Upgrading graphics card

[honus]

I'm looking for some advice on picking a new graphics / video card. Currently I'm running an 8800 GT 512MB.

My budget is around $130 and the two cards I've narrowed it down to are:

Sapphire 5770 for $125 after rebate

EVGA GTS 450 for $130

Any opinions on which would be better and why? Did I miss a different card that blows these two out of the water?

My system:
Win7
Q9550 CPU (2.87GHz Quad Core)
4GB RAM

 

[hk2717]

According to my knowledge, 5770 is the superior choice. GTS 450 is only comparable to 5750. In fact I heard that Nvidia asked the media not to compare GTS 450 to 5770 in their reviews/articles, so it is very clear which level GTS 450 is at.

 

[stealth_nsk]

With Civ you'd have higher FPS with GTS 450 (due to active tessalation usage), I suggest, but:
1. In most other games 5770 performs better.
2. Both are more than enough for Civ.
So my recommendation is 5770.

 

[Jamuka]

1) 5770 is usually better than the 450
2) GTX 460 and 5830 aren't that much more expensive, but are drastically better cards. It's the difference between 'economy cards' and 'medium end'.
3) the GTX 460 is better than the 5830

I would highly recommend getting a GTX 460 if you can afford $170 for a graphics card.

 

[ZimbuTheMonkey]

I would wait.

The next-gen cards are just around the corner and they'll bring down the price of all the previous generations. You might be able to get a 460 for 150-ish pretty soon.

 

[Tylerryan79]

Ya don't get a 450, you'll be dissapointed. I would. Save some extra cash and buy a 460 or 465.

 

[honus]

Thanks for the input everyone - I think waiting seems like the right thing to do for now.

I guess my 8800 GT will be good enough for now and if next gen cards are coming soon it doesn't make sense to spend the cash now.

 

[Jamuka]

I wouldn't wait. When next gen cards get released, they will be the $500 models. Then it will take another 6 months for the cheaper ones to come out. Just get a GTX 460, there will be no better card for the price for at least another year.

 

[SeismoGraf]

You have a powerful CPU, that would match well with an even faster graphics card. Lately I upgraded my 2 year old Q6600 (4 cores, 2.4GHz) with a HD5870 and it runs like a charm. Of course there's the budget and the question, how much GFX power you need for Civ5 and maybe other games.

My advice: keep the old GPU and wait until benchmark tests with Civ5 have been made. Often first benchmarks appear even before release day and one week later we swim in numbers. Ideally tests on the resolution you use and with the quality settings you want. Then decide which product offers the best value for your needs (e.g. number of additional Civ5-FPS compared to your current 8800GT per dollar spent).

 

[honus]

I wouldn't wait. When next gen cards get released, they will be the $500 models. Then it will take another 6 months for the cheaper ones to come out. Just get a GTX 460, there will be no better card for the price for at least another year.

Except that the GTX 460 at $170 is $50 over my budget. It seems logical to assume legacy products will see a price reduction when the new hotness comes out.

 

[EmpireOfCats]

Of course there's the budget and the question, how much GFX power you need for Civ5 and maybe other games.

This.

We're talking about a game that is supposed to run well, though maybe not brilliantly, on the built-in GPU of an i5 and i7 chip. My suggestion -- which I'm following myself, by the way -- is to wait for the game, see how well it runs with the current hardware, and let the fanatics test what is more important. it could be more RAM, it could be more cores, it could be a faster graphic card, it could be more graphic card memory.

 

[Jamuka]

Except that the GTX 460 at $170 is $50 over my budget. It seems logical to assume legacy products will see a price reduction when the new hotness comes out.

Yes, that is logical. Unfortunately it's not what happens. The old products will remain roughly the same price, and new cards will be released that are exactly the same as the old card, except having a different name and costing $15 more. For instance, you could buy a 9800 for $110. Or you could buy a gts 250 for $120, which is exactly the same card. Or you could get a 450 for the $130 you listed above, which is a cheap 460 if we're lucky, or a newer 250 if we're unlucky

If you can't afford a GTX 460, it may be better to stick with your 8800. Just don't expect the price to come down anytime soon. Certainly don't get a 450 until benchmarks for it are released though, and probably not even then. I doubt it's very different from your 8800.

 

[Shurdus]

That processor will not really bring the best with either card. Also the 8800GT is more than enough for civ. Last but not least, because you will probably not notice a huge difference, you are possibly better off waiting.

 

[bjbrains]

There's definitely no need to upgrade now. The 8800GT is just barely under the recommended requirements.

 

[Mercade]

There's definitely no need to upgrade now. The 8800GT is just barely under the recommended requirements.

Agreed. Just see how the game runs before you start investing in an upgrade. And with the quad core and sufficient RAM, I'm sure it'll run Civ5 very smoothly.

 

[Minmaster]

i had a 8800GT and just upgraded to GTX 460 768. these are very cheap these days, i got mine for $156. i needed it for other games though.

 

[poiuyt]

Do not forget to consider the power requirements of you new card.

nVIDIA has a few of those I think. geForce GT 240, for one - 300W power supply, draws 69W. It's not the latest 4xx thing, but costs about $100 and might well fit older PCs.

Don't know if it supports CIV 5, though..

 

[civ_king]

I would wait.

The next-gen cards are just around the corner and they'll bring down the price of all the previous generations. You might be able to get a 460 for 150-ish pretty soon.

Only AMD is bring new chips to bear, but the 6790 is 10%+ better than GTX 480 and uses less power! I'm sure the GTX 460 is going to get some big price cuts (AMD is probably going to shift most of its prices downwards)

 

[bjbrains]

Only AMD is bring new chips to bear, but the 6790 is 10%+ better than GTX 480 and uses less power! I'm sure the GTX 460 is going to get some big price cuts (AMD is probably going to shift most of its prices downwards)

Umm, you're talking about a card that doesn't exist yet, so making claims on its performance is kind of silly.

 

[civ_king]

Umm, you're talking about a card that doesn't exist yet, so making claims on its performance is kind of silly.

sorry my bad, a 6870 series card