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A friend looking to get into pc gaming and is looking for hsi first GPU

785 views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  edalbkrad 
#1 ·
A friend of mine is looking to get his first GPU, and he just informed me he owns this motherboard

http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8H61M_PRO/

His budget is around the $75 dollar mark. More or less if it's necessary. I was browsing the web where I came across this:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-2.html
and the radeon hd 6670 seems to suit him perfectly.

I just want to get your opinions and what not and if it'll be compatible with one another because that motherboard is from a pre-bought/built computer he got at a walmart or something.
 
#2 ·
Should be no problems running any GPU of choice on that motherboard.

The most restrictive piece of the puzzle is going to be the power supply. Most of the "really cheap" video cards, of which the $75 qualifies, will have no supplemental power requirements. Go a little higher and you're going to need a PCIe 6-pin power connector. Go even higher, and you end up needing two 6-pin or a 6-pin and an 8-pin plug to power the card. I would carefully research what he has available before making a final selection.

That card you picked out for $75 is really low-end. It might be slower than his on-board graphics if he has a faster i5/i7 processor. The H61 chipset motherboard is fairly "recent". There's some probability that they have a integrated GPU that's going to require a $90+ GPU to really be considered a solid upgrade to it.

Greg
 
#4 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by hammong View Post

That card you picked out for $75 is really low-end. It might be slower than his on-board graphics if he has a faster i5/i7 processor. The H61 chipset motherboard is fairly "recent". There's some probability that they have a integrated GPU that's going to require a $90+ GPU to really be considered a solid upgrade to it.
rolleyes.gif


Tom's GPU hierarchy July 2013

On of the most important things to look at when you're looking for an entry level "gaming" card is the type of ram it uses. The better cards have ddr5. The 6670 you linked to has ddr3.
Once you get into that, you're into cards that are more than just to make the monitor work.

I had a HD 5670 at one point and it was respectable. It was my first "real" GPU even though it wasn't very good. Didn't blow the doors off anything but it worked and still does.

Honestly for the budget you friend has a used card should deliver some good bang for the buck. Radeon 5770 or better or a Nvidia 460. Unless a 2xx series will support DX10? Maybe someone will know.
 
#5 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by wompwomp View Post

he has an i5. Not sure which i5, though. I'll have to ask tomorrow.

And a intel hd 3000/4000 is better than a stand alone 6670? wow, didn't know that. I mean i Know a 6670 is low end, but it's still a dedicated GPU.
Where did you see that? from the tomshardware chart?
An HD6670 DDR5 is still a ways ahead faster than intel HD4000, at least by 15 to 20 FPS.

The intel HD3000 is near Geforce 9500GT performance, HD4000 is near Geforce 9600GT.

Its best to ask your friend for a max budget and what games he is thinking of playing.
For an i5 sandybridge, he can go anywhere from HD6670 or Geforce GTX550 up to HD7950 / GTX670 without needing to overclock to compensate for bottlenecks.
 
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