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Old September 4, 2009, 03:54 PM
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Default What graphics card?
Here's my current build:

Motherboard: ASUS M478 PRO
CPU: AMD Phenom II X3 720
PSU: 500W OCZ StealthXStream
RAM: 4GB OCZ DDR2-800 Platinum 5-5-5-12
GPU: XFX 8800GT 512mb

I want to upgrade my GPU and I'm thinking of trying out an ATI card this time. I was very happy with my 8800GT's performance so far, but it's starting to choke up a bit with all the new games coming out (a bit, it's still a very capable card). I was thinking about buying a 4870 or 4890, but I'm not sure if that would be overkill for 1680x1050 resolution. I'm also curious as to what impact the 512mb versus 1GB of video ram would make at that resolution. Maybe there's another card coming out I should wait for?
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Old September 4, 2009, 04:35 PM
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What games are you playing? Budget? Since you're deciding between a 4870 or 4890, I'd say around $200 max. At 1680X1050, 512MB is usually enough.

Consider getting the ATI 4870 or 4890 like you said. On NVIDIA's side, consider the GTX260 Core 216, and GTX275. If you don't mind waiting, wait for NVIDIA and ATI's next gen cards.
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Old September 4, 2009, 08:11 PM
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HD4870 or HD4890 would be a great upgrade and cheaper than NVIDIA counter parts typically.

I'd suggest overclocking your CPU as well if you're up to it.
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Old September 4, 2009, 11:12 PM
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Originally Posted by jdrom17 View Post
HD4870 or HD4890 would be a great upgrade and cheaper than NVIDIA counter parts typically.

I'd suggest overclocking your CPU as well if you're up to it.
I was going to wait until I upgraded my PSU because it's only 500W.
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Old September 4, 2009, 11:41 PM
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Good idea, then upgrade the video card when the next gen cards come out. :)
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Old September 4, 2009, 11:54 PM
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Your PSU will be fine. It can probably handle Crossfire and SLI as well, but I wouldn't risk it with a OCZ StealthXStream.
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Old September 5, 2009, 01:17 AM
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What would you guys recommend as a good PSU upgrade? I may add more HDDs and such too in the future.
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Old September 5, 2009, 01:46 AM
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I would advise going with a Corsair TX750 (on sale right now if I remember correctly) or even a TX850 if you really want to run a possible tri-GPU solution in the future
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Old September 11, 2009, 07:04 AM
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Quick word on PSU's... get a single rail design, and probably the best and quietest being Corsair, my preference being the HX850, 7 year warranty.
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Old September 11, 2009, 08:42 AM
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I've got 4870's for sale, cheap too.

Let me know :)
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