Your professional advise is needed

[andrei3333]

Hello,

Specs:
E8400 @ 3.6GHz OC
4GB Ram
BFG 8800 GTS 512MB OC to 725 Core/1798 Shader/1100 Memory
Gigabyte EP45-D3SR Mobo
Enermax Modu 82+ Supply 525W
AntecDesign Case (9" of Video card space is taken up now, if i loose a hard drive or two i might be able to fit a 10-11" card)
Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit
22" Samsung 16x10 monitor in the office room + 46" Sony Bravia 1080P (19x10 I think) LCD in the living room

I never had the need to upgrade after i built this system a few years ago, i usually play all the latest shooters on the PC (crysis of course bogs down and i have not gotten metro yet) and everything else i play on the PS3, this PC may bounce around from living room to office until i decide to build another machine. currently the performance on the 22" samsung is outstanding, no lag in any of the games i own, except crysis

Problem: current video card has no HDMI that i would like to use on the 46" sony, also may not be able to power the games to my liking at that resolution

Options/Budget:
Around $250 Canadian give or take our 13% taxes here (newegg.ca or something like that is cool)
GTX 470 or ATI 6870 (best choice for the money and not overkill)

Longshot:
$300 ATI 6950 (i like the future proofness + 2GB memory)

Should i even bother upgrading the video card ?
will the CPU not do what i want it to do, should i upgrade to a Q8400 or something?
Is there another card thats better at my budget ?
Should i just keep playing on the 22" and get a GTX460 OC or something like that sub $200

i am trying to avoid building a new machine right now because a baby is on the way so i rather spend that money elsewhere.

All comments welcome ;-)

 

[Rifter]

Honestly i would buy a DVI to HDMI cable and keep the current card. Then when you build a new system buy a new GPU then.

 

[andrei3333]

but i will not get sound through dvi-hdmi cable

 

[Rifter]

Thats true, but im sure your computer has some other kind of audio out to get audio to the TV.

Or you could use your computer speakers which im sure are higher quality than the crap they use in 95% of TV speakers.

 

[andrei3333]

no my livingroom audio setup is not like that, its a pair of large floor standing towers and an amp, same as in my office room, its juts nice to have less cables and hdmi does that

whats the reason for you not to even recommend a cheaper 460 1gb oc under $200 ???

 

[RavenSEAL]

You can get a cheap OCd GTX460 768 for $120 after MIR.

 

[Rifter]

You just said there was no lag in the games you play except crysis. And i have a OC'ed 460 and crysis is still brutal at 1080p, so figured you might as well save your cash for a whole rebuild when you will get more GPU power for your money.

EDIT: there is nothing wrong with the 460, if you really want to spend $150 then its a good card to get, cant find anything better for the price.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

There's a good chance your video card has an SPDIF header on it. Your motherboard should have SPDIF header too. Get a cable to connect them and you'll get sound via HDMI.

 

[Mistwalker]

There's a good chance your video card has an SPDIF header on it. Your motherboard should have SPDIF header too. Get a cable to connect them and you'll get sound via HDMI.

I believe the OP's concern is that his video card doesn't have an HDMI connector.

As for the card, at $150 the 1GB 460 seems like the best deal. The 6850 does show slightly better numbers but it's $30 more and if you overclock, they're pretty much on the same level. Heck, if you're able to stretch to $300 you could SLI them and easily surpass 6950 performance in Warhead.

 

[andrei3333]

One of the features i prefer is HDMI on the card itself.

Really? crysis with the 460 1GB OC'd @ 1080P still lags ? how about the GTX 470 ?

My mobo doesnt do SLI / CF so thats out of the question and not something i would want to do anyhow. I think i have to be realisting about this, there is no point spending money if i cant play comfortably on the big screen.

So, let me restate the question; If i just kept using this pc on the 16x10 22" with my computer specs, what's the best (not over kill) card for my budget of around $200-$250?

Thanks for the responses...

 

[RavenSEAL]

One of the features i prefer is HDMI on the card itself.

Really? crysis with the 460 1GB OC'd @ 1080P still lags ? how about the GTX 470 ?

My mobo doesnt do SLI / CF so thats out of the question and not something i would want to do anyhow. I think i have to be realisting about this, there is no point spending money if i cant play comfortably on the big screen.

So, let me restate the question; If i just kept using this pc on the 16x10 22" with my computer specs, what's the best (not over kill) card for my budget of around $200-$250?

Thanks for the responses...

HD6870 for $200 after MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131373&cm_re=hd_6870-_-14-131-373-_-Product

 

[happy medium]

So, let me restate the question; If i just kept using this pc on the 16x10 22" with my computer specs, what's the best (not over kill) card for my budget of around $200-$250?

Overclock a Palit gtx 460 1gb to 825 core ( it will do it easy) for 135$ shipped AR ,and enjoy Crysis @1600x1050 or 1900x1080 the same way you would if you bought a 6870.

Thats the best deal out there for you. Saves you 65$

http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...namitedata.com

This is with enthusiast shaders......

 

[Mistwalker]

One of the features i prefer is HDMI on the card itself.

Really? crysis with the 460 1GB OC'd @ 1080P still lags ? how about the GTX 470 ?

My mobo doesnt do SLI / CF so thats out of the question and not something i would want to do anyhow.

Buy a stock 460 1GB card, overclock it yourself. Look the benches, it should be very playable at either resolution no problem.

As for 460s lagging at 1080, you have to realize--in the original Crysis there are certain spots where the game will hiccup even on very powerful hardware. Overall, though, things should be pretty darn smooth. With a decent OC the 460 actually beats the stock 470 (look at Happy's graphs) for a significant savings.

 

[andrei3333]

Great, thanks guys

 

[andrei3333]

i found a used Zotac GTX 470 locally for about the same as a new gtx 460 1gb +tax and shipping would cost.

one problem, my PSU is rated at 525 w and the card req 550W as per the label on the box, can i still run the card ? (enermax modu 82+ 525W)

 

[VirtualLarry]

i found a used Zotac GTX 470 locally for about the same as a new gtx 460 1gb +tax and shipping would cost.

one problem, my PSU is rated at 525 w and the card req 550W as per the label on the box, can i still run the card ? (enermax modu 82+ 525W)

That PSU should be fine.

 

[andrei3333]

Does anyone know what the length of that card is ?