I have a i5 entertainment system, that I revamped the Linux setup into a Windows 10 machine and tested it last night on Empires and it SUCKS. It's got a really low end AMD Radeon HD 7540D. It wouldn't really handle 1080p, looked low quality and blinked every few seconds. I'm using the HDMI port. I'd like to buy a decent video card, but would like to stay in the $250-$400 range. I respect the advice I got from you guys last time I queried about a system and hope you'll be able to update me on what is hot. I don't need 4K since this AMD A6 5400K APU 3.6 ghz dual core processor would need to be upgraded. So I'd build a new system for the 4K card and move this lower end system back into an entertainment system. My research says to go Geforce GTX 970 which is about $300. http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html I was wondering what your advice is?
If you're just going to play empires, get a r7 260X on ebay, it is going to cost you 80 $ and be more than enough (6 times more powerful than the one you have).
Isn't that apu a dual core? Wait, how's it an i5 system when it's got an apu in it? Anyways, something helpful to know is the psu, specifically the amps on the 12 volt rail. I say this because that might really limit what card you can put in. The 970 is pretty efficient, I think it uses like 170 watts or like 15 amps, but even that might be a tad much. Also for empires a 970 is kinda overkill, I got a 950 right now, it's like around 140$ or half the price of a 970 and it can pretty much max empires out at a good fps. Especially considering it's connected to a laptop so it's performance is somewhat throttled(though I don't think it's by too much). It can almost do star citizen at 1080 too for frame of reference at whatever their low settings do, I'm just saying that pairing that 970 or a 300$ card with that apu don't feel right to me. I'd consider something like a 280x or a 960 if you have enough power, they both run around 160-180$. Like you said you aren't doing 4k or even that 1440p, so either one will do decently better then what I use and pair up with your cpu better at a better price then a 970. I would say get the 970 if you felt like upgrading the cpu, but you don't really need to for source games or things of that ilk. Oh last thing, and really important, is make sure you can even fit a bigger card in that entertainment system. I don't know if it's some prebuilt but usually they don't have a ton of room for bigger cards.
Anyway be sure to use this website to find a good deal on a card when you do get one. https://pcpartpicker.com/parts/video-card/ Good place to find deals on any pc component.
Check that a) you aren't CPU limited with that AMD thingy, b) that you know the Nvidia 960 is actually the 1080p mainstream card and c) the new generation of graphic cards is coming in June.
I know empires is not very graphically intensive. There are other games like GTA that I'd like to play. PSU: 32 A/12V = 384W, 0.8a/ -12v, 3A/5v=15W Already - good info - thank you!
LazyBum - If I could upgrade my laptop that would rock, because it's a better system than the PC and I could leave the PC as an entertainment system. The 5400 dual core was chosen due to no need for a fan, so no video interference or noise. The entertainment system is a PC box - so plenty big, but I will open and check slots and assure space for the PCIE card. Check my previous post to see if the power supply is enough for the 970, although now I will look into a 950. I'd like to play Grand Theft Auto, so I'll check specs on that game too. The crappy video card in the PC is not really even good enough for an entertainment system. It plays video ok - but quality is lacking.
I noticed there is an upgrade to the A6 5400K HD to a A10 5800K cpu which in effect doubles the GPU in addition to adding two cores and increasing from 3.6Ghz to 3.8-4.2 Ghz, and from 60 watts to 100 watts. Still I'm thinking that is marginal GPU upgrade, and for about $30 more I could upgrade the GPU to a 950 gtx. Since games are not processor bound, the dual core should suffice. Comments? Correction: It adds about 40% to the GPU performance. But also quad core upgrade over dual core.
First thing is that cpu really have no fan attached to the heat sink? Either you have some massive heat sink on it or you have other problems, mainly that the processor is overheating and slowing itself down all the time so it doesn't kill itself. That's a problem, if you intend to play more intensive game like gta or whatever I can't see that panning out well. Anyways, if you have a gpu there's no need to get a apu at all, that gpu on the cpu doesn't do anything. So if you have a fm2+ motherboard get a amd athlon x4 860k, which is newer and works better, it's also about 70$ now too. If it's just fm2(yes there's a difference) then might as stick to the one you mentioned, the 760k which doesn't have a gpu is the same price, and they perform close to the same. THOSE THINGS SAID, these things are hot and I wouldn't recommend the stock cooler on them. It's not that it will overheat(badly) but it will get kinda loud, fans have to run max speed to work right. That's all if you intend to upgrade though, I don't think the price on these is gonna change much. You have a functioning computer though, so you can just plug in the gpu and see how well it works. You can use something like msi afterburner which will show up in the corner of your screen telling how taxed your system is. And yes I would definitely get a gpu over using a cpu with integrated gpu, the reason mostly being heat. Apus like what you have tend to simply hit there thermal limits faster, which means it throttles its self sooner because the gpu and cpu have to compete with itself. I think I may have explained it wrong or badly, but point is separate elements will simply work better. Some games really do benefit from having more cores, but I would give it a shot with what you have right now, it isn't like the game isn't going to play at all without a better cpu. As an aside, ghz or how fast a cpu goes tells you almost nothgin about how it really performs, it's only good for telling how much better a cpu is in that given family of cpus. I mention it cause some people just say intel stuff just will do more for the same frequency, or newer cpus from the same company.
lmao a video card in the $250-400 range. you can buy whatever you want with that money buy two gtx 750 ti's and be cool
I thought I'd update you on what I decided after some edumacation on appropriate cards for a decent 108op video system. I was torn between the GTX 950 2GB, 128bit for about $140 and the GTX 960 for around $200. This thread succeeded in dropping the 970 off my radar. Recently I've been seeing that the Radeon R9 380 competes against the 960, with about 5% more performance. Today NewEgg had a slight Shell Shocker deal for the GIGABYTE Radeon R9 380 DirectX 12 GV-R938G1 GAMING-4GD 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready ATX Video Card for $184 shipped, after $10 rebate card and a shitty free game (Ashes of the Singularity). So it's been purchased. My plan is to test it using the AMD Radeon HD 7540D motherboard. If the MB sucks, I'll move that system back into an entertainment center, and build a new 1080p gaming system. Thanks for all the advice, it's much appreciated.
