Hardware & Technical Want a second graphics card.

[Newt Loranas]

My system is this:

Gigabyte Z-77X UDH3 Motherboard
Intel Core i5 3570K
GTX660 Ti- 2GB
16 GB Ram
256mb SSD

I play in "Ultra" settings in 1080p and I get 40+fps in stations where it's busy and cluttered and 50+fps everywhere else.
I consider this quite acceptable for a 6 year old system.

I am not planning a replacement for at least another year ( just because I can't afford it ) but what I would like to do is add another GPU to use as a pass through card so I can run a Windows Virtual Machine in Linux.

I'd like something that compares well to the GTX660 and is not too expensive. Sub £150 if possible. Happy for second hand recommendations.

Looking around Amazon and Ebay they throw 1050's at me.. But I'm not convinced about a xx50 marked nVidia card.

My requirements are -

• performance at least as good as the GTX660-Ti 2gb
• price not more than £150
• must be nVidia
• second hand recommendations acceptable

May I get some recommendations?

 

[MickyG1982]

The GTX 1050Ti (well within your budget) is actually around 5-10% better than the 660Ti (it's roughly on par with the GTX 960).

 

[Newt Loranas]

The GTX 1050Ti (well within your budget) is actually around 5-10% better than the 660Ti (it's roughly on par with the GTX 960).

Sweet, that's just what I needed to know. I was hoping the 1050 would be decent enough as it's pretty much the ONLY option

Thanks for the help there.

 

[deathmagnet]

Sweet, that's just what I needed to know. I was hoping the 1050 would be decent enough as it's pretty much the ONLY option

Thanks for the help there.

Try some of these modifications with your current system. You might be surprised what you can get out of it.

https://forums.redacted.tv/threads/ultimate-windows-10-gaming-tweak-guide.1205/

I was blown away at the performance gains I got. Some of the stuff are basic. Easy, low risk changes. Some of the others are a little more technical. I would just suggest you only go as far as your comfortable with but I went from 60fps on Ultra to 150-300. I have a newer card than yours (1060) but I was thinking of upgrading as well for some of the other more graphic intensive games. Now I think i may hold off awhile.

 

[Newt Loranas]

Well, that is a point. My system is not overclocked at all yet and when I built it I did so with overclocking in mind. I'd mostly forgotten about it but yes. I could quite easily ramp the processor up. It's on an AC Freezer Pro 7 ( one of the best air coolers available at the time ) and the Processor is the K variant and so can be overclocked.

The motherboard has a whole set of tweak tools available to it in the UEFI too.

The biggest speed boost I got though was when I put the SSD in it. It's getting a 500gb SSD asap!.

But yeah, perhaps it's time to overlcock it within an inch of its life.

Along with adding the second graphics card - which is to dedicate to the VM that will run Win 7

** Edit**

Just out of interest I took the frame rate limiter and V-Sync off.

On this system in ULTRA (1920 x 1080 ) I get 40-50 fps below decks in stations, whether outposts or rotating ones. I get 50-80 fps in normal space. I get 50-90 fps in supercruise and 40-70 fps in combat in belts/ring depending whether I'm looking at the belt with occasional dips to 36fps if I'm firing lasers AND looking at my target and the belt at the same time. All in all it's smooth at all times. Even 36fps is faster than the human eye. Perhaps there's back ground items doting around at 36 but to be quite honest I've never ever noticed.

I think that's really quite good. Ok I'm not going to be throwing a rift at it but If I had money for a rift or a vive then I'd not be running this system.

 

[Chong-su]

Never thought change the CPU intead add a new gpu ? you could put a i7 3770/3770K from 220/320$. Exceed from you 150£ but adding new GPU, you have to be sure your power supply have enought power on +12 for the GPU supply. If not you have to buy power supply too ( i don't know what kind of power supply you have )

 

[Newt Loranas]

Never thought change the CPU intead add a new gpu ? you could put a i7 3770/3770K from 220/320$. Exceed from you 150£ but adding new GPU, you have to be sure your power supply have enought power on +12 for the GPU supply. If not you have to buy power supply too ( i don't know what kind of power supply you have )

There is that but you're missing the point of my post. I want a second graphics card not a replacement.

The idea is that once in Linux I set up a virtual machine that has one graphics card dedicated to it. Now I know my current card performs acceptably which Is why I was looking for something comparable at my budget.

This isn't an exercise in boosting performance. It's on in expanding capability. But thank you for your suggestion. For the moment I'm going to overclock the processor to help soak up the performance hit of the VM. The GTX1050i will also do the same being slightly quicker than my current card. My current card will remain used for things like KSP, Shadow's of Mordor etc, the other games that I play in Linux.

 

[Viper2kUK]

Another aspect I would look to if OCing is going with a liquid cooler for the CPU. The Corsair H100iv2 is what I've got in my rig and it cost less than £150. This will help aleviate the heat disipation and allow you to get the most out of your CPU.

HTH

V2k.

 

[Newt Loranas]

Another aspect I would look to if OCing is going with a liquid cooler for the CPU. The Corsair H100iv2 is what I've got in my rig and it cost less than £150. This will help aleviate the heat disipation and allow you to get the most out of your CPU.

HTH

V2k.

Thanks again The overclocking is an after thought but I will consider what you recommend. My OP was looking for recommendations for a second, additional graphics card.