Video card recommendations

[powersmo]

Hey folks, got a need for some help. I built a new desktop a few months back and didn't have the cash for the video card at the time. Now I do and need some advice. The computer is a i5-4590 riding on a Gigabyte Z97-HD3 with 8gb of ram and running win10 pro. The plan is to load on some games that my son and I want to start playing from Steam. Particularly, he is interested in Counter Strike Global Offense, Generals and Heroes and Black Ops. I prefer sims so something like War Thunder is on my list. That probably won't be all but sort of the gist of things. Thanks all.

 

[daveybrat]

From your system specs i'd personally look for a good deal on a GTX 970 4GB video card. Should run any of the games you mentioned well over 60FPS on very high to ultra settings.

 

[powersmo]

Thanks for the recommendation. I also have a second computer that's running a AMD 640 3.0 ghz cpu on a MSI 785GM-P45 mb that has never had a video card installed any thoughts on a card for it as well? This computer has 4gb of ram and runs win 7 home premium.

 

[Burpo]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487024&cm_re=gtx_750-_-14-487-024-_-Product

 

[daveybrat]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487024&cm_re=gtx_750-_-14-487-024-_-Product

EVGA 02G-P4-3753-KR G-SYNC Support GeForce GTX 750 Ti Superclocked 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 Video Card

$99.00 after rebate. Probably the best bang for the buck card for that older AMD cpu. Great price!

 

[DigDog]

i would not recommend a 750 for anything. if we want to save, get a 760, which although more expensive, is an actually worthwhile card that might later on go in a better build; i mean jeez, how long can you go on with a 640.

edit: derp, maybe a 960.

 

[aleader]

If you're into spending gobs of $, go with the GTX 970. If you want to spend half that and get fps in the range you're looking for, go with the GTX 950. You'll get over 100fps in CS and 80+ in Black Ops on Ultra. Buying a 970 is akin to buying a $40,000 car IMO. Gets you there just the same as a $20,000 car, but for double the cost. I get a consistent 40-50fps with a GTX 950 (Ultra 1920x1080, draw distance at 2500) in ARMA 3, which is a far more demanding game than anything you list, and that's with a stock G3220 CPU and 8GB Ram. My card:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/asus-geforce-gtx-950-strix,4270.html

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121980

You could get a 960, but you'll pay $60 more for maybe an additional 2fps, not worth it. You'll pay double for a 970 for an extra 10fps. That makes no sense to me, unless you're set on playing everything at 4K, and need the 4GB card.

 

[Charlie98]

If you're into spending gobs of $, go with the GTX 970. If you want to spend half that and get fps in the range you're looking for, go with the GTX 950. You'll get over 100fps in CS and 80+ in Black Ops on Ultra. Buying a 970 is akin to buying a $40,000 car IMO. Gets you there just the same as a $20,000 car, but for double the cost. I get a consistent 40-50fps with a GTX 950 (Ultra 1920x1080, draw distance at 2500) in ARMA 3, which is a far more demanding game than anything you list, and that's with a stock G3220 CPU and 8GB Ram. My card:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/asus-geforce-gtx-950-strix,4270.html

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121980

You could get a 960, but you'll pay $60 more for maybe an additional 2fps, not worth it. You'll pay double for a 970 for an extra 10fps. That makes no sense to me, unless you're set on playing everything at 4K, and need the 4GB card.

Just... wow.

 

[aleader]

Just... wow.

Glad you're impressed . I see you have a 970. It's normal for people to try to justify their purchase. No different than the woman in my office that bought a $70K SUV to impress people, and now regrets it. I'm guessing by the want for his son (I have 2 sons of my own) that he's not a so-called 'power-user' that spends all his cash on computer parts and a 970 is overkill, period. No different than buying a $350 i7 CPU when 1/4 that will suffice. Pick up a GTX 970 in a year or so for $150 if the 950 is just too slow for you...

 

[Charlie98]

It's normal for people to try to justify their purchase...

Not at all... I knew what I was getting when I bought it... just like you did when you overpaid for your GTX950.

 

[aleader]

In hindsight, I probably should have left out the car analogy as suggesting anything less than a 970 is going to get you flamed on a lot of these sites . However, I stand by my recommendation as $ per FPS at 1080p is far better for the 950. Prove me wrong? And I paid $119 for mine (with rebate) on a Black Friday deal. That's pretty cheap for the performance I'm getting.

 

[Charlie98]

In hindsight, I probably should have left out the car analogy as suggesting anything less than a 970 is going to get you flamed on a lot of these sites . However, I stand by my recommendation as $ per FPS at 1080p is far better for the 950. Prove me wrong? And I paid $119 for mine (with rebate) on a Black Friday deal. That's pretty cheap for the performance I'm getting.

No, and not to derail this thread much further, but I would love a 950 @ $100 or so, for the h.265 codec in the HTPC. Given your Pentium, the 950 is probably a good match.

Given the OP's i5, I wouldn't recommend anything less than a 970 or equivalent AMD card, unless he was playing Solitare.

 

[bigboxes]

If you're into spending gobs of $, go with the GTX 970. If you want to spend half that and get fps in the range you're looking for, go with the GTX 950. You'll get over 100fps in CS and 80+ in Black Ops on Ultra. Buying a 970 is akin to buying a $40,000 car IMO. Gets you there just the same as a $20,000 car, but for double the cost. I get a consistent 40-50fps with a GTX 950 (Ultra 1920x1080, draw distance at 2500) in ARMA 3, which is a far more demanding game than anything you list, and that's with a stock G3220 CPU and 8GB Ram. My card:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/asus-geforce-gtx-950-strix,4270.html

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121980

You could get a 960, but you'll pay $60 more for maybe an additional 2fps, not worth it. You'll pay double for a 970 for an extra 10fps. That makes no sense to me, unless you're set on playing everything at 4K, and need the 4GB card.

Yeah... no. Here's a side by side comparison. I'm not sure if it makes a difference if we try another title. Let me know if you need that information and I will find a different game and post the comparison.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/JjzW3Ag2zZU

F1 2015 @ 1920 x 1080
GTX 970: (fps) max 121; min 68; avg 88
GTX 950: (fps) max 30; min 21; avg 26

Basically, the GTX 950 has a max frame rate of 30fps and the GTX 970 has a minimum of 68fps. The GTX 970 is not 4k ready. Most likely it would suffer the terrible performance of the GTX 950 in 1080p. I have the GTX 950 in my HTPC, but I rarely game on that.

 

[aleader]

Yeah...yes. You guys are big on the two word sentences Of course it makes a difference what game you compare. I don't recall F1 2015 in his list of games. My avg 45 FPS in ARMA 3 must be an act of god I can also get 70fps on Ultra in Shogun 2, and 60+ in BF4. What more do you want?

Like I said, the guy is basically wanting to play solitaire. I could play CS on my 8800GT just fine 7 years ago. I'm not saying the 970 is a bad card and that the 950 is better (?!), but for the games he's mentioning, the GTX 950 would work just fine...unless you have really wonky eyes and need things to run at 100fps I suppose. What we really need to know is his budget and what resolution he wants to play at. And I contend (as does this link) that CPU makes very little difference in the vast majority of actual games:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pentium-g3258-overclocking-performance,3849.html

I may pick up a G3258 just to try OC. Now, if he wants to take your recommendations and spend another $200 on a Vid card (more than double), go ahead. You don't need to to play those games.

These may be a little more useful to him (or anyone else playing these games):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oib61PGs53w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQfT3kT5I1w

75-240 fps...

Now if you want to play Fallout 4 at 60 fps and don't mind spending double the $ to do it, get a 970:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDeIviKV-Hg

950: 34fps avg (still quite playable), 960: 37fps avg (really? for $40 more?), 970 58fps avg.

 

[CuriousMike]

I have a 4590 with a GTX 950 ( the slow version ), and run on a 2560x1440 monitor.
I play ( for example ) Grid Autosport, Dirt Rally, Sniper Elite 3 and Star Wars Battlefront all at a mix of medium/low/high details and get playable framerates ( typically all over 30, some 50's 60-'s.)

My guess is the OP isn't as anal about 60 as most people on the board.

My son has a 5800k + R9 270 and he has damn near identical performance in the same games - the new COD MWII and Counter Strike are his go-to games in 1080p; again, a mix of medium or high and he's fine. I think CSGO can run at high at > 60 with his setup.

 

[Fallen Kell]

I will throw out this recommendation.

You have waited this many months on upgrading the GPU, you should wait the next 5-6 months as well for when the new cards come out that use the new manufacturing process node. The GPUs are going to go from 28nm to 16nm, which is a HUGE difference in power, heat, as die size. Basically even if they make the exact same GPU that the have right now, it would be just over 1/4 the size.

Speculation is that we are going to see a minimum of 60-80% performance boost, with upwards of 150-200%. It is worth waiting especially if you managed to get by waiting so far.

 

[Charlie98]

..the new COD MWII...

Not splitting hairs, here, but MW2 isn't new... and, as my first FPS, I played it with my 2500K's Intel HD3000 iGPU. Certainly the GTX950 is a step up from that... but for longevity sake, I think the OP should be looking at the 970, or, as Kell says, wait for the new tech.

 

[CuriousMike]

OP didn't give a budget. Not sure what his resolution is. Not sure what he finds acceptable for graphics quality or framerates.

In my case, the 950 with the 4590 produces playable framerate *for me* at 2560x1440.