What case / graphics card should I buy?

S

Salaskan

Geek Trainee
- What would be the best deal, a Sapphire 4850 for €137, a Club3D OC 4870 512MB for €209, or a Sapphire 4870 1GB TOXIC (meaning it's overclocked right out of the box) for €266? I have a 17'' 1280x1024 monitor, but I'm thinking of buying a 22 or 24 inch in the not too distant future. I want my new system to last a while before I have to upgrade it. Does the longevity of the 4870 justify the price difference with the 4850?

- Is a 520W CoolerMaster PSU and a case with 1x120mm fan sufficient when I have an overclocked E8400 and one of the aforementioned graphics cards?

- I'm not sure which case to get. I have to move my PC twice a week, so I need one that is durable. It's also important that the case is silent, expandable, and that it has at least 5 USB slots. Also, it has to be compatible with a P5Q Pro motherboard, but I don't suppose that's a problem. What case would you suggest?

I've composed the following system:
ImageShack - Hosting :: computerkleinsy2.png
Any general comments/suggestions?

Thanks in advance!
 
I guess if you have the money to spend then spend it, get the best you can at the time, the 4870 is a good card but yes the extra cash is a lot when the 4850 is also pretty good, and probably best value card currently, according to pcgamer recently.

If you go 4870 you will need more than 520W and to be safe and a bit more future proof probably 750w would be better. Even with a 4850 and the other stuff a good 550w is probably the minimum like a corsair unit.

As far as a case is concerned I think you need to rethink and get a good brand like Antec or Thermaltake an Antec 900 is a good case but there are lots of good cases around NXZT cases are usually pretty good also from what I have read. Again yoy generally get what you pay for and for your set up it doesn't look like you are paying enough.

Only other suggestion is have you considered a crossfire compatible Mobo for potential future upgrade.

As far as the monitor is concerner unless you upgrade to 22inch or more you will notice little difference in image quality between the 4850 and 4870 cards.

well those are some thoughts from someone who is still learning.
 
In your case I would buy the 4870 for sure, do not buy the pre-overclocked version, it's a waste of money. You might squeze out 5% more power out of it for the 60 euros more, so it's not worth it and you can always just overclock it yourself.

The 4870 will be just fine with a 500 - 600 watt PSU if you have a good, reliable one. I'm not familliar with Cooler Master PSUs but if you spent more than $80 on it you should be just fine.

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If you move your case two times a week I really wouldn't recommend a 900 or 1200. Most NZXTs are quite lightweight with all the rolled aluminum and was a good suggestion. I, myself, have had an NZXT Apollo and it served me pretty well with good airflow. And personally, I would get a crossfire board with a 4850. That way when you are ready to upgrade you can crossfire 4850s instead of 4870s. It will save you alot of cash and the performance is close to identical.
 
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