Midrange Graphics Card for my new gaming PC

Hi,

I'm planning to buy a new system with

Intel core i7 3630K
Asus Rampage
3-4 HDDs
32GB RAM
Liquid cooling solution for overclocking

I'm considering "Sapphire HD 7850 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card" and my budget is £100-£150. Could anyone please suggest me better options if any?

Thanks
prvnrk

Well in that price range the only sensible option is a 7850. The only options are between different manufacturers, but mainly it will come down to price :)

You should be able to find a 2gb card for under £150.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Willzzz

Well in that price range the only sensible option is a 7850. The only options are between different manufacturers, but mainly it will come down to price :)

You should be able to find a 2gb card for under £150.

---

Thank you for the reply!

Do you mean this http://www.sapphiretech.com/presenta...1472&psn&lid=1 is the best option?

Also, what are these "low profile" cards which cost very low?

Yeah something like that.

"low profile" just means size.

As Sapphire HD 7850 offers multiple interfaces (HDMI, DVI, miniports etc..), which one to use for best performance?

thanks
prvnrk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by prvnrk

As Sapphire HD 7850 offers multiple interfaces (HDMI, DVI, miniports etc..), which one to use for best performance?

---

If you're using a flat panel monitor, it's best to stick to a digital interface like DVI, Displayport or HDMI. The latter is usually limited to a maximum resolution of 1920x1200, but that is probably enough for 90% of gamers. HDMI also allows audio to be passed through if your monitor or TV has speakers, assuming your graphics card supports the feature (most recent ones do).

The multiple interfaces can be use simultaneously using multiple displays if you wish, and while many games support the feature, you might find that the 7850 lacks enough performance to get decent frame rates, depending on the games you play & the resolution, of course. There is always the option to add another 7850 in Crossfire mode, should you need a bit more oomph :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by prvnrk

Hi,

I'm planning to buy a new system with

Intel core i7 3630K
Asus Rampage
3-4 HDDs
32GB RAM
Liquid cooling solution for overclocking

---

That's a fairly hefty system for a gaming PC...will you be using it for other things like video editing or such? If not, my advice would be to save a bit on the base system & get something like a 3570k cpu & appropriate motherboard, & invest a bit more in a more capable graphics card.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimbobgod1969

That's a fairly hefty system for a gaming PC...will you be using it for other things like video editing or such? If not, my advice would be to save a bit on the base system & get something like a 3570k cpu & appropriate motherboard, & invest a bit more in a more capable graphics card.

---

This.

Seems daft to skimp on GPU when the rest of the system is beastly, especially if it's for gaming?!?

Yeah, it's kinda odd. He has started threads asking for advice on every single component EXCEPT the CPU which is probably the most contentious item.

For gaming you would want to spend a far larger portion of your budget on the actual graphics card and less on the CPU, motherboard, RAM, etc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimbobgod1969

If you're using a flat panel monitor, it's best to stick to a digital interface like DVI, Displayport or HDMI. The latter is usually limited to a maximum resolution of 1920x1200, but that is probably enough for 90% of gamers. HDMI also allows audio to be passed through if your monitor or TV has speakers, assuming your graphics card supports the feature (most recent ones do).

The multiple interfaces can be use simultaneously using multiple displays if you wish, and while many games support the feature, you might find that the 7850 lacks enough performance to get decent frame rates, depending on the games you play & the resolution, of course. There is always the option to add another 7850 in Crossfire mode, should you need a bit more oomph :)

---

I'm planning to use HDMI - but just want to make sure from you guys that the output/performance are fine with it.

Thanks

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimbobgod1969

That's a fairly hefty system for a gaming PC...will you be using it for other things like video editing or such? If not, my advice would be to save a bit on the base system & get something like a 3570k cpu & appropriate motherboard, & invest a bit more in a more capable graphics card.

---

Mainly it is for running CPU-intensive applications (day time) and for gaming (in nights / weekends).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Willzzz

Yeah, it's kinda odd. He has started threads asking for advice on every single component EXCEPT the CPU which is probably the most contentious item.
.

---

Just because CPU has been finalized (with the benchmarks it matches with our req.) and still working on remaining items.

This system mainly is for running CPU-intensive applications (day time) and for gaming (in nights / weekends).

Thank you everyone for your valuable advises!! :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by prvnrk

Thank you everyone for your valuable advises!! :)

---

Throw in £25 more and get GTX 660. Either Gigabyte or MSI are the current favourites.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by prvnrk

Mainly it is for running CPU-intensive applications (day time) and for gaming (in nights / weekends).

---

The main advantages of going to a socket 2011 system are the extra PCIe lanes available, memory bandwidth, and the possibility of using a 6 core / 12 thread processor (if your pockets are deep enough!). Whilst there's a case for going down that route for very processor intensive tasks, unless you really need that sort of power, a socket 1155 system with say, an i7 3770K is a better compromise for most people (especially once overclocked).

What is the best card for sub £100? Any link will be appreciated.