Upgrading to a better graphics card

Dricen

Member
Jan 31, 2006
77
1
66
Hey guys I'm going to upgrade my graphics card for my PC because I think its the cheapest thing I can upgrade right now for the best increase in performance. Right now I have an Nvidia 7800GT, which is pretty old. I'm looking for something $150 and under really. Trying to get the best bang for my buck. The only requirement I really have is, I'd like it to be an Nvidia. I really like their cards, and they have never let me down.

My motherboard is a DFI LanParty UT nF4 Ultra-D. Link to its specs can be found here:
http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/dfinf4ultralp/2.html

I have an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 3800+ 2.20ghz processor with 2 Gigs ram.

Can you guys help me find the best bang for my buck? If you need any more information just let me know!
 

blastingcap

Diamond Member
Sep 16, 2010
6,654
5
76
Hey guys I'm going to upgrade my graphics card for my PC because I think its the cheapest thing I can upgrade right now for the best increase in performance. Right now I have an Nvidia 7800GT, which is pretty old. I'm looking for something $150 and under really. Trying to get the best bang for my buck. The only requirement I really have is, I'd like it to be an Nvidia. I really like their cards, and they have never let me down.

My motherboard is a DFI LanParty UT nF4 Ultra-D. Link to its specs can be found here:
http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/dfinf4ultralp/2.html

I have an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 3800+ 2.20ghz processor with 2 Gigs ram.

Can you guys help me find the best bang for my buck? If you need any more information just let me know!

if not for fear of cpu bottlenecking, i'd recommend a gtx 460... maybe. what resolution, psu watts are you at? what games/apps do you run?
 

Dricen

Member
Jan 31, 2006
77
1
66
if not for fear of cpu bottlenecking, i'd recommend a gtx 460... maybe. what resolution, psu watts are you at? what games/apps do you run?

Ya I was thinking about the 460.

I run at 1680x1050, 500watts, and I play Starcraft 2, WoW Cataclysm and I want to be able to play Final Fantasy 14. Biggest reason I need a graphics card, bc my current one will not run it at all.
 

4ghz

Member
Sep 11, 2010
165
1
81
Zotac Gtx 460 768mb at newegg. $155 -$15 rebate with Just Cause 2 shipped.
 

Dricen

Member
Jan 31, 2006
77
1
66
O I did overclock the CPU, But I'm not exactly sure how far I got it. It's been about 5 years lol
 

RussianSensation

Elite Member
Sep 5, 2003
19,458
765
126
I have an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 3800+ 2.20ghz processor with 2 Gigs ram.

For $140, the GTX460 768mb is the best you can do. Keep in mind both the processor and ram are going to heavily bottleneck your gaming experience.
Review here: http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/19619/5

If you are really on a budget, then Asus 4870 1GB for $105 - $15 off coupon = $90 is also great.

Skip the 450 as it's not worth the $20 savings over the GTX460!
 
Last edited:

blastingcap

Diamond Member
Sep 16, 2010
6,654
5
76
You guys recommending the 768MB card are blatantly ignoring his specifying 1GB.
Ditto GTX 460 1GB's costing more than $150.
Ditto you guys recommending ATI cards when he specified NV.
And given his CPU bottleneck, I don't know if a GTX460 is really the best option.

This is a really hard question and given all of the above I hate to say it but a GTS 450 (if you need DX11) or a GTS 250 (if you don't need DX11) might be the best option if you need something right the hell now--unless you plan to upgrade the CPU really soon in which case a GTX460-1GB may fall to $150 by the time you upgrade the CPU, and it offers way more bang for the buck than the GTS 450. That may change if the GTS 450 falls in price, though.
 

RussianSensation

Elite Member
Sep 5, 2003
19,458
765
126
You guys recommending the 768MB card are blatantly ignoring his specifying 1GB.
Ditto GTX 460 1GB's costing more than $150.
Ditto you guys recommending ATI cards when he specified NV.
And given his CPU bottleneck, I don't know if a GTX460 is really the best option.

He is using a resolution of 1680x1050 in which case 768mb is not a limitation.
Starcraft and WOW will run miles faster on NV cards over an equivalent 5770. Considering 768 is 30-40% faster than the GTS450, recommending a $140 768 is reasonable, despite the CPU bottleneck. If CPU bottleneck is to worry about, my 2nd recommendation addresses that. There are no other cards worth buying from NV which is why nothing besides the 460 is recommended by me in his price range.

I suppose if you want to be picky, you could find a 9800GT(X) for $60-80.
 

toyota

Lifer
Apr 15, 2001
12,957
1
0
with that cpu a gtx460 would be horribly wasted in most newer games no matter what res is used. a 3800 X2 is not even going to provide a decent framerate in some games and no gpu will make up for that.

that being said your 7800gt is also ancient so any modern mid range gpu would at least help you to play most games. I certainly would not waste more than a 100 bucks on a gpu upgrade for a system with that cpu and only 2gb of ram though.
 

Flipped Gazelle

Diamond Member
Sep 5, 2004
6,666
3
81
He is using a resolution of 1680x1050 in which case 768mb is not a limitation.
Starcraft and WOW will run miles faster on NV cards over an equivalent 5770. Considering 768 is 30-40% faster than the GTS450, recommending a $140 768 is reasonable, despite the CPU bottleneck. If CPU bottleneck is to worry about, my 2nd recommendation addresses that. There are no other cards worth buying from NV which is why nothing besides the 460 is recommended by me in his price range.

I suppose if you want to be picky, you could find a 9800GT(X) for $60-80.

I agree that 768mb is ample for 1680x1050.

I wonder what the OP's PSU is?

You can get a GTS 450 right now for $105; hard not to recommend that for the OP's needs.
 

blastingcap

Diamond Member
Sep 16, 2010
6,654
5
76
He is using a resolution of 1680x1050 in which case 768mb is not a limitation.
Starcraft and WOW will run miles faster on NV cards over an equivalent 5770. Considering 768 is 30-40% faster than the GTS450, recommending a $140 768 is reasonable, despite the CPU bottleneck. If CPU bottleneck is to worry about, my 2nd recommendation addresses that. There are no other cards worth buying from NV which is why nothing besides the 460 is recommended by me in his price range.

I suppose if you want to be picky, you could find a 9800GT(X) for $60-80.

He specifically requested 1GB and up, if you want to argue with him about it you should state why, like you just did above. (I do agree that 768MB is okay for 16x10 for now, but OP did ask for 1GB....)

You second suggestion was an AMD card when he specifically asked for NV. Again, you just recommended it without discussing why. (Not that I disagree with you, I don't know why he's so anti-AMD.)

GTS 450s can be found for $106AR shipped so it's not a small difference to go up to the GTX460-768 at $140AR shipped. Plus, the latter card is a waste with his old CPU. He's better off spending to upgrade his CPU, RAM, and mainboard first, but that's just imho.
 

Cerb

Elite Member
Aug 26, 2000
17,484
33
86
with that cpu a gtx460 would be horribly wasted in most newer games no matter what res is used. a 3800 X2 is not even going to provide a decent framerate in some games and no gpu will make up for that.

that being said your 7800gt is also ancient so any modern mid range gpu would at least help you to play most games. I certainly would not waste more than a 100 bucks on a gpu upgrade for a system with that cpu and only 2gb of ram though.
What he said. The MSI GTS 450, if you're up for rebates, will offer a good value (WoW and SC2 both love nV). Then, plan on updating the rest of the system in the not too distant future.
 

netxzero64

Senior member
May 16, 2009
538
0
71
even if the OP needs a 1GB, his budget constraints will not be able to comply with the 1GB requirement...

GTX 460 768mb will do just fine... or go with a previous generation 1GB card which is useless... ram size is nothing without GPU's raw power
 

toyota

Lifer
Apr 15, 2001
12,957
1
0
even if the OP needs a 1GB, his budget constraints will not be able to comply with the 1GB requirement...

GTX 460 768mb will do just fine... or go with a previous generation 1GB card which is useless... ram size is nothing without GPU's raw power
actually it is some cases like the gtx460 because the 1gb card has more ROPs and 256bit bus for higher memory bandwidth.
 

Dricen

Member
Jan 31, 2006
77
1
66
The reason I said 1GB memory is because I was told that FF14 requires atleast this to run. I couldn't even get the game to load on my computer because it would just crash, and I was told the reason was because of my graphics card.
 

toyota

Lifer
Apr 15, 2001
12,957
1
0
The reason I said 1GB memory is because I was told that FF14 requires atleast this to run. I couldn't even get the game to load on my computer because it would just crash, and I was told the reason was because of my graphics card.
yes its probably your card but not because of vram. there is NO game made that requires a 1gb card just to run.
 
Last edited:

Dricen

Member
Jan 31, 2006
77
1
66
I'd like to be able to play with the most settings I can, for what CPU I have at the moment =P