Help! Want to get 3d vision but need advice on upgrades and such
As the title suggests, im ready to purchase the alienware optx aw2310 monitor bundled with the nvidia 3d set.
I have a few questions first:
1) Will my hardware handle it? I have:
-- Intel Core 2 Duo E8500
-- 4Gb RAM
2) I currently have a 4850 graphics card. I would need to upgrade to nvidia to utilize 3d. I am in between building a new custom pc so I dont want a $400 vid card. I want something about as good as the 4850. I saw 9800s compare, but on newegg they are the same price as some of the 2xx cards?! So, I am wanting a suggestion on a good card for this setup. I would like to keep the price under $200 or as low as possible, but still want decent performance for my buck.
Also, there is anything else I need to consider or be prepared for?
As the title suggests, im ready to purchase the alienware optx aw2310 monitor bundled with the nvidia 3d set.
I have a few questions first:
1) Will my hardware handle it? I have:
-- Intel Core 2 Duo E8500
-- 4Gb RAM
2) I currently have a 4850 graphics card. I would need to upgrade to nvidia to utilize 3d. I am in between building a new custom pc so I dont want a $400 vid card. I want something about as good as the 4850. I saw 9800s compare, but on newegg they are the same price as some of the 2xx cards?! So, I am wanting a suggestion on a good card for this setup. I would like to keep the price under $200 or as low as possible, but still want decent performance for my buck.
Also, there is anything else I need to consider or be prepared for?
The monitor you're looking at is a 1080p native panel, so if you're currently running that resolution, you can expect very close to 50% FPS of what the video card you are looking at.
Personally I find low FPS below 30 and FPS fluctuations to be the single biggest negative detraction for 3D Vision and have tried 1xGTX 280, 2x280, 1x480, and 2x480 for varying amounts of time and would say 1xGT200 series card (GTX 260, 275, 280, 285) would be the bare minimum imo for 3D Vision at 1080p in modern games unless you plan to drop resolution and in-game settings significantly. 2xGT200 in SLI is very similar in performance to 1x480 although either option is better/worst depending on game.
If your board supports SLI, you could go with 1xGT200 card first then maybe add another if you're not satisfied. If your board doesn't support SLI, you may consider something faster from the outset, like a GTX 470 for ~$350 would be a good option. There's been some deals on them that drop them closer into the $300 range as well. Your CPU is still pretty solid so I would put the bulk of your resources toward the GPU for 3D Vision.
The monitor you're looking at is a 1080p native panel, so if you're currently running that resolution, you can expect very close to 50% FPS of what the video card you are looking at.
Personally I find low FPS below 30 and FPS fluctuations to be the single biggest negative detraction for 3D Vision and have tried 1xGTX 280, 2x280, 1x480, and 2x480 for varying amounts of time and would say 1xGT200 series card (GTX 260, 275, 280, 285) would be the bare minimum imo for 3D Vision at 1080p in modern games unless you plan to drop resolution and in-game settings significantly. 2xGT200 in SLI is very similar in performance to 1x480 although either option is better/worst depending on game.
If your board supports SLI, you could go with 1xGT200 card first then maybe add another if you're not satisfied. If your board doesn't support SLI, you may consider something faster from the outset, like a GTX 470 for ~$350 would be a good option. There's been some deals on them that drop them closer into the $300 range as well. Your CPU is still pretty solid so I would put the bulk of your resources toward the GPU for 3D Vision.
I can run SLI on my board. I saw some 460's on newegg for like $280. Would one of those be better than two 200s? I really am just trying to feed the 3d vision system and I had found an article saying that the vid card is VERY important. While I dont want to waste cash, if I need more GPU horsepower, then I need it (and will do it).
I can run SLI on my board. I saw some 460's on newegg for like $280. Would one of those be better than two 200s? I really am just trying to feed the 3d vision system and I had found an article saying that the vid card is VERY important. While I dont want to waste cash, if I need more GPU horsepower, then I need it (and will do it).
The 460s are OK performance for their price point, but I personally think the 470 is a much more compelling product for a little bit more money. The 460s just have too many functional units cut compared to the 470 with significant cuts to both compute/SM units and render back-ends. In terms of real-world performance, the 460 perform about the same as a GTX 275/280/285 in older titles but pull ahead in newer DX11, tesselation, or AA intensive titles.
When you look at it that way, the better option might be to go with some GT200 parts either used or being clearanced with the transition to GF100 cards. I know the GTX 280 for example is selling 2nd hand for somewhere around $150-$170. Adjust maybe -$15-$20 for GTX 275 or 260s, maybe +$15-20 for GTX 285s and that might be a better option for similar money. The 470 is fast enough over the GT200s to justify the increase in price especially if you overclock them to GTX 480 speeds, but I would go that route mainly if you were interested in just using 1 card with the important option of adding a 2nd one later if needed.
My personal opinion is that 2x470 is just about perfect for most games @ 1080p in 3D Vision with mostly maxed out settings and at least 4xMSAA + TrSSAA with FPS close to 60 the entire time. There are some exceptions however, and even with 2x480 in SLI there are a handful of games I can't maintain 60FPS in without dropping settings or dropping down to a lower API path.
The 460s are OK performance for their price point, but I personally think the 470 is a much more compelling product for a little bit more money. The 460s just have too many functional units cut compared to the 470 with significant cuts to both compute/SM units and render back-ends. In terms of real-world performance, the 460 perform about the same as a GTX 275/280/285 in older titles but pull ahead in newer DX11, tesselation, or AA intensive titles.
When you look at it that way, the better option might be to go with some GT200 parts either used or being clearanced with the transition to GF100 cards. I know the GTX 280 for example is selling 2nd hand for somewhere around $150-$170. Adjust maybe -$15-$20 for GTX 275 or 260s, maybe +$15-20 for GTX 285s and that might be a better option for similar money. The 470 is fast enough over the GT200s to justify the increase in price especially if you overclock them to GTX 480 speeds, but I would go that route mainly if you were interested in just using 1 card with the important option of adding a 2nd one later if needed.
My personal opinion is that 2x470 is just about perfect for most games @ 1080p in 3D Vision with mostly maxed out settings and at least 4xMSAA + TrSSAA with FPS close to 60 the entire time. There are some exceptions however, and even with 2x480 in SLI there are a handful of games I can't maintain 60FPS in without dropping settings or dropping down to a lower API path.
I have a few questions first:
1) Will my hardware handle it? I have:
-- Intel Core 2 Duo E8500
-- 4Gb RAM
2) I currently have a 4850 graphics card. I would need to upgrade to nvidia to utilize 3d. I am in between building a new custom pc so I dont want a $400 vid card. I want something about as good as the 4850. I saw 9800s compare, but on newegg they are the same price as some of the 2xx cards?! So, I am wanting a suggestion on a good card for this setup. I would like to keep the price under $200 or as low as possible, but still want decent performance for my buck.
Also, there is anything else I need to consider or be prepared for?
I have a few questions first:
1) Will my hardware handle it? I have:
-- Intel Core 2 Duo E8500
-- 4Gb RAM
2) I currently have a 4850 graphics card. I would need to upgrade to nvidia to utilize 3d. I am in between building a new custom pc so I dont want a $400 vid card. I want something about as good as the 4850. I saw 9800s compare, but on newegg they are the same price as some of the 2xx cards?! So, I am wanting a suggestion on a good card for this setup. I would like to keep the price under $200 or as low as possible, but still want decent performance for my buck.
Also, there is anything else I need to consider or be prepared for?
I will use this for gaming only really. I dont want to have any bottlenecks but i dont want overkill either.
I will use this for gaming only really. I dont want to have any bottlenecks but i dont want overkill either.
Personally I find low FPS below 30 and FPS fluctuations to be the single biggest negative detraction for 3D Vision and have tried 1xGTX 280, 2x280, 1x480, and 2x480 for varying amounts of time and would say 1xGT200 series card (GTX 260, 275, 280, 285) would be the bare minimum imo for 3D Vision at 1080p in modern games unless you plan to drop resolution and in-game settings significantly. 2xGT200 in SLI is very similar in performance to 1x480 although either option is better/worst depending on game.
If your board supports SLI, you could go with 1xGT200 card first then maybe add another if you're not satisfied. If your board doesn't support SLI, you may consider something faster from the outset, like a GTX 470 for ~$350 would be a good option. There's been some deals on them that drop them closer into the $300 range as well. Your CPU is still pretty solid so I would put the bulk of your resources toward the GPU for 3D Vision.
Personally I find low FPS below 30 and FPS fluctuations to be the single biggest negative detraction for 3D Vision and have tried 1xGTX 280, 2x280, 1x480, and 2x480 for varying amounts of time and would say 1xGT200 series card (GTX 260, 275, 280, 285) would be the bare minimum imo for 3D Vision at 1080p in modern games unless you plan to drop resolution and in-game settings significantly. 2xGT200 in SLI is very similar in performance to 1x480 although either option is better/worst depending on game.
If your board supports SLI, you could go with 1xGT200 card first then maybe add another if you're not satisfied. If your board doesn't support SLI, you may consider something faster from the outset, like a GTX 470 for ~$350 would be a good option. There's been some deals on them that drop them closer into the $300 range as well. Your CPU is still pretty solid so I would put the bulk of your resources toward the GPU for 3D Vision.
-=HeliX=- Mod 3DV Game Fixes
My 3D Vision Games List Ratings
Intel Core i7 5930K @4.5GHz | Gigabyte X99 Gaming 5 | Win10 x64 Pro | Corsair H105
Nvidia GeForce Titan X SLI Hybrid | ROG Swift PG278Q 144Hz + 3D Vision/G-Sync | 32GB Adata DDR4 2666
Intel Samsung 950Pro SSD | Samsung EVO 4x1 RAID 0 |
Yamaha VX-677 A/V Receiver | Polk Audio RM6880 7.1 | LG Blu-Ray
Auzen X-Fi HT HD | Logitech G710/G502/G27 | Corsair Air 540 | EVGA P2-1200W
I can run SLI on my board. I saw some 460's on newegg for like $280. Would one of those be better than two 200s? I really am just trying to feed the 3d vision system and I had found an article saying that the vid card is VERY important. While I dont want to waste cash, if I need more GPU horsepower, then I need it (and will do it).
I can run SLI on my board. I saw some 460's on newegg for like $280. Would one of those be better than two 200s? I really am just trying to feed the 3d vision system and I had found an article saying that the vid card is VERY important. While I dont want to waste cash, if I need more GPU horsepower, then I need it (and will do it).
When you look at it that way, the better option might be to go with some GT200 parts either used or being clearanced with the transition to GF100 cards. I know the GTX 280 for example is selling 2nd hand for somewhere around $150-$170. Adjust maybe -$15-$20 for GTX 275 or 260s, maybe +$15-20 for GTX 285s and that might be a better option for similar money. The 470 is fast enough over the GT200s to justify the increase in price especially if you overclock them to GTX 480 speeds, but I would go that route mainly if you were interested in just using 1 card with the important option of adding a 2nd one later if needed.
My personal opinion is that 2x470 is just about perfect for most games @ 1080p in 3D Vision with mostly maxed out settings and at least 4xMSAA + TrSSAA with FPS close to 60 the entire time. There are some exceptions however, and even with 2x480 in SLI there are a handful of games I can't maintain 60FPS in without dropping settings or dropping down to a lower API path.
When you look at it that way, the better option might be to go with some GT200 parts either used or being clearanced with the transition to GF100 cards. I know the GTX 280 for example is selling 2nd hand for somewhere around $150-$170. Adjust maybe -$15-$20 for GTX 275 or 260s, maybe +$15-20 for GTX 285s and that might be a better option for similar money. The 470 is fast enough over the GT200s to justify the increase in price especially if you overclock them to GTX 480 speeds, but I would go that route mainly if you were interested in just using 1 card with the important option of adding a 2nd one later if needed.
My personal opinion is that 2x470 is just about perfect for most games @ 1080p in 3D Vision with mostly maxed out settings and at least 4xMSAA + TrSSAA with FPS close to 60 the entire time. There are some exceptions however, and even with 2x480 in SLI there are a handful of games I can't maintain 60FPS in without dropping settings or dropping down to a lower API path.
-=HeliX=- Mod 3DV Game Fixes
My 3D Vision Games List Ratings
Intel Core i7 5930K @4.5GHz | Gigabyte X99 Gaming 5 | Win10 x64 Pro | Corsair H105
Nvidia GeForce Titan X SLI Hybrid | ROG Swift PG278Q 144Hz + 3D Vision/G-Sync | 32GB Adata DDR4 2666
Intel Samsung 950Pro SSD | Samsung EVO 4x1 RAID 0 |
Yamaha VX-677 A/V Receiver | Polk Audio RM6880 7.1 | LG Blu-Ray
Auzen X-Fi HT HD | Logitech G710/G502/G27 | Corsair Air 540 | EVGA P2-1200W