upgrade from 9800 gtx?

B

BerniniCaCO3

New Member
Here's my system:
Intel Core i7-920
ZALMAN CNPS9700 CPU Cooler
F3G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB)-10666CL7T-6GBPK
ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366
Asus Nvidia 9800GTX+ 512MB
Thermaltake case & power supply

I do gaming and some 3d modeling. I'd like it to run a bit faster... but I'm a noob, and I don't know where the bottleneck would likely be.

IF it's the video card, or if a newer/ better video card would speed things up, can you make some recommendations to go with this system?
If the benefits are substantial, I could afford up to $200 for a video card. But basically I've got $400 to play with, so what I spend on the video card, won't go towards more memory/ better cooling/ bigger monitor/ small SSD hard drive, which are also on my short list of improvements.

Video card aside: which things WOULD you upgrade first with this system?


Or (forgive my ignorance), can I just buy an extra 512mb to go with my existing video card?
 
Your system looks killer, aside from you not listing a hard drive...

Gaming cards aren't going to help your CAD. The 9800GT is still a decent card, running most games at mid to high settings, depending on the game.

You need a Quadro or equivalent for CAD.
 
Oh, the hard drive was a standard affair-- 320gb, 7200rpm western digital. Not worth noting.

I'd just assumed they'd be similar! That drawing 3D environments for gaming would be the same as drawing 3d machine components, and assumed that what was good for gaming would be good for CAD.
That said-- I have no training in software. I'm a mechanical guy.
Anyway: I do a lot more gaming than I do CAD, or, what CAD work I do is basic and doesn't lag-- so recommend a good gaming card and forget the CAD.
 
link failed just went to bestbuy.com lol

but a decent priced gtx 460 is great! i almost wished iddin't buy my 5970 and gotten 4x 460 lol (is quad sli even possible?) but yeah the gtx 460 is great will run any game u throw at it :)
 
Whoops! I know why that happened too-- copied the shortened link, copy and paste, so it lacked the full URL.
This card:
NVIDIA GeForce XLR8 GTX 465 1GB GDDR5 PCI Express Graphics Card
But he's asking $300 used, when I can get it for $230 new on ebay... I'd have to talk him down, but since he paid $330 he night not do, say, $200!

I should look at the 460 you say?
 
Question: looking at the 1gb version of the 460, I'm seeing some with one smaller fan to the far end, another type with a larger central fan, and a third time with 2 fans:
are they all the same video card, and it's merely a different style cooling system?
Or are they quite different cards?
That's on ebay.
 
+1 for the gtx460 1gb.

Yes they are just different fan types, same card. The one with the fan on the end makes sure all the hot air goes out the back of the case, it's called externally exhausted. The central fan is OK, but 1/2 of the hot air goes into the case. The dual fan, which I'm guessing was the gigabyte model, all the air pretty much goes into the case. The externally exhaust card is a hair louder, not a ton, and also runs slightly warmer (like 5c, but none of them run very hot anyway), but no hot air goes into the case. It's the one I have, and I love it.

Make sure you get the one with AR last in the part number, it denotes lifetime warranty. TR means 2 year warranty.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130566

Thats the one I have, highly recommended. Sure you have to put out $240 up front, but $20 rebate (EVGA is good with rebates) and lifetime warranty can't be beat for such a strong card thats externally exhausted.


DO NOT get a gtx465, they run just as hot as a gtx470 with less performance. The gtx460 is actually stronger, it's sad. GTX465 was a complete flop, I feel sorry for anyone that was duped into buying one.
 
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