34 réponses à ce sujet

[Figbee]

hey guys i just recently direct downloaded mass effect 2 and i have been waiting until i couldn't play a game with my current graphics card(just a random intel that came with the computer) and mass effect is that game. So now i have been looking at graphics cards, but I'm not sure which one to pick.

What do you guys all have for your cards and on what settings do you run the game? Any feedback or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Also the graphics cards i've been looking at are the nvidia geforce GT 240, nvidia geforce 9800 GT and the ati radeon HD 4550.

Thanks!

[Gorath Alpha]

That's a strange collection to consider at the same time. The Radeon is only for business, the GT240 is just fine for most games, and the 9800 GT (depending on the model, but most of them) also demands an upgrade to the power supply.
If you really want the performance of a 9800 GT, you should be looking at the Radeon HD 5670, which will do that with a stock factory power supply. Both the GT 240 and the HD 5670 are a lot newer than a 9800, so in one case the 240 is almost as fast as the 9800, and in the other, the 5670 is faster than a 9800.

Why not just name a screen resolution, a budget limit, and a hoped for image quality? 

Modifié par Gorath Alpha, 03 novembre 2010 - 04:06 .

[Water Dumple]

I use the NVidia 9800 GTX+, which runs ME2 at 1280x1024 at maximum specs and a very smooth frame rate. I'd recommend it. I used the ATI 4650 before that, which was a great card for the price, but if you want to run ME2 well, you should go for something higher. Ensure that your power supply is good enough to handle whatever you pick, and that your motherboard has a PCI Express 16 slot open.

[Crusherix]

GTS450 or GTX460 should be possible to get very cheap and those are very great cards for their price. the GTX470 is the card which gives most performance for your money if you don't count in electricity bills

[Gorath Alpha]

All of the currently available Fermis for desktops, other than the 430, draw more current than a stock factory power supply can provide, and the average, typically available PSU in the marketplace is crap. Only a dozen brands of PSUs can be trusted, so until I get the word that high screen resolutions are desired, I stick with AMD's HD 5670 as the top card for the factory power supplies.

[Locutus_of_BORG]

I'm using an AMD HD 5770, which is working great for the game. Not overly expensive, either.



But I heard that ME/ME2 run best on Nvidia cards.

[PnXMarcin1PL]

You can get GTX260 or GTX275 very cheap. Also you can consider buying GTX460. What is your processor ? You dont want a Card which would be bottlenecked by CPU.

Modifié par PnXMarcin1PL, 03 novembre 2010 - 03:42 .

[RocShemp]

I'm running it on an Ati Radeon HD 5670 at 1920x1080 and it looks great.

Modifié par RocShemp, 03 novembre 2010 - 11:48 .

[Figbee]

Okay, im pretty new to graphics cards and the numbers all confuse me, the only thing i get is the onboard memory it has haha. I have an intel quad core cpu Q8300 at 2.5ghz, 8gb of ram and 750gb hard drive. I have an open pci x16 slot where the current card is in. I looked up the stats on the manufacturer's page and i saw 300 watts if that means anything and the pci slot is 3.3V i know power does come into play but im not sure. i'm looking to to run it probably on 1280x1024 and if i can get maxed on that, that would be good. And im shooting for around 100 bucks or lower, but i could go for like a $130 one if it will insure good performance.



Now today i looked at school a lot and i found i was looking a lot at GT 240s, GTS 450s, and 5670s. And they all had 1gb of memory on them. the GT 240 i found one at $60 with a rebate, GTS 450 at $130 and the 5670 for $120. I also saw some 5570, 5750, and 5770 ones.

Any feedback on those?



Thanks a ton guys, all your feedback is greatly appreciated and is really helping me out.

[rage-monk]

I ran the game at 1280x1024 (->19" CRT) with a Radeon HD 3870 without any complaints. Now I have a Sapphire HD 5770 Vapor-X (=better cooling) OC Edition which works nicely for me, though the regular variant would probably suffice as well.
Truth be told I don't see all that much improvement except for the fact that my resolution is now 1920x1080; but I have most of the fancy graphics stuff disabled because I'm not really fond of it all.

If your worried about powersupply you might want to check this site:
www.enermax.outervision.com/

Modifié par rage-monk, 04 novembre 2010 - 01:10 .

[Gorath Alpha]

Figbee wrote...

Okay, im pretty new to graphics cards and the numbers all confuse me, the only thing i get is the onboard memory it has haha. I have an intel quad core cpu Q8300 at 2.5ghz, 8gb of ram and 750gb hard drive. I have an open pci x16 slot where the current card is in. I looked up the stats on the manufacturer's page and i saw 300 watts if that means anything and the pci slot is 3.3V i know power does come into play but im not sure. i'm looking to to run it probably on 1280x1024 and if i can get maxed on that, that would be good. And im shooting for around 100 bucks or lower, but i could go for like a $130 one if it will insure good performance.

Now today i looked at school a lot and i found i was looking a lot at GT 240s, GTS 450s, and 5670s. And they all had 1gb of memory on them. the GT 240 i found one at $60 with a rebate, GTS 450 at $130 and the 5670 for $120. I also saw some 5570, 5750, and 5770 ones.
Any feedback on those?

Thanks a ton guys, all your feedback is greatly appreciated and is really helping me out.

There are a half dozen (at least) criteria that you can look at for video cards, but onboard VRAM is the least important of all of them, and is used as a marketing SCAM very often. 

The core speed, RAM speed, memory bandwidth, and number of shader units are important.  For several years, from the ill-fated nVIDIA FXes until the GTX200s, nVIDIA and AMD used the same numbers to differentiate different classes of graphics devices, with 800s, 850s, 900s, and 950s on the very top.  Below those were the much more popular Mainline Medium cards, wit 600s, 650s, 670s, 700s, and 770s in their names.  Closer to the bottom, business quality (Low End) cards were numbered 300 and 400 , for charts, graphs, presentations, and spreadsheets.  

The very bottom was mostly onboard chips, but there are also add-on cards that are wors ethan the built-ins.  These had numbers such as 050, 100, 150, and 200.  Previously, the nVIDIA cards carried suffixes from LE/SE/XT on the botton, to GTX-plus, or Ultra, on the top, so that a Geforce 9800 GTX plus was the very topmost of that recycled generation.  From the GTX200s onward, the nVIDIA numbers changed so that 80s are equal to 800s, 70s are equal to 770s, 60s are equal to 750s, 50s are equal to 670s, 40s are equal to 600s, 30s are equal to 500s, 20s are equal to 350s, and 10s are equal to 100s.  

Here are the articles (mostly in the Dragon Age Tech Forum) for reference.  

Very basic discussion of video cards, video chips, PhysX, and even of laptops' limits: 
social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/58/index/519461

Video Card Shader Performance Rankings (ME-2):
social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/106/index/1713086

Power supply watts is a poor choice for describing what is needed for a given level of system hardware, but a 300 watt original equipment PSU is fully adequate to the low-medium resolution you have in mind, which only requires the 240 and 5670 grades to cover.  The GTS450 does require a power supply upgrade, which adds $50, at least, to the cost.

That $120 for an HD 5670 was too high, and a full GB of onboard VRAM is more than you will need for the screen resolution you are interested in.  Both ethe GT240 and the HD 5670 max out at 512 MBs for game purposes, with the Radeon better able to put that much into use.  Anything more than that is just numeric bling to get your attention, but factually all it will do is raise the amount of waste heat you have to deal with, and waste extra electricity. 

Here in the states, video cards should be bought from a quality eTailer such as Mwave, Newegg, eWiz, ZipZoomFly, etc.

Modifié par Gorath Alpha, 05 novembre 2010 - 04:00 .

[Figbee]

Oh man, I was looking at some stuff the wrong way. Thanks for the help! Those articles helped a lot. And now the numbers make a lot more sense haha. I'm looking on tiger direct and i found a GT 240 for $40 after a rebate and a 5670 for $80. I'm still not sure which I'm going to get, I guess I have to decide if the extra $40 is worth the improvements from the GT240-5670.

[SSV Enterprise]

Driver support will likely be better for the 5670. nVidia is known for having trouble with new drivers in older video cards.

Modifié par SSV Enterprise, 05 novembre 2010 - 11:21 .

[Gorath Alpha]

Figbee wrote...

Oh man, I was looking at some stuff the wrong way. Thanks for the help! Those articles helped a lot. And now the numbers make a lot more sense haha. I'm looking on tiger direct and i found a GT 240 for $40 after a rebate and a 5670 for $80. I'm still not sure which I'm going to get, I guess I have to decide if the extra $40 is worth the improvements from the GT240-5670.

I'm pleased that you approve of the reference.  If you can find a Radeon HD 4670 for $40 also, it is very closely matched on performance to the GT 240, and possibly may have a slight edge in comparing recent driver problems./ freedom from problems.  But their record with drivers isn't hugely better -- it's a rare art form that not every software engineer handles with maximum gracefulness. 

nVIDIA is running late again with the Fermi card for the GT440 slot, and AMD is very close to release date for their 6n00 Mainline Medium release to follow the HD 5670 (the pair of 5700 Radeons will remain in production for some while, having remained very popular the past year).

[Computer_God91]

Figbee wrote...
nvidia geforce 9800 GT

Ha, thats the card I'm using. I'm looking to upgrade to a better one, why? Not because its a bad card, it can run every game out on max settings but because I want one that is better. Mass Effect 2 demo lags like crazy when I play but I dont know why it does that when every other game works perfect on ultra settings.

[Gorath Alpha]

Computer_God91 wrote...

Figbee wrote...
nvidia geforce 9800 GT

Ha, thats the card I'm using. I'm looking to upgrade to a better one, why? Not because its a bad card, it can run every game out on max settings but because I want one that is better. Mass Effect 2 demo lags like crazy when I play but I dont know why it does that when every other game works perfect on ultra settings.

For most games, we are in a holding pattern now that nearly everyone has a PC able to run Dx10, while the game console hardware is limited to Dx9.  The good cards from four years ago, such as the HD 3870 and the Geforce 8800s still run most games just fine (the 9800s are just 8800s with a new name, thinner die wafers, and corrected firmware to eliminate the defective fan-control functions). 

That means that medium quality cards from two years ago, such as the GT 240 and the HD 4670, have all the speed and image sharpness needed for typical screen resolutions and high settings.  Mainline cards, however, fall short when high resolutions are involved, and high onboard VRAM that is actually available to games is wanted.  And for the pinch- penny Scrooges, yes, a current Low End card such as an HD 5450 or Geforce 230 (but not really the 430), can probably run the games on low settings and low resolutions, although with ME-2, the interaction is likely to fail with the 5450.

Gorath

[SSV Enterprise]

I'm using a Mobility Radeon HD 5470 and, while frame rates drop precipitously in some demanding cutscenes, such as when rendering the Illusive Man's supergiant star, I have never encountered the feedback problem when actively in control of Shepard. The Mobility 5470 has a 150 MHz higher core clock speed and 100 MHz higher memory clock speed than the desktop 5450, but the difference that causes can't be too great.

With that said, I agree in principle- avoid cards on the level of the Radeon HD 5450, and buy better. You'll get more performance and longevity for your money.

Modifié par SSV Enterprise, 06 novembre 2010 - 04:22 .

[slimgrin]

My ati 4670 works great for ME2 and DA, not so much for GTAIV or SC2.

[Ryzaki]

Hm...this should run perfectly on my Mobility Radeon HD 5870 then right? Just to be sure. I heard it can run SC2 all high so...

[Hedera]

SSV Enterprise wrote...

I'm using a Mobility Radeon HD 5470 and, while frame rates drop precipitously in some demanding cutscenes, such as when rendering the Illusive Man's supergiant star, I have never encountered the feedback problem when actively in control of Shepard. The Mobility 5470 has a 150 MHz higher core clock speed and 100 MHz higher memory clock speed than the desktop 5450, but the difference that causes can't be too great.

With that said, I agree in principle- avoid cards on the level of the Radeon HD 5450, and buy better. You'll get more performance and longevity for your money.

I have the same card and it is about the same.  Dynamic shadows play havoc with my framerate though.  Just saying.<_<
(edit)
But It looks like the OP is talking desktop cards.  I have a 5770 in mine that could handle ME with ease, but that's a $130 card and is a bit too much for what he's looking for.  ATIs 5650 or higher should be perfect.  And cheap.

Modifié par cgrimm54, 06 novembre 2010 - 04:42 .

[SSV Enterprise]

Slimgrin wrote...

My ati 4670 works great for ME2 and DA, not so much for GTAIV or SC2.

Starcraft 2? Odd. I thought that was the kind of game where the developers make the minimum settings very low so that everyone, even people with Intel integrated graphics, can play it- not that they'll be looking at anything pleasing to the eye, but at least they should be able to play it.

In fact, upon looking up the SC2 system requirements, they're so low that they stretch back to Radeon 9800 Pro. The recommended specifications name the Radeon HD 3870, which has the same amount of stream processors as the HD 4670. (The 3870 has over twice the memory bandwidth, though) The HD 4670 should be capable of running Starcraft 2 smoothly at high settings, if not ultra high.

Modifié par SSV Enterprise, 06 novembre 2010 - 04:47 .

[Figbee]

thanks for the feedback guys, its helpful to see the discussions on the cards. Well right now i have found a GT240 for $40, a 5670 for $80 and i just found a 4670 for $54. I'm just weighing the worth of the speed and performance differences if theyre worth the extra money. I'm kinda torn actually from saving the like 30 or 40 bucks on the 240 or the 4670 or go for the 5670. (i'm a high school kid so i'm not like poor, but i have to watch my money or it can vanish very fast haha)

[SSV Enterprise]

Ryzaki wrote...

Hm...this should run perfectly on my Mobility Radeon HD 5870 then right? Just to be sure. I heard it can run SC2 all high so...

Yes, absolutely.  The Mobility Radeon HD is not as powerful as the desktop 5870, but if my little 5470 can run the game, then the 5870 should soar with it.

[Ryzaki]

SSV Enterprise wrote...

Ryzaki wrote...

Hm...this should run perfectly on my Mobility Radeon HD 5870 then right? Just to be sure. I heard it can run SC2 all high so...

Yes, absolutely.  The Mobility Radeon HD is not as powerful as the desktop 5870, but if my little 5470 can run the game, then the 5870 should soar with it.

Awesome. So I can't wait! My new comp is going to be here soon!

And...it should run DA just fine then? Because ME2 has higher requirements? 

[slimgrin]

SSV Enterprise wrote...

Slimgrin wrote...

My ati 4670 works great for ME2 and DA, not so much for GTAIV or SC2.

Starcraft 2? Odd. I thought that was the kind of game where the developers make the minimum settings very low so that everyone, even people with Intel integrated graphics, can play it- not that they'll be looking at anything pleasing to the eye, but at least they should be able to play it.

In fact, upon looking up the SC2 system requirements, they're so low that they stretch back to Radeon 9800 Pro. The recommended specifications name the Radeon HD 3870, which has the same amount of stream processors as the HD 4670. (The 3870 has over twice the memory bandwidth, though) The HD 4670 should be capable of running Starcraft 2 smoothly at high settings, if not ultra high.

Ok. let me clarify. I can run ME2 and DA on the highest settings, SC2 on next to highest settings. Just being greedy I guess. But there is one game that taxes my card, where I absolutely have to keep it on the medium settings only: Street Fighter 4.


Edit: then again, maybe I need to tweak settings in the catalyst control center.

Modifié par slimgrin, 06 novembre 2010 - 04:59 .