Video Card Suggestion

[Paazel]

Hello all, my current system consists of:
intel q9450
gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P
8gb ram (4 sticks) 4-4-4-12
1 wd velociraptor/2 7200rpm hdd's
3 optical drives
ocz modstream 520 watt power supply
dell 2405 1920x1200
3 120mm case fans
and....

foxconn 7950gt 256mb

looking for a new video card. it's my understanding that most current video cards draw quite a bit of power. i don't game too often, but wouldn't mind the option. solid h264 decode is important as bluray is in my future!

according to http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine it recommends a 361watt power supply.

bottom line, i'd like a new card that has equivalent or less power draw (don't want to replace my PSU), while getting a decent performance boost. i wouldn't mind getting a card with a bit more power as long as I don't have to replace my power supply. pricing on the ati 4850 looks pretty good.

any suggestions would be very welcome. thanks in advance!

 

[Kakkoii]

Uhhh, why don't you just use that website to find out what cards will keep you around the same watt usage? It has a huge list of cards you can choose from.

 

[Denithor]

Just pick whatever card you want. Honestly. An overclocked i7 system with dual GTX 260 cards in SLI mode at peak consumes 500W.

You have a solid 520W PSU.

Go nuts.

 

[Paazel]

thanks guys. the power consumption looks considerably lower with a 4770, the 4850 is cheaper, but looks like the 4770 would consume 55watts less power!

any suggestions one way or the other?

 

[Qbah]

The HD4850 is cheaper and faster. And is available now. Just get it. Or a GTS250 if it's the same price.

EDIT: A GTX260 will work fine too. Or a HD4870. Or a HD4890. Or a GTX275. Hell, a GTX285 should work without any issues. It all depends on how much are you willing to spend.

 

[Paazel]

cheaper is always better to me! but i think i'd be happy anywhere within the $90-$130 range. i don't mind spending a little more to save on electricity use.

 

[Qbah]

The fastest card in this price range is the HD4870 512MB (you can get them for ~125$). It totally destroys the HD4850/HD4770 and the GTS250. Not even a contest.

Next it's a wash between the HD4850 and the GTS250 (they're around 100$).

The HD4770 is not worth it imo, it's almost as expensive as a HD4870, out of stock mostly and slower than a HD4850. No point in buying it for that price.

 

[OCNewbie]

There was an HD4890 for ~$130 recently I believe. You can find a 1GB 4870 for that price too if you wait a week or two I'd imagine. Seems like there are sales quite frequently as of late.

You should be just fine with regards to power requirements for probably any single GPU card as well.

 

[Paazel]

thanks guys, thinking maybe I wait for the new 40nm generation of cards to see what they bring to the table.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

Originally posted by: Denithor
Just pick whatever card you want. Honestly. An overclocked i7 system with dual GTX 260 cards in SLI mode at peak consumes 500W.

You have a solid 520W PSU.

Go nuts.

Going nuts (getting two GTX260s) would kill his power supply. It only offers 28A on the +12V rail, has probably been in use a long time, and has probably aged and can't deliver the maximum rated power it used to. What a terrible suggestion.

A single HD4870-class card is the best he could do, but even then I wouldn't trust it. It's never a good idea to push a power supply, especially an old one, to its limits. Getting a card along the lines of an HD4770 would be a smart choice, as it draws similar power to the 7950GT and would be a huge upgrade.

 

[Jacen]

I think you would be just fine with a HD4870. Just dont wait too long for 40nm if that is your objective as you can constantly wait for new cards...