Better than HD 4000?

[HyperMac5]

Sorry guys, I know nothing about GPUs! I just built a system running an Intel Core i5 3570K, and I'm looking to upgrade the graphics! How much of an upgrade up from HD 4000 will it be to get a $150 USD or so GPU? Can you recommend any?

[mumbojumbogumbo]

650 Ti, sometimes 7850 w/ rebates.

You will notice a huge improvement from an iGPU to a discrete GPU.

Try to get the 7850, it performs better than the 650 Ti.

[mvitkun]

theres a 7850 for 159.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150642

and those $10 give you atleast double the performance of the 650 ti/7770.

[Mrinsane]

A dedicated GPU will be beneficial in a big way. Less stress on your gpu inside your cpu. And you will see better performance. Any gpu above $150 should be fine.

[Helltech]

theres a 7850 for 159.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150642 and those $10 give you atleast double the performance of the 650 ti/7770.

30 percent increase. It is still worth the extra ten dollars though, yes.

[HyperMac5]

Thanks for the help! I'm running a Hackintosh so 7xxx series GPUs don't work. I believe the 650 TI works though, so I'll check it out.

[RailfanS]

A 6870 may work pretty well for you also http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150561 It's about the same price as a 650TI, although the 650TI will probably be more power efficient and have better support in the future. Any dedicated GPU will provide large performance gains over integrated graphics.

[HyperMac5]

That card actually works well with a Hackintosh. This is a bad question, but will my 500 watt PSU be enough?

[RailfanS]

A 500w psu is listed as the minimum for a 6870, while a 400w psu is the listed minimum for a 650TI. You may be better off with the 650TI if OSX supports it. If you have a decent PSU and don't plan on doing alot of overclocking (can you overclock a Hackintosh?) you should be able to run either one though.

[HyperMac5]

A 500w psu is listed as the minimum for a 6870' date=' while a 400w psu is the listed minimum for a 650TI. You may be better off with the 650TI if OSX supports it. If you have a decent PSU and don't plan on doing alot of overclocking (can you overclock a Hackintosh?) you should be able to run either one though. [/quote']

I have a Corsair CX500. Yes, you can overclock on a Hackintosh. Will I be losing performance by going with the 650ti? I probably plan to overclock to maybe 4.2 (I have a Hyper 212 Evo) so I don't know how high I can to go

[RailfanS]

I think the 650TI and 6870 will be about the same in terms of performance. It really depends on which one works better with your OS, I don't know anything about Mac's

I also don't know what the actual power draw is for any of these components, especially when overclocked. Try plugging your specs into this calculator and see what you get: http://www.thermaltake.outervision.com/

You can adjust your CPU overclock on with this calculator to get an Idea of how much your cpu will draw at various speeds. I would also factor in some capacitor aging if you're planning on running this system for more than a year or two. You can adjust that in the last box on the page.

[EChondo]

A 500w psu is listed as the minimum for a 6870' date=' while a 400w psu is the listed minimum for a 650TI. You may be better off with the 650TI if OSX supports it. If you have a decent PSU and don't plan on doing alot of overclocking (can you overclock a Hackintosh?) you should be able to run either one though. [/quote'] I have a Corsair CX500. Yes, you can overclock on a Hackintosh. Will I be losing performance by going with the 650ti? I probably plan to overclock to maybe 4.2 (I have a Hyper 212 Evo) so I don't know how high I can to go

You will lose a bit of performance from not going with the 7850, but I think the 6870 would be around the same performance, but the GTX 650 ti will be more power efficient(like Railfan S said) and it's newer.

[Umeshwarnath]

A 7850 will be a good upgrade and in most cases is the best under 180$ card....get a 7850 !!

[HyperMac5]

@RailfanS I used the calculator. I must've done something wrong, because it said 243 watts.

@EChondo I cannot use the 7850 on a Hackintosh so I will have to use the 650 ti or the 6870. I will see which is most compatible.

@Umeshwarnath I can't because I'm running a Hackintosh.

[RailfanS]

Actually that could be about right, the minimum recommended and what a machine actually draws from the wall can be quiet a bit different. My uncle has a 3770K and 670 in his rig, and when folding (100% cpu usage) it draws about 260-280 watts from the wall. Manufactures often overrate their components so they don't get as many complaints from people using cheap psu's. I did a little more research as well, I found the 650ti is based on a 28nm GPU which is the modern (until the 700 and 8000 series comes out) die size, while the 6870 is based on 40nm architecture. This means the 650TI will be naturally more power efficient. I also found this article on hackintosh GPU compatibility if you haven't seen it yet: http://www.macbreaker.com/2012/06/hackintosh-graphics-cards.html

[HyperMac5]

Actually that could be about right' date=' the minimum recommended and what a machine actually draws from the wall can be quiet a bit different. My uncle has a 3770K and 670 in his rig, and when folding (100% cpu usage) it draws about 260-280 watts from the wall. Manufactures often overrate their components so they don't get as many complaints from people using cheap psu's. I did a little more research as well, I found the 650ti is based on a 28nm GPU which is the modern (until the 700 and 8000 series comes out) die size, while the 6870 is based on 40nm architecture. This means the 650TI will be naturally more power efficient. I also found this article on hackintosh GPU compatibility if you haven't seen it yet: [url']http://www.macbreaker.com/2012/06/hackintosh-graphics-cards.html

That's actually a VERY reliable site that the article is from. There's a community tonymacx86.com that is used by many who build Hackintoshes. I used for kexts(drivers) and the boot loader. They always have a list of 100% compatible components and the 650 is on it. http://www.tonymacx86.com/248-building-customac-customac-mini-2012.html It does not have the 650ti though. It does have the 660ti. What's the TI mean? Also does it matter what manufacture makes it? Zotac, Asus, XFX, etc.

[HyperMac5]

Actually that could be about right' date=' the minimum recommended and what a machine actually draws from the wall can be quiet a bit different. My uncle has a 3770K and 670 in his rig, and when folding (100% cpu usage) it draws about 260-280 watts from the wall. Manufactures often overrate their components so they don't get as many complaints from people using cheap psu's. I did a little more research as well, I found the 650ti is based on a 28nm GPU which is the modern (until the 700 and 8000 series comes out) die size, while the 6870 is based on 40nm architecture. This means the 650TI will be naturally more power efficient. I also found this article on hackintosh GPU compatibility if you haven't seen it yet: [url']http://www.macbreaker.com/2012/06/hackintosh-graphics-cards.html

That's actually a VERY reliable site that the article is from. There's a community tonymacx86.com that is used by many who build Hackintoshes. I used for kexts(drivers) and the boot loader. They always have a list of 100% compatible components and the 650 is on it. http://www.tonymacx86.com/248-building-customac-customac-mini-2012.html It does not have the 650ti though. It does have the 660ti. What's the TI mean? Also does it matter what manufacture makes it? Zotac, Asus, XFX, etc.

Sorry for all the questions!

[RailfanS]

From what I can tell the ti has more shader or CUDA cores than the 650, which is the reason it performs better. I have no idea what the abbreviation "TI" stands for. Toms Hardware did a review comparing the 650 and 650ti http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-650-ti-benchmark-gk106,3318.html

​As far as manufacture compatibility goes, you'll have to check with some mac guys to know for sure. Keep in mind, the article you linked to is dated 10/10/12, while the 650ti was released the day before (10/9/12) so that could be the reason it wasn't on the list.

[HyperMac5]

From what I can tell the ti has more shader or CUDA cores than the 650' date=' which is the reason it performs better. I have no idea what the abbreviation "TI" stands for. Toms Hardware did a review comparing the 650 and 650ti [url']http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-650-ti-benchmark-gk106,3318.html ​As far as manufacture compatibility goes, you'll have to check with some mac guys to know for sure. Keep in mind, the article you linked to is dated 10/10/12, while the 650ti was released the day before (10/9/12) so that could be the reason it wasn't on the list.

The guide that was released this month: http://www.tonymacx86.com/325-building-customac-buyer-s-guide-january-2013.html still does not list the 650ti, but it does work according to this thread: http://www.tonymacx86.com/general-hardware-discussion/75540-gtx-650-ti-thread.html

As far as the manufacture I think that any is compatible. Is there a performance change though?

[RailfanS]

As long as all the cards have the same clock and memory speeds performance should be the same from all manufactures. Some higher end cards (670's, 680's, 7970's, ect.) have factory overclocked versions, but I don't think that is the case with a 650ti, as it is more of a mid range card.

[T1000]

theres a 7850 for 159.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150642 and those $10 give you atleast double the performance of the 650 ti/7770.

30 percent increase. It is still worth the extra ten dollars though, yes.

So True, 7850 FTW :)

[HyperMac5]

As long as all the cards have the same clock and memory speeds performance should be the same from all manufactures. Some higher end cards (670's' date=' 680's, 7970's, ect.) have factory overclocked versions, but I don't think that is the case with a 650ti, as it is more of a mid range card.[/quote']

Thanks! Will probably get the EVGA one!

[RailfanS]

Okay, good luck. Let us know if it works or not. That way this tread can help others looking for a mac GPU.

[HyperMac5]

Okay' date=' good luck. Let us know if it works or not. That way this tread can help others looking for a mac GPU. [/quote']

Great will let you know! I may even have a tutorial on how to install on my YouTube channel.