Looking for a Video Card...

[Soylent Joe]

I want to get a new GPU to use on my old system and/or HTPC.
I'll mainly have it in my secondary computer, it's a bit old but it's still alive.

Sony Vaio [insert model no. here]
P4 "Northwood" 3.2GHz
2GB DDR 553 (1x 1gb, 2x 512mb)
250GB Maxtor HDD
Asus [insert model no. here] motherboard
DVD burner and 2nd DVD reader
ATI Radeon X300 128mb (PCIe)
364W PSU
The HTPC has better specs so if it works on this it'll work on that.

Limitations:
Can't exceed 8" in length
Can't need more than like 350W
Don't want to pay more than $100

I was looking at the Sapphire 4850 that's only $100, but it wants a 450W PSU. So can anyone think of a card that fits the requirements that has the most power for the price? Maybe a 4770 or something else, it doesn't have to be ATI.

 

[mosheen]

4670

 

[MN12BIRD]

Yeah 4670 or 4770 I think are your best bet.

 

[Soylent Joe]

I think I have a winner here, what do you think?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125277&cm_re=4670-_-14-125-277-_-Product

 

[a_ump]

HD 4770, that's what i'd go with.

 

[Soylent Joe]

Well if I got a 4770, I'd get this one. So it's either the 1GB Gigabyte 4670 for $70 shipped or the 512MB Sapphire 4770 for $110 shipped. What would be the better buy? I'm thinking it'd be the 4670...

 

[JrRacinFan]

Definitely HD4670, just so you don't need to switch out the power supply.

 

[Soylent Joe]

Definitely HD4670, just so you don't need to switch out the power supply.

Yeah, and if you were to see the stupid way the PSU is installed, you'd understand my pain.

Guess the 4670 is the winner.

 

[JrRacinFan]

Yeah, and if you were to see the stupid way the PSU is installed, you'd understand my pain.

Guess the 4670 is the winner.

Or maybe even 4650 if you wanna save a little bit of cash.

 

[a_ump]

no, lol ur wrong on that one m8. the HD 4770 is a lot better than the HD 4670, almost twice the performance if not better. and what resolution? if its 1680x1050 definitely the HD 4770. but then it is only a 350watt. HD 4670 to be safe. If your at 1280x1024 it should suffice.

 

[newtekie1]

You could buy one of my 9600GSOs for $65 and use it to fold for TPU.

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=103708

 

[Soylent Joe]

no, lol ur wrong on that one m8. the HD 4770 is a lot better than the HD 4670, almost twice the performance if not better. and what resolution? if its 1680x1050 definitely the HD 4770. but then it is only a 350watt. HD 4670 to be safe. If your at 1280x1024 it should suffice.

Well, it'd be at 1360x768, an odd resolution. And there's really now way to swap out PSU's, I don't want to fork out that much right now.

 

[a_ump]

wouldn't a 9600GSO be pushing it with the 350watt? if he had more juice then i'd definitely point to that, but i'd say HD 4670 to be safe.

 

[JrRacinFan]

You could buy one of my 9600GSOs for $65 and use it to fold for TPU.

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=103708

G92 or G94?

Well, it'd be at 1360x768, an odd resolution. And there's really now way to swap out PSU's, I don't want to fork out that much right now.

Not that odd of a resolution. Basically it's "720p extended". Mainly found in 16:9 HDTV's.

 

[Soylent Joe]

wouldn't a 9600GSO be pushing it with the 350watt? if he had more juice then i'd definitely point to that, but i'd say HD 4670 to be safe.

Says about 180-250W for the 9600. The 4770 doesn't seem to suck a whole lot more juice than the 4650.

 

[a_ump]

Says about 180-250W for the 9600. The 4770 doesn't seem to suck a whole lot more juice than the 4650.

yea, that's why i pointed to that. it'd run any game at ur res no prob, well with the usual stalker:CS and crysis.

 

[Soylent Joe]

yea, that's why i pointed to that. it'd run any game at ur res no prob, well with the usual stalker:CS and crysis.

Well if I get something that needs a 6-pin power imput, it will be coming from a 2x molex to 6 pin adapter, and I know that isn't really good for cards.

 

[a_ump]

i was talking about the HD 4770. the 9600GSO would be fine as well. u have a nice selection to pick from right now. I'd say 9600GSO, HD 4670, HD 4770. though personally i'd gowith the HD 4670 just because ur PSU is only 350watts.

 

[Scrizz]

don't forget this is for a HTPC not a gaming rig
a 4650/70 would fit the bill perfectly

 

[a_ump]

don't forget this is for a HTPC not a gaming rig
a 4650/70 would fit the bill perfectly

ah, see i didn't read that lol. yea HTPC DEFINITELY an HD 4650/70 though the HD 4670 is barely what? like $5-10 more. get one of those no question.

 

[Soylent Joe]

don't forget this is for a HTPC not a gaming rig
a 4650/70 would fit the bill perfectly

Well what I meant was mainly for the P4 system, and if I happen to sell that computer, I'll put it in my HTPC. I do play some games on the P4 computer.


I was always looking at the 4670, the 4650 was kinda meh

 

[a_ump]

yea they're in the same family but the HD 4670 is quite a bit better than the HD 4650.

 

[Soylent Joe]

Can the 4670 fold?

Edit: "my ATI4650/4670 doesn't have current support for folding so a little help from the Folding Forums came in handy. as far as I know, all other ATI cards that can fold are supported.
to make the 4650/4670 fold; go to ATI website, searsh for SDK V1.2.1-beta.
you will be given a choice and you want to click the link to 'ati.amd.com/technology/streamingcomputing/sdkdwnld.html'.
after installing, locate your Folding@home-gpu folder and replace amdcalcl.dll and amdcalrt.dll with the new .dll files you just installed.
restart your machine. good folding on ATI4650/4670 cards."

Guess it can with a little work, if I can get it running I'll just leave F@H on all the time

 

[a_ump]

yep, any card that has SPU's can fold. and as ur edit states, some may take a lil more thinking to get it going

 

[mosheen]

4650 ddr3 even better