Which graphic card should i choose?

[zmk]

Hello people

There are so many new games but i cannot play many of them because of my shit*y graphic card.

Therefore,i need a bit of your help to choose a new one.

First of all my specs are:

motherboard-m4a78-em/1394
processor-Phenom X2 545
current graphic card-ATI HD 4350 (I know its Ancient)
RAM-3 gb ddr3
power supply-iball lpe223-400
monitor- samsung 17"
OS-win 7

I play at lowest possible setting still experience lag. :'(

I know i can go nowhere with my current system but by upgrading my GPU(along with power supply) can at least give me decent fps at medium/high settings if not at ultra high settings,can it?

So here are few questions regarding GPU up-gradation.I will be asking in a point form and expect you to answer in a same way so that nothing gets missed.

Q1 Will my processor bottleneck the performance of my upgraded graphic card (say if i upgrade to ati 7770)

Q2 I know that my power supply is not enough.I need to upgrade it but to how much?

Q3 What does GDDR 5 means?i have already installed ati 4350 on my pc,do i need to have anything else other than a higher power supply?I mean do i need to check my pc for any other requirement for the card installation?

Q4 I play on 17" monitor (maybe 19" or 20" in future) therefore resolution i play on is 1200*720.My requirement is to get decent fps at high/medium settings and be future ready(about 3-4 years).I have currently narrowed down to:
1) Sapphire AMD/ATI HD 7770 1 GB GDDR5 -

http://www.flipkart.com/sapphire-am...59d7&srno=t_1&otracker=from-search&query=7770

2) Sapphire AMD/ATI HD 7770 OC Edition 1 GB GDDR5 -

http://www.flipkart.com/sapphire-am...59d7&srno=t_5&otracker=from-search&query=7770


Is my choice correct?


Q5 Based on my requirements what card do you suggest (keeping in mind the costliest card i can afford are the above said cards)?

Q6 If you suggest the above said card is there any big difference between the two?

Q7 Any miscellaneous component you would suggest to be upgraded so as to achieve 'No Lag' gaming?

Thanks in advance to those who read/answered my query.
Moderators can shift the thread to any category as i do not know if it is the right category to post in(I am new here )

 

[tweakboy]

That is a aweful video card your using.

Grab a 460 GTX EVGA or 560 Ti Also give your CPU a nice OC if you can.

 

[Will Robinson]

That was a pretty nice first post
Welcome to Video Cards & Graphics.

1.Yes it will bottleneck a 7770.Can you overclock that CPU...what frequency is it running at now?
2.If you are buying a new PSU I would suggest 600w or higher output.
3.GDDR5 is the onboard memory for your video card and is of the latest type.
The cards you are looking at have 1GB of GDDR5,if you want some longevity you really should be getting a 2GB or higher card(not a deal breaker tho)
4.Yes.
5.Card No 2 is a 7770 GHz Edition which would be the fastest/best choice.
Whew! that's enough

 

[tweakboy]

IMO pay 100 dollars and grab a GTX 460, if you have money go 560 Ti ...... gl

 

[Stuka87]

7770 is your best bet. Your CPU is going to certainly bottleneck you in a lot of games.

Looks like your PSU has a 17A 12V rail. That might actually be enough for you since you have a dual core. Not sure what your budget is for PSU, but this one is $45 AR, and will last you into the futureif you upgrade to a better CPU/Mobo/GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139050

 

[Eureka]

Understand that even the 7770 may not meet all of your requirements. You should be able to play some games at high settings with the 7770, but do not expect new games like Far Cry 3, Crysis 3, etc, to run well on it on high settings. Your low resolution helps a little, but when you switch to a higher resolution 19-20" monitor, expect frame rates to plummet.

Do not expect this system to be playing games in another 3 years. It is already low-end now, and by 3 years it will no longer be able to keep up with contemporary games.

That being said, if you are only upgrading the GPU, the 7770 is your best choice. It also comes down to what game you are playing. If you are only playing League of Legends or Counter-Strike, your system will pair well with the 7770 (you could probably play Battlefield 3 on low and still get good frames).

 

[toyota]

cheap power supply with a 17 amp 12v rail rated at 30 C. you can count on maybe about 13 amp in realistic conditions when brand new and of course thats even less after years of use. I bet you are looking at 11 amps at the most at this point.

 

[Jimzz]

7770 is a good card but I would try and get a 7790. Its very close to 7850 performance but uses less power and is not much more costly than a 7770.

Whats the price differance of the 7770 and 7790 in your neck of the woods?


This one is only about 10% more than the 7770 you linked to...
http://www.flipkart.com/sapphire-am...7790&ref=824f6320-6c1b-480f-9a11-81ebc96978cf

 

[toyota]

he cant safely run a 7770 nevermind the 7790 with his current psu.

and if he goes 7790 then might as well get a 2gb since he will eventually get a new monitor soon. if he gets a 2gb then 7790 will cost more than the faster 650 ti boost. those cards will be held back by a dual core cpu anyway. I would just get a 7750 or 7770 and new psu and call it a day.

 

[zmk]

That was a pretty nice first post
Welcome to Video Cards & Graphics.

1.Yes it will bottleneck a 7770.Can you overclock that CPU...what frequency is it running at now?
2.If you are buying a new PSU I would suggest 600w or higher output.
3.GDDR5 is the onboard memory for your video card and is of the latest type.
The cards you are looking at have 1GB of GDDR5,if you want some longevity you really should be getting a 2GB or higher card(not a deal breaker tho)
4.Yes.
5.Card No 2 is a 7770 GHz Edition which would be the fastest/best choice.
Whew! that's enough

Thanks Will!I tried to be clear.Thats it,i guess

Between,frequency is 3.00 GHz and no i cannot overclock

 

[zmk]

7770 is your best bet. Your CPU is going to certainly bottleneck you in a lot of games.

Looks like your PSU has a 17A 12V rail. That might actually be enough for you since you have a dual core. Not sure what your budget is for PSU, but this one is $45 AR, and will last you into the futureif you upgrade to a better CPU/Mobo/GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139050

Yeah,7770 is my best bet.Actually my pc is kind of old and i am thinking of replacing it piece by piece so graphic card is the first step!

 

[zmk]

Understand that even the 7770 may not meet all of your requirements. You should be able to play some games at high settings with the 7770, but do not expect new games like Far Cry 3, Crysis 3, etc, to run well on it on high settings. Your low resolution helps a little, but when you switch to a higher resolution 19-20" monitor, expect frame rates to plummet.

Do not expect this system to be playing games in another 3 years. It is already low-end now, and by 3 years it will no longer be able to keep up with contemporary games.

That being said, if you are only upgrading the GPU, the 7770 is your best choice. It also comes down to what game you are playing. If you are only playing League of Legends or Counter-Strike, your system will pair well with the 7770 (you could probably play Battlefield 3 on low and still get good frames).

I am not a hardcore gamer but a casual one.I am bit more inclined to academics.I just want to play games,even if they run on medium settings.I think 7770 is enough,isn't it?

 

[zmk]

cheap power supply with a 17 amp 12v rail rated at 30 C. you can count on maybe about 13 amp in realistic conditions when brand new and of course thats even less after years of use. I bet you are looking at 11 amps at the most at this point.

I get it.I have to get a new PSu.

Thanks for replying!

 

[zmk]

7770 is a good card but I would try and get a 7790. Its very close to 7850 performance but uses less power and is not much more costly than a 7770.

Whats the price differance of the 7770 and 7790 in your neck of the woods?


This one is only about 10% more than the 7770 you linked to...
http://www.flipkart.com/sapphire-am...7790&ref=824f6320-6c1b-480f-9a11-81ebc96978cf

A good find indeed.But i was kind of avoiding it because of the lack of reviews on the website.
But again since you are recommending it,i would definitely consider it.
One more question-I was selecting 7770 oc edition because of its small size.I did not wanted to risk it.But how do you measure the space?By a ruler?I kind of measured it and i think i have enough space.

Thanks for replying!

 

[zmk]

he cant safely run a 7770 nevermind the 7790 with his current psu.

and if he goes 7790 then might as well get a 2gb since he will eventually get a new monitor soon. if he gets a 2gb then 7790 will cost more than the faster 650 ti boost. those cards will be held back by a dual core cpu anyway. I would just get a 7750 or 7770 and new psu and call it a day.

What do you mean by 'safely'?Is it Psu thing or the Dual core thing?

 

[zmk]

What do you mean by 'safely'?Is it Psu thing or the Dual core thing?

Never mind.

 

[Jimzz]

he cant safely run a 7770 nevermind the 7790 with his current psu.

and if he goes 7790 then might as well get a 2gb since he will eventually get a new monitor soon. if he gets a 2gb then 7790 will cost more than the faster 650 ti boost. those cards will be held back by a dual core cpu anyway. I would just get a 7750 or 7770 and new psu and call it a day.

The 7770 and 7790 use about the same amount of power. Remember the 7790 is a new updated Core.
If you can't run a 7790 you can;t run a 7770 either.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/777?vs=776

Idle Power
7770 106watts
7790 110watts

Battlefield3 Power
7770 242watts
7790 249watts

FurMark Power
7770 240watts
7790 241watts


http://www.anandtech.com/show/6837/...eat-sapphire-the-first-desktop-sea-islands/16

 

[Eureka]

I am not a hardcore gamer but a casual one.I am bit more inclined to academics.I just want to play games,even if they run on medium settings.I think 7770 is enough,isn't it?

It'll be enough for most games.

A good find indeed.But i was kind of avoiding it because of the lack of reviews on the website.
But again since you are recommending it,i would definitely consider it.
One more question-I was selecting 7770 oc edition because of its small size.I did not wanted to risk it.But how do you measure the space?By a ruler?I kind of measured it and i think i have enough space.

Thanks for replying!

Use a ruler. Measure from the bracket (where it meets the back of the case) to wherever the next major obstacle is (usually hard drive cage). I don't think you would have an issue with the 7790, it's not a large card by any means.

As for power concerns, you would be cutting it real close with your system. A Phenom II 545 has a TDP of 80W. The 7790 has a TDP of 85W, I believe. That's 165W just in the two big items.

Look into finding a cheap Corsair CX430 if you can. That will give you plenty of power. It's a fairly good unit so you'll be able to keep it for years without worry. You may be able to squeeze by on your current one (I think it would work as long as nothing is overclocked), but you'll be at the limits.

 

[zmk]

The 7770 and 7790 use about the same amount of power. Remember the 7790 is a new updated Core.
If you can't run a 7790 you can;t run a 7770 either.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/777?vs=776

Idle Power
7770 106watts
7790 110watts

Battlefield3 Power
7770 242watts
7790 249watts

FurMark Power
7770 240watts
7790 241watts


http://www.anandtech.com/show/6837/...eat-sapphire-the-first-desktop-sea-islands/16

So are you saying that i need to upgrade my Psu for both of the cards?
7790 is a good card.I think i'll buy it.

 

[zmk]

It'll be enough for most games.



Use a ruler. Measure from the bracket (where it meets the back of the case) to wherever the next major obstacle is (usually hard drive cage). I don't think you would have an issue with the 7790, it's not a large card by any means.

As for power concerns, you would be cutting it real close with your system. A Phenom II 545 has a TDP of 80W. The 7790 has a TDP of 85W, I believe. That's 165W just in the two big items.

Look into finding a cheap Corsair CX430 if you can. That will give you plenty of power. It's a fairly good unit so you'll be able to keep it for years without worry. You may be able to squeeze by on your current one (I think it would work as long as nothing is overclocked), but you'll be at the limits.

I measured and there is plenty of space.

Thanks for your reply.