best video card for the downstairs pc?

[Chazwozel]

So I recently built an awesome pc for my office, but our downstairs pc needs a boost. Its a p7h55-m asus mobo with an i5 core 650 processor. Id like to get a good high end video card to run wow with ultra settings. Oh its got six gigs of ddr3 ram.

Forgot to mention the slot is pci x 16, and my budget is around 200 to 250: the psu is a 600 watt output.


*I was just considering getting a Radeon HD 5870 like I have in my office pc, but it might just be overkill for the mobo? Am I right?

Right now it's running with the Intel Integrated graphics shit...

 

[Chazwozel]

Here's what I'm thinking of going with: GV-N460OC-1GI - GIGABYTE

Any thoughts?

 

[SpecialKO]

With a rig like that, any card made in the last three years will powerslam WoW on ultra and have juice left over. You could spend $80-$100 on a GTS 250, and you'll be running around at 60+ FPS, no prob (possibly not in Dalaran, but with that much RAM, probably).

My 9600 GT on my aging Pentium D running XP with 2 GB of DDR2 ram averages 30-45 in Dal, 50-60 everywhere else on ultra, and a 250 would blow it out of the water.

The GTX 460 you linked is more than enough. Way more.

Is that really your only requirement?

 

[Chazwozel]

So I don't get it, I bought a Radeon HD 5570 at best buy (yeah I know) and Wow looks like shit. This is why I was going to up the ante and get a better card. Card runs 1 gb ddr3 memory, direct x 11 etc.. the only major set back is the 128 bit memory interface...

I already took it back but I was getting like 17 fps in Stormwind with the settings on "good" not ultra.

 

[SpecialKO]

Ah, there's your problem. The 5570 is a budget card.

Radeon HD cards use the following approximate naming scheme:

HD XYZZ, where X is the card generation, Y is the capabilities level (budget, good, excellent, premium), and ZZ is the individual iteration within the first two, starting with 50.

So HD 5850 is the newest generation, excellent-premium capabilities, first or second iteration of that card, while 5570 is a budget card which is in it later iteration.

EDIT: Similarly, nvidia cards of the latest generation tend to use:

GTZ XY0, where the X is the card generation, Y is the capabilities level, and Z indicates the level of additional goodies on the card (GT is barebones, GTS is moderate additions, GTX tends to mean more RAM and higher clock speed).

An HD 4850 or 5750, or a GeForce 250 or 450 should do just fine. If money is really not such a huge issue, a GTX 460 or an HD 5830 will put you comfortably over the point where you can get great FPS in WoW.

 

[Chazwozel]

Ah, there's your problem. The 5570 is a budget card.

Radeon HD cards use the following approximate naming scheme:

HD XYZZ, where X is the card generation, Y is the capabilities level (budget, good, excellent, premium), and ZZ is the individual iteration within the first two, starting with 50.

So HD 5850 is the newest generation, excellent-premium capabilities, first or second iteration of that card, while 5570 is a budget card which is in it later iteration.

EDIT: Similarly, nvidia cards of the latest generation tend to use:

GTZ XY0, where the X is the card generation, Y is the capabilities level, and Z indicates the level of additional goodies on the card (GT is barebones, GTS is moderate additions, GTX tends to mean more RAM and higher clock speed).

An HD 4850 or 5750, or a GeForce 250 or 450 should do just fine. If money is really not such a huge issue, a GTX 460 or an HD 5830 will put you comfortably over the point where you can get great FPS in WoW.

Holy crap, this is amazing information! I never knew that about video cards! I always had issues finding one. It's always been a crap shoot for me. Thanks, man!

 

[SpecialKO]

Keep in mind that they're approximate naming conventions, and individual research is always warranted. Card manufacturers will often pump up (or scale down) features on the card to push it more clearly into one category or the other.

I recommend tomshardware.com

 

[KCWM]

My wife's computer has a Radeon 5750 card in it. She had no issues when raiding ICC and she had a Gateway something or another. I used an nVidia 9800 GTX and now an nVidia 250 GTS and had no issues with lag in Dalaran. I didn't hit 60 fps in Dalaran, but didn't suffer any slow down either. I didn't run Ultra, but ran my spell particles, ground effects, and shadows pretty high, again with an out-of-the-box Gateway.

 

[SpecialKO]

The HD 5750 (and it's meaner 5770 brother) is supposedly a real kickass card that hits the sweet spot between keeping it cheap ($100-$130) while keeping performance high and power consumption low.

Radeon HD 5770 And 5750 Review: Gentlemen, Start Your HTPCs : Introduction

I was actually considering this as part of a last gasp upgrade for my XPS 400 to bump my video card from 9600 GT to an HD 5750 and my Pentium D to the E6600 Core 2 Duo for around $200. Not sure. Debating just saving up for a new computer, period.

 

[drifter]

Yeah, runnin' mah HD 4350 boyeeee :waah:

 

[GasBandit]

According to Passmark, the $125 radeon hd 5750 already outperforms my trusty nvidia 8800 GTX, which cost $500 3 years ago.

And let me tell you, my 8800 GTX is STILL a beast and a half.

 

[Chazwozel]

I went with the GTX 460. Aww yeah..

I figure we'll be upgrading the computer to an i7 in the near future anyway.

 

[PatrThom]

Yep. Sounds like you xposed 5750 and 5570 (and possibly 5770) when you were searching.
Right now, the budget choices are NVIDIA 460 v. [STRIKE]ATI[/STRIKE] AMD 5770. Pick whichever one meets your budgetary needs.

We'll see what the 6xxx series cards can do next week.

--Patrick

 

[SpecialKO]

Yep. Sounds like you xposed 5750 and 5570 (and possibly 5770) when you were searching.
Right now, the budget choices are NVIDIA 460 v. [STRIKE]ATI[/STRIKE] AMD 5770. Pick whichever one meets your budgetary needs.

We'll see what the 6xxx series cards can do next week.

--Patrick

Drastically drop the prices of the current generation of cards, hopefully.

 

[GasBandit]

Yep. Sounds like you xposed 5750 and 5570 (and possibly 5770) when you were searching.
Right now, the budget choices are NVIDIA 460 v. [STRIKE]ATI[/STRIKE] AMD 5770. Pick whichever one meets your budgetary needs.

We'll see what the 6xxx series cards can do next week.

--Patrick

Drastically drop the prices of the current generation of cards, hopefully. [/QUOTE]

Pfft, yeah, like that ever happens