Hi everyone
I just built my first computer and don't have a lot of knowledge about graphic cards. I am running Windows 7 64 bit with a gigabyte z68x-ud3h-b3 mobo, 8 gigs, i5 processor, and 600 psu. I don't do a lot of games but might want to start looking into some. I do do a lot of video editing and movies. What would be some good cards for under $200.00, and is there something I should look for or not look for.
Thank you
What application you normally use for video editing?
Most important, which "600w" PSU is that? Generic or a good one like corsair, seasonic, etc?
Sorry the PSU is a 650 Antec
Go to newegg.com and select a few cards you're interested in and from those we can help you choose to get the most bang for the buck.
Your first decision with GPU's is:
What Chipset (Maker) do you go with? There's really only two out there.
Nvidia and AMD/ATI
For Gaming and performance upgrades, each of these makers has a large product line.
Nvidia has the Geforce series
AMD/ATI has the Radeon series.
There are others, but I don't want to complicate the issue.
Think of these two the same way you would AMD and Intel. They both compete and do the same thing. There are crowds of vigorous supporters for both camps. I'm personally an Nvidia guy.
The difference between the two is mainly the functionality of the drivers. Everyone has a different spin on why they chose their brand of card. For me, Nvidia drivers just seem to work better and so I became familiar with their product line over the years.
With each brand of Card, there are companies that make the card with Nvidia's chipset and brand it as theirs. These companies would be Evga, MSI, Pny, ZOTAC.. there's alot of them. Those I've listed are among the top producers with the best ratings.
Both series of cards have a wide price range. From $50 all the way up to about $1000 each.
If you're looking to spend about $200, I would recommend a Nvidia GTX 550ti from Pny or EVGA. Or the EVGA GTX 460
I can recommend this card personally but you still have monies to spend after this as I've seen this now for as little as $129.00 +S.H. poss. tax. Also GTX560's on sale for just under 2 bills.
MSI R5770 HAWK Radeon HD 5770 Video Card - 1GB GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.0, CrossFireX Ready, DVI, Display Port, HDMI at TigerDirect
EVGA 01G-P3-1460-K1 GeForce GTX 560 Duke's Fully Loaded Ed. Video Card - 1GB, GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.0 (x16), Dual-Link DVI-I, Mini-HDMI, DirectX 11, 2-way SLI Ready, Duke Nukem Forever Game Included at TigerDirect
What does everyone think of this card.
Sapphire 100316L Radeon HD 6790 Graphics Card - 1GB, GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.0 (x16), Dual DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort, Dual-Slot, DirectX 11, CrossFireX Ready
Looks to be a good choice. I'm not that familiar with Sapphire brands, I can't find any warranty info on them?
That should do you fine for what you're going to use it for. It supports DirectX 11 (the newest graphics programming interface) and is Crossfire ready. (Run 2 of the same type of cards at once for more power)
It will handle any game you want to play, but you most likely will have to turn the graphics settings in the game down to get good frame rates.
If you really start getting into gaming, you'll get the urge to upgrade this card.
As far as the video editing.. this will work great.
Sapphire is a decent brand so you should be ok there.
This site is a great way to get an idea of how well your system will run games and applications.
Can You Run It?
Quote