Cheap power-sipping card with 4K output

brettjrob

Senior member
Jul 1, 2003
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Been running an 8800 GT for almost six years and it's finally crapped the bed, so it's time for a replacement.

I don't do a lot of gaming these days, so I'm looking to keep it around $100. I'd also prefer something quiet and low in power consumption.

It seems the Radeon 7750 may be a good bet. I especially like that it doesn't require external power.

However, I have one stipulation that's making my search difficult: I'd really like to make sure my next card is capable of outputting a 4K signal for future-proofing purposes. Many of the 7750s/7770s I've looked at appear to max out at 2560x1600, according to the specs on Amazon/NewEgg. But I get the feeling the listed max res may be inaccurate in some cases. (Is it just a matter of making sure the card says DisplayPort 1.2, or what?)

Can someone point me in the right direction? In summary: $100 or less, 4K capable, as little power consumption as possible. 7750 preferred, but 7770 (or something comparable) would be alright.
 

Lonyo

Lifer
Aug 10, 2002
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http://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/ar...s-and-Usage-492/#4kMonitorConnectivityOptions

According to this, if you get a Displayport model it should support it.

http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articles/Pages/DrivingMultipleDisplaysFromaSingleDisplayPort.aspx
AFAIK, most 60Hz 4k monitors make use of DP MST in order to get the extra data required. That means any monitor which supports 4 monitors at 1080p through MST should work for 4k at 60Hz.
Code:
AMD Desktop Product Family Compatibility
AMD Radeon™ HD 7900 Series
AMD Radeon HD 7800 Series
AMD Radeon HD 7700 Series
AMD Radeon HD 7660D Series
AMD Radeon HD 7600 Series (OEM)
AMD Radeon HD 7560D Series
AMD Radeon HD 7500 Series (OEM)
AMD Radeon HD 7540D Series
AMD Radeon HD 7480D Series
AMD Radeon HD 7400 Series (OEM)
AMD Radeon HD 6900 Series
AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series
AMD Radeon HD 6600 Series
AMD Radeon HD 6500 Series
AMD Radeon HD 6400 Series
And all future products after January 2013

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7157/asus-pq321q-ultrahd-4k-monitor-review/2

DisplayPort 1.2 allows for Multi-Stream Transport (MST) support, letting you drive two displays with a single DP cable. But why does that matter if the ASUS is your only monitor? Because to get the full 60Hz refresh rate out of it, DisplayPort needs to see it as a pair of 1920x2160 monitors that each get their own signal.

The ASUS has MST mode disabled by default. With my NVIDIA GTX 660 Ti I had to manually enable it in the monitor for it to turn on. I’ve been told that with ATI or Intel GPUs over DisplayPort 1.2 it is automatic, but I don’t have those to test with. Once enabled, it quickly went from 30 Hz to 60 Hz while staying at 3840x2160 resolution.
 
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brettjrob

Senior member
Jul 1, 2003
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So am I safe to assume that *any* 7750 on the market with DisplayPort will be able to to 4K/60Hz? That simplifies things if so.
 

Sohaltang

Senior member
Apr 13, 2013
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It might support 4k as a desktop but don't think your gonna game with it. 4k will tax most modern GPU's
 

brixter11

Junior Member
Oct 19, 2011
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Slightly of topic but most people talk about 4k gaming being demanding but if we were to play games on medium without AA. I would assume that most current cards would handle it just fine.
 

brettjrob

Senior member
Jul 1, 2003
214
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That's fine; not worried about gaming at 4K. Just want to make sure I can use a 4K display for everyday use in the future if needed.
 

Zodiark1593

Platinum Member
Oct 21, 2012
2,230
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Slightly of topic but most people talk about 4k gaming being demanding but if we were to play games on medium without AA. I would assume that most current cards would handle it just fine.
Apparently, most gamers will take higher settings over the higher resolution, thus, 4K resolution is demanding at high settings. ;)
 

Sohaltang

Senior member
Apr 13, 2013
854
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Slightly of topic but most people talk about 4k gaming being demanding but if we were to play games on medium without AA. I would assume that most current cards would handle it just fine.


I think your assumption is wrong. Unless your ok with 20 fps