New GPU for ancient rig

[Ronin13]

Hi guys, I haven't been on here for a long time, but I need a recommendation.

My eVga 8800GTS 640mb decided to crap out on me after only 5 1/5 years (!) and needs to be replaced.

Specs:

Asus P5B-E Plus mobo (p965 chipset. PCIe 1.1 afaik, so compatible with at least PCIe 2?)

Antec Neo HE 430 PSU

Intel Core 2 6600 @ 2.4gHz, 2 gb RAM

Monitor res 1280x1024

I wont be OC'ing.

Prefer nVidia.

Now, this rig is obviously ooold, but I've got some decent gaming from it (SC2, Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age, Fallout 3, etc) and I would like to get something with a similar or better performance than the 8800 GTS.

Concerns: Power requirements and compatibility. Budget? I guess anything above $200 would be overkill for this rig?

I'm admittedly totally out of the loop, but hopefully you guys have some suggestions.

Thanks.

 

[lavaheadache]

probably something like a hd 7770 or a GTX 460, both will probably be a little more powerful than needed but not expensive

 

[MrMuppet]

Is that an E6600 or a Q6600 btw? The difference between C2D and C2Q is quite substantial, to say the least. I know, because if I had chosen a Q6600 (instead of a E8400) way back, I probably woul've held out for Haswell.

 

[RussianSensation]

Out of curiosity, I threw my HD7970 @ 1150mhz into a Core 2 Duo 2.4ghz E6600 P5N-E SLI rig, 2GB DDR2 and ran a bunch of tests: Metro 2033, Crysis 1, AvP, STALKER: COP, Lost Planet 2, etc. I applied 4AA and 16AF and everything on Max settings.

Outside of STALKER:COP, the performance increase over my HD6950 @ 6970 speeds with that C2D was sometimes negative! Metro, Crysis, Lost Planet, I got from 0 to 5-10% performance increase. That was at 1080P, so the CPU bottleneck would be even greater for you at 1280x1024.

So, I can tell you right away that the fastest GPU you want from NV is GTX560Ti.
Looking at prices, I think Geforce GTX 460 v2 1GB (192-bit) for $120 is the most I'd spend for your system. The next level up is GTX560 for $140. After that with your CPU and resolution you get quickly into diminishing returns (after that you are just wasting $).

Here is a quick list of various GPUs and their rankings in case you need to refer to see how card stacks up.

This videocard should be the last upgrade for your system and after that don't even spend $1 on it. Start saving up for Haswell next year.

 

[toyota]

at that res I would just get a 6670 or maybe a 7750 at the very most with that cpu. a much faster gpu than that is not going let you run better settings in many cases anyway as many settings also impact the cpu.

 

[Inspire]

560 SE

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130770

 

[toyota]

560 SE

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130770

I would take the 7750 over that. the 7750 uses way less power and is cheaper. the 7750 is not much slower and with his cpu he would never know the difference anyway.

 

[ButtMagician]

I love my 7750, silent and doesn't even need an extra power cable.

 

[Ronin13]

Many thanks for the replies, good stuff (especially to RussianSensation for running tests).

To clarify, my CPU is the E6600 (the Q wasn't out when I build this).

A lot of recommendations for Radeon, but if I *had* to go with nVidia, what should I narrow my choices down to?

As it is, I was pushing the PSU with the 8800 GTS.

Do any of the newer nVidia cards have similar (or better) performance than the 8800, while using less power?

The GTX 460 sounds good, but as it's a bit old are there any newer nVidia cards with similar performance but with less power draw?

Do any if the entry level nVidia cards (passively cooled, without requirements for an extra power cable - like the GeForce 210) have comparable gaming power with the 8800? (@ 1280x1024).

Thanks again.

On edit: It looks like the GTX 460 requires 2 extra power cables? What nVidia card should I look for if my PSU only offers one?

 

[Inspire]

Ronin: you have the problem of nvidia not having a "great" choice for low end budget cards with lesser power requirements and AMD offers better choices.

Anyways.

The 550 Ti takes one
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130625

The only other choice for $10 less is the GT 640 but like most cards that use DDR3 ram its garbage.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130796

Its just the era of cards having 2 power connectors is just normal.

 

[Ghiedo27]

Whichever card you pick, make sure they have a no hassle return policy. While PCIe is supposed to be backwards compatible, a lot of people (including myself) have had issues using 2.0 or newer cards in 1.0 or 1.1 slots. The AMD HD 5xxx series in particular doesn't like early PCIe revisions.

Some board manufacturers have released a bios update to improve compatibility. Hopefully you'll have some luck there if you do run into issues.

 

[Rezist]

I'd probably recommend a 7750.

 

[Ronin13]

On return policies: Unfortunately no one here ever accepts the return of open/used products (unless faulty), unlike in the US.

How about a GTS 450?

 

[Termie]

On return policies: Unfortunately no one here ever accepts the return of open/used products (unless faulty), unlike in the US.

How about a GTS 450?

That would be just slightly faster than your card. A good choice to avoid the potential PCIe incompatibility (which I have also experienced on older boards).

The HD7750 would be a perfect solution for that system (or a 6670 GDDR5), but I would be concerned about compatibility.

 

[Denithor]

One option for consideration should be a GT 240 with GDDR5. About the same performance as the 8800 GT so slightly better than your 8800 GTS 640. And no external power plugs so much lower power consumption than even your current card. Just make sure to get the GDDR5 model, the DDR3 versions are much slower.

Look for a used card, I recently got a couple off eBay for like $20-40 (these are perfect for HTPC boxes).

 

[Pneumothorax]

One option for consideration should be a GT 240 with GDDR5. About the same performance as the 8800 GT so slightly better than your 8800 GTS 640. And no external power plugs so much lower power consumption than even your current card. Just make sure to get the GDDR5 model, the DDR3 versions are much slower.

Look for a used card, I recently got a couple off eBay for like $20-40 (these are perfect for HTPC boxes).

Definitely go for a used card. Unless you've got plans soon to upgrade the rest of your system, spending $200 is just too much for such an old system.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Just wait out a few weeks and get the new Geforce 650

 

[Inspire]

On return policies: Unfortunately no one here ever accepts the return of open/used products (unless faulty), unlike in the US.

How about a GTS 450?

The problem with GTS 450 is that many come with DDR3 that really kills performance. Its still a $100 card.

If you are not in the US it might help folks to let people know where you are.

 

[Ronin13]

Thanks for the recommendations. I'm in Denmark (hardware here are usually double that of US prices).

 

[DooKey]

Go with a GTX 460 1GB. For your system that's the best bet.

 

[RussianSensation]

That 430W power supply and a 65W E6600 will easily work with any GPU outside of a heavily overclocked GTX480/7970. For your purposes, it's not an issue.

Also, NV doesn't have any new generation GPUs worth buying besides the older GTX460/560 in your price range. The GTX550Ti/450/460/560/560Ti are all from the same Fermi generation, built on the same 40nm process.

If you want a power efficient card < $150, you really have only 4 choices, and they are all AMD: HD6870, HD6850, and the much slower HD7750/7770 cards.

If you want a very power efficient card from NV, you are going to need to wait longer for GTX650/660 series.

Here is a quick list of power consumption at peak in gaming:

Here is a list of performance at around your resolution:

HD7770 and HD6850 are the standouts to me, with HD6870 giving more performance for more power. NV has nothing on these cards in terms of power efficiency vs. performance.

Also, keep in mind that NV cards are much more CPU limited. You insisted on NV which is what I provided in the first place, but really AMD is the better card for your given that they are more forgiving for CPU speed and are much more power efficient in your price range. I guess it just depends on how long you want to keep this system. I mean it's already obsolete as it is. I wouldn't spend a lot for a GPU and GTX650/660 are highly unlikely to cost as little as HD7770/HD6850 cards. So really, I don't think NV has the card for you unless you are ok with the GTX460/560. I really don't see the point of GTS450/550Ti since they cost about the same and are slower and more power hungry than the HD6850.

 

[toyota]

at just 1280, the 7750 makes the most sense to me with that cpu. that card is just as the 5770/4870/gtx260 and anything faster will be almost a waste in many cases.

RussianSensation, you are giving that old power supply way too much credit. it made about 380 watts max on the 12v when brand new and at this point would probably crap out running his system with even a stock 480.

 

[RussianSensation]

at just 1280, the 7750 makes the most sense to me with that cpu. that card is just as the 5770/4870/gtx260 and anything faster will be almost a waste in many cases.

RussianSensation, you are giving that old power supply way too much credit. it made about 380 watts max on the 12v when brand new and at this point would probably crap out running his system with even a stock 480.

Ya, you are right. I am saying GTX460/560 would work perfectly fine with it and an E6600 though. Those GPUs use about 130-140W I believe. I also agree with you that with such a CPU, there is obviously no need to overspend and something like an HD7750/7770/6850 are great options. If the OP specifically wants an NV card though, I think something like a used GTX460 is good.

 

[Shmee]

I would recommend a bit of an OC to go with the CPU, to help alleviate some of the bottleneck. I remember the core 2 duos were great overclockers when they came out.

 

[Cheesepie]

Well you could look on the FS/FT threads to find a cheap, used video card there. I'd say replace it with an 8800gt or something of the like. They can be found for less than $40 shipped to the states.