Upgrade From Intergrated To PCI-E16x

[Kingmilez1205]

Hey

im looking to upgrade my graphics from the 7540D Intergrated to the
MSI Radeon HD 7870 2G OC
MSI UK R7870-2GD5T/OC

the average price is around 80 quid (ive done alot of research for prices an thats the best)

now i first came across this one by just reading about the PS4 graphics and it said it was based on this card so as ya do i went hunting for the 7870 an i like the core and mem clock an suits all my gaming requirements (already checked to see if its worth the penny (or cent whichever)

now i BELIEVE its a good step up, it all looks like a great increase but ide thought ide ask the pros for just a little help

before i purchase the card (longing it meets a ddecent upgrade mark) im going to get 2x4gb ram modules so ill be running 12gb ( in theory getting the 2 4gbs i can dedicate the max ram which is 2gb to the APU and still have 10gb lol)

so whats your views? is it really worth it or should i look elsewhere?

 

[Berton]

( in theory getting the 2 4gbs i can dedicate the max ram which is 2gb to the APU and still have 10gb lol)
The video card has its own 2GB RAM so your system RAM should remain at 12GB but there may be times a program or game will want more from Windows. One of the differences with the onboard/built-in adapter is the sharing of RAM and a portion is allocated by the BIOS before the Operating System even loads.

 

[Kingmilez1205]

I can assign whatever system ram to the graphics with mine but that's my plan as it's cheaper for the mo to get the ram and amp the dedicated, atm it's set to 1gb an my current system ram avaliable is 3gb I have 1x4gb module installed atm with 3 bays free, if I set it to 2gb (max) I only have 2gb for windows, and it being 64 bit not 32x it refuses to run smooth if it's only got 2 to play with. That's why I said 12gb then max the intergrated I'll have 10gb free for windows but back to the point, is that card a smart upgrade for the spec an price

 

[AddRAM]

You should install 2 x 8 GB sticks. (1866 MHz)

TridentX - 16GB (8GBx2) 1.60v Dual Channel DDR3 Memory kit (F3-1866C8D-16GTX) - G.SKILL Memory

Vengeance® â

And why are you getting a generation older card ?

Why not an R9 280, 280x, 290, 290x ?

Your board yes ?

http://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/A88XMA/overview/

 

[Kingmilez1205]

Cash is a seveir issue an I don't really want a rig that's a rocket, I've already got xms3 ram so I'm just gonna put two more identical ram into it to avoid extra expenses, yeah that's my board, I'm aware what it can and can't do an it's OC abilities, all I have asked is, is that card any good for its price, all the games I play are compatible with it and a few others I can't run due to CPU and ram being behind atm

this is basicly the layout i should of been more clear with

im adding 8gb ram to the existing 4gb module to make 12gb but going to assign the max allowed to my intergrated which is 2gb

then i want to buy a card like the one i put up nothing extreme just somthing to tide medium gaming for a year or two (ill be able to afford a awsome one later in the year)

then i am going to swap out my AMD A6 Dual 3.8 (4.0 OC ATM) for a A8 Quad 3.8 or some type of QUAD that fits the FM2 slot i havnt looked yet as such but i will get around to it when im on that category)

im not looking for a rig to match the ps4 or xbox one (even though the two consoles hardware are the same if not close)

i build on what i have (eg adding 8gb of ram with two 4gb modules of the same type as the current)

and ive got fit it all in on a very small budget, so small i can only get 1 part every month (who else hates bills ha)

i hope thats made a bit more clearer to understand ( ? )

 

[Boozad]

Why not an R9 280, 280x, 290, 290x ?

The A6-5400k would bottleneck the balls out of one of those.

OP, I advised you in this thread what to go for http://www.sevenforums.com/pc-custom-builds-overclocking/367326-intergrated-pcie-graphic-help.html

If you're upgrading your RAM you'll only need 8GB for gaming, install a new 2x4GB kit and discard the stick you have for optimal performance.

 

[Kingmilez1205]

Yeah an ive taken your advise into considderation an done a bit of research on which will benifit most with what i need the rig to be able to do so im gonna go with the A8 Quad as the games i wish to run if i select that one rates 9 out of 10 and its dirt cheap atm
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-328-AM
its not exsacly king of apus lol but i had all the capibilities i require for the time being and
i personally think it will be a better apu than my current dual, i hope anyway lol

cant i just add 2x4gb modules to my current 4gb one even though they will be identical? or will that fob up the channels?

ive also looked into a decent psu too, the one you advised is a little above what i can afford but i have found a decent 750W for around 60 odd quid so i will be getting that cause i swear my current 500w is nackered its flutuating power more often than now than when i made the other thread

 

[AddRAM]

There is a way to still run in dual channel with only 3 sticks, if the motherboard supports it. 2 sticks have to be in the same color slots and the 3rd stick goes in one of the other colored slots, you have to read the MB manual to see if it`s possible and which slot that 3rd stick will go in. Later on get the 4th stick and you`ll be set.

 

[Kingmilez1205]

acording to the MB manual i got with it and the Online upto date one it does support Dual so should be good there, also it has its banks colour coded 2x yellow and 2x black, when i can afford the final 4th chip i will defo be getting it, ill have a comfortable 16gb total atm it is theoreticly cheaper to get the 2 4gb sticks insted of buying sperately (well thats what ive found anyway)
what ill do is when i get the two 4gb sticks ill pop them in the yellow banks as they are 1 and 3 an put the existing 4gb in the black bank