Graphics card recommendations? :)

Hey guys! I was hoping that you might be able to suggest a good graphics card upgrade for me. I'll do my own research, but it's been so long since I bought myself a new card that I thought the best place to start would be to ask some experts. So here I am.

I'll be using the computer to run some pretty GPU intensive software for college (game art & animation) so I need some power. I also game, but have no need to have the highest framerate. As long as I can raid smoothly, I'm happy, even if I do have to lower the graphics a bit to do it.

My computer is a Dell XPS 7100, with a hexacore processor (PhenomxII, I believe? Not on it currently), and I'm about to upgrade to 16 gigs of RAM. I'm looking for something affordable, so I know it won't be top of the line, but I currently have an Radeon HD 5450, and it certainly needs to be better than that... because that sucks pretty hard. It's a PCI-e slot.

Ideally I don't really want to spend more than $150 right now. I could maybe go to $200 but really that would be pushing it.

Any suggestions off the top of your head?

 

On Newegg right now $150 gets you a HD6850 1Gb card, there is an HIS HD6870 for $155, most of the HD6870's are $180-$200.

Sam

 

Thanks, Sam! I was looking at some benchmarks and the 6870 seems to be good performance for the price. I might have to shell out the extra for it. Do you think it's worth the extra cash for the amount of upgrade?

 

If you get the HIS card for $5 more, I'd go for it.

Sam

 

See Toms Hardware, Best Graphics Card for the Money - February 2012.

 

Since this is for GPU intensive software for college (game art & animation) work, I should point out that the best card for graphics design work is not a gaming card, but a budget busting "workstation" card. Even though you can design with a gaming card, if your priority is design, you may want to focus on a workstation card.

 

Considering that the biggest difference between 'gaming' and their equivalent 'workstation' cards (other than the huge $$$ difference) is the BIOS and drivers, most people would be much happier with the 'gaming' card.

 

Just wanted to hop in and say that I appreciate all of the advice and suggestions being given and am taking it all in. Not ignoring you guys.

 

Nah! Not really - not unless you are simply considering the fact there are more kids playing games in the world than professionals who treat their systems as professional tools. Tools for CAD/CAE and graphics/animation "design" "work" and not for playing games. If you design buildings, complex machines, or do CGI/CGA, you certainly would not be happy with anything but a decent workstation card.

 

I'm actually completely unaware of workstation cards or the difference between them and the more affordable models. I'm going to research it. I've been a PC gamer for a while, so those were the cards I always looked at.

This set up is going to be the PC that I use for college, and following their recommended hardware guidelines I'm fine the way that I am, but I want to be able to play around in the software a bit more than just the required minimum.

That being said, this also isn't going to be the computer that I have after I (hopefully) become an actual animator, so it doesn't have to be the best there is. For now, I can't afford the best, I can only afford an upgrade.