Help me find a video card

[Patchmaster]

TLDR: Need help finding an AMD video card for Civ 6 that won't break the bank.

Long version: I just put together a new PC. i7-6700k, MSI Z170A PC Mate MB, 2x16GB G.Skill TridentZ RAM, 512GB Intel 600p M.2 NVMe SSD. I bought an Arctic water cooler but the pump didn't work so I'm temporarily using a Cooler Master 212 EVO that seems to be doing the job nicely.

My intent was to load a Linux host and run everything in VMs. That hasn't worked quite as I'd planned, but I'm close. I do have Linux Mint running as the host and am doing as much as I can in VMs just to keep things contained.

I'd like to load a Windows VM and do hardware passthrough of the video card. This is strictly for playing Civ 6. I haven't bought a video card in ages and the posted requirements are effectively meaningless to me. I'd like to go AMD since they allegedly have better Linux support and while I said "strictly for Civ 6" above, if I've got the resource and aren't using it for Civ 6 at any given moment there's no reason not to use it for a Linux VM.

The primary problem I seem to be having is the "minimum" and "recommended" video cards don't show up in the comparisons I've looked at so it's hard for me to get an idea of where newer, currently available cards fall in comparison to the ones mentioned in the hardware requirements. Could somebody more knowledgeable about this stuff maybe point me to some new models that are roughly equivalent to the 5570 and 7970? I think if I can get a handhold I can probably take it from there. Thanks.

 

[Schlomoe99]

Hi! My go-to reference for video card performance is this page:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gpu-hierarchy,4388.html

I think you'll find it a good starting point to look at cost, performance, and other factors as you explore your video card options. Good luck!

 

[leif erikson]

The link above is great!

This might help as well.

Good luck!

 

[Patchmaster]

Hi! My go-to reference for video card performance is this page:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gpu-hierarchy,4388.html

My problem is to find a stopping point in that list. The minimum AMD 5570 is listed and shows the Intel HD 530 built in to my CPU exceeds that. But the only instance of the "recommended" 7970 is the 7970 GHz model, which I don't think is the one they mean. (And I hope is a lot higher in the list than their recommendation because those cards cost more than my CPU.) So I can find something that exceeds the fundamentally adequate level but I don't know at what point I've gone beyond "recommended" and am just wasting money.

Thanks for the link. I'm sure it will be useful when I can figure out where to stop.

 

[leif erikson]

From the recommended system requirements:

VIDEO CARD: 2 GB DirectX 11 Video Card (AMD 7970 or nVidia 770 or greater)

Looking at the data in the GPU Hierarchy linked above, everything above nVidia 770 or AMD 7970 is greater than the recommended need.
The chips below that should be sufficient.
When you get down the list into AMD 5570 or nVidia 450 range, you may not be able to play on high detail settings.

 

[Patchmaster]

So you're saying the "7970 GHz" in the GPU hierarchy is the 7970 they're talking about in the recommendation? I assumed the "GHz" indicated it was newer/better/faster in some way, meaning a lesser card would still met their recommendation.

 

[leif erikson]

The 7970 comes in two varieties, the 7970 and the 7970 Ghz edition. I cannot find them at NewEgg so I suppose they are out of production.

I think lesser cards will fill the bill if you can find them. Just as long as you realize that the lower (older) you go, the less detail you can most likely play in. There should be plenty of video card that will fill the requirement, the AMD RX 470/480, the R8 and R9 370's and 380's?

 

[Schlomoe99]

Based on your need to use AMD, as well as your desire to meet or exceed the recommended system requirements, I would invest $240 in an AMD RX 480 8GB card. It has a good cost/performance ratio, and you will be well-placed for future games down the line without breaking the bank too much.

The question of "where to stop" is a personal one, based on your needs and your budget. The best you can do is to invest in well-reviewed cards that may not be latest and greatest but are still not far from the top of the heap. Recognize that the pace of improvements in the video card industry is swift, but that particular card should be good for at least two years of solid gaming before you upgrade again.

Myself, I have two GTX 960 cards in SLI which should be enough for the "recommended" specs. But they will be long in the tooth before long.

 

[Torqueadon]

How much money do you have? That's the bottom line.

Take a RX 460 or 470 if you have the cash. If you want something older find a used R9 380 or 380x as poster above suggested.

 

[Patchmaster]

I hate to do an about-face, but I just discovered the biggest issue with Nvidia vs AMD in the Linux world is an open-source/closed-source thing. Nvidia provides graphics drivers for Linux, you're just subject to the whims of their support department since they aren't open-source, much like you would be running Windows.

Looking at the Logical Increments list referenced in one of the replies above, it appears the GTX 1060 is a pretty good deal. I found a couple 3GB models going for about $200. That's a bit more than I'd like to spend but considering how much time I've spent with Civ 5 I suppose it's not an unreasonable expense. Any thoughts on the GTX 1060?

 

[Torqueadon]

Yes, 1060 is a great Video Card. If you want something small with a low power consumption take something like this;

http://www.evga.com/Products/Product.aspx?pn=06G-P4-6163-KR

If you just play CIV and/or in 1080p you will be totaly fine.