I came across this card while browsing through newegg (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814162124) and I was wondering what the GC meant. Also is this a good card to use instead of the iGPU on my A10-5800K? Thanks in advance.
GC is Galaxy's brand for a factory overclock. Personally, I don't think it's a good dedicated GPU replacement.
I'd look here for suggestions:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-3.html
The 650-Ti or 7770 would be the lowest end GPU's I'd consider a worthwhile GPU replacement. In the meanwhile, I'd suggest OCing the GPU cores on that A10.
I see, but also, is the dual Graphics option with the 6670 worth while? Or is a whole new GPU be better?
Dual graphics is a mixed bag. I'm new GPU all the way. OC'd with good memory, the A10's iGPU can be faster than a 6670.
And, bottomline, will the A10 chip be worth while (of course, not compared to a 2500k system) for gaming, as well as for general programming (I will study electrical and computer engineering)?? Or will a Intel-based system be my best bet?? (for a guy in a budget, of course).
Without a dedicated graphics card, the A10 will wipe the floor with the 2500k or the 3570k for that matter, in gaming. If you're on a budget, it's really hard to go wrong with AMD's APUs. If you're programming work can utilize the on-die GPU (OpenCL), then it will be really difficult to match the A10's performance without making a much larger investment. Not to mention the FM2 socket will support at least one more generation of APU which will likely use Steamroller and of course updated Radeon cores, so you can make a cheap upgrade later on, where as the 1155 socket is a dead upgrade path. The a10-5800k is a decent little overclocker as well.
Bottomline is that the A10 packs in a lot of value for a modest price tag and you can't go wrong with it.
THANKS :D I really appreciate it :D. PS: COuld you help me with your opinions on my build?? Anything helps at this point.
- A10-5800K
- MSI FM2-A75MA-E35 FM2 AMD A75 (Hudson D3) SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI Micro ATX
- NZXT Gamma Classic Series Case
- Seagate Barracuda 3.5" 7200RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 500Gb HDD
- Corsair Builder Series CX600 600W PSU
- Gskill Sniper Series 2 x 4Gb DDR3-1866 RAM
- I am thinking to throw in either a HD 7770 GHz Edition or an HD 7870 GHz Edition and a CPU Cooler for Overclocking
- As of Now (with the 7870) the whole price is $665 USD
I forgot to say (even though it may not be necessary) I already own an A8-based Laptop (although I am afraid to use it for gaming, besides, it uses ~660 MHz Memory and the iGPU gets slow)
Just a reminder that if you spring for the A10-5800k, be sure to invest in some fast memory. i'd recommend 1866 or even 2133 if the motherboard can support it. There is a pretty noticeble performance boost from 1600 to 1866.
Here is an intersting article on 1080p gaming on iGPU's
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/trinity-gaming-performance,3304-4.html
However, it's noted within the article that a jump from 1600 they used to 1866 RAM can easily add up to 10% boost in graphics performance.
Looks solid. The only change I'd make is if you plan on using the iGPU for some amount of time, invest in some 2133 memory since your motherboard of choice supports it.
I'd definitely save up for a 7850 or 7870, because that's where the value is sweetest.
Great, really really thanks! :D One last thing, what would be the best CPU Cooler for my needs? Or is the Stock Heatsink/Fan good for that?
Also, I've already researched some 2133 Memory and mostly all of them have a 1.6V rating, will that affect my performance?
Nope, AMD chips aren't as picky with memory voltage. Just be sure to manually dial in the 2133 memory; I'm pretty sure it will defeault to 1866. Stock cooling will get a mild OC, and keeping in mind you are on a budget, I'd go for the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo. It's currently $25 after rebate.