Best video card that's worth getting for i5 2500K CPU System

[AKriv]

I have a system with an i5 2500k CPU and 16GB RAM. I want to upgrade my crappy video card, but I don't want to waste money on a card that will be bottle-necked by the other components.

What do you think is the highest level of video card I can go with?

 

[Leyawiin]

Any/all. Seriously, with that CPU - especially OC'd well - you can use any video card on the market. Do you have a max budget?

 

[Z15CAM]

For the money, an OEM R9 290 or X and use a Full Water Block such as a XSPC or EK with a Rad and Pump and suggest a Corsair H110 or I AIO on that i5 2500k.

 

[AKriv]

Any/all. Seriously, with that CPU - especially OC'd well - you can use any video card on the market. Do you have a max budget?

Around $250. I've abandoned gaming for a few years, so now I'm out of the loop on all this stuff.

 

[DigDog]

what layawiin said.

i think a R290 is a good balance of awesome vs cost. this is assuming you have a 1920x1080 screen that you want to drive at 40+ fps at max settings, on modern games.

if your screen is smaller (doubt it), or you are not keen on maxing everything, you can go lower to a 280x.

(personally, i'm an nvidia fan. but they cost more, and the radeons have plummetted in price, so you will be getting a great deal)

i mean, LOL:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=
$232 after rebate, plus another three bucks shipping. 4Gb memory.
you can't go wrong.

 

[Leyawiin]

Yup - R9 290 would be the strongest choice around your budget max and would be a fine match for your CPU. Newegg also has an a Sapphire Tri-X for $260 after a promo code (also has a $20 rebate). I'd probably for for that one if it were me.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202143

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

preliminary results favor the 290 in Mantle with Windows 10

 

[RaistlinZ]

The Sapphire R9 290 is $239.99 after discount code and rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202143

 

[AKriv]

Is it worth splurging a bit more for a GTX 970?

 

[Intel FX Master]

Is it worth splurging a bit more for a GTX 970?

That's a matter of personal preference. Personally since you asked IMHO I would say that it's better to save the money and go with the 290 cause all you will get with the 970 is the ability to turn on a few more in game graphical settings that will be hard to dectect when actually playing the game anyway.

 

[raghu78]

Is it worth splurging a bit more for a GTX 970?

No. Also the GTX 970 is already showing its limitations with uneven frametimes and stuttering due to the weird memory partition in games like Rome Total War Atilla even at 1080p

http://www.pcgameshardware.de/Total-War-Attila-PC-259548/Specials/Test-Benchmarks-1151602/

the R9 290 Tri-X at USD 240 after rebate is as good as it gets. one of the best R9 290 cards. excellent cooler with low noise and temps. :thumbsup:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7601/sapphire-radeon-r9-290-review-our-first-custom-cooled-290/4

"At 41.1dB the 290 Tri-X OC beats a number of Tahiti based cards, including our 7970GE and Sapphire’s own 280X Toxic, and it even edges out Asus’s impressive 280X DirectCU II. This not only makes Sapphire’s 290 the quietest high-end card we have, but it also means we’re seeing Sapphire dissipate an estimated 250W of heat while only generating a very, very limited amount of noise while doing so. Or to put this another way, Sapphire’s 290 is 16dB quieter than the reference 290, nullifying our earlier noise concerns and then-some."

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-r9-290-and-290x,3728-8.html

https://translate.google.com/transl...014-05/amd-radeon-r9-290-290x-roundup-test/3/

 

[xorbe]

2500k will push even a Titan X, so any card you want. Hard to go wrong with the 970, as long as you keep your resolution and graphics options reasonable (as with any card, really.) What annoys me with web site reviews is they all tend to jam the option sliders to the max, then complain the card didn't reach 60 fps minimum for a single frame.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

my gtx 670 is enough for the games i play @ 1080, even with a 1366 socket chip. your 2500k will be more than enough to push any card

 

[therealnickdanger]

No. Also the GTX 970 is already showing its limitations with uneven frametimes and stuttering due to the weird memory partition in games like Rome Total War Atilla even at 1080p

http://www.pcgameshardware.de/Total-War-Attila-PC-259548/Specials/Test-Benchmarks-1151602/

Eek! You weren't kidding.

That would explain the constant stuttering I felt. I'm so glad I returned that thing.

To the OP: you can really get away with having any GPU you want. The 290 is an incredible bargain. My WindForce 290 is a great card, but I wish I had bought the Tri-X as they seem to OC better. Right now I'm holding off on a flagship purchase because AMD is launching the 390X in June and the 980Ti will be coming this fall. If the 390X fails to live up to the hype, then I'll probably get the Ti.

 

[Charlie98]

Is it worth splurging a bit more for a GTX 970?

Not really, having said that, I have a GTX970 in my 2500K gaming rig. If you are really up against the bang for buck wall, AMD is the way to go.

...and the others are correct, as far as the 2500K goes, it is still a very capable CPU with just about any GPU you can stab in there.

 

[formulav8]

The R9-290 prices are unreal for the performance/features you get.

Skip the gtx970 for sure.

 

[B-Riz]

If I knew how cheap these were going to be after the mining craze died, I would have waited a few months to get one (purchased April 2014).

It is the most I have ever paid for a vid card, but it is beastly.

 

[AKriv]

Thanks everyone. Pulled the trigger on the Sapphire R9 290 Tri-X.