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Graphics card and PSU requirements + iMac used as display requirements!

James J

James J

James J

Soldato
Joined
4 Dec 2002
Posts
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Location
North Lincolnshire
Right, to cut a long story short in my PC at the moment I have a 5870 with a corsair 550W HE PSU. Its run really well etc and definitely adequate for all my gaming needs, until my monitor starts to die (massive backlight bleed). I bought a 27 inch iMac which is superb but for gaming I'd now like to use this as a display for my base unit and know that the 5870 simply doesn't do this at all.

Now, my dads pc needs a graphics update anyway, so I was thinking transfer the PSU and 5870 into his PC and upgrade both in mine at the same time, but the new card HAS to be capable of running games at 2560x1440 res AND using the iMac screen as a monitor.

So yeah, what the hell should I be looking at? My PSU brand preference is corsair btw as I've never had a problem with them in nearly 10 years of using just their branded stuff. Graphics card preferences are english/european(at a push) RMA requirements. I don't want to have to send a component off to taiwan again...

Is a 580GTX capable of using an iMac as a monitor and how long is this card? Anything longer than a 5870 simply wont fit inside my case.
 
EVGA GTX580/570
EVGA seem to have the best RMA out of them all. A 570 will be enough.
I'd get 750/850W PSU

PS. EVGA requires you to send it to Germany, but they normally give you upgrades and they also have a turnover of 5/6 days
 
I believe the iMac only accepts video input via mini-displayport.

However, your 5870 should have a (full size) displayport output. Just use a cheap Displayport to mini Displayport cable (will cost around £6) and you should be able to use the iMac as a monitor using your existing graphics card/PSU.
 
I'm pretty sure the iMac needs a displayport capable graphics card to use as an external display, what makes you think your 5870 won't work?
 
Theres a lot of documentation on 5870s not working when linked to the iMac screens via the minidp. Stupidly, the 57xx, 68xx and 69xx series with mini DP have no problem with this, its just literally the 58xx series :(
 
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