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Is there any point?

ash_91

ash_91

ash_91

Associate
Joined
14 Jan 2006
Posts
544
Hi, I am trying to decide wether it is worth keeping this graphics card when it arrives or send it back and use my onboard graphics.

This is the system it will be going in:

ASUS P5N73-AM GeForce 7050 Socket 775
Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 2.5GHz (Will hopefully be clocked to around 2.8-3ghz)
OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 800Mhz/PC2-6400

The card in question is a Sapphire HD 3450 256MB.

Now I mainly use my pc for web/msn/music and blurays but I would like to get gta 4 in the future and mod it like I have previous GTAs, although I am not going to spend loads of money just for this.

Would it be worth spending an extra tenner or so and getting something like the 4350 or even a 4550?

Thanks.
 
None of those cards would be anygood for for GTA4, Not unless an amazing patch gets released for it.
 
Well what would you recommend then? I am not looking to play it at some super high resolution, I just want it to be play able, even if its at a fairly low res.
 
GTA 4 is incredibly demanding.

I play with the standard medium-high at 1920x1080, no AA, and I see between 15 and 45 frames per second. Though 22-30 is the most frequent fps rate.
1. It's not amazingly optimised.
2. It's actually using some good tech, now that I have sat down and looked at it. Given that there are absolutely NO loading times for moving about the whole city, it's actually quite impressive.

You need a Tri-Core or Quad-Core for the higher settings too, as it has been designed with more than Dual-Core in mind, and is CPU limited.
To be honest, unless you can afford at least a 9600GT, you are going to be playing on low, so the card you have is okay for the stuff you want to do, like Blu-Ray.
 
Okay, I would happily play it on a very low res, I only wanted it for the laugh you can get from modding these games, have already played through it properly on my 360.

Forgetting GTA for a minute, is there any benefit of the 3450 256MB over onboard graphics and then is there any benefit of the 4350 or 4550? over onboard/3450?
 
A wet lump of tissue paper you found in a public toilet is better than onboard graphics, so yes. The 4350 and 4550 will be better still, but it may be worth saving up for a better card. How long do you want your next GPU to last you?
 
I'm not bothered about it lasting as the only games I have played on pc are the gta games, I have my 360 for gaming, thus the reason I only want it to run at a low setting rather than splash out £100+ on a card for one game.

I have an x1300 in my current system now, which has run all the previous gtas on what ever setting it could manage.

So in short if i can get a cheapish card that would run gta 4 at low settings/resolution that will do if not then just something for the blurays.
 
The minimum spec for GTA is a nvidia 7900. The 3450 is way slower than that... In 3dmark 06 is barely gets 1500 points wheras a 5 year old 7900 gets around 5000

As a minimum, assuming low res gaming you'll need a ATI 3850, 4670, Nvidia 8800GS/GT/GTS 9600 GSO /GT for a playable experience.

Your best bet is second hand from the members market where a mid range card can be had for £40-£50 or if you really want to try your luck a 7900GT for around £25

AD
 
If everything, including resolution is set to low (like 1024x768), then you may get by. I can't say for sure though.
General use will be A OK.

Unfortunately I don't know of any GTA 4 benchmark results for a card like the 3450, so I could be very wrong.
 
Thanks for all your previous advice.

How would something like the XFX 9500GT 512MB compare to the other cards I have metioned?

Also what about the XFX 9400GT 1GB, or the 8600GT 256MB 128bit.

Many thanks.
 
ash_91 said:
Thanks for all your previous advice.

How would something like the XFX 9500GT 512MB compare to the other cards I have metioned?

Also what about the XFX 9400GT 1GB, or the 8600GT 256MB 128bit.

Many thanks.
Click to expand...

NOOOO! :)

You really are looking at a 4650 or 8800GT 512MB *minimum* I would say.
 
ash_91 said:
Thanks for all your previous advice.

How would something like the XFX 9500GT 512MB compare to the other cards I have metioned?

Also what about the XFX 9400GT 1GB, or the 8600GT 256MB 128bit.

Many thanks.
Click to expand...

A hair faster than the 3450. Not worth it.
 
My Daughter (Age 12!) is pestering me to buy her GTA4(!) - She loved SA & Vice City (!!) I am safe in the knowledge that she won't be corrupted any more than she already is due to the limitations of my 8800GTS 320 & e2180? :D
 
R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
My Daughter (Age 12!) is pestering me to buy her GTA4(!) - She loved SA & Vice City (!!) I am safe in the knowledge that she won't be corrupted any more than she already is due to the limitations of my 8800GTS 320 & e2180? :D
Click to expand...

Whilst this really isn't the place to get into an ethics debate I really hope you are joking - 18 rated Grand Theft Auto games are not the sort of thing to be buying 12 year olds. Although I fully except the 'she doesnt understand it all anyway' get out most parents seem to use.

Seriously, its 18 for a reason. A 12 year old?! Did you really buy her SA? Did she ask you to explain what all the nasty men were doing to your girlfriend under that flyover when she got to that bit? Or why you had to beat somebody to death with a sex toy?
 
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