# Thinking of getting a graphics card upgrade - any recommendations?



## magneze (Oct 20, 2011)

I'm thinking of upgrading the graphics in our desktop PC. I've never had a high end graphics card before. Apparently these are the ones that are tested and definitely work with the barebones I have.

Can anyone give any advice on chipset (AMD/ATI/nVidia) and whether any of these cards are any good? Or any ones to avoid!

I don't play loads of games. Got Portals 1/2 and Deus Ex: Human Revolution which feels like it would prefer better graphics than the current Intel HD 3000 chipset I'm currently on.

AMD    AMD Radeon HD 6950 2GB
AMD    ASUS EAH6870/2DI2S/1GD5
ATI    ASUS EAH5870/G/2DIS/1GD5/A
ATI    ATI AX4850 DDR3 512MB(Dual Slot)
ATI    ATI AX4870 DDR5 512MB(Dual Slot)
ATI    ATi Radeon HD 3850 256MB
ATI    ATi Radeon HD 3870 512MB
ATI    Asus EAH3650 HTP 256MB HDCP
ATI    GIGABYTE GV-R4670D3-512 512MB
ATI    MSI R4850-T2D512
ATI    MSI R4850-T2D512 512M (Dual slot)
ATI    MSI R5770-PM2D1G
ATI    MSI R5850-PM2D1G-OC
ATI    Power Color HD5770
nVIDIA    ASUS EN9800GTX HTDP DDR3 512MB
nVIDIA    ASUS EN9800GT TOP HTDP 512M  A
nVIDIA    ASUS EN9800GX2 1GB DDR3 2DI
nVIDIA    ASUS ENGTX280 HYDP 1G A
nVIDIA    Asus EN8500GT SILENT HTD 256MB
nVIDIA    Asus EN8800GTS HTDP 320MB (ROHS)
nVIDIA    GIGABYTE GTX260 GDDR3 896MB
nVIDIA    GIGABYTE GV-N460OC-1GI
nVIDIA    GIGABYTE Geforce 8800GT GV-NX88T512H-B 512MB
nVIDIA    Leadtek Nvidia GTS 450
nVIDIA    Leadtek WinFast Geforce 9600GT 512MB
nVIDIA    Leadtek Winfast PX8800 GTX TDH 768MB GDDR3 (ROHS)
nVIDIA    MSI N9600GSO-T2D384-OC 384MB
nVIDIA    NVIDIA GTX 580 GDDR5 1.5G
nVIDIA    Nvidia Geforce GTX 465
nVIDIA    Nvidia Quadro FX 1800
nVIDIA    Nvidia Quadro FX 580


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## golightly (Oct 20, 2011)

I'm currently using a Radeon HD 5870.  I bought it because I was overly impressed by the big numbers but it does a rather good job of rendering the graphics and the games run very smoothly.  I'm happy with it but I'm sure that someone with more technical knowledge will come along and give a more considered response.


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## magneze (Oct 20, 2011)

Cheers. Apparently that one would also require a power supply upgrade - although it would only put me 8W over the rating for my current power supply. What happens if that goes wrong? Does the machine turn off or blow up?


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## Crispy (Oct 20, 2011)

Usually, an instant reboot as the power management circuits detect the under-supply. Or the power supply can die. In nasty ways that completely fry the entire computer. So you don't want that


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## Epona (Oct 20, 2011)

Crispy said:


> Usually, an instant reboot as the power management circuits detect the under-supply. Or the power supply can die. In nasty ways that completely fry the entire computer. So you don't want that



Seconding this, had a PSU blow up once (that sounds a bit dramatic, it actually just made a bit of a crackly pop noise followed by the smell of metallic smoke, and tripped the circuit breaker) and it made a right mess of the PC - the only salvageable component was a hard drive, the rest was knackered with melted connectors and scorch marks. New PC was required, so it worked out quite expensive. Probably best to upgrade your PSU if in any doubt.

Edit to add: Don't forget that an old or ubranded/knockoff/cheap brand PSU won't necessarily put out the amount of power it's rated for anyway, so don't assume that what it says on the label is actually what it's capable of.

Also forgot to say that I am very happy with my HD 5850 GPU.


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## golightly (Oct 20, 2011)

Ah yes the PSU on this computer blew and I had to replace it with one at 850W, which makes me think that running this computer potentially draws as much power as a microwave for hours!


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## Crispy (Oct 20, 2011)

The power rating is the capacity, not the actual draw. At idle, a 300W PSU will draw as much power from the wall as a 1000W one, all other things being equal.


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## sleaterkinney (Oct 20, 2011)

golightly said:


> Ah yes the PSU on this computer blew and I had to replace it with one at 850W, which makes me think that running this computer potentially draws as much power as a microwave for hours!


850W is nuts. I was thinking of getting into the latest round of pc games but I'd have to upgrade pretty much everything on my pc, the last game it could play comfortably was Crysis.


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## magneze (Oct 20, 2011)

Ok, so I really don't want to melt the PC with an underpowered PSU! An 5850 GPU means I don't need a new PSU though, so that might be better.

Is there much difference between nVidia & ATI/AMD for games?


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## Picadilly Commando (Oct 21, 2011)

Before you commit I would check to see if you have enough room on your motherboard and in your case. Then I'd check if you have a couple of spare PCIE leads on your PSU (I suspect you don't have) and adequate cooling.

If you have a cheap motherboard or off budget off the shelf computer then you may well end up with a bottleneck. Really need a bit more info on your rig before any proper advice can be given. 

GTX 560 ti is a very good card for about £140 and two of them running in tandom is very nice! I have the super overclocked edition and will probably buy it a second one when the new nVidia chip is released in the near future:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0050IA9...de=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B0050IA9OO


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## Epona (Oct 21, 2011)

magneze said:


> Ok, so I really don't want to melt the PC with an underpowered PSU! An 5850 GPU means I don't need a new PSU though, so that might be better.



What PSU do you have, and what is the difference between the 5850 which you say you won't need to upgrade PSU for, and the 5870 which you say would require an upgrade (in terms of power draw)?

Because IMO I cannot imagine that the difference between them is so great that you would have to upgrade your PSU for one and not the other - if you need to upgrade it for any one of that series of graphics cards, I'd imagine you'd need to upgrade it for any of them  and if it were me I'd play it safe and upgrade the PSU if it were borderline.



magneze said:


> Is there much difference between nVidia & ATI/AMD for games?



Have a look at reviews with benchmarking tests and check out the current prices of those cards on retail sites (pick a card from each that performs about the same in tests).  It always used to be the case that you got more bang for your buck with AMD but I'm not sure how things stand at present.   Either way you will find diehard fans of each!  They each have a "USP" that they're trying to push - nVidia has integrated 3D gaming solutions, while AMD are more into easy multi-display use and splitting the display over several screens to provide peripheral vision for gaming (Eyefinity) - most people don't use either tbh.


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## Picadilly Commando (Oct 21, 2011)

You might want to take a look at Tweakforce drivers too, they make them for both ATI and NV cards.

Then again, if you're not that much into gaming, I'd just get a second hand one off ebay. You can pick up two year old £200 video cards on ebay for next to nothing and they'll run Deus Ex without breaking into a sweat.


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## Cid (Oct 21, 2011)

You might want to measure your PC, high-end graphics cards are enormous these days, also some require two PCIe slots.


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## magneze (Oct 21, 2011)

We have a Shuttle SH55J2 barebones (http://global.shuttle.com/main/productsSupportList?productId=1409). The Shuttle website is pretty helpful on graphics cards, giving the list above and a neato power consumption calculator: http://global.shuttle.com/support/power

I assumed that if I chose something from the "approved" list above and had the power consumption calculator tell me it was ok then card size and cooling should be ok. 

But this is why I'm asking on here. Total graphics card newbie!


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## magneze (Oct 21, 2011)

Just found an even more helpful table. The processor is a dual core i5.
http://global.shuttle.com/products/productsFaqDetail?faqId=1951






Looks like I'm generally better off with an ATI card from a power consumption point of view unless I shell out £70 for the 500W power supply. TBH, that's getting silly considering the relatively small amount of gaming the PC gets used for.


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## golightly (Oct 21, 2011)

Crispy said:


> The power rating is the capacity, not the actual draw. At idle, a 300W PSU will draw as much power from the wall as a 1000W one, all other things being equal.


 
Which is why I said 'potential'.


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## Dandred (Oct 22, 2011)

After four years of two GTX 8800's, I've just picked up a 590 GTX ulta for about 500 squid!!

Should last another four years..........


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## Shippou-Sensei (Oct 22, 2011)

i belive i have the gtx580

also an i7 950 overclocked to 4ghz and 6gb of ram

so far it's handled everything i've thrown at it with not signs of problem

the 3d stuff is a bit gimmiky though

EDIT: i7 not an i5


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## Dandred (Oct 22, 2011)

I've been running a qx9650 at 3.6 for the last four years and still nothing is even touching it.......

I firmly believe than when buying computer shit get the best possible and it will last........ mind you my Striker II formula knocked out after 3 and a half years.......


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## Jackobi (Oct 22, 2011)

magneze said:


> Just found an even more helpful table. The processor is a dual core i5.
> http://global.shuttle.com/products/productsFaqDetail?faqId=1951
> 
> 
> ...



HD6950 it is, then. Compared to the GTX 460 there is no contest.


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## Cid (Oct 22, 2011)

magneze said:


> Just found an even more helpful table. The processor is a dual core i5.
> http://global.shuttle.com/products/productsFaqDetail?faqId=1951
> 
> 
> ...



That's quite expensive for a 500w PSU, although I imagine it being £50 rather than £70 won't make an awful lot of difference to your decision.

Remember what someone else posted though; budget ones often under-perform  and tbh it may be worth the investment over blowing your computer.


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## magneze (Oct 22, 2011)

Jackobi said:


> HD6950 it is, then. Compared to the GTX 460 there is no contest.


This is where the seemingly helpful Shuttle website has started to fall down. According to that table I'm ok. According to the power consumption calculator on the same site I'm 14w over using the standard 300w supply.  That's annoying.

Looks like the HD6870 could be an option, it seems to take quite a bit less power than any of the other cards. It's not in that table, but the power consumption calculator says I'd only be drawing 284w.

Any opinions on the 6870?


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## magneze (Oct 22, 2011)

Cid said:


> That's quite expensive for a 500w PSU, although I imagine it being £50 rather than £70 won't make an awful lot of difference to your decision.
> 
> Remember what someone else posted though; budget ones often under-perform and tbh it may be worth the investment over blowing your computer.


I think it's because the Shuttle cases are a weird size, so the PSU is a Shuttle-specific part. Actually, by shopping around it looks like I might be able to get it for £60.


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## Cid (Oct 22, 2011)

Ah right... That's why I mentioned graphics card size btw, it was a problem with small form-factor PCs when they started coming out - imagine most take that into account now though.


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## Epona (Oct 24, 2011)

magneze said:


> Looks like the HD6870 could be an option, it seems to take quite a bit less power than any of the other cards. It's not in that table, but the power consumption calculator says I'd only be drawing 284w.
> 
> Any opinions on the 6870?



ATI/AMD serial numbers are a bit odd - the 6800 series is the "new" 5700 series, but the 5800 series is better (and the 6900 series is the "new" 5800 series). That's why it takes less power than a 5800 series even though the model number is higher!

In this order from worst to best (in terms of performance):

57xx (worst)
68xx
58xx
69xx (best)


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## magneze (Oct 24, 2011)

Ah, I was wondering about that. It is confusing, the 5800 series also seem to be twice the price of the 6800.

I think the 6870 could be a good compromise. Will take the PC apart this week and measure it up.


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## povmcdov (Oct 26, 2011)

I just bought a 6870 for BF3. The factory overclocked ones that are about now are excellent bang for your buck and it should be able to run most current games at 1680 x 1050 on maximum settings at playable framerates. Benchmarks Ive looked at show 40fps on Crysis 2, 70fps plus on BFBC2 on those settings. You'll get less return if playing on a larger panel than that, or with dual monitors, but you can always run at medium settings. If you have a single standard sized monitor you shouldnt need any more power at the moment.

Some DirectX 11 tests show it to be a bit lacking, but I'm thinking it won't be a problem once engines are optimised for DX11. At the moment thats pretty new tech.

This is mine: http://www.hisdigital.com/gb/product2-588.shtml

There are cheaper cards about that are similar, but the cooler on this one is very quiet. After running a Geforce 9600GT stock card in a biscuit tin case for the last couple of years and being laughed at over teamspeak for the howling in the background thats a big selling point for me!

As was said, they can be pretty big. This one takes up two slots in thickness (only one port though) and is 23.5 x 14.5 cm, which is going to be a bit of a squeeze. It also needs two power inputs, but you can get a converter to fit a molex cable if needs be.

If you can't fit a 6870 then a 6850 is a bit smaller and uses less power and only one power lead, but I didnt look at that in detail so there may be a better option.

As far as I'm concerned AMD are the only way to go these days unless you are intent on 3D gaming. This is coming from somone who has been using Nvidia products for over a decade. Nvidia may have the most powerful highend cards at the moment, but looking at sensible prices AMD win hands down.


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## Sunray (Oct 28, 2011)

I'd probably go for a ATI at the moment, its nothing major but my 460GTX has been giving me 'the driver has stopped working' a lot recently.  Fine when playing games thought, apart from one moment in Brotherhood when he disappeared.


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## fishfinger (Oct 28, 2011)

Sunray said:


> 'the driver has stopped working' a lot recently.



Have you updated your driver to 285.62 yet?


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## Sunray (Oct 29, 2011)

Just doing it now. But not been exactly impressed with the quality this time round, my 8800GT (which is now my physx cpu) was problem free.


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## magneze (Oct 29, 2011)

Think I'm pretty much decided on an ATI 6870, just need to be able to get to the computer for an hour with a screwdriver & tape measure.

What numbers are the most representative ones when comparing graphics card performance? I'm interested in how much better it ought to be than the current Intel HD 3000 graphics that are integrated into the i5 CPU that I currently have.


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## fishfinger (Oct 29, 2011)

It'll be at least 3 - 4 times faster.


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## povmcdov (Oct 30, 2011)

Make sure you have the right leads on your PSU free for it. I had to upgrade my PSU because I didnt.

It will need two 8 pin PCI express leads. You can get adaptors from 4 pin molex leads to 8 pin PCI, but molex is rated at a much lower wattage and I decided I didnt want to take the risk of blowing the whole system.


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## ChrisFilter (Oct 30, 2011)

Good card, the 6870.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Oct 30, 2011)

Bollocks...got a 5850 a was looking forward to testing it with BF3. Everything seems choppy, even dropping down 1330x768 and turning a few something to medium. Looks like my CPU isn't up to the job.


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## revol68 (Nov 1, 2011)

povmcdov said:


> Make sure you have the right leads on your PSU free for it. I had to upgrade my PSU because I didnt.
> 
> It will need two 8 pin PCI express leads. You can get adaptors from 4 pin molex leads to 8 pin PCI, but molex is rated at a much lower wattage and I decided I didnt want to take the risk of blowing the whole system.



I just picked one up from amazon on saturday, it's just two 6 pin connectors, one from the psu and the other using a molex converter that comes with the card.

Am well impressed with the performance, in the campaign I can max everything except multi sampling AA and sit between 45-60 fps.


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## revol68 (Nov 1, 2011)

Global Stoner said:


> Bollocks...got a 5850 a was looking forward to testing it with BF3. Everything seems choppy, even dropping down 1330x768 and turning a few something to medium. Looks like my CPU isn't up to the job.



Yeah the 5850 is plenty to handle bf3 on high, what's your processor? BF3 like Bad Company 2 doesn't like anything with less than 4 cores.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Nov 1, 2011)

Only a duel core. 

Fortunately, the multi player seems a lot smoother, even been able to bump the resolution back up.


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## revol68 (Nov 1, 2011)

if you are looking a cheap upgrade you can pick up a q6600 for around £50 quid on ebay, it provided me with a massive boost on Bad Company 2 over my e5200.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Nov 1, 2011)

I might have a look when I'm a bit more flush, but never thought about buying stuff like that from ebay.

It's an E8400 which I got running at 3.7ghz, so whilst I shouldn't be surprised it's showing it's age, it's still disappointing.


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## revol68 (Nov 1, 2011)

yeah I had my e5200 running @ 3.33ghz (from 2.5 stock), they were great overclockers but unfortunately with battlefield it's the cores.

I got my q6600 off ebay for 58 quid including postage back in july and it even turned pout to be a GO stepping one. Unfortunately my cheap ass mobo won't let me tweak voltages so I can't take it above 3.2ghz, though it cuts through BF3 no bother.

You could get a decent whack of the upgrade cost back by selling the e8400


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Nov 1, 2011)

That sounds like a good deal you got...think I'll see if I stick with battlefield first, the whole gaming PC hasn't been a great investment tbf, bought it after years of not playing anything and now I find I don't normally have the will/time to do so. It's just at the moment I've got shit loads of time as I'm hardly working and when I do it's the hours folk normally socialize.


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## al (Nov 1, 2011)

wow - can't you just buy a console?



runs away laughing......


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## ChrisFilter (Nov 1, 2011)

al said:


> wow - can't you just buy a console?
> 
> 
> 
> runs away laughing......



You could, but it wouldn't be as good.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Nov 1, 2011)

al said:


> wow - can't you just buy a console?
> 
> 
> 
> runs away laughing......


 
I may actually consider this next time round. 

Where do I plug the mouse/keyboard.


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## revol68 (Nov 1, 2011)

al said:


> wow - can't you just buy a console?
> 
> 
> 
> runs away laughing......



a quad core upgrade would be easily cheaper than a new (old shitty generation) console and a copy of it.


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## treelover (Nov 2, 2011)

so people think its worth going from core duo to quad, even with ddr2 two and old motherboard, and if you go to 1300 mhz processor can you still use your old 800 mhz memory?


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## revol68 (Nov 2, 2011)

yeah i think my ram is only ddr2.

What is a 1300mhz processor?

I use a q6600 with 4gb of DDR2 and have it overclocked to 3.1 from 2.5.


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## treelover (Nov 2, 2011)

most core duo's run at 1066 mhz, but some run at 1300, if your motherboard allows, but I'm not sure if that means your memory has to be higher too..


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## Blackandyellow (Nov 12, 2011)

Honestly you can't go wrong with any of the high end graphics card of nvidia and ATI. But I did notice that ATI works better with AMD and nvidia with Intel.


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## magneze (Nov 15, 2011)

I went for the 6870 over the weekend. Knock at the door today. Cue excitement. Unpack it - been sent the wrong version - one with extra heat pipes. Doesn't fit.  Back it goes.


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## Corax (Nov 15, 2011)

magneze said:


> I went for the 6870 over the weekend. Knock at the door today. Cue excitement. Unpack it - been sent the wrong version - one with extra heat pipes. Doesn't fit.  Back it goes.


Gah!

Nice to see the 6870's a good card though.  It's the stock one that's in the machine that I'm hoping will be delivered tomorrow.  

Unfortunately I have shitloads of work to do, so it'll probably stay in the box until the weekend. 

I'll have Skyrim and my xbox controller connecting thingy by then though....


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Nov 15, 2011)

Corax said:


> I'll have Skyrim and my xbox controller connecting thingy by then though....



Why would you do that...mouse and keyboard is what makes PC gameing that much better!


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## Picadilly Commando (Nov 16, 2011)

magneze said:


> I went for the 6870 over the weekend. Knock at the door today. Cue excitement. Unpack it - been sent the wrong version - one with extra heat pipes. Doesn't fit.  Back it goes.



I did warn you 



> *Before you commit I would check to see if you have enough room on your motherboard and in your case*. Then I'd check if you have a couple of spare PCIE leads on your PSU (I suspect you don't have) and adequate cooling.


 
Why not just get a new case or is it the mobo?


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## magneze (Nov 16, 2011)

Picadilly Commando said:


> I did warn you
> 
> Why not just get a new case or is it the mobo?


The case will fit the Asus card I ordered, but not the one they delivered (Asus do two 6870 cards). Of course, the one I ordered they don't actually have and it seems to be out of stock everywhere except PC world which are charging well over the odds for it. I'm now checking the Sapphire and XFX 6870 card dimensions to see if they will fit.


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## Corax (Nov 16, 2011)

Global Stoner said:


> Why would you do that...mouse and keyboard is what makes PC gameing that much better!


If that was true, then consoles would ship with a mouse and keyboard.


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## magneze (Nov 16, 2011)

Corax said:


> If that was true, then consoles would ship with a mouse and keyboard.


That's because all the manufacturers want to sell you two devices.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Nov 16, 2011)

Corax said:


> If that was true, then consoles would ship with a mouse and keyboard.



No, it's because they are hard to use from the coach and only suit certain games like strategy and FPS.

Racing games and the like are better with pads.


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## Crispy (Nov 16, 2011)

I like mouse for aiming, but pads are superior for moving, IMO, with analog control, see.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Nov 16, 2011)

Crispy said:


> I like mouse for aiming, but pads are superior for moving, IMO, with analog control, see.



So why don't they let xbox players and PC players use the same servers?


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Nov 16, 2011)

Crispy said:


> I like mouse for aiming, but pads are superior for moving, IMO, with analog control, see.



If you have time to move the other player is crap.


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## Picadilly Commando (Nov 17, 2011)

Global Stoner said:


> So why don't they let xbox players and PC players use the same servers?



They're not compatible, totally different platforms, netcode etc. It is possible but and there are games out there I think but mainly it just can't be done.

Besides which it is ridely recognised PC players hammer console players on games because their computers are generally more powerful which gives them less latency (not to be confused with ping) and so on.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ms-killed-pc-xbox-cross-platform-play



> Microsoft scrapped plans to allow PC and Xbox 360 gamers to play shooters like Unreal Tournament 3 and Gears of War online together because during tests "console players got destroyed every time".
> 
> "The console players got destroyed every time. So much so that it would be embarrassing to the Xbox team in general had Microsoft launched this initiative. Is this why the project was killed? Who knows, but I'd love to hear from anyone involved - what happened?"


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## Garek (Nov 17, 2011)

I've a nvidia GTX 570 as I have a 1920x1200 screen, though from what I have heard the GTX 560 is excellent value.


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## Picadilly Commando (Nov 17, 2011)

I think you're getting mixed up, mate. There is no 570. There is a 560 and its little brother is the 460, both are extremely good cards.

I own the EVGA GTX 560ti 1GB Superclocked but they do a GTX 460ti 1GB Superclocked for about a third less than the 560, both have HD and are 3D ready


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## Garek (Nov 17, 2011)

Picadilly Commando said:


> I think you're getting mixed up, mate. There is no 570. There is a 560 and its little brother is the 460, both are extremely good cards.
> 
> I own the EVGA GTX 560ti 1GB Superclocked but they do a GTX 460ti 1GB Superclocked for about a third less than the 560, both have HD and are 3D ready



There's a 570 and a 580 and even a 590


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## Picadilly Commando (Nov 17, 2011)

Here's me thinking you said 470 and I wrote 570. I should go to bed, I've been up since yesterday morning. 

I put milk in the kettle earlier instead of coffee <_<


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## magneze (Nov 17, 2011)

Picadilly Commando said:


> They're not compatible, totally different platforms, netcode etc. It is possible but and there are games out there I think but mainly it just can't be done.
> 
> Besides which it is ridely recognised PC players hammer console players on games because their computers are generally more powerful which gives them less latency (not to be confused with ping) and so on.
> 
> http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ms-killed-pc-xbox-cross-platform-play


Of course it can be done. It's probably relatively easy too. Your second reason is almost certainly why though - totally makes sense.


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## Picadilly Commando (Nov 17, 2011)

That's why I said there are games out there that are capable of it... 

But generally speaking developers make them for one platform and the hardware requirements of that platform. That is why when we see ported games they're always a bit, well shoe horned in. I can't remember the specifics exactly but one of the problems was how consoles and PCs deal with packets. Which gave birth to gaming network cards, which are now pretty much redundant since CPUs barely have to think networking.


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## ChrisFilter (Nov 17, 2011)

Ah, graphics cards. Oddly addictive. I feel a clucking for crossfiring my 6950 but why?! It runs pretty much everything on high, if not ultra. Why do I feel the urge to waste £200 on another bloody card?

I won't. But I want to.


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## magneze (Nov 17, 2011)

There's no technical reason that consoles and PCs can't play together.


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## Picadilly Commando (Nov 17, 2011)

I Am the same, man. I don't need to upgrade to an 5Ghz 8 core CPU at all but I want to.


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## Crispy (Nov 17, 2011)

Global Stoner said:


> So why don't they let xbox players and PC players use the same servers?



Because Microsoft.
Also, mouse wipes the floor with pad fro aiming. In an FPS, there is no contest.


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## Picadilly Commando (Nov 17, 2011)

magneze said:


> There's no technical reason that consoles and PCs can't play together.








For the umpteenth time:



Picadilly Commando said:


> That's why I said there are games out there that are capable of it





Picadilly Commando said:


> That's why I said there are games out there that are capable of it





Picadilly Commando said:


> That's why I said there are games out there that are capable of it





Picadilly Commando said:


> That's why I said there are games out there that are capable of it





Picadilly Commando said:


> That's why I said there are games out there that are capable of it



Yes it is possible, of course it is possible. I even posted a link that you clearly never read explaing the MS stance for Global Stoner. That is why I said there are games out there that are capable of it. It is just a pain in the arse to do, a real technical nightmare. AARGGHHH!

Read here:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8013218/how-is-it-possible-to-make-complex-games-cross-platform

But you seem to have problems reading otherwise you'd have read my post and the dimensions of the graphics card you bought and fitted it without any difficulty. Christ, it's like talking to a stubborn child.


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## magneze (Nov 17, 2011)

Reading your posts you seem to say two different things. I was merely re-stating that there is no technical reason.

I was delivered the wrong graphics card. Did you read that? Obviously not.

Have a nice cup of herbal tea.


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## Picadilly Commando (Nov 17, 2011)

FUCK YOUR TEA!!! I HAVEN'T SLEPT FOR 30 HOURS, I NEED NO TEA!!! WHAT ARE YOU IMPYLING, EH? EH> ???     

*ZONK*


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## Picadilly Commando (Nov 17, 2011)

Didn't see that you got the wrong one delivered. Ahem.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Nov 17, 2011)

ChrisFilter said:


> Ah, graphics cards. Oddly addictive. I feel a clucking for crossfiring my 6950 but why?! It runs pretty much everything on high, if not ultra. Why do I feel the urge to waste £200 on another bloody card?
> 
> I won't. But I want to.



Geek Porn. 

That and I assume you have a kick ass power supply! We've just had a smart meter installed at home and it jumps up when I load BF3


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## ChrisFilter (Nov 17, 2011)

Global Stoner said:


> Gee Porn.
> 
> That and I assume you have a kick ass power supply! We've just had a smart meter installed at home and it jumps up when I load BF3



It's only 600w so I'd probably need to upgrade that as well.

I'm not actually going to crossfire it. I just want to. Useful to know that I can once the current card starts to stutter in a couple of years.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Nov 17, 2011)

ChrisFilter said:


> It's only 600w so I'd probably need to upgrade that as well.
> 
> I'm not actually going to crossfire it. I just want to. Useful to know that I can once the current card starts to stutter in a couple of years.



By which point, you'll better of just buying a new one. You don't get 100% scaling and cards in a couple of generations will outperform your crossfire rig. Only reason I could think to do is if you could get one very cheap on ebay.


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