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gpu upgrade

1K views 16 replies 7 participants last post by  Taubs 
#1 ·
have ocz modstream 500w power supply. what kinda card can this run. had a 6850 had to return cause was crashing within few seconds of startup. i suspect it wasnt getting enough power. what is highest card that fits within my power profile. would like 3d tv at some point in next year thanks.


phenomII x3

4gb ram

640gb wd black

1tb green

nvidia gt 9500
 
#5 ·
As long as your 500w is labeled properly, and not defective, it will power a 6850 just fine. You would be foolish to listen to anyone that tells you otherwise.


Assuming you want to run a single 1080p monitor? A 6850 will do great. Buy another one. Your first one was likely broken, or was showing you that something else in your system is broken as the rest of your system is a lot less throttled when it isn't waiting for the GPU to catch up. If you drop in a second one, and things crash left and right again, then you have some other issue. A PSU on it's last legs, a limping motherboard, dying ram, or a CPU that's chokes when pushed would be the first things that come to mind as potential broken hardware.
 
#6 ·
wasnt looking to change my power supply.i think i may give it another go. i live close to a microcenter so can get resonable retail prices., and can be returned without restocking fees and shipping. i just missed some good sales but should be some coming up for back to school. all the 6850 seems high right now. what would be the equivalent card on nvidia side?
 
#7 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Taubs /forum/post/20726308


wasnt looking to change my power supply.i think i may give it another go. i live close to a microcenter so can get resonable retail prices., and can be returned without restocking fees and shipping. i just missed some good sales but should be some coming up for back to school. all the 6850 seems high right now. what would be the equivalent card on nvidia side?

From NewEgg description page.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161348


Your PSU is on the low end of meeting minimum requirements. A quality PSU is essential for a stable system.


Chipset


Chipset Manufacturer

AMD


GPU
Radeon HD 6850


Core Clock

775MHz


Stream Processors

960 Stream Processing Units


Memory


Effective Memory Clock

1000MHz (4.0Gbps)


Memory Size

1GB


Memory Interface

256-bit


Memory Type

GDDR5


3D API


DirectX

DirectX 11


OpenGL

OpenGL 3.2


Ports


HDMI

1 x HDMI


DisplayPort

1 x DisplayPort


DVI

2 x DVI (1 Single Link, 1 Dual Link)


General


RAMDAC

400 MHz


Max Resolution

2560 x 1600


Eyefinity Support

Yes


CrossFireX Support

Yes


Cooler

With Fan

System Requirements

500 Watt or greater power supply recommended

Dual-Link DVI Supported

Yes


HDCP Ready

Yes
 
#9 ·
Not all PSUs of the same wattage are created equal. There are other factors to consider besides the raw wattage number. For instance, a quality 500W unit can perform better under tougher loads than a cheap 750W.


My rig has an ATI 6870 HD card and I've had no issues powering it with my 500W PSU. However, a few years ago when I first put my machine together I made sure to get a quality PSU that has three +12V rails @ 18 amps.


Your PSU is has two +12V rails @ 18A according to the spec sheet. As long as the entire rig isn't under stress from an excessive amounts of parts plugged into it, you might be ok with a 6850. I've looked a reviews for your unit and while it is considered a modest PSU, it does a respectable job.


We don't know how much load your PSU is supplying, or if the card was defective or if your particular PSU has issues. It doesn't hurt to upgrade to a better power supply, but try to isolate the problem if you can before you commit to doing so.
 
#10 ·
Amazing deals on 6870 right now. Single fan or dual fans.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150506

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150521

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150561


GTX 560 non Ti

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130661


And it is the SAME card as this Ti

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130604


The only difference is a few more cuda cores from the non Ti. 384 vs 336. They run very close to another. Check the benches and the fps differences you can count on 1 hand. If you are good with rebates and follow up with them. Get the Ti. But if you are looking for under $200. Go with the 6870 or non Ti. Just note with these rebates. Once you snip the bar code off the box. You cannot return it to newegg with in 30 days. XFX and Evga are EXCELLENT with customer service and would not concern me if it broke. I would go through either one of them. As for the psu. If it is a quality unit and has enough amps on the 12v rail. You are good. As for that 550 Ti. It is pure crap and you would not be happy with it in the end.
 
#11 ·
 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...=1jvhx0b54ryce


The second one Korn linked to is the 6870 that I own, which runs 3x 1080p monitors great in Eyefinity. It's about $60 less that I paid as well, when all is said and done. Dual fan on the 6870 is the only way to go, too. Mine is dead quiet at all times, and reading reviews of the single-fan versions, those are noisy, especially in game.


Of note: I love the hardware behind the 6870, and I love the single-card, triple-monitor support. The drivers and control panel are flaming piles of crap though. If Nvidia supported 3 monitors on a single reasonable card, I would Craigslist this 6870 in a heartbeat to go back to drivers that work worth a damn.
 
#13 ·
well got the 550ti yesterday. and installed and this time there was no output but card was running. returned it which im glad of from all dislike of card i would not of been happy. chances of two cards being bad are unlikely. either problem with supply or board i assume.
 
#14 ·
I bet microcenter would let you borrow a PS with a deposit. They'll have them sitting around. We do that for tons of people at my friends store, from mobo's to mice. Then you could know for sure what your problem is. Of just take it to them and for $40, they will test it and tell you whats wrong.
 
#17 ·
yes i plugged it in ran a separate power connector too. there is not onboard video on my motherboard its the 770 series. im thinking just doing new build in fall when 7000 series comes out the prices on older cars should come down significantly.
 
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