$150 limit GPU?

Heres the build:

Case: ZALMAN Z9 Plus http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811235027

Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-990FXA-UD3 AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128514

CPU:AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ965FBGMBOX http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341017

PSU:OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandybridge Core i3 i5 i7 and AMD Phenom http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341017

Memory: Mushkin Enhanced Redline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 996981 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226178

MonitorLANAR PX2230MW(997-5983-00) 21.5" USB Optical FHD WideScreen Multi-Touch LCD Monitor w/Speakers http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824016156

Currently debating:
1) HIS IceQ X H687QN1G2M Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card ($159.99 after rebate) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161396

2) SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card (100314-3L ) ($149.99 after rebate) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102948

3) XFX Double D HD-687A-ZDFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity ($149.99 after rebate) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150521

4) XFX HD-687A-ZHFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card ($149.99 after rebate) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150561

Note: This is NOT going to be a gaming PC. I just want a card good enough to be able to take advantage of the monitor. If you know of a card that is better than listed please let me know. Thank you all for your help.

Just to add a small side note. Although this isn't going to be a gaming PC I still want to get the best GPU I can so that if I change my mind on gaming I wont have to go out and get a new GPU.

for 19.00 more i'd go with this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150617

Well first off you are gonna be really sorry if you buy that board with that CPU. The board you picked up is socket FM1 and the CPU is AM3. Not gonna work.

With that said, the Sapphire 6870 is what I would go with for the money if $150 is the absolute highest limit. With that said, I'd tend to agree with mandrake there the 7850 is a beast of a GPU for a hair more money, it's closer to 6950 performance.

87dtna said:

Well first off you are gonna be really sorry if you buy that board with that CPU. The board you picked up is socket FM1 and the CPU is AM3. Not gonna work.

With that said, the Sapphire 6870 is what I would go with for the money if $150 is the absolute highest limit. With that said, I'd tend to agree with mandrake there the 7850 is a beast of a GPU for a hair more money, it's closer to 6950 performance.

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Wow...Thank you for pointing that out to me. I didn't even realize I had done that. Haha

And since two of you seem to agree on spending $19 more I guess I can suffer the extra cash for the better card. Thanks

Ok...so after learning I had picked the wrong mobo here is what I'm switching it out with and I will update the orginal post to show this....

GIGABYTE GA-990FXA-UD3 AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128514

Nice choice.

87dtna said:

Nice choice.

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thanks. Sad thing is this is what I'm building for my grandma. Lol

lol. It's actually better than your sig rig. You should build that and keep it and give your sig rig to your grandma

In that case going socket FM1 isn't a bad idea. A 3870k is only $110 now (actually $99 with the promo code that ends today), onboard graphics can play most older games and even some newer ones. It's around 5570 performance and can get close to 5670 performance when overclocked. And the CPU is Phenom II performance clock for clock.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819106001

Plus if the onboard isn't enough you can buy a 6670, which is cheap ($65), to Xfire with the onboard and it's around the same strength as a 6770 then which is pretty decent for the money.

googal, if you are building a pc for your grandma I'm assuming you don't need a really good gpu, nor a motherboard that is Ultra Durable that is geared towards overclocking. Unless Grandma is going to be playing games online and overclocking it. Which would be pretty cool.

Thats why I say to go with FM1, the onboard GPU is strong enough for some light gaming. No need to spend extra on a discrete GPU.

87dtna said:

Thats why I say to go with FM1, the onboard GPU is strong enough for some light gaming. No need to spend extra on a discrete GPU.

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+1

87dtna said:

lol. It's actually better than your sig rig. You should build that and keep it and give your sig rig to your grandma

In that case going socket FM1 isn't a bad idea. A 3870k is only $110 now (actually $99 with the promo code that ends today), onboard graphics can play most older games and even some newer ones. It's around 5570 performance and can get close to 5670 performance when overclocked. And the CPU is Phenom II performance clock for clock.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819106001

Plus if the onboard isn't enough you can buy a 6670, which is cheap ($65), to Xfire with the onboard and it's around the same strength as a 6770 then which is pretty decent for the money.

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Yes. That is why I said it is sad. She had a bigger spending limit than I did and I didn't have the time to save up for my build. Unfortunately my laptop had crashed and I was in need of a new computer fast.

I have woundering about the APU setup with a GPU. Can you Crossfire an APU and GPU and how? Also would I need the same GPU as what is in the APU?

Mandrake4565 said:

googal, if you are building a pc for your grandma I'm assuming you don't need a really good gpu, nor a motherboard that is Ultra Durable that is geared towards overclocking. Unless Grandma is going to be playing games online and overclocking it. Which would be pretty cool.

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I'm overbuilding her PC so that she will never have to worry about getting a new PC again. I want it to out live her.

Unless shes planning to kick the bucket in the next 5 years or so thats not going to happen no matter how overbuilt it is. At that the A series is as fast as the PH-II and the onboard GPU fully capable of pushing 1080P content without issue, and light gaming. You can add up to a 6670 for Dual Graphics if needed, but if this isnt a gaming machine there's no need to do so.

ssjwizard said:

Unless shes planning to kick the bucket in the next 5 years or so thats not going to happen no matter how overbuilt it is. At that the A series is as fast as the PH-II and the onboard GPU fully capable of pushing 1080P content without issue, and light gaming. You can add up to a 6670 for Dual Graphics if needed, but if this isnt a gaming machine there's no need to do so.

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Ok. So maybe I'll save the money on the GPU but how does adding a GPU to an APU work?

You install a 64xx,65xx,or66xx series radeon card into the PCI-e slot. On the APU platform that will enable the dual graphics option in the driver. Very similar to how crossfire works but its not a synchronous relationship. You can connect monitors to either the MOBO or the GPU. You want to connect to which ever GPU is the bigger one, IE if you get a 64xx then hook up to the motherboard. If you get a 6670 hook up to the discreet card.

RAM speed makes a big difference in GPU performance on the APUs, most 1600 DDR3 will OC to 1866 on Llano easily.

ssjwizard said:

You install a 64xx,65xx,or66xx series radeon card into the PCI-e slot. On the APU platform that will enable the dual graphics option in the driver. Very similar to how crossfire works but its not a synchronous relationship. You can connect monitors to either the MOBO or the GPU. You want to connect to which ever GPU is the bigger one, IE if you get a 64xx then hook up to the motherboard. If you get a 6670 hook up to the discreet card.

RAM speed makes a big difference in GPU performance on the APUs, most 1600 DDR3 will OC to 1866 on Llano easily.

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So if I understand you correctly you can't use the mobo and the GPU for multiple monitors?

You can use both for multiple monitors. If a piece of software can't take advantage of the AMD Dual Graphics, it'll default to each GPU powering what is connected to it.

Knufire said:

You can use both for multiple monitors. If a piece of software can't take advantage of the AMD Dual Graphics, it'll default to each GPU powering what is connected to it.

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That make sense. Thank you for help and thank you to everyone for helping me figure all this out.