Need advice buying new graphics card

[nicnas]

Recently I upgraded to a Full HD 1920x1080 monitor so my GPU (from an old rig) is too weak. What graphics card should I buy? I'm not a hardcore gamer and will never play Crysis or FarCry2-like games. The games I play the most are Counter-Strike Source, World of Warcraft and UT3.
I want a future-proof GPU that is not very hot, not very noisy and won't be CPU limited on my current rig.

My current rig is:
CPU: Q6600@stock freq., undervolted to 1.00V (I will OC it to 3.2 when I feel it's necessary)
MoBo: Asus P5Q-Pro (P45)
RAM: 2x2GB kingston DDR2-800
GPU: Sapphire HD2600XT 256MB

P.S.: should i wait for a miracle from ATI/nVidia with their new cards? I don't think so. Maybe a price drop for 4850, GTS250 and GTX260 (the cards I'm considering right now)? 4870, 4890 and GTX275 are too hot and power hungry for me.

 

[Qbah]

I'd wait and see what happens after the HD58x0 becomes available.

If you really need a new graphics card now, I'd get a GTX260 from the 3 you list as "viable" for you. Though I don't really understand the last statement. A HD4870 is as hot as a GTX260 at load and uses roughly the same watts. Sure, it's hotter at idle, nothing out of spec though. And it dumps the air outside (stock cooler anyway), so why would you care how hot it gets?

 

[MODEL3]

I live in europe, here you can find:

4770 512MB around 80 euro inc VAT ($100)
4850 1GB around 90 euro inc VAT ($112)
GTS250 1GB around 100 euro inc VAT ($125)

In October ATI will launch 58XX series.
The plan is that it will launch 57XX series in November.
The 56XX is for Q1 2010.

So in 2009 ATI will have probably only 150$ and above DX11 VGAs.
I suppose the 5750 will be around $150. (we don't know yet, my speculation...)
And we know nearly nothing about the specs. (my estimation is +10% average difference with the 4850 in the worst case scenario regarding specs)
When 57XX series launch probably the 4770/4850/GTS250 will be only (-10%) lower than today.
You can buy now a 4850 1GB ($112 converted from euro pricing)
Or wait for November/December and buy a 150$ (?) 5750$. (4850 1GB will probably cost then around $100)

 

[happy medium]

I read that the 57xx series will be 1.6 the power of the 4770. Thats pretty fast for ~170$. Should be almost as fast as a 4890. That about 1.6 the price too?

Edit:

http://vr-zone.com/articles/juniper...-and-juniper-le-is-hd-5750/7626.html?doc=7626

http://xtreview.com/addcomment...nd-required-power.html

http://www.fudzilla.com/content/view/15471/34/

 

[MODEL3]

Yep, i read about it back then, but the data are strange.
In order the 5770 to be 1,6X faster than 4770 (640SPs), must be something like:

800MHz 16ROPs/48TUs/960SPs (the article says 1GB GDDR5 memories on 128-bit memory interface)
(I don't think it's very probable a 16ROPs/40TUs/800SPs design to hit +950MHz in the standard configuration)

I am not even counting memory bandwidth, if we count the memory bandwidth no way can this 128bit design to be 1,6X faster than 4770. (But on the other hand, i suppose the 1,6X is the theoritical highest figure...)

So essentially VR-zone proposing better TUs/ROPs & SPs/ROPs ratio than 5870 (more future proof design) which its strange (but not impossible)

The 4750 according to expreview is 480SPs design and according to other asian (probably less reliable?) sites it is exacly the same as 4770 (640SPs).

If the 4750 is 480SP the 1,2X figure (5850-4750) is "Cuckoo for CocoPops" figure

if the the 4750 is exactly the same as 4770 (another "Cuckoo for CocoPops" situation, but i guess maybe, if ATI made a special deal with a partner for the ASIA market, not impossible)

the 1,2X figure is logical for the above design (5750=a lower clocked, cut down 16ROPs / 48TUs / 960SPs 5870 version)

 

[bryanW1995]

not sure how 4850 is not too "hot" while 4870 is too hot. 4870 runs at a high temp with the stock cooler typically but that is well within spec. or the gts 250, gtx 260 and 4850 the 4850 is the best value while the gtx 260 will give you a better gaming experience at that resolution. honestly, however, you might consider a 4870 512 mb card, that card is probably ideal for your situation. typically it's around $120 on newegg.

 

[Ben90]

I have a video card that will meet and exceed your standards:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16814139165R

Future Proof: The Geforce 5 series has stood the test of time if newegg is STILL offering it
Not Very Hot: Like 50 TDP
Not Very Noisy: The low TDP keeps the fan spinning slowly
Wont be CPU limited: Oh trust me, you will not be CPU limited at all with this card

 

[MODEL3]

Originally posted by: Ben90
I have a video card that will meet and exceed your standards:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16814139165R

Future Proof: The Geforce 5 series has stood the test of time if newegg is STILL offering it
Not Very Hot: Like 50 TDP
Not Very Noisy: The low TDP keeps the fan spinning slowly
Wont be CPU limited: Oh trust me, you will not be CPU limited at all with this card

lol, but wait, the JATON is Open Box, dammit, that ruined everything.

 

[nicnas]

First of all, thank you guys for answering my question so quickly
I forgot to mention that I prefer cards that send hot air out of the case to keep the rest of the system cool.

If there was a reasonably priced HD4850 1GB that sends the hot air out of the case it would be the card for me.

Considering your advice I will choose between a stock cooled 4870 512MB and a stock cooled GTS250 512MB.

The new ATI/nVidia cards will be too pricey for the small performance gains they will bring in the segment i'm looking at.

 

[nemesismk2]

Out of the video cards you mentioned I would go with the GTX 260.

 

[nicnas]

Just finished reading 5870/5850 rewievs. Forget about 4850, GTS250 and GTX260 - 5850 here I come when it's available in my country (sometimes a month after USA/UK)!!!

 

[cusideabelincoln]

Originally posted by: nicnas
Just finished reading 5870/5850 rewievs. Forget about 4850, GTS250 and GTX260 - 5850 here I come when it's available in my country (sometimes a month after USA/UK)!!!

The 5850 will indeed be an attractive card. You might even want to wait and consider the mid-range 5000 series cards (Juniper) to release later this year. I suspect they will offer performance similar to the 4870/GTX260 but do so at lower power consumption, and thus, heat.

Originally posted by: Ben90
I have a video card that will meet and exceed your standards:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16814139165R

Future Proof: The Geforce 5 series has stood the test of time if newegg is STILL offering it
Not Very Hot: Like 50 TDP
Not Very Noisy: The low TDP keeps the fan spinning slowly
Wont be CPU limited: Oh trust me, you will not be CPU limited at all with this card

The only place you failed (in your sarcasm) is that the FX5200 cannot even play the games he listed at the resolution he listed. So it definitely can't meet his standards.

 

[THERESONATOR]

Originally posted by: cusideabelincoln

The only place you failed (in your sarcasm) is that the FX5200 cannot even play the games he listed at the resolution he listed. So it definitely can't meet his standards.

Fail

 

[nicnas]

Originally posted by: cusideabelincoln

Originally posted by: Ben90
I have a video card that will meet and exceed your standards:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16814139165R

Future Proof: The Geforce 5 series has stood the test of time if newegg is STILL offering it
Not Very Hot: Like 50 TDP
Not Very Noisy: The low TDP keeps the fan spinning slowly
Wont be CPU limited: Oh trust me, you will not be CPU limited at all with this card

The only place you failed (in your sarcasm) is that the FX5200 cannot even play the games he listed at the resolution he listed. So it definitely can't meet his standards.

1 more fail: I've never heard about PCI-E version of the FX-5200.
Got 1 of these (passively cooled) in the old AthlonXP 1.6GHz days

 

[cusideabelincoln]

There are PCI versions and just about everyone has a PCI slot. Why are we even talking about this? His post was by far the second worst post of the year (sorry, I've already had to give out the "Very worst post of the year" award to some other user); it wasn't funny, it wasn't intelligent, and it was completely pointless.

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: nicnas

Originally posted by: cusideabelincoln

Originally posted by: Ben90
I have a video card that will meet and exceed your standards:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16814139165R

Future Proof: The Geforce 5 series has stood the test of time if newegg is STILL offering it
Not Very Hot: Like 50 TDP
Not Very Noisy: The low TDP keeps the fan spinning slowly
Wont be CPU limited: Oh trust me, you will not be CPU limited at all with this card

The only place you failed (in your sarcasm) is that the FX5200 cannot even play the games he listed at the resolution he listed. So it definitely can't meet his standards.

1 more fail: I've never heard about PCI-E version of the FX-5200.
Got 1 of these (passively cooled) in the old AthlonXP 1.6GHz days

I actually bought a PCI-E FX5200 at a local computer flea market (1st Saturday here in Dallas). I got it for $1, and had a hell of a time figuring out what in the hell it was, as this was a few years back and I didn't have a PCI-E mobo yet. I suppose it might have been an engineering sample, I used it as a tester card for a while before someone bought it off me for $10 (guy just wanted a card to support an extra monitor for email).

EDIT : This is that piece of crap : http://www.geeks.com/details.a...d=MS-8968-CO&cpc=RECOM

Looks the same, red PCB and all.

 

[MODEL3]

Ben90 usually is making humorous posts.
In general, i like them a lot. :thumbsup:
(i know it is a matter of taste, so it is natural if this doesn't apply to all the people)