Help buying a graphics card for next-gen games?

[El Ramiro]

Hello,

I'm planning on buying a new computer and I need some help choosing parts. This is my current system:

-AsRock G31M-VS motherboard
-Intel Core 2 duo CPU (can't recall which model)
-4GB RAM DDR2 Kingston
-Nvidia GT240 512MB DDR3
-BENQ screen 1366x768
-Average hard drive, good power supply, etc.

I think it is a great computer, considering that I didn't pay much for it and
was able to run every single game I threw at it until now. As you can imagine I have to play the majority of games in Mid-low grapich settings, ocasionally having a game that stutters. It even handles Farcry 3 and Metro Last light! Since Assassin's Creed 4 I can't play anymore (too much for this poor PC) and the ones that are coming out this year I can't even install them because my GPU doesn't support DirectX 11.

The thing I'm most concerned about as to what to buy is the grapichs card. What I want is the following: being able to to play next-gen games in High settings. And by next-gen games I mean every game that will be made for the PS4 and Xbox One generation. I don't want to spend 200 dollars on a graphics card that will become obsolete in three years. So, a graphics card that can handle games for the next 4-5 years in Medium-High settings. I'm not very interested in extremely efficient FPS rates, as long as it doesn't lag I'm good with it. And I won't play on a super big screen, something around 21".

I was considering the GTX 760 MSI 4GB DDR5. Do you think this card lives up to what I want??? My budget is of 400 dollars top.

Thank you in advance for reading and helping, appreciated!!!

 

[n0x1ous]

The 760 will not deliver med-high for the next 4-5 years. That is a long time in PC graphics (though not as long as it used to be with our stagnating node advancements). If you truly want to play on good settings on a card available today for 4-5 years you need to get a high end card with tons of VRAM I would say your minimum should be 4gb r9 290, 4gb GTX 970. With ever increasing VRAM requirements in modern PC Games, the 8GB R9 290/x and/or 970 deserve strong consideration as well.

Best value/w future proof VRAM would be R9 290 8GB in my opinion.

Hope that helps, its hard for me to fathom keeping a card that long! And its questionable whether even the highest end single gpu cards of today will be usable in that many years, but my advice above would be your best bet in trying to achieve that.

 

[TemjinGold]

OP I assume you aren't in the US? If you are considering the 760 because it costs 400 dollars, what you are asking is impossible.

 

[El Ramiro]

No, I'm outside the US. GPUs here are on average 120-150 dollars more expensive than in the US. What kind of performance should I expect from the 760???

 

[n0x1ous]

No, I'm outside the US. GPUs here are on average 120-150 dollars more expensive than in the US. What kind of performance should I expect from the 760???

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1038

 

[Yuriman]

I'm going to offer a dissenting opinion. The HD5850 was a card released 5 years ago at around $250. If running at 1920x1080, the 5850 still delivers reasonable framerates at medium-high settings. Video card advances are slowing down due to slowing (and increasing costs) of transistor shrinkage. I'm willing to bet a GTX-760 would still play games acceptably in 4 years if you're only expecting medium-high settings at 1920x1080 without AA.

Spending more on a GPU will buy you some more life, but generally the best value cards are in the middle price range, and OP, you may be best off buying a cheaper card (like the 760) and upgrading it in, say, 3 years, rather than buying a 970 and upgrading it in 5.

EDIT: The R290 and R280 are both truly excellent values right now, but if I were buying new I'd probably opt for an NV card due to the reduced power usage and noise, even though they perform worse at a given price point.

 

[Creig]

EDIT: The R290 and R280 are both truly excellent values right now, but if I were buying new I'd probably opt for an NV card due to the reduced power usage and noise, even though they perform worse at a given price point.

Given the fact that virtually all of the new 280/290 cards have aftermarket coolers on them, I doubt noise is an issue. The only other difference is power consumption, which is a minor cost at best. I would say that price/performance/game bundle would be the three metrics to be looking at.

 

[Keysplayr]

Given the fact that virtually all of the new 280/290 cards have aftermarket coolers on them, I doubt noise is an issue. The only other difference is power consumption, which is a minor cost at best. I would say that price/performance/game bundle would be the three metrics to be looking at.

You mean, only look at the metrics that AMD doesn't have a significant disadvantage in. eww, key.

 

[hungtran]

You mean, only look at the metrics that AMD doesn't have a significant disadvantage in. eww, key.

No power difference during idle and 65w difference during load vs a new GTX 970, let alone a GTX 760. That's less than a single conventional light bulb. The light bulbs in my pc room total 520w idle. The difference would be less than $5 a year. So buying a new GTX 970 over R9 290 would pay itself back in 20 years in power savings.

 

[n0x1ous]

I'm willing to bet a GTX-760 would still play games acceptably in 4 years if you're only expecting medium-high settings at 1920x1080 without AA.

I guess I assumed AA when OP wanted med-high. I cant imagine playing at 1080p w/out MSAA

 

[Yuriman]

I typically use FXAA or one of the other low-impact kinds. 2x MSAA is relatively low impact and is possible on most new titles with my HD7850.

If your expectations are low, you can stretch hardware a very long time.

My argument for the NV cards wasn't so much based around power usage, but cooler and lower power cards have, in my experience, lasted longer.

 

[Rakehellion]

Get the GTX 970.

 

[escrow4]

OP has a Core 2 and G31 mobo with 4GB RAM. OP needs a new computer not a new GPU. Especially a new PSU too.

 

[Yuriman]

OP has a Core 2 and G31 mobo with 4GB RAM. OP needs a new computer not a new GPU. Especially a new PSU too.

Hello,

I'm planning on buying a new computer and I need some help choosing parts. This is my current system:

OP is planning on building a new computer.

 

[toyota]

OP is planning on building a new computer.

has he even figured out what his other components will be? to me the gpu should be the last thing to worry about.

 

[boozzer]

OP really should just go to build a pc on reddit. tell the builders what he wants and what he has and they will pick the parts for him. very helpful people with almost no bias.

 

[VirtualLarry]

OP really should just go to build a pc on reddit. tell the builders what he wants and what he has and they will pick the parts for him. very helpful people with almost no bias.

Uhm, we have the "General Hardware" sub-forum that does the same. Have you ever visited it? It's far less polarized than the "Video Cards" sub-forum.

 

[SolMiester]

Given the fact that virtually all of the new 280/290 cards have aftermarket coolers on them, I doubt noise is an issue. The only other difference is power consumption, which is a minor cost at best. I would say that price/performance/game bundle would be the three metrics to be looking at.

What about all the heat those flash coolers are dumping into the case?

 

[El Ramiro]

That's nice. I'm not very demanding when it comes to performance, as I said I play mostly in low settings. Since I'm getting a new pc I thought maybe it would be nice to start playing with better grapichs, but hell, I'm so used to no AA I probably won't notice

I've been doing some research and I was told that since we are in the transission stage to the next-gen it would be wiser to wait until it has settled and buy a GPU then, say, next year. What do you guys think?????

 

[JeffMD]

Ramiro, your core system is incredibly dated. You would hard pressed to max out a 460gtx let alone the 760. As it is, you will be automatically shut out from many games this holiday with 4gb of system ram alone. I was in a simular state last year. I had a 460gtx that was being limited by my q6600. I did a modest update to the amd fx6300 with 8gb ram and it looks like my 460 can handle the latest games with high textures and a little SSAO, but for this year I am going to update my video card. Games based on the new consoles are not going to play nice with 1gb video memory. The 760gtx is a good card on a DDR3 based system, but i went with the 970gtx just because like you, I don't plan to upgrade the video card for several years. Heck I've had my 460 for 4 years now. I think the reason it has held together so good was because it was quite a bit more powerful then consoles then. So now I need a new video card that is a couple steps above the next gen of consoles.

 

[toyota]

That's nice. I'm not very demanding when it comes to performance, as I said I play mostly in low settings. Since I'm getting a new pc I thought maybe it would be nice to start playing with better grapichs, but hell, I'm so used to no AA I probably won't notice

I've been doing some research and I was told that since we are in the transission stage to the next-gen it would be wiser to wait until it has settled and buy a GPU then, say, next year. What do you guys think?????

there is no reason to wait especially considering you have been waiting so long that everything about your setup is unsuitable for modern gaming.

 

[Yuriman]

A new generation of video cards is closer than not, but they're not "right around the corner". The current generation has just recently been discounted, so now seems as good a time to buy as any, to me.

 

[TemjinGold]

OP: What's your entire budget and what other parts did you pick out already? Did you already buy the other stuff? Because if not, there might be room to scale down somewhere else and increase your GPU budget. Also, are you able to buy from ebay?