# [SOLVED] What GPU and motherboard to buy?



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

Hi, I'm building my first computer, a gaming machine. I've only ordered the monitor (27 inch 1920 x 1080 samsung xD) and CPU (AMD phenom 2 black edition quad-core 3.5ghz). The next things i want to buy are GPU and motherboard. I dont really understand all the specs and what im looking for. For a GPU I just want something that does my 27 inch justice, i dont want to spend more than $390 New Zealand dollars, which is $300 US dollars. For a mother board i just want something i can overclock with, and may be around $150 US dollars, and works with my CPU. Any products suggestions, or explanations of what specs i really wanna be looking for are much appreciated xD


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Can you give us a link to a NZ site?

For the Motherboard I've used a couple of these Gigabyte boards and like them better then the comparable Asus board> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128438R


----------



## hhnq04 (Mar 19, 2008)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Also, what are the intended uses for this computer?


----------



## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*



btf18 said:


> Hi, I'm building my first computer, a gaming machine.


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*



wrench97 said:


> Can you give us a link to a NZ site?
> 
> For the Motherboard I've used a couple of these Gigabyte boards and like them better then the comparable Asus board> [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128438R[/URL]


Thank you 

This is the NZ site i order from [url]http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/[/URL]


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Its a general use personal computer that i want to be able to play the latest games on and just internet use etc, watching movies, that sort of thing. Thanks.


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Do all the modern GPU's work with whatever motherboard i decide to go for? Do motherboards usually support either intel or AMD CPU's but not both? My CPU has an advertisement on the box that says combine AMD CPUs with ATI Radeon graphics cards for vision technology or somethin. Would Nvidia and the others still be a good combo with the CPU i have?


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

For Video I would use the HD5830 or HD5770> http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/components/componentview.asp?partid=12511

Does this motherboard fall into your budget?> http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/components/componentview.asp?partid=12216


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*



wrench97 said:


> For Video I would use the HD5830 or HD5770> [url]http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/components/componentview.asp?partid=12511[/URL]
> 
> Does this motherboard fall into your budget?> [url]http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/components/componentview.asp?partid=12216[/URL]


Thanks! These products are both about the amount i want to spend, to get a combination of performance and being not toooo expensive. They look really good. They seem like they all go well together. I thought ATI Radeon was a brand of GPU. A little confusion and ignorance on my part there still xP Im very interested in these products though


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

AMD owns ATI, Radeon is there trade name for Desktop video, many manufacturers make the cards using AMD/ATI chipsets.


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

O okay, thanks. It seems the GPU's in the magazines are always either ATI Radeon or Nvidia. But made by any number of companies. Is Nvidia like the competition chipset? Is it made by just Nvidia or is it owned by Intel? If i have an AMD CPU, will Nvidia work with that? ASUS for example will make ATI Radeon, and Nvidia, what is best, and will either of them work with any motherboard? Sorry, I ask annoyingly detailed questions. Its a bit confusing but it's coming clearer.


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Nvidia is a Video chip set designer/manufacturer just like ATI, you can use a Nvidia card on a ATI/AMD chip set motherboard without issue, however you can sometimes run it driver conflicts using ATI cards on Nvidia chip set motherboards.


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Great! Thanks man. That has cleared things up exponentially. So its kinda like choosing a processor xP I'm sure a chip is like the processor part of the GPU.. What else should i look for other than clock speed and memory? Because the price can vary so much with the same clock speed and memory specs. It says it has real time overclocking during games. The Asus. So it goes beyond standard performance when it needs to? Would it be a good GPU to overclock? I'll be doing my first overclocking with all this gear too xP


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

The GPU and Memory clock speed can be deceiving, clock speed can be changed but it does not make the same amount of difference as overclocking a CPU does, a lot of the newer cards will ramp up the speeds according to load thus allowing them to use less power when idle or light load.
The best way to pick a model is to look at real use comparison charts based on games not synthetic benchmarks like 3dmark or futuremark. here are the ones I like to use> http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/2010-gaming-graphics-charts-high-quality/benchmarks,114.html When looking at them notice the difference in screen resolutions and AA settings use the chart for the resolution you are actually using. Also note that the cards at the top of the chart will be xfired or SLI so scroll down for single cards.


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Thanks. My display is 1920 x 1080, and the closest one on that site is 1920 x 1200 so do i view that one? And does xfired mean there is two cards used? And what does SLI mean? When it says 2 x 512mb does that mean 4 cards are used? I have found the card that you suggested i buy, the ATI 5830. The 5850 seems to do a bit better but it does cost more. Do you recommend paying a bit more and getting the 5850? The test gives a score, but what is it actually measuring? it says score (in frame). it may be frames per second, in which case is that kinda clock speed?


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

2 x 512mb - 2 cards used?**


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

xfire or Crossfire(CF) is two ATI cards SLI(Scalable Link Interface) is the Nvidia name for it, I am not a fan of either Xfire or SLI seldom to you see a bump in performance worth the cost of 2 cards, the larger power supply to power them and the extra heat generated, games are optimized for one or the other I can't think of one optimized for both and more often games are no longer optimized for either, I have seen a few run worst on 2 cards then a single card. It's usually better to buy the next larger card and not have any of the multi-card hassles then to buy 2 lessor cards.

It measures Frames Per Second, use that number as a comparison in those charts only different setups(CPU, Motherboard, Ram, OS) will effect the FPS.

The 5850 is a very good card, I chose the 5830 to stay within the budget.



> ATI Radeon HD 4770* CF*
> 
> * (2x512 MB)


In the listing above the CF would indicate Cross Fire so yes that's 2 cards.


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Yes you wouldnt want a game specialised for the SLI when you have CF or visa versa. O good. I understand now. And it shows all the results like noise levels etc when you click compare. Thats fantastic. Learning so much about graphics cards so easily has been so much fun! Do you realise how much google and wikipedia you saved me? Haha. I will probably have to post back later asking what some of the test results are, as there is a few there xP


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

So fps will be due to clockspeed of the chip? And will improve resolution etc? Also, what are the AA settings?


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

i want the gigabyte GV-R587SO-1GD xD i guess its overkill for what i need..its about twice the price i intended to spend xP it certainly seems to kick *** though


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

AA is Anti Aliasing makes the motion smoother but usually at the expense of FPS.

FPS is more then clock speed a fast clock speed on a mid-range card will not be faster then a slower clock speed on a high end card this is where the memory interface comes in 128 bit vs 256 bit for example and the number of pixel pipe lines> data flowing through more pipelines at slower speeds will produce a faster output then less pipelines at faster speeds(as with any rule there are exceptions) there are also the the of "Shaders" more shaders the faster the scene can render. The extreme high end cards will have the most and best of all the above but unless you are using a 52" HD screen you will not really see/feel a difference from a lower card in most cases.

The best budget minded high performance cards at the moment are the HD5770, 5830, 5850 for ATI and the GTX460 1 gig Nvidia card the GTS450 is also worth a mention but there is a pretty wide gap between the GTS450 and GTX460.


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Did you find the Gigabyte card any where?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125323


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

I can afford this and its a 5850, and they perform well, but this says clockspeed is 725 mhz, which seems maybe a lil slow. does clockspeed differ in the 5850 range? [url]http://www.einfo.co.nz/shop/power-color-radeon-hd5850-ddr5-256bits-pcie-2dvi-p-18538.html[/URL]


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

O okay if the difference isnt that noticeable i definitely dont want to get the high high end ones. I found the gigabyte in a NZ online store for $700 and something. Tooooo much xP i'd just wonder why i had to spend that much i think. I mean my processor is only quad core. its 3.5ghz stock but its still quad not hex. I must remember not to go crazy xP if 5830 will play the modern games like homefront, im in!


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Also i want to overclock just to learn about it etc, and i think id be a bit reluctant to, with $700 chips xP


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

The requirements for home front have not been released yet, but I would speculate based on THQ and Digital Extremes past releases it will run on middle of the pack equipment to enable them to sell more copies


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

For Over clocking I usually leave the GPU alone and just clock the CPU.


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

O okay, cool i dont think i'll clock the GPU then. I have a really good idea of what card to get. 5830 or if i can stretch it the 5850. The motherboard isnt quite as important, so i'm sure if i get the gigabyte you suggested it'll be great. Thanks. cant wait to build it, a nice display just makes computing so much more fun xD


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Let us know how it goes


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

This is the GPU i am going to buy as soon as you let me know its good xP I can afford it because I'm ordering it from newegg, which is about $200 cheaper than the NZ sites. It'll just have to ship over from the US. I just need some confirmation that its good. 

[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121370&Tpk=ASUS%20RADEON%20EAH5850%20DIRECTCU%20TOP[/URL]


----------



## Niram (Jun 20, 2009)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*



> Does Newegg.com ship internationally?
> 
> Newegg.com does not currently ship internationally; we only deliver to locations within the United States and to Puerto Rico.



Is this still valid? I also thought about ordering from newegg and I'm in europe so I wanted to check their shipping policy and saw this


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

[url]http://secure.newegg.com/Shopping/ShoppingCart.aspx[/URL]

Thats the combo deal with windows 7 professional where i save $30 US. I will get that as long as professional doesnt run slower for some crazy reason. Would windows 7 professional run just as fast as a liter version such as home, for gaming etc? Windows 7 professional costs about $500 in NZ so this is a bargain to me. I will be doing programming on it as im doing a bachelor of computer science. Will this be good for that?


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

O bugger! Hmm im still in the checkout and havent looked. I will find the same GPU from a US site like Toms hardware and im sure i will find it somewhere from a US site that will ship internationally. The reason i need to do so as its much cheaper on these sites than NZ ones


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Anyone know of any US site that ship internationally?


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

sites* xP


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Amazon.com has the GPU, and windows 7 professional and ultimate. So i will buy that GPU, and either windows 7 professional or ultimate. I dont mind paying a bit extra for ultiamte, but its been rated less stars than professional on amazon. Any feedback on the GPU and which version of windows 7 is best, is hugely appreciated. Im going to wait and see what people think, as im in no rush.


----------



## Niram (Jun 20, 2009)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102909

AMD Radeon 6870 is my favorite, the best card out there after Radeon 5970 and it's ridiculously cheap


and you'll be fine with professional, ultimate has the option of locking files, other than that I think they're pretty much the same


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Wow great thanks. Im always on the lookout for crazy performance at crazy prices. Does the brand matter much? Sapphire, Asus, etc? Im not very familiar with Sapphire


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Im struggling to find the benchmark results for the 6870. link if possible? Toms hardware is good but yeah just cant find it in the charts


----------



## Niram (Jun 20, 2009)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

sapphire and powercolor are best brands for amd, asus and xfx are also commonly used

look up some videos and reviews on this card and see if you like it


Example:
YouTube - AMD Radeon 6800 Series HD 6870 and 6850 Overview and Benchmarks


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Lol im getting sucked in, going by the forums about it, it looks amazing. Thanks Niram :-D


----------



## Niram (Jun 20, 2009)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

No problem, all you gotta watch out are drivers, there have been lots of problems with their drivers as amd is still struggling to make proper drivers for those 2 cards


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Is the driver a part of the GPU?


----------



## Niram (Jun 20, 2009)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

you get a cd with drivers and stuff but you usually download from amd's website the newest versions from time to time


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Ah ok. I quick wiki search tells me it allows the software programs to interact with the hardware, by telling the hardware device what to do, with codes. The hardware (GPU here) would then send data back to the driver which will tell the software (game etc) what to do. That is my very basic understanding of it xP Interesting. Im going to trust that AMD will have sufficent GPU drivers, it isnt something that should make me change my mind about a GPU is it? Hopefully it'll be fine. Thanks for the heads up


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

It's a toss up between the Radeon 6870 and 5850. What one? If i get no replies i'll continue thinking the 6870 may be sliiiightly better and i'll get it. I'm sure its newer technology. But amazon price the 5850 down from $400 which is alot more than the 6870, just to add confusion xP


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Decided on the 6870. Not sure what brand to get. Do they all perform about the same? MSI okay?


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Looks like i cant be choosey. None of them ship internationally from amazon.com. Bugger. I need to find a site that will ship internationally. Any suggestions? It's over $200 NZdollars more from my local sites


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Not positive on this but I think the higher pricing has to do with import duties so even if you found a international source the duty would added on wben imported?


----------



## btf18 (Nov 19, 2010)

*Re: What GPU and motherboard to buy?*

Yeah, US sites arent allowed to ship it internationally in most cases. I've found it at an affordable price from some local sites. I thought I was on to an awesome thing with US sites..but none of them can ship any computer stuff xP


----------

