Upgrade PC with HD 4830 or 9800 GT?

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Vincenz

Limp Gawd
Joined
May 6, 2008
Messages
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I'm sick of playing PC games using onboard video, and not being able to play many at all. I'd like to be able to play most games on medium/high settings at 1440x900. I'll have to upgrade my PSU as well, and I don't want to spend more than $200 total at the very most. Upgrading an HP Pavilion a6230n, here's the specs:
Asus M2N86-LA
Athlon X2 5600+
3GB DDR2 (667? / 800?)
300GB HDD
nForce 6150SE onboard video
300w PSU

I've already decided to replace the stock PSU with http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171028 . As far as longevity goes, I plan to build a PC next fall, so this is really just for the next six months or so. I've narrowed down my video card choices to the HD 4830 or the 9800GT. Now, cooling is actually of bigger importance to me then performance. The HP case only has one fan, and since the mobo is mounted upside down in their cases, the fan is right near the CPU, leaving the expansion area with little to no ventilation. It's important that the card doesn't run too hot. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
From the reviews I've seen the two cards are close in performance. I would pick the 9800 because I prefer Nvidia and EVGA for there customer support, but I can't recommend one over the other for performance reasons.
 
Soggy said:
From the reviews I've seen the two cards are close in performance. I would pick the 9800 because I prefer Nvidia and EVGA for there customer support, but I can't recommend one over the other for performance reasons.
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I would too. Get any one of the 9800GT's from either EVGA, XFX, or BFG. They are the ones that have the lifetime warranties. However EVGA and XFX require that you register within 30 days in order to receive the warranty, BFG doesn't require anything.
 
CptFalcon said:
I would too. Get any one of the 9800GT's from either EVGA, XFX, or BFG. They are the ones that have the lifetime warranties. However EVGA and XFX require that you register within 30 days in order to receive the warranty, BFG doesn't require anything.
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BFG requires you register now to or you get stuck with a 1 year warranty. They started that with the 8xxx series.
 
Vincenz said:
That's a pretty good deal right there, $100 before MIR. Anyone know if the cooler is any good? That's my main concern.
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My brother has that exact card except it's a 4850 and that cooler does an outstanding job and stays pretty quiet as well. I'd imagine if it can cool a 4850 then it would be more than sufficient to cool a 4830.
 
Vincenz said:
Is it okay to use that 430w when the card requires a 450w? Will the increased efficiency make up for it?
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It's not the efficiency of the PSU that determine whether or not a PSU is capable of power a certain part. Amperage on the +12V rail is huge factor when determining whether or not a PSU is capable of power a certain rig. Anyway, yes it's ok to use the Antec Earthwatts 430W PSU since it has 30A on the +12V rail, which is more than enough for most systems out there. The Coolermaster PSU you chose only has 26A on the +12V rail despite being of a higher wattage. So basically, the EA430 has more power than the Coolermaster where it counts the most.
 
All right, I went with the Sapphire 4830 and the Earthwatts psu. $60 under my $200 budget, so I have enough to buy a shiny new game to enjoy. Thanks for the advice everyone.
 
Vincenz said:
All right, I went with the Sapphire 4830 and the Earthwatts psu. $60 under my $200 budget, so I have enough to buy a shiny new game to enjoy. Thanks for the advice everyone.
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Have fun! Hell $60 is enough for two games depending on the game.
 
Vincenz said:
All right, I went with the Sapphire 4830 and the Earthwatts psu. $60 under my $200 budget, so I have enough to buy a shiny new game to enjoy. Thanks for the advice everyone.
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Good choices, you won't be disappointed.
 
Good job on your pic. I use antecs psu's anytime I have to do a build with a small price. You can't beat their p/p ratio. And that is a great cooler btw. I have the 4850's with that cooler and they never get hot. Enjoy your new stuff.
 
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