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"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 1. Read the OP and RISE ABOVE FORGED PRECISION SCIENCE

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Depends on how much you want to spend.

At the $230 range there's the GTX 960 and R9 280, they should represent a decent performance increase. I'd actually go for the GTX 960, seeing as it's newer. Directcanada has the EVGA GTX 960 FTW model for $225 which isn't bad, it's one of the higher end GTX 960 models there are.

The R9 285 is $250+ which is not a good price considering it's more or less on par with the GTX 960, and the R9 280X are $275+ which is $50 more for a slight performance increase over the GTX 960 and R9 280 which isn't worth it at all.

Occasionally an R9 290 will drop to around $280 like this Gigabyte R9 290. Currently $310 after rebate, but the price tracker says it's dropped repeatedly to $280 in the past, most recently in December and January, although I wonder if they were clearing out stock or something.

I'm hoping to stay around the $350 range, but if going to $400 means getting a card that'll last longer, I'd go up to that.

I'll check out the 960s you linked, thanks!
 

Nakazato

Member
I have the money burning a whole in my pocket when it comes to a video card want to see what amdbis doing but at the same time I know the 970 is a great card with a big flaw
 

RGM79

Member
I'm hoping to stay around the $350 range, but if going to $400 means getting a card that'll last longer, I'd go up to that.

I'll check out the 960s you linked, thanks!

Well, $350~400 nets you an R9 290, R9 290X, or the GTX 970. All are roughly in the same performance envelope, the cost and performance rising in that order. It'll come down to what you want to spend, I guess. They'll last longer than the GTX 960, especially at 1080p. I'd consider the R9 290 to be your best bet for price-to-performance especially as it's the cheapest but not too far off from the GTX 970.

Where in Canada are you? NCIX has a clearance outlet store near Vancouver where you can get an R9 290/290X for $230~280, but they're open box returns. Warranty varies, but parts are tested and you're allowed returns if the product is defective. My friend picked up a Gigabyte R9 290 for $230 from there and it's been working just fine for the last 4 months.
 
Well, $350~400 nets you an R9 290, R9 290X, or the GTX 970. All are roughly in the same performance envelope, the cost and performance rising in that order. It'll come down to what you want to spend, I guess. They'll last longer than the GTX 960, especially at 1080p. I'd consider the R9 290 to be your best bet for price-to-performance especially as it's the cheapest but not too far off from the GTX 970.

Where in Canada are you? NCIX has a clearance outlet store near Vancouver where you can get an R9 290/290X for $230~280, but they're open box returns. Warranty varies, but parts are tested and you're allowed returns if the product is defective. My friend picked up a Gigabyte R9 290 for $230 from there and it's been working just fine for the last 4 months.

Calgary. Might be out in the Vancouver area over the next couple months, so it might be worth waiting for if I can get a good deal.
 

RGM79

Member
Calgary. Might be out in the Vancouver area over the next couple months, so it might be worth waiting for if I can get a good deal.

Here's the outlet price list. The place is roughly 15 minutes driving distance from Vancouver, it's in Richmond.

It's best to email ahead and ask for the item's availability before you buy, roughly a week ahead of time, as they may take a couple of days to reply to questions about inventory.
 
Hi!

I'm looking to play simulation games like Cities Skylines at max settings as well some big budget games like Thief, Deus Ex, etc. at highish settings. Basically, I want a decent gaming rig. I'm looking to build this after summer (around September or October):

Budget is around $600ish but I'm willing to spend more on processors or to get a motherboard that will last a while.

How does this look?
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($222.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($79.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Team Elite 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($57.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Silverstone PS08B (Black) MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Rosewill Stallion 400W ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $602.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-17 22:25 EDT-0400
 

The Llama

Member
Hi!

I'm looking to play simulation games like Cities Skylines at max settings as well some big budget games like Thief, Deus Ex, etc. at highish settings. Basically, I want a decent gaming rig. I'm looking to build this after summer (around September or October):

Budget is around $600ish but I'm willing to spend more on processors or to get a motherboard that will last a while.

How does this look?
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($222.75 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($79.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Team Elite 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($57.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Silverstone PS08B (Black) MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Rosewill Stallion 400W ATX Power Supply ($29.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $602.48
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-17 22:25 EDT-0400

Come back in a few months. Prices and parts will have changed a LOT by the time you're ready to build.
 

Beepos

Member
So just to confirm for gaming this year at 1080p, 60fps as maxed as I can get, it would better to use a:

Intel Core i5 4690K with a GTX980 over a

Intel Core i7 4790K, with a GTX970

The gains I get from the GPU outweigh what I would get from between those two CPU's for 1080p 60 frame AAA gaming correct?
 

The Llama

Member
So just to confirm for gaming this year at 1080p, 60fps as maxed as I can get, it would better to use a:

Intel Core i5 4690K with a GTX980 over a

Intel Core i7 4790K, with a GTX970

The gains I get from the GPU outweigh what I would get from between those two CPU's for 1080p 60 frame AAA gaming correct?

4690k+970, save the money to invest in a new GPU in 2-3 years.
 
I'm going to build a new pc this year.

Does anyone think it would be worth it to wait until Skylake releases?

I would like the pc to last 4-5 years. What are the chances that Skylake will blow the current cpus out of the water?
 
I'm going to build a new pc this year.

Does anyone think it would be worth it to wait until Skylake releases?

I would like the pc to last 4-5 years. What are the chances that Skylake will blow the current cpus out of the water?

Well if you're expecting it to last 4-5 years it might be worth to wait for Skylake since it brings DDR4 support with it. Other than that, it's unlikely to bring big changes to performance. Times of new CPUs improving performance significantly are long since gone. Expect 10% faster at best.
 

The Llama

Member
I'm going to build a new pc this year.

Does anyone think it would be worth it to wait until Skylake releases?

I would like the pc to last 4-5 years. What are the chances that Skylake will blow the current cpus out of the water?

It's always impossible to say. Given how much we know about Skylake (not much), its hard to say how it compares. I think its safe to say it won't "blow the current CPU's out of the water," but how much of an actual improvement it will be is impossible to say.
 

KePoW

Banned
So just to confirm for gaming this year at 1080p, 60fps as maxed as I can get, it would better to use a:

Intel Core i5 4690K with a GTX980 over a

Intel Core i7 4790K, with a GTX970

The gains I get from the GPU outweigh what I would get from between those two CPU's for 1080p 60 frame AAA gaming correct?

definitely the first
 

vocab

Member
sigh. My recent problem. On games that give me coil whine (200fps +) I can hear it coming from the headphones as well. Shit sucks.
 
Well if you're expecting it to last 4-5 years it might be worth to wait for Skylake since it brings DDR4 support with it. Other than that, it's unlikely to bring big changes to performance. Times of new CPUs improving performance significantly are long since gone. Expect 10% faster at best.

It's always impossible to say. Given how much we know about Skylake (not much), its hard to say how it compares. I think its safe to say it won't "blow the current CPU's out of the water," but how much of an actual improvement it will be is impossible to say.

I see. Thanks for the info.

DDR4 support sounds good.

I've just got that itch to for a new pc. I'm wanting to build in a couple of months but Skylake might not be out until late in the year. I guess I can hold out a little longer.
 

Majukun

Member
so.. if I take a cheap case and power supply I can get a 970 instead of a 960...it is worth it? what are the risk with getting a cheap case + power supply combo? the guy who is gonna sell me it says that are 500w guaranteed, and from pc part picker my configuration (i5 4690,8 gb ram, 970) consumes less than 350w
 

kiyomi

Member
so.. if I take a cheap case and power supply I can get a 970 instead of a 960...it is worth it? what are the risk with getting a cheap case + power supply combo? the guy who is gonna sell me it says that are 500w guaranteed, and from pc part picker my configuration (i5 4690,8 gb ram, 970) consumes less than 350w

Case is kinda whatever. A bad case will be trickier to build in, might be a hassle, probably looks ugly and attracts dust. Might also have poor thermals, but temps aren't really a problem these days in most cases. So basically, all issues that can be worked around.

Do not skimp on the power supply. Find out the model of the PSU that you're buying then come back here. A bad power supply can fuck everything up. Do yourself a favour and get a good one.
 

Majukun

Member
Case is kinda whatever. A bad case will be trickier to build in, might be a hassle, probably looks ugly and attracts dust. Might also have poor thermals, but temps aren't really a problem these days in most cases. So basically, all issues that can be worked around.

Do not skimp on the power supply. Find out the model of the PSU that you're buying then come back here. A bad power supply can fuck everything up. Do yourself a favour and get a good one.
Are these 2 any good? http://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B00A9277NM/
http://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B0057ASGAE/
 
Welp, just impulse bought a Corsair C70 for 109, to finally switch up from my ole trusty haf 912
c70_w_right_1_1.png
Hmmm. How many years before this turns yellow?
 

Jomjom

Banned
Finished my build! Last time I built a PC was almost a decade ago before entering undergrad!

It was great seeing the boot loop show up on the screen. Initially I thought something was wrong as it wasn't powering on, but then I realized that the button on the PSU was set to off.

Thanks for the help and advice earlier in the thread guys! I think the choice to go with the Z97 instead of the Z87 was the right one.

So far I'm at just about $500 ($400 if I can sell the Z87 since I got my z97 for free in that microcenter price error) on my build of the below:

i7-4790k
MSI z97 gaming 5 motherboard
16gb G.skill Ares ram
24 inch dell ips
Evo 212 cooler
EVGA 750 b2 psu
240gb ocz ssd
500gb hdd from my PS4 that I took out a long time ago

How'd I do as far as price? I was hoping for lower, but it still ended up being almost half a grand and I still don't have a GPU. I think I may be waiting for a LONG time to pick one up. Hoping for the R9 200 series to go cheap.
 
Finished my build! Last time I built a PC was almost a decade ago before entering undergrad!

It was great seeing the boot loop show up on the screen. Initially I thought something was wrong as it wasn't powering on, but then I realized that the button on the PSU was set to off.

Thanks for the help and advice earlier in the thread guys! I think the choice to go with the Z97 instead of the Z87 was the right one.

So far I'm at just about $500 ($400 if I can sell the Z87 since I got my z97 for free in that microcenter price error) on my build of the below:

i7-4790k
MSI z97 gaming 5 motherboard
16gb G.skill Ares ram
24 inch dell ips
Evo 212 cooler
EVGA 750 b2 psu
240gb ocz ssd
500gb hdd from my PS4 that I took out a long time ago

How'd I do as far as price? I was hoping for lower, but it still ended up being almost half a grand and I still don't have a GPU. I think I may be waiting for a LONG time to pick one up. Hoping for the R9 200 series to go cheap.

That is solid for 500. Normally build with i7 and that gaming board rarely stays below 900 with GPU.
 

Herne

Member
My i5 4690K and board are arriving soon, so I'll be giving my i5 2500 to my flatmate. The plan then was to take his Q9550 and install that into the media pc, but he instead wants to use that in his dedicated rendering machine, which currently has a Q6600 (yeah, it's taken him a long time to get off Socket 775).

As far as I know, the E8400 inside the media pc and the Q6600 are pretty much on the level, with a few advantages here and there for each chip. Which do you guys recommend for a dedicated media pc?
 

LilJoka

Member
My i5 4690K and board are arriving soon, so I'll be giving my i5 2500 to my flatmate. The plan then was to take his Q9550 and install that into the media pc, but he instead wants to use that in his dedicated rendering machine, which currently has a Q6600 (yeah, it's taken him a long time to get off Socket 775).

As far as I know, the E8400 inside the media pc and the Q6600 are pretty much on the level, with a few advantages here and there for each chip. Which do you guys recommend for a dedicated media pc?

Depending on the size of this media PC and its air flow, stick with the E8400 since its nearly half the TDP of the Q6600. If cooling isnt an issue pop that Q6600 in. If there is some sort of GPU, it is probably hardware decoding any video playback anyways.
 

TronLight

Everybody is Mikkelsexual
Looks like my motherboard is failing too. :\

So, overclocking my i5-2500k is basically out of the question. I'll just upgrade everything and gg.
 

Herne

Member
Depending on the size of this media PC and its air flow, stick with the E8400 since its nearly half the TDP of the Q6600. If cooling isnt an issue pop that Q6600 in. If there is some sort of GPU, it is probably hardware decoding any video playback anyways.

Yeah, I was thinking much the same. There's a Radeon 5450 we have in there that's really only there because it does hd audio formats through hdmi, which we have connected to our receiver. So it's well served by that. If we're doing any gaming on it, we're doing it through Steam Home Streaming, so a more powerful gpu isn't necessary (though I do have a 6870 lying around that just needs a new fan).

The case is an Antec NSK-2480, so cooling is fine, but given that the pc is on 24/7, I think the lower power but similarly performing E8400 is the better choice. Much obliged!
 

TronLight

Everybody is Mikkelsexual
Why do you think the motherboard is failing?

Basically, the computer started freezing randomly, some times right away, some times after a while. If I'm listening to something (or watching a video on YT for example) the audio hangs too, and I get a "bbzzz" sound out of the speakers. This happens both on Windows 8.1 and on an Unbutu Live (loaded from the dvd without installation). I would rule out a corrupted Windows file because of this.

I say it's the motherboard because the same happened about 3 years ago, and it only stopped after I changed motherboard.

I don't think it's the PSU, HDD or RAM because they're the same as 3 years ago, and you'd think that if those were the culprit it shouldn't have stopped after changing the motherboard alone. CPU and GPU temps are fine.

If you have any idea please share.
 

LilJoka

Member
Yeah, I was thinking much the same. There's a Radeon 5450 we have in there that's really only there because it does hd audio formats through hdmi, which we have connected to our receiver. So it's well served by that. If we're doing any gaming on it, we're doing it through Steam Home Streaming, so a more powerful gpu isn't necessary (though I do have a 6870 lying around that just needs a new fan).

The case is an Antec NSK-2480, so cooling is fine, but given that the pc is on 24/7, I think the lower power but similarly performing E8400 is the better choice. Much obliged!

Yeah stick with the E8400, your GPU is doing all the work currently anyway.
Check the CPU usage in Task manager otherwise too see if its beings stressed much, but i doubt it.
Basically, the computer started freezing randomly, some times right away, some times after a while. If I'm listening to something (or watching a video on YT for example) the audio hangs too, and I get a "bbzzz" sound out of the speakers. This happens both on Windows 8.1 and on an Unbutu Live (loaded from the dvd without installation). I would rule out a corrupted Windows file because of this.

I say it's the motherboard because the same happened about 3 years ago, and it only stopped after I changed motherboard.

I don't think it's the PSU, HDD or RAM because they're the same as 3 years ago, and you'd think that if those were the culprit it shouldn't have stopped after changing the motherboard alone. CPU and GPU temps are fine.

If you have any idea please share.

Try set your BIOS to defaults. And possibly update the BIOS too.
 
Hi all. I'm currently using this setup...

CPU: i5-4750 @ 3.20 (Gelid Tranquillo v.2 cooler)
RAM: 4GB Corsair
Mobo: MSI Z87-G43
GPU: MSI R9 270X HAWK
PSU: Corsair 650w
HDD: Samsung 1TB

...and, yes, I know I need more RAMs but what I really would like to know is what would be a good case to shove it all in? The one I'm using at the moment is a tad cramped (it's so old, and shiny and discontinued!) and I had to take out my 2nd HD to make room for the new graphics card. Is there a popular case that all the cool kids seem to be using these days?

The inside of my case looks like hell these days, and it's part of the reason I've not bothered upgrading for a while and spent more time on consoles. It's my lazy streak coming out.
 

mbmonk

Member
Hi all. I'm currently using this setup...

CPU: i5-4750 @ 3.20 (Gelid Tranquillo v.2 cooler)
RAM: 4GB Corsair
Mobo: MSI Z87-G43
GPU: MSI R9 270X HAWK
PSU: Corsair 650w
HDD: Samsung 1TB

...and, yes, I know I need more RAMs but what I really would like to know is what would be a good case to shove it all in? The one I'm using at the moment is a tad cramped (it's so old, and shiny and discontinued!) and I had to take out my 2nd HD to make room for the new graphics card. Is there a popular case that all the cool kids seem to be using these days?

The inside of my case looks like hell these days, and it's part of the reason I've not bothered upgrading for a while and spent more time on consoles. It's my lazy streak coming out.

I don't know your budget, but I just installed my parts last night into the Enthoo Pro case ( $100 ). It's in the OP and it's a full tower case so there is plenty of room, but it's a pain to move. Pretty heavy :).

http://www.phanteks.com/enthoo-pro.html

Video review; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBhmn21ylkc

Definitely check out the cases & the manufacture's websites in the OP.
 
I don't know your budget, but I just installed my parts last night into the Enthoo Pro case ( $100 ). It's in the OP and it's a full tower case so there is plenty of room, but it's a pain to move. Pretty heavy :).

http://www.phanteks.com/enthoo-pro.html

Video review; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBhmn21ylkc

Definitely check out the cases & the manufacture's websites in the OP.

Ooo, very nice. £87 over here in the UK. Would look very nice under my desk I must say.

Cheers for the help.
 

Palehorse

Member
Heads up to anyone looking to shop with Newegg.ca. They told me they shipped my order on Monday and gave me a tracking number but purolator.com doesn't have any info on the shipment yet.

I contacted newegg and they said to wait until tomorrow to see if there's information on the tracking. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do after that...

Buyer beware if you're looking for any type of speedy shipping, Newegg has one black spot.

In good news, the NCIX order I placed on Monday is going to arrive today.

(I'm in Victoria)
 

Rebel Leader

THE POWER OF BUTTERSCOTCH BOTTOMS
My PC just turned on 1 beep or no beeps Can't recall

no POST or dispay. I don't think it even showed the motherboard brand when starting up.
I hit the restart button and it restarts and shows UFEI bios. Restarts and loads windows normally. in windows action report says that windows was not properly shut down the last time had the computer shut down
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($191.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($71.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($66.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Superclocked Video Card ($149.78 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill Challenger-U3 ATX Mid Tower Case ($62.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($48.15 @ Amazon)
Total: $643.75
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-18 12:26 EDT-0400
 
So I've got this build planned...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($323.00 @ Centre Com)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($45.00 @ CPL Online)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($220.00 @ IJK)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($96.00 @ IJK)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($103.00 @ IJK)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($499.00 @ CPL Online)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($150.00 @ Centre Com)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($115.00 @ CPL Online)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($125.99 @ Mwave Australia)
Total: $1676.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-19 03:32 EST+1100

Anything I should adjust?
 

Zaph

Member
Cheeky cross post because I want to get the order in today:

Think I can get away with a Silverstone 650w for a Titan X, i7-4770k, 1 SSD and 1 HDD? (overclocking too of course)

It's a 140mm PSU which is easy to fit inside a Prodigy.

Open to suggestions for other similar PSU's. Not too fussed if it's a little more expensive.
 

kiyomi

Member
So I've got this build planned...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($323.00 @ Centre Com)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($45.00 @ CPL Online)
Motherboard: MSI Z97-GAMING 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($220.00 @ IJK)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($96.00 @ IJK)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($103.00 @ IJK)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($499.00 @ CPL Online)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($150.00 @ Centre Com)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($115.00 @ CPL Online)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($125.99 @ Mwave Australia)
Total: $1676.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-03-19 03:32 EST+1100

Anything I should adjust?

Switch the PSU for this. The Corsair CX line is not the best.

You could save a small amount by switching motherboards to this but it's no big deal.

Could get Windows at r/microsoftsoftwareswap for a lot less. You *might* want to consider getting some low-profile RAM but I don't think you'll run into any issues with the 212 Evo.
 

LilJoka

Member
Cheeky cross post because I want to get the order in today:

Think I can get away with a Silverstone 650w for a Titan X, i7-4770k, 1 SSD and 1 HDD? (overclocking too of course)

It's a 140mm PSU which is easy to fit inside a Prodigy.

Open to suggestions for other similar PSU's. Not too fussed if it's a little more expensive.

Its fine.
 

JMTHEFOX

Member
I got all the parts yesterday. Started building last night and I'm having some trouble with what standoffs to install on the case...
 

SRG01

Member
Okay, so I've run into a new problem: It looks like I'll actually need 4GB of VRAM to take advantage of nVidia iRay properly, since a lot of rendering scenes will fill up the buffer fairly quickly. This means I have a couple of options: buy a lower-end 740 4GB card, or buy one of the newer cards like a 760. Only problem is that the 760 is out of my budget range...


Sooooo. I may have a third option but it requires some feedback from people here since I don't know how dual-gpus work. I could theoretically spring for a 740 4GB card right now, and later spring for a more expensive card (maybe even an AMD one!) while placing the 740 in the PCI-E x4 slot. However...

- Does mixing/matching AMD and nVidia cards even work, even if I'm not using PhysX?
- Is this ultimately a waste of money in the long term (ie. effectively buying twice) and I should just save up a bit more for a better card? The argument against this would be the 770 (next card up that can handle 4GB) is quite a bit more expensive than a 740 and a mid-range (nVidia) card.
 
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