GPU n00b questions

[Matt_in_NE]

Now that prices are coming down, I'm thinking of finally getting a GPU. Currently I have a Ryzen 5 5600G which is handling everything just fine, but I'm not too demanding. 

 

Anyways, I've never had a GPU in any computer I've owned before, so I've got a few questions:

 

1) Does the CPU affect the choice of GPU at all? I get that CPU performance can act as a bottleneck of GPU performance and vice versa, but I'm wondering if it's better to go with a Radeon GPU because I already have the Ryzen CPU or if I can go Nvidia if I want. I haven't heard of it ever being a problem, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to check. 

 

2) I've got one of those cheapo NZXT cases with no front airflow. It's not the one that exploded on Gamer's Nexus, it's an older model. It's got three fans: CPU cooler, rear exhaust and top intake. Will I need more cooling regardless of the GPU I get or only if I get a really power hungry one? MicroCenter doesn't include TPD on its spec sheets, but I'm guessing the Radeon 6600 with a recommended PSU of 500W is going to consume more power and generate more heat than the GTX 1650 Ventus with a 300W recommended PSU. 

 

3) I want to get a GPU now in case they start going up in price again, but my monitor is 60 hz. If I get a GPU without a better monitor, will I just be producing a lot of heat rather than performance I can see? I am planning on upgrading the monitor eventually, but my budget's limited.

 

Thanks! 

+

[RONOTHAN##]

24 minutes ago, Matt_in_NE said:

Does the CPU affect the choice of GPU at all? I get that CPU performance can act as a bottleneck of GPU performance and vice versa, but I'm wondering if it's better to go with a Radeon GPU because I already have the Ryzen CPU or if I can go Nvidia if I want. I haven't heard of it ever being a problem, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to check

It only really determines the upper end of GPU you should be looking at, intel/AMD/Nvidia doesn't really matter. 

 

26 minutes ago, Matt_in_NE said:

2) I've got one of those cheapo NZXT cases with no front airflow. It's not the one that exploded on Gamer's Nexus, it's an older model. It's got three fans: CPU cooler, rear exhaust and top intake. Will I need more cooling regardless of the GPU I get or only if I get a really power hungry one? MicroCenter doesn't include TPD on its spec sheets, but I'm guessing the Radeon 6600 with a recommended PSU of 500W is going to consume more power and generate more heat than the GTX 1650 Ventus with a 300W recommended PSU. 

I'd invest in some more fans, they might not be strictly necessary but they definitely won't hurt. 

 

There are TDP specs of cards, just look for them on other sites like TechPowerUp. IIRC the 6600 is a 100W card compared to 75W of the 1650, so it's not like it needs a ton of cooling, but it's having some airflow is definitely recommended. 

 

32 minutes ago, Matt_in_NE said:

3) I want to get a GPU now in case they start going up in price again, but my monitor is 60 hz. If I get a GPU without a better monitor, will I just be producing a lot of heat rather than performance I can see? I am planning on upgrading the monitor eventually, but my budget's limited

You can raise game settings higher, plus there are frame latency advantages of running higher FPS than your refresh rate. It won't be super noticeable, but it's noticeable. 

[mike_seps]

@RONOTHAN## pretty much nailed everything. I know that the 6600XT runs at about 140w if it is going all out (which served me well at 1440p and high settings) so the non xt should be a little bit lower than that.  Assuming the cheapo NZXT case is the 510 series, it's not great, but there is still some airflow. Adding a few extra fans to the front never hurts anything except the wallet if it's sensitive. Extra airflow into the case is always welcome to help reduce heat which can keeps clocks up and throttling down.