky transistors and a more mature process so they consume a lot less power and run cooler and quieter than what the reviewers got. They also have a more robust power phase design than the GTX 570 so it's better for overclocking as long as you have good airflow. The extra .25GB of VRAM should help if you're running a res of over 1920x1200, too. It's still an extremely capable card, so it's a good deal.

As for what you should do, it depends. If you get both the GPU and monitor, you're gonna end up with an okay-ish monitor.

For $180 you can get a Radeon HD 6870 on Amazon and for $120 you can get a Hannspree HF225DPB, which seems to be the least expensive 1920x1080 21.5" monitor with little to any quality issues.

 

[SeductivePig]

The question is, is whether there's any point even getting a $300 card for a 900P monitor.

Two 6850 in crossfire is equivalent to a 580.. so I could do that for $300.

or

I could get a 6870, upgrade my monitor now, play games at 1080P, and buy another card next year and crossfire it.


Don't really know which option is better tbh..

 

[DesiPower]

I would say go with the second option, $150 + new monitor and CF/SLI later. Reason being, a new monitor will give you a much better gaming experience and something like a 6850 is not a bad card..

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

The question is, is whether there's any point even getting a $300 card for a 900P monitor.

I could either get a $300 card and upgrade my monitor next year and max out games in 900P

or

I could get a $150 card, upgrade my monitor now, play games at 1080P, and buy another card next year and crossfire it.


Don't really know which option is better tbh..

If you're not thinking of investing in the future on a monitor with a res higher than 1920x1080 or IPS, the option of buying both the GPU and monitor together makes more sense. Would you be fine with a 21.5" monitor or would you prefer to step up to 23"?

What power supply do you have, BTW?

 

[Arkadrel]

The other option however, leaves me wondering.. there's a 2gb HIS 6950 for $270, an OC'd 560TI for $260, crossfiring two 6850's for $300, etc..

6850 CF is faster than a 580 is, in more or less everything.
So if your motherboard supports it, 6850x2 seems to be the best value (price/performance) you can get for 300$.

Somepeople dont like the hassle of SLI/CF though, and some swear they can feel microstuttering.

 

[SeductivePig]

Would there even be any point getting CF 6850's for a 900p monitor?

I guess since it's equivalent to a GTX 580 it would last me quite some time before I have to upgrade again.. and I guess I could buy the monitor later.

But 900p.. seems like a 580 equivalent setup is extreme overkill.

If you're not thinking of investing in the future on a monitor with a res higher than 1920x1080 or IPS, the option of buying both the GPU and monitor together makes more sense. Would you be fine with a 21.5" monitor or would you prefer to step up to 23"?

What power supply do you have, BTW?

I do plan on buying a monitor in the future.. hmm. I feel like it would be a bad idea to get a cheap monitor now instead of getting a good CF setup and waiting to get a nice more costly monitor later.

The PSU is a Corsair GS700, and the motherboard is a gigabyte z68. I wonder if it supports crossfire.. it's this one:
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0364087



If I decided to go with a monitor and a 6870.. with my current setup of 2500k, 8gb ram, and z68 motherboard, can I expect really good performance in BF3 & Skyrim?

 

[TakeNoPrisoners]

Would there even be any point getting CF 6850's for a 900p monitor?

I guess since it's equivalent to a GTX 580 it would last me quite some time before I have to upgrade again.. and I guess I could buy the monitor later.

But 900p.. seems like a 580 equivalent setup is extreme overkill.

My 5850 is a little bit faster than one 6850. I wouldn't see any more power with my 1440x900 monitor if i had a better card. It really is overkill. I do not recommend anything faster than a single 6850 for 1440x900. Get a 1080p monitor and a 6870 and you will be happy.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

Would there even be any point getting CF 6850's for a 900p monitor?

I guess since it's equivalent to a GTX 580 it would last me quite some time before I have to upgrade again.. and I guess I could buy the monitor later.

But 900p.. seems like a 580 equivalent setup is extreme overkill.

It would be. But since now it's pretty much down to the option of buying both together, would you rather get a smaller 21.5" 1080 monitor or a 23" 1080? If you get the smaller monitor you can get a Radeon HD 6870 and, as long as your PSU has 4x PCI-E connectors, you'd be set for at least 3 years if you get another one for CF. If your PSU only has 2x PCI-E connectors and/or you want to get a bigger 23" monitor, you're gonna have to go for the Radeon HD 6850, which should be fine for three years if you OC and CF it. Perhaps you'll have to dial down the settings more in the future in comparison to the 6870(s), though.

 

[SeductivePig]

My 5850 is a little bit faster than one 6850. I wouldn't see any more power with my 1440x900 monitor if i had a better card. It really is overkill. I do not recommend anything faster than a single 6850 for 1440x900. Get a 1080p monitor and a 6870 and you will be happy.

I'm thinking that this is the best route. Actually I'm thinking of just getting the monitor now, waiting a month or two for the 7000 series to be released, and possibly picking up a better video card in the same price range.. there aren't any games coming out before BF3 that I'm dying to play.

If the prices don't go down though, would you say a 6870 would give nice performance at 1080p?

It would be. But since now it's pretty much down to the option of buying both together, would you rather get a smaller 21.5" 1080 monitor or a 23" 1080? If you get the smaller monitor you can get a Radeon HD 6870 and, as long as your PSU has 4x PCI-E connectors, you'd be set for at least 3 years if you get another one for CF. If your PSU only has 2x PCI-E connectors and/or you want to get a bigger 23" monitor, you're gonna have to go for the Radeon HD 6850, which should be fine for three years if you OC and CF it. Perhaps you'll have to dial down the settings more in the future in comparison to the 6870(s), though.

I can manage to get a monitor like this viewsonic for $170 and spend $150ish on a 6850 or 6870.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ViewSon...98090154&skuId=9939787#tabbed-customerreviews

I wouldn't mind a 21.5'' monitor, but it boils down to being able to see it in store first. I'd rather not buy it without seeing it.

 

[RussianSensation]

XFX HD6870 CF combo + 1.5TB hard drive for $337.

Sell the hard drive and you got THE best sub-$300 VGA setup.

1080P monitor upgrade + $150 HD6870 is great too. Grab at least a 23 inch monitor though.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

Would there even be any point getting CF 6850's for a 900p monitor?

I guess since it's equivalent to a GTX 580 it would last me quite some time before I have to upgrade again.. and I guess I could buy the monitor later.

But 900p.. seems like a 580 equivalent setup is extreme overkill.



I do plan on buying a monitor in the future.. hmm. I feel like it would be a bad idea to get a cheap monitor now instead of getting a good CF setup and waiting to get a nice more costly monitor later.

The PSU is a Corsair GS700, and the motherboard is a gigabyte z68. I wonder if it supports crossfire.. it's this one:
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0364087



If I decided to go with a monitor and a 6870.. with my current setup of 2500k, 8gb ram, and z68 motherboard, can I expect really good performance in BF3 & Skyrim?

Hmm, now I'm having qualms about the recommendations. Your PSU isn't up to the task of powering two 2x PCIe connector GPUs in the future. You'll have to go for a Radeon HD 6850 so you can add another one later for CF and you can get a 23" monitor. This is the best route, as a Radeon HD 6850 will be enough now for 1920x1080 in most games at high settings + AA, and in the future a CF be faster and run cooler than having a single GTX 480. If you get a single GPU with 2x PCIe connectors you'll be at a dead end unless you get another PSU. Get the 23" monitor and a Radeon HD 6850.

 

[SeductivePig]

Hmm, now I'm having qualms about the recommendations. Your PSU isn't up to the task of powering two 2x PCIe connector GPUs in the future. You'll have to go for a Radeon HD 6850 so you can add another one later for CF and you can get a 23" monitor. This is the best route, as a Radeon HD 6850 will be enough now for 1920x1080 in most games at high settings + AA, and in the future a CF be faster and run cooler than having a single GTX 480. If you get a single GPU with 2x PCIe connectors you'll be at a dead end unless you get another PSU. Get the 23" monitor and a Radeon HD 6850.

I have doubts that a 6850 would be able to handle BF3 on it's own though.. I will try a 6870.

However, do you see any PSU's from this list at best buy that might be able to handle crossfire in the future?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olstempl...c=abcat0500000

I was going to buy the gs700 today but if there's something that can handle better in that list I can buy that instead. The budget is $100, and I have a 10% off coupon too

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

I have doubts that a 6850 would be able to handle BF3 on it's own though.. I will try a 6870.

However, do you see any PSU's from this list at best buy that might be able to handle crossfire in the future?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olstempl...c=abcat0500000

I was going to buy the gs700 today but if there's something that can handle better in that list I can buy that instead. The budget is $100, and I have a 10% off coupon too

Oh, so you haven't bought yet? Good thing. Unfortunately, none of the ones under $100 can handle two Radeon HD 6870s. Out of that list, the Corsair TX650 V2 is the best. It's based on a better design than the GS700, has more efficiency, lower ripple, and lower voltage fluctuation. If you can pay a bit more for the possibility of a Radeon HD 6870 CF in the future, though, I highly suggest you get the Corsair TX750 V2. It has more power connectors including 4x PCIe and can handle a significant amount more power, for only $11 more than the Corsair GS700 you were eying.

That said, a Radeon HD 6870 is only around 8-10% faster at the same clock speed as a 6850, and the 6850 OCs a tiny bit more on average. Something to keep in mind if you're gonna OC. I'd be surprised if a 6850 couldn't handle BF3 at high settings with 2xAA at 1920x1080.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I was going to buy the gs700 today but if there's something that can handle better in that list I can buy that instead. The budget is $100, and I have a 10% off coupon too

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&SID=u00000687

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&SID=u00000687

It's okay, but nothing to write home about. The XFX Core Edition Pro 650W is available for the same price and would easily run a 6870 CrossFire natively while providing higher electrical quality. Really, the HCG-750 is just a somewhat improved EA-750, and we know that wasn't the best of units. Delta seems to fare off better in the very high-end units but they do worse than Seasonic for the performance market units ($75-150).

 

[MentalIlness]

I used to have a 1440x900 monitor that I had for about 4 years. Recently "February" of this year I bought XFX 6870. Ended up here recently with a Aquos 1080P as a monitor. And Ill tell you, I have not found a game yet that I cannot run great. And this is with settings turned up as well.

Plus, you have a lot better CPU right now than I do "at least till BD" and it is a E7200 @ 4.0.

I think you should just get the 6870 and a 1080P monitor. You won't regret it.

 

[SeductivePig]

Oh, so you haven't bought yet? Good thing. Unfortunately, none of the ones under $100 can handle two Radeon HD 6870s. Out of that list, the Corsair TX650 V2 is the best. It's based on a better design than the GS700, has more efficiency, lower ripple, and lower voltage fluctuation. If you can pay a bit more for the possibility of a Radeon HD 6870 CF in the future, though, I highly suggest you get the Corsair TX750 V2. It has more power connectors including 4x PCIe and can handle a significant amount more power, for only $11 more than the Corsair GS700 you were eying.

That said, a Radeon HD 6870 is only around 8-10% faster at the same clock speed as a 6850, and the 6850 OCs a tiny bit more on average. Something to keep in mind if you're gonna OC. I'd be surprised if a 6850 couldn't handle BF3 at high settings with 2xAA at 1920x1080.

I really appreciate the advice from you, and everyone.

I guess I will go ahead and get the monitor and a 6850. And I will get the TX650 power supply; I'm guessing my upgrade path if the single 6850 isn't good enough for BF3, will be to CF another 6850, and since I'll know this by around November, I'm sure 6850 prices will have gone down due to the 7000 series being released. Do you know if the TX650 can handle CF 6850's? I will be overclocking the 6850 as well as the 2500k.

I used to have a 1440x900 monitor that I had for about 4 years. Recently "February" of this year I bought XFX 6870. Ended up here recently with a Aquos 1080P as a monitor. And Ill tell you, I have not found a game yet that I cannot run great. And this is with settings turned up as well.

Plus, you have a lot better CPU right now than I do "at least till BD" and it is a E7200 @ 4.0.

I think you should just get the 6870 and a 1080P monitor. You won't regret it.

Awesome, I will go ahead and get the monitor and 6850 then.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

I really appreciate the advice from you, and everyone.

I guess I will go ahead and get the monitor and a 6850. And I will get the TX650 power supply; I'm guessing my upgrade path if the single 6850 isn't good enough for BF3, will be to CF another 6850, and since I'll know this by around November, I'm sure 6850 prices will have gone down due to the 7000 series being released. Do you know if the TX650 can handle CF 6850's? I will be overclocking the 6850 as well as the 2500k.


Awesome, I will go ahead and get the monitor and 6850 then.

The TX-650 V2 won't break a sweat with two OCed Radeon HD 6850 and a Core i5 at 1.35-1.4V. Two Radeon HD 6850s overclocked but not overvolted consume a max of around 150W each for 300W, and a Core i5 2500K at 1.35V consumes 150W max. Peripherals are around 50W. At the wall that's 500W, but taking 85% efficiency into account the PSU only has to produce 425W. If you wanted to go with a lower wattage unit for two 6850s you could, but at 425W the PSU will be running at almost peak efficiency.

The 6850 is an overclocking beast, so you should definitely try that as soon as you get it.

Happy to help.

 

[RussianSensation]

Awesome, I will go ahead and get the monitor and 6850 then.

There is a 20% difference in performance between an HD6850 and an HD6870.

HD6850 hovers around $135-140 before shipping. You can get an HD6870 with lifetime warranty for $150 with free shipping and 2 free games (Shogun and Dirt 3).

Just $10 more for 20% higher performance, no overclocking required. :thumbsup:

 

[3DVagabond]

There is a 20% difference in performance between an HD6850 and an HD6870.

HD6850 hovers around $135-140 before shipping. You can get an HD6870 with lifetime warranty for $150 with free shipping and 2 free games (Shogun and Dirt 3).

Just $10 more for 20% higher performance, no overclocking required. :thumbsup:

I would recommend the 6870 for only $10 more, too. Easily worth the price premium, IMO.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

There is a 20% difference in performance between an HD6850 and an HD6870.

HD6850 hovers around $135-140 before shipping. You can get an HD6870 with lifetime warranty for $150 with free shipping and 2 free games (Shogun and Dirt 3).

Just $10 more for 20% higher performance, no overclocking required. :thumbsup:

One, no, there's not a 20% difference. It's 14% at most. Two, he said he's over-clocking. The 6850 overclocks a bit better than the 6870, automatically negating some of its performance increase. Another thing that negates its performance increase is that the 6870 is only around 8-10% faster at the same clocks. Another negative is that he needs to buy a power supply with four PCIe connectors and the XFX Core Edition Pro 650W is not available at BB, which is where he intends to buy. Three, if you're gonna argue over MIRs as if they were the final price, you can get the XFX version of the 6850 for $135, and it also includes the same free games. It's a $15 difference if you consider MIRs, and a $25 difference if you actually consider the upfront price.

The Radeon HD 6870 CAN be $150 some months after he buys it and IF XFX decides to honor the MIR. Knowing their shady business practices, I wouldn't bet 100% on it. This still doesn't address the fact he'd need to buy a Corsair TX-750 V2 if he wants CrossFire and that costs $20 more than the Corsair TX-650 V2. Factor in all the price differences, and you're paying from $35 to $45 more if he wants CF in the future.

Another thing: if he wants to stay within the budget he'd have to go for a 21.5" monitor instead of 23" if he wants to get the 6870.

 

[RussianSensation]

One, no, there's not a 20% difference.

TPU graphs tend to show less of a performance difference than other websites since they tend to use a combination of older games (HAWX, Call of Duty 4, etc.) + modern games. In modern games it will be closer to 18-20%.

It's 14% at most. Two, he said he's over-clocking.

Even from the info you provided, this is not how you calculate math. 100 / 86 = 16%.

Not to mention you linked an older review. Latest review of H6870 X2 shows performance much closer to the 18-20% mark:

60 / 51 = 17.6%

No overclocking required. You get 2 free games + lifetime warranty for just $10 more.

This still doesn't address the fact he'd need to buy a Corsair TX-750 V2 if he wants CrossFire and that costs $20 more than the Corsair TX-650 V2.

Where do you even come up with this stuff?

2500k only consumes 163 Watts at 4.7ghz overclock.

A single HD6870 consumes a maximum of 169 Watts.

So overclocked 2500k + 2x HD6870 = 501 Watts. You still have 150 Watts reserve on a 650W power supply from Corsair. But even that's unrealistic since you won't be able to peg a 2500k 4.7ghz + 2x HD6870 CF in games to 100% at the same time. Either way, a 650W power supply will run this setup without even trying.

I've seen people run Q6600 @ 3.4ghz + 2x HD4890 CF on my Corsair 520. People don't realize that quality power supplies are made to run at their rated wattage. In other words, if a Corsair rates their PSU at 520 or 650 Watts => it means it will run at those wattages for years at 40*C.

Right now Newegg sells tons of PSUs for not much $ that will handle 2500k overclocked + HD6870 in CF:

Antec 750 Watt Gamer PSU for $65.

PC Power & Cooling 650 Watt for $61 after 10% off and MIR.

LEPA 850 Watt (made by Enermax) for $50.

Corsair 650 Watt for $70.

Another thing: if he wants to stay within the budget he'd have to go for a 21.5" monitor instead of 23" if he wants to get the 6870.

So just $10 extra is going to force him to downgrade to a much smaller monitor?