Need advice on a budget GPU

[xhizors666]

Hi,

I've recently built a new machine and the only thing missing is a GPU.

The specs are;

Windows 7 64-Bit
24" 1080p Samsung LCD TV/Monitor
Intel i5 2500K CPU overclocked to 4.4GHz
Gigabyte Z68X-UD5-B3 Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance 16GB DDR3 1600Mhz Ram
OCZ ModXstream Pro 600W PSU
Corsair CAFA70 Cooler

I currently have the prehistoric 8600GT I salvaged from my old computer. I am on a tight budget and need something for under £100 ($160). I’ll mainly use the PC for math modelling programs like Matlab and Maple and some video editing. Also play games occasionally like Flight simulator and COD Black Ops.

Any advice

 

[OrWolf]

How about this one;

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-160-EA&groupid=701&catid=1914&subcat=1830

Its £20 over budget, but an excellent card for the price. Will handle your flights sims, occasional video editing and Black ops with ease. Your psu can handle it too.

Otherwise, this one is bang on budget at under £100;

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-131-MS&tool=3

 

[cmndr_andi]

If the modelling programs you use can utilise modern AMD cards as well as Nvidia ones, then I would go for this card.

 

[OrWolf]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I think I read somewhere that the MS Flight sim series run better under nvidia. Otherwise, that 6850 is a good price too.

 

[CinderzFTW]

How about this one;

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-160-EA&groupid=701&catid=1914&subcat=1830

Its £20 over budget, but an excellent card for the price. Will handle your flights sims, occasional video editing and Black ops with ease. Your psu can handle it too.

Otherwise, this one is bang on budget at under £100;

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-131-MS&tool=3

GTX550Ti is too under powered for the price and the GTX460 is getting old now, so no point.

@ cmndr_andi... Perfect recommendation. The 6850 is the more powerful card for around £100.

The 6850 is also what I would say would be nice xD

 

[xhizors666]

I got a deal on a second hand card, HIS ATI Radeon HD 6850 for £70.. How does it compare to the GTX 460? The price seems pretty good considering they retail for over £120 new

 

[xhizors666]

PS. The full specs are:

Chipset - Radeon HD 6850
ASIC - Radeon HD 6850 GPU
Manu. Process (Micron) - 40nm
Memory Size (MB) - 1024
Memory Type - GDDR5
Engine CLK (MHz) - 775Mhz
Memory CLK (Gbps) - 4Gbps
Memory Interface (bit) - 256
Power Supply Requirement - 500 Watt or greater power
Max. Resolution - 2560*1600
Bus Interface - PCI Express x16
Display Port - Yes
HDMI - Yes
DVI - Upper Single-link DVI-D + Bottom Dual-link DVI-I

 

[Surveyor]

I got a deal on a second hand card, HIS ATI Radeon HD 6850 for £70.. How does it compare to the GTX 460?

At stock speeds this is how they compare:

GTX 460 v HD 6850

You'd get more out of overclocking a GTX 460 than a HD 6850.

 

[xhizors666]

Just bought the 6850, seemed too good to miss at that price

 

[Marine-RX179]

Just bought the 6850, seemed too good to miss at that price

Hope that HIS card is not the one with a cheap cooler that got a red fan and a small piece of aluminium sorry excuse for a heatsink...

But still, £70 is a good deal for the crd.

 

[oweneades]

GTX550Ti is too under powered for the price and the GTX460 is getting old now, so no point.

Just rub out the 4 and put a 5 then. Bang GTX560.

 

[xhizors666]

Hope that HIS card is not the one with a cheap cooler that got a red fan and a small piece of aluminium sorry excuse for a heatsink...

But still, £70 is a good deal for the crd.

Its this one;

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161384

 

[CinderzFTW]

Just rub out the 4 and put a 5 then. Bang GTX560.

not a bad idea, but the 560 aint as good as the 6870 in my mind xD

 

[Marine-RX179]

not a bad idea, but the 560 aint as good as the 6870 in my mind xD

Just like you believe the 6850 is superior in performance to GTX460 1GB, despite both are on par on most mainstream games. The only real benefit the 6850 has over the GTX460 1GB is only the lower power consumption and require only one PCI-E 6pin instead of two.

And you keep saying how the GTX460 1GB is old comparing to the 6850, when the fact is AMD released a compariable performance card late. Just because it is launch later, doesn't make it a newer tech...like how Phenom II X4 is basically Core2Quad performance came a year late, and Bulldozer launched later than SandyBridge doesn't make it "newer tech".

 

[OrWolf]

Just like you believe the 6850 is superior in performance to GTX460 1GB, despite both are on par on most mainstream games. The only real benefit the 6850 has over the GTX460 1GB is only the lower power consumption and require only one PCI-E 6pin instead of two.

And you keep saying how the GTX460 1GB is old comparing to the 6850, when the fact is AMD released a compariable performance card late. Just because it is launch later, doesn't make it a newer tech...like how Phenom II X4 is basically Core2Quad performance came a year late, and Bulldozer launched later than SandyBridge doesn't make it "newer tech".

Absolutely. The gtx460 in that link is a stonking card for £120, and is of the same generation as the 6850. Personally, I think that the build quality and overclocking capability are worth the extra £20.

Regardless of this, both cards are a good choice. Especially with the 6850 being under £100 at the moment.