Czari Zenovka Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 So, having closed in on the PC I plan to purchase (Whew!) I am now reviewing graphics cards. It appears that the new Materials Viewer/Feature/Whatsit will necessitate another upgrade so I want to be sure a card I purchase will be compatible with that. My main question, however, is in the model numbering system of Nvidia cards. LL's system requirements indicate the 9000 series as well as the 275 GTX, etc. series. I see recommendations on the forums for nvidia 650Ti (I might have the numbers/letters wrong, but something similar.)What is the difference between the 9000 series and all the GTX, GT, and Ti cards? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TristanMercer Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I personally have the GTX 650ti card and love it. My card is dual slot, but not overly long. Fit right into my case without problems. Nvidia has just released the 700 series of cards also. The thing that really matters right now isn't necessarily the GT or GTX. It's the number 640 and 650, etc. They just use different letters (GT or GTX) to make it more easily identifiable which is low-end and mid/high-end. What is your price cap going to be Czari? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czari Zenovka Posted June 19, 2013 Author Share Posted June 19, 2013 TristanMercer wrote: I personally have the GTX 650ti card and love it. My card is dual slot, but not overly long. Fit right into my case without problems. Nvidia has just released the 700 series of cards also. The thing that really matters right now isn't necessarily the GT or GTX. It's the number 640 and 650, etc. They just use different letters (GT or GTX) to make it more easily identifiable which is low-end and mid/high-end. What is your price cap going to be Czari? Thank you for your response, Tristan. Still confused as to the 9000 series vs. the 640+ ones. I suppose it doesn't really matter; I'm just have one of those inquiring minds. Re: my price cap, after buying the PC, not much...lol. Pretty much the lowest priced Nvidia card that will run SL decently; I may be able to upgrade later on but my PC budget was tight to begin with so I had to do a balancing act in choosing components. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TristanMercer Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 The 9000 is an older card actually. Older OpenGL framework, and all that good stuff that most people do not pay attention to. A good quality card for SL is going to be a GTX 650ti Boost 2GB. I was looking earlier and noticed they are around $175 USD with $15 rebate. This one on Tiger is $160 after a $15 rebate. MSI GTX650ti Boost 2GB No reviews on it yet. I would link you to newegg but the site is currently down for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillon Levenque Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I'm happy to learn you're closing in. I suspect that whatever you end up getting will be stunningly faster and better than the PC you're using now, and not just for Second Life. As far as the LL recommendations go, they don't appear to update those frequently—as Tristan pointed out, the Nvidia 9000 series is quite old news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czari Zenovka Posted June 19, 2013 Author Share Posted June 19, 2013 TristanMercer wrote: The 9000 is an older card actually. Older OpenGL framework, and all that good stuff that most people do not pay attention to. A good quality card for SL is going to be a GTX 650ti Boost 2GB. I was looking earlier and noticed they are around $175 USD with $15 rebate. This one on Tiger is $160 after a $15 rebate. MSI GTX650ti Boost 2GB No reviews on it yet. I would link you to newegg but the site is currently down for me. Thank you so much for the suggestion AND where to find them! My mother board will be an MSI, so I doubt there will be any concern with conflict. At least with all the research I've done, I have a better understanding of what the various outlets do and why they're important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czari Zenovka Posted June 19, 2013 Author Share Posted June 19, 2013 I know the system I plan to order...for some reason I've freaked myself out over the whole thing and keep thinking..ok, I'll *definitely* order it...tomorrow. LOL You all have been a tremendous help to me. I mentioned somewhere that this is as (or more) exciting than a new car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orca Flotta Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Still confused as to the 9000 series vs. the 640+ ones. AFAIK the timeline of nVidia cards is somehow like that: 8xxx, 9xxx, 2xx, 4xx, 5xx, 6xx, 7xx series. the higher the number behind the first number, the better the card. So it's like 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and GTX is better than GT. Lately nVidia adds to the confusion with Ti and boost versions, but they won't mess with the number system. A plain GTX 660 is still better than a 650 on steroids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czari Zenovka Posted June 20, 2013 Author Share Posted June 20, 2013 Orca Flotta wrote: Still confused as to the 9000 series vs. the 640+ ones. AFAIK the timeline of nVidia cards is somehow like that: 8xxx, 9xxx, 2xx, 4xx, 5xx, 6xx, 7xx series. the higher the number behind the first number, the better the card. So it's like 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and GTX is better than GT. Lately nVidia adds to the confusion with Ti and boost versions, but they won't mess with the number system. A plain GTX 660 is still better than a 650 on steroids. Thanks, Orca Looks like nVidia got to the 9000 series then began over with a new numbering system. My current card is a nVidia GeForce FX 5700LE - no telling where that fits in the numbering scheme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abigail Longmeadow Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 The numbering of video cards is very confusing. Two good places to look for advice, ratings, and reviews are tomshardware.com and videocardbenchmark.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TristanMercer Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 That card is an OEM model Czari. I had an old HP Elite machine that had a GT9300SE or something like that in the chassis. That was a few years ago. LOL, now that I think about it...that system had a AMD Phenom Quad Core in it...first gen. That thing ran hot hot hot. Could cook and egg on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madelaine McMasters Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Czari Zenovka wrote: Orca Flotta wrote: Still confused as to the 9000 series vs. the 640+ ones. AFAIK the timeline of nVidia cards is somehow like that: 8xxx, 9xxx, 2xx, 4xx, 5xx, 6xx, 7xx series. the higher the number behind the first number, the better the card. So it's like 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and GTX is better than GT. Lately nVidia adds to the confusion with Ti and boost versions, but they won't mess with the number system. A plain GTX 660 is still better than a 650 on steroids. Thanks, Orca Looks like nVidia got to the 9000 series then began over with a new numbering system. My current card is a nVidia GeForce FX 5700LE - no telling where that fits in the numbering scheme. Just in case your headache has gone, I'm happy to bring it back to you with this... http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu_list.php Type in the video card name (ie: 5700le) and you'll be taken to the benchmark results for the card. Your 5700le scores 26 on the Passmark G3D Test (which is the gold standard of... meaningless benchark names). The GTX 650 Ti Boost recommended by Tristan scores 3547. Since higher is better, this is better. If SL performance scales with those benchmark numbers, this card will allow you to run SL so fast that none of us will be able to see you, though we will probably hear the sonic boom as you fly by. Newegg has the 1GB version of that card (Tristan's is 2GB) for $139.99 at the moment ($154.99 with a $15 mail in rebate form)... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127731d ETA: Here's the 2GB version for $154.99 after the $15 mail-in rebate... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127730 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czari Zenovka Posted June 20, 2013 Author Share Posted June 20, 2013 Abigail Longmeadow wrote: The numbering of video cards is very confusing. Two good places to look for advice, ratings, and reviews are tomshardware.com and videocardbenchmark.net Thanks Abigail. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the numbering system is confusing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czari Zenovka Posted June 20, 2013 Author Share Posted June 20, 2013 LOL - laughing at my video card's benchmark score. Could be why I crawl through SL, and not by choice. :matte-motes-wink-tongue: Thank you for the great info and where-to-buy advice. @Tristan - The vid card in my current system was one I purchased at a PC components shop and had it installed the last time I upgraded my PC. This rig isn't a brand name; was built with off-the-shelf parts. I've seen OEM tagged onto some components on the sites where one can configure their own PC and wondered what the difference was between it and the identical component without the OEM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suspiria Finucane Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 My personal observations: 1. Don't underestimate the power of the 9800 series. My back up runs the XFX GeForce 9800 GT+ Black Edition. It can run SL on ultra efficiently at about 15-20 FPS. Not the best today of course but a very cost effective short term solution. 2. Stay away from the 50 series (550, 650 etc). These are the low end of the series. If you can afford the slight price increase for the 60 series (560, 660 etc.), go for it. You'll thank me later :matte-motes-wink: From personal experience I can tell you my 9800 runs circles around a 550 TI despite the claimed benchmarks. 3. Overclock(ing)(ed): If you can't do this yourself, purchase one with the capability built in. Again, well worth the investment as the makers know the limits of the card. 4. Power supply. (Very crucial that you have one capable of powering your card.) It's always good to err on the high side. Also make sure your power supply has the correct connectors for your card. Some cards have adapters included, some don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia Sautereau Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Yes, but when having a budget problem, the 650Ti is a very nice card for it`s price Bonus is that at a later stage you can add a more powerfull nvidia card and use the 650 for a second screen while being a dedicated physx card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilbert Dilweg Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Suspiria Finucane wrote: My personal observations: 1. Don't underestimate the power of the 9800 series. My back up runs the XFX GeForce 9800 GT+ Black Edition. It can run SL on ultra efficiently at about 15-20 FPS. Not the best today of course but a very cost effective short term solution. I agree. I have been running a 9800GT for several years now. Very nice card and strong. It has actually been the most relyable Vid card I ever owned. But it is getting time to upgrade for personal preference. But if a user has a low budget. they would be happy purchasing this card To the Op, The 9000 are the GT series cards for the earlier Gaming models. GTX are the 3 digit model numbers for desktops which are the newer and more powerful cards, The ti versions are just a beefed up version of a particular model number ( like the 550GTX will have a 550tiGTX) wich usualy come close to the power of the next model up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czari Zenovka Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 Suspiria Finucane wrote: 4. Power supply. (Very crucial that you have one capable of powering your card.) It's always good to err on the high side. Also make sure your power supply has the correct connectors for your card. Some cards have adapters included, some don't. I know I need to upgrade the power supply from the one the system comes with but...power connectors??? I'm assuming for the graphics card. I didn't know there were different ones. *Starting to get a headache again* I do appreciate your input, Suspiria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czari Zenovka Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 Dilbert Dilweg wrote: To the Op, The 9000 are the GT series cards for the earlier Gaming models. GTX are the 3 digit model numbers for desktops which are the newer and more powerful cards, The ti versions are just a beefed up version of a particular model number ( like the 550GTX will have a 550tiGTX) wich usualy come close to the power of the next model up. Thanks, Dilbert - that was an easy to understand explanation of the graphics cards. The thing I keep in mind, especially with my budget is: I've been running SL since 2007 with my current PC at 64m draw distance and sometimes turn on local lights but that's about it for any of the lighting features. I also keep all the sliders for avatars, trees, objects, whatever is in that list, at the lowest setting so anything I get will be a huge difference for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suspiria Finucane Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Czari Zenovka wrote: Suspiria Finucane wrote: 4. Power supply. (Very crucial that you have one capable of powering your card.) It's always good to err on the high side. Also make sure your power supply has the correct connectors for your card. Some cards have adapters included, some don't. I know I need to upgrade the power supply from the one the system comes with but...power connectors??? I'm assuming for the graphics card. I didn't know there were different ones. *Starting to get a headache again* I do appreciate your input, Suspiria. The key is to know what card you want first and then find the appropriate power supply. If you are upgrading your power supply, chances are you will have the connectors you need on the new power supply. Typically they come with one 6 pin and an additional 6 pin with a 2 pin adapter making an 8pin. Some have a straight 8 pin. I added the adaptors in case your current power supply was adequate. PS I'm happy to be of assistance. Here's a video that may be of some use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suspiria Finucane Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Dilbert Dilweg wrote: Suspiria Finucane wrote: My personal observations: 1. Don't underestimate the power of the 9800 series. My back up runs the XFX GeForce 9800 GT+ Black Edition. It can run SL on ultra efficiently at about 15-20 FPS. Not the best today of course but a very cost effective short term solution. I agree. I have been running a 9800GT for several years now. Very nice card and strong. It has actually been the most relyable Vid card I ever owned. But it is getting time to upgrade for personal preference. But if a user has a low budget. they would be happy purchasing this card Something else I did and not knowing your budget, you might want to try a SLI set up with 2 9800's or 3 for that matter cuz they are ridiculously cheap right now. I think you would be impressed with the results. Just throwing some thoughts your way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dilbert Dilweg Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Suspiria Finucane wrote: Dilbert Dilweg wrote: Suspiria Finucane wrote: My personal observations: 1. Don't underestimate the power of the 9800 series. My back up runs the XFX GeForce 9800 GT+ Black Edition. It can run SL on ultra efficiently at about 15-20 FPS. Not the best today of course but a very cost effective short term solution. I agree. I have been running a 9800GT for several years now. Very nice card and strong. It has actually been the most relyable Vid card I ever owned. But it is getting time to upgrade for personal preference. But if a user has a low budget. they would be happy purchasing this card Something else I did and not knowing your budget, you might want to try a SLI set up with 2 9800's or 3 for that matter cuz they are ridiculously cheap right now. I think you would be impressed with the results. Just throwing some thoughts your way... I hear ya. I really do not do any other gaming than SL and SL doesn't take advantage of SLI. So, I really cant see using it at this time. The new Geforce GTX Titan looks sweet, 6 gigs of RAM AND OVER 2600 Cuda cores. Slap a few of those under the hood lol Might be fun processing blender projects Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czari Zenovka Posted June 29, 2013 Author Share Posted June 29, 2013 ...EVGA nVidia GTX 660, 2GB, Superclocked by manufacturer Tigerdirect had a special until June 30 that took an immediate $30.00 off the regular price and offers a $10.00 rebate. After conferring with my mother, she said go for it. Thank you all again so very much for your input, suggestions, etc. I pulled ideas/suggestions from where to purchase to PC component specifics from this thread and the other two I began. Let the party begin!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trinity Yazimoto Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 Czari Zenovka wrote: ...EVGA nVidia GTX 660, 2GB, Superclocked by manufacturer Tigerdirect had a special until June 30 that took an immediate $30.00 off the regular price and offers a $10.00 rebate. After conferring with my mother, she said go for it. Thank you all again so very much for your input, suggestions, etc. I pulled ideas/suggestions from where to purchase to PC component specifics from this thread and the other two I began. Let the party begin!!! Woooot !!!! im so glad for you !!! hugssssss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madelaine McMasters Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 Czari Zenovka wrote: ...EVGA nVidia GTX 660, 2GB, Superclocked by manufacturer Tigerdirect had a special until June 30 that took an immediate $30.00 off the regular price and offers a $10.00 rebate. After conferring with my mother, she said go for it. Thank you all again so very much for your input, suggestions, etc. I pulled ideas/suggestions from where to purchase to PC component specifics from this thread and the other two I began. Let the party begin!!! Just wait till you see me in-world, Czari. All the time effort and money will be... excuse me, Snugs is trying to drag me out of the room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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