So now, I'm devising a mid-range Haswell build for my cousin but for the time being just can not fit in a mid-range gaming GPU in to his budget right now, and so my question is ( as the title states/asks ) will he be okay with the Intel HD 4600 IGP or will the 2x Geforce 7900 GS in SLi mode be still good for use until he gets enough cash to upgrade again?.. I've been on google for the last hour trying to compare the above GPU set-ups and found no exact answer to my current situation and would really appreciate you knowledgeable guys feedback asap please!? For what I did find, it's looking like the IGP HD 4600 is the way to go, but is that true or not!?? Much appreciate the feedback!.. Thanks all...
I would not even think about that old SLI setup. If for nothing else, then power consumption... And i am not sure the 7900GS in SLI would even give better performance...
Ive played around with a intel HD4000 and the 7900GS should still be a fair bit quicker. Not ideal but it will be a fair bit quicker unless the hd4600 is seriously faster. That said if running modern games the 7900gs wont be ideal either.
So then guys and girls, IGP is the way forward until more funds is available? Right? Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
No, ATM, he's only playing free to play games which his current Core2Duo can handle and does not support SLi, but wants to play a bit more up to date graphics type free to play games... He's not too bothered about power consumptions, just as long the rig is able to play the games he can't with his current rig and that it's stable as a rock!.. So you think 2x 7900 GS in SLi mode on a SLi compatible Haswell mobo should be alright for the time being? Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
What is your cousins budget and what do you need to buy for him? As suggested a AMD APU will be cheaper and possibly allow for a mid range gpu to be put in the pc. The AMD APU's are quite capable of playing some of the latest titles at a decent level. You would be looking at around £250 and that would get it piece by piece or as a overclocked bundle from Scan.
Because the upgrade path from an A10 6800K is too short! Am I to assume that FM2 is gonna be superseded some time next year, or the rumours are fake, or was I just dreaming all that nonsense? Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
Considering he's still on a Çore2Duo rig, it would have to be everything. He was only looking to spend 450£, but looking at a good Haswell Z87 ( not too sure about H87 chipsets ) rig without a GPU is gonna be around 550£ and that's with Scan discounts... So after this rig is built and is fully running, he'll want it to upgrade with the least amount of effort and with the least amount of down time, so this means getting the right motherboard & SSD to start so that he doesn't have to reinstall Windows and software and whatnot. Everything else will be easy to replace!.. As I already mentioned upgrade path after A10 6800K is a bit too short for the liking!.. With that in mind, looking at the MSI G45 Gaming would fit the build and would last the duration for quite sometime, as if you don't realise he doesn't upgrade very often! Already got him a 240GB SATA3 SSD and thinking the i5 4430 to begin with. Will a 530w PSU cope with future upgrades or best be safe and go 620w PSU?.. I've gone off topic So, SLi'd 7900GS or the IGP HD 4600 in the i5 4430??? Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
At least there's more room than an AMD APU / discrete GPU solution! But please correct me if this is completely out/wrong and I'm talking rubbish! Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
I would assume the Halswell also and the 7900s until you can afford a decent new gpu. I am still using an I7 920 rig that I built in 2008 and have just upped the ram and new GPU. It handles everything i use it for including 3Dgaming. Only thing i can think would be an issue is there is no DX 11 on and old gpu that's why i had to upgrade the tri-260 GTX
Yeah, you're right! However, good thing is my cousin isn't playing any of the high graphical AAA titles, so I guess he should be fine till then... I guess I'm just gonna have to test/see for myself which is best for him when I've built the rig! However, anyone else has any comments, you're still welcome to add them here in regards to my OP query, that is!...
Considering you will effectively have both once you build the system why not just try both over a number of games and see which is the best fit. The 7800GS will probably not be able to play alot of newer titles whereas the 4600 IGP will be passable, not great but passable.
The 7900GS would actually do relatively ok. It's still faster than the lowest end today. And in SLi it should hit about 8800GTS levels which is still far above most IGPs.
Drop to a AMD FX 6300 and you can then afford a decent discrete GPU with the money you save on the CPU and the board.