DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

best vfm screen+gpu for 18k

61 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/best-vfm-screen-gpu-for-18k.118251/

dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr Original post #1
Jun 11, 2009 at 9:47 PM
got 18k at hands. Strictly 18...cant increase the budget.

i want a PSU
a monitor
a GPU

for PSU, im getting an offer of zebronics Pro 550 [HEC OEM] for 1.6k [yup its 2.9k thing]. Review says it far better than CM EP series.SO PSU is fixed.

for the rest 16.5k i want a monitor and a GPU
im thinkin bout sam 2233s[10.5] and 4770 MSI[6.5]
hear 4770 arnt available now. is that true?
already own an 8800GT on my other system. so dun wanna settle for a gpu slower or same to that like 9600GT or 9800GT.

if 4770 MSI was readily available, i wudnt have a second thought.
any other options guys?
surinder
Jun 11, 2009 at 10:02 PM
Get it online.

*lynx-india.com/index.php?searchstring=4770&x=9&y=11
A
acewin #3
Jun 11, 2009 at 10:27 PM
why not 2033SW + GTX260 muhahaa
surinder
Jun 11, 2009 at 10:32 PM
dOm1naTOr your selected combo can work in full HD videos better and acewin suggested combo can work better in gaming.
saqib_khan
Jun 11, 2009 at 10:43 PM
I would say 2233SW + 4770 is a nice combo, go for it. Just c that ur PSU is powerful enough to handle 4770.
D
Jun 11, 2009 at 11:21 PM
I suggest you don't upgrade your 8800GT. It's not all that slow is it?
Use the money to get a better PSU and monitor.
j1n M@tt
Jun 11, 2009 at 11:32 PM
Get the 2233SW and MSI 4770 for 6.5k, ur PSU can handle the system without any hiccups for sure.
dOm1naTOr
Jun 14, 2009 at 1:07 PM
i was about to confirm on Palit HD 4850 512 GDDR5 dual sonic at lynx, but with tax and shipping, its 9.7k...
isnt it too much for a 4850, even if it competes with 4870 easily?

and btw, my 8800GT works gr8. It has got a dual slot cooler, and GPU OC gr8, even if memory cant be ushed beyond 50Mhz higher[no cooling for memory]. But ive ot 2 desktops.
need a card to get it running, as its got no IGP, and has a 15" old CRT.

isnt a GTS 250 @ 8k better vfm than 4850@4870 for 9.7k ?
desiibond
Jun 14, 2009 at 10:03 PM
Dude. Came to know that AMD has announced huge price cuts on HD48xx series cards. Just wait for another week or two. Don't hurry.


My suggestion would be to wait for 45nm cards.
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #10
Jun 14, 2009 at 11:03 PM
wow thats gr8
im more than impressed by the 4770. but it wudve been really r8 if it was a 800SP with 256 bit interface. couldbe beaten 4890
Krow
Krow #11
Jun 15, 2009 at 3:04 AM
Price cuts are upto $50. If that translates to 2k here, it still will be a HUGE difference. Even I'm playing the waiting game.

Maybe a couple more 40nm cards are on the horizon from AMD, hence the price cut or maybe, just maybe it wants to compete with GTX260 C216/GTX275.
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #12
Jun 15, 2009 at 12:16 PM
found a new brand "manli" at TE selling 4850 1GB for 8k and 512 for 7.5k.
also 4870 1GB for 10.5k. but the cooler looks fragile for 4850. 4850 looks good with heatpipes.
got 2 yr Indian warranty.

btw pricecuts are always welcome. just checked newegg prices and 4850 starts at 104$ + rebates.
so can be sub 100$. wow
desiibond
desiibond #13
Jun 15, 2009 at 12:21 PM
^^now, you know why AMD stopped HD4770. Looks like, they want to clear HD4850 stock and take it out of the market.
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #14
Jun 15, 2009 at 12:42 PM
but by the time 4850 stocks gets cleared, re-releasing 4770 wont be a good idea, or they shud release it for ultra cheap like..to replace 4670.
comp@ddict
Jun 15, 2009 at 1:32 PM
PSU - CM 500W ExP @ 2.7k
Monitor - BenQ G2220 21.5" FULL HD @ 9.2k
GPU - AMD HD4770 512MB GDDR5 @ 6.5-7k
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #16
Jun 15, 2009 at 4:18 PM
but 4770 isnt available nywhere. also im afraid if it can handle games at 1920 or atleast 1680.
looking for a second 4870.
j1n M@tt
j1n M@tt #17
Jun 15, 2009 at 4:36 PM
for high res. u will need at least a HD4850 for sure.
comp@ddict
Jun 15, 2009 at 7:11 PM
THen change:
PSU - Corsair VX450W @ 3.9k
GPU - Palit GTX260 SONIC @ 11k
j1n M@tt
j1n M@tt #19
Jun 15, 2009 at 9:01 PM
^^never mention VX450 to dominator, dat guy hates it :D if he hav dat budget he will settle for an Antec EA650Sli from Lynx for sure...lol :)
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #21
Jun 15, 2009 at 9:55 PM
11k is too much, as ive only a total budget of only max upto 9.5k for GPU.
i strongly feel VX 450 isnt worth the price. if i had that kinda money, i wud either settle for EA 650 or Glacial 650, both 84% efficient and overloads to 750w+ easily and both costs 4.8k.

im getting a 4850 offer for 6.5k. sounds good. shud i take it guys?
he has a musashi cooler too, and bundled price is 8k. its a gr8 one.

for PSU, this zeb pro 550 new seems perfect vfm @ 1.6k as new boxed one is for 2.9~3k local, and HEC OEMS are lot better than CM EP. And i think it can handle a 4850.
it +12v ratings are 20A on each of the dual rails.

shud i take it with or w/o the cooler?
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #22
Jun 15, 2009 at 9:58 PM
11k is too much, as ive only a total budget of only max upto 9.5k for GPU.
i strongly feel VX 450 isnt worth the price. if i had that kinda money, i wud either settle for EA 650 or Glacial 650, both 84% efficient and overloads to 750w+ easily and both costs 4.8k.

im getting a 4850 offer for 6.5k. sounds good. shud i take it guys?
he has a musashi cooler too, and bundled price is 8k. its a gr8 one.

for PSU, this zeb pro 550 new seems perfect vfm @ 1.6k as new boxed one is for 2.9~3k local, and HEC OEMS are lot better than CM EP. And i think it can handle a 4850.
it +12v ratings are 20A on each of the dual rails.

shud i take it with or w/o the cooler? im in a hurry
comp@ddict
Jun 16, 2009 at 10:29 AM
HD 4850 from an 8800GT isn't what I call an uprgade.

SUggestion:

Don't upgrade from 8800GT to HD4850 now, wait for 40nm DX11
H
Jun 16, 2009 at 10:40 AM
VX450 is probably the best PSU that you can get at that budget. The prices have increased since i bought it for 3.2k. CM extreme power would be negative choice. Known to have high failure rates. Works at very low wattage!.

GPU you can go for GTX 260 Core 216 11K. HD 4850 Sonic is a better choice that would come up to 9K i think.

But eventually its your call!
desiibond
desiibond #25
Jun 16, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Ejjactly.

@dominator, wait for 40nm GPUs. totally unnecessary to upgrade to HD4850 right now.

Also, don't tempt for zebronics stuff. I did the same for mercury UPS and had to buy a new APC inside a year. In effect, I paid 5k for a 500VA UPS. :). Also, I changed three Zeb PSUs in two years and finally went for VX450W.
j1n M@tt
j1n M@tt #26
Jun 16, 2009 at 11:00 AM
^^he is getting EVGA GTX260 216core SC edition for 9k...three months old, and hav KMD warranty from TE. wat do u guys think?? gr8 vfm, nah?? or is it wise to wait for 40nms or for the price cuts??
H
Jun 16, 2009 at 11:18 AM
First of all there is wait for 40nm, then there is a wait for their price to drop. Considering Indian market that could be a long wait. If the OP is ready to wait that long then its ok. HD 48xx prices have dropped.. i think. So he can go for it. GTX260 would give you gaming peace for atleast the next two years! That's a long time...
desiibond
desiibond #28
Jun 16, 2009 at 11:56 AM
The things is he already has 8800GT and I don't think there is any hurry for him to get new GPU. This is the reason why I am asking him to wait for 40nm. They are lot lot faster and cooler and takes much less power than current gen cards.

HD4770 has 80W TDP
HD4850 has 110W TDP

Now, nvidia has released bunch of 40nm GPUs for mobile platform. So, expect the same for desktops.
H
Jun 16, 2009 at 1:47 PM
Ofcourse waiting is a good solution. But sometimes an upgrade itch is hard to avoid!!!! :mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:
surinder
surinder #30
Jun 16, 2009 at 4:04 PM
^^he is getting EVGA GTX260 216core SC edition for 9k...three months old, and hav KMD warranty from TE. wat do u guys think?? gr8 vfm, nah?? or is it wise to wait for 40nms or for the price cuts??
Yes,I think it is a very good deal when considering 4850 is still in 8K plus range and not a big jump from his existing 8800GT but GTX260 216core SC edition is a really good upgrade from 8800GT and can serve him for long time to come. I don't think 40NMs are going to hit Indian market very soon spatially at reasonable prices. So deal should be done in my opinion.

For PSU my vote goes to Antec EA 650W as well.
j1n M@tt
j1n M@tt #31
Jun 16, 2009 at 4:15 PM
HD4850 at 8k comes no where near the EVGA GTX260 216core Super Clocked edition...and he needs a GPU badly as one of his system is not having IGP and is planning to put the 8800GT on dat rig when he gets the new GPU...and he is more into multi-player LAN party.
surinder
surinder #32
Jun 16, 2009 at 4:51 PM
So for which system he is in need of PSU? Is it one in which he is going to install his existing 8800 or is it other one in which he is going to install a much more power Hungary GPU EVGA GTX260 216core Super Clocked offered to him?

For first one he can go with a CX 400 @3K or he can try his luck with Zebby offered deal to him @1.5K.

For second one at least he should go with VX 450 @4K but my favorite for this system is EA 650 @4.8k.
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #33
Jun 17, 2009 at 12:50 AM
got 2 underpowered system:cry:
both with X2 4200+ oced to 2.9Ghz. [one is am2 nd other 939].

gtx 260 goes to the Am2 one with 3Gb DDR2@950Mhz.
GTX 260 needs 34~36A on 12v rail.
ive searched for zebby Pro review, and foundout they are actually HEC OEMs. HEC are good PSUs..far better than CM EP series.
and im getting an amazing deal of Pro 550 @ 1.6k whose original cost is 3k.
it has dual 12v rail with 20A each[total 40A]. I havnt purchased it yet, and still using it:-D

will only pay if it works fine with the gtx 260. Also at TE, ive seen people running C2D OCED with HD 4770 on pro 350w PSU stable.


ill maybe upgrade just the CPU to an AII 250 in 2~3 months, and will get a 2Gb stick to make it dual channel.
nyway, im waiting for the 260 superclock.:smile:
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #34
Jun 17, 2009 at 12:51 AM
if it cant take the load, ill go n rob....to get a glacial 650 for 4.8k:-D
damngoodman999
Jun 17, 2009 at 2:20 AM
u can get HUNTKEY TITAN 650watts PSU for 3.8K which has 4 12v rail on 18A

but its not good for GTX 260 OCed

u can use it with HD 4850 sonic no problem many of them are using
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #36
Jun 17, 2009 at 2:31 AM
thnx ...will consider if this one cant handle it.
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #37
Jun 26, 2009 at 2:19 AM
Hi, finally settling for a Sapphire 4870 512 ddr5. Prices has fallen to earth for ATI cards.
Getting a new one for 9.4k. 1Gb one still costs a fortune @ 11.2k final. So settling for a 512.
Also gonna get some 120mm LED high performance fans.

Im delaying the monitor upgrade to nxt month. Might get a samsung 2233. Heard its now < 10.5k.

Hi, plz suggest a good laser printer below 5~5.5k
im not into this printers much. had 2 printers in past, and both dies pathetically.
one was Olivetti Artjet photo printer, whose parts wasnt available nywhere. Nxt was Canon Pixma Ip 1500 photo. that too dies many times and have spend almost 2.5k on it. It died again, and no i dun wanna spend one more Rs on it.

I want a laser, which is reliable, and refillable/cheap compatible toner cartridges are available.
Heard newer models comes with unrefillable sealed cartridges, and also wont work with cheaper compatibles one, is there ny truth. Plz help with some model nos.
printing speed isnt a problem, as i was got used to inkjets this whole time. lasers gonna be faster nyways.
damngoodman999
Jun 26, 2009 at 4:57 AM
Hi, finally settling for a Sapphire 4870 512 ddr5. Prices has fallen to earth for ATI cards.
Getting a new one for 9.4k. 1Gb one still costs a fortune @ 11.2k final. So settling for a 512.
Also gonna get some 120mm LED high performance fans.

Thats really gud choice in the future u can go for crossfire thats really nice

Which PSU ?? finally ??
surinder
surinder #39
Jun 26, 2009 at 6:34 AM
congrats dom1nator really great card for the price but I think it should cost you 9K at most.
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #40
Jun 26, 2009 at 11:11 AM
its 8.8k+tax+ship=9.4k

currently gonna try on a Zeb Pro 550[havnt paid it]. its rated at 40A on 12v rail. 4870 need 34A only.
If it works, gonna get it for 1.6k. Else wudve to look for better PSU.
im currently running an OCed X2 @ 2.9Ghz 1.55v with an oced 8800GT. Its real stable and completed occt test.
checking at extremeoutervision PSU calculator, system needs a 450W PSU. I think it can hold.
moreover, it indicated a 90nm X2 4200+ oced to 2.9FGhz at 1.55v consumes 160W !!!
hell !!!
Just lowering the OC to 2.7Ghz at 1.4V will reduce power consumption to 120W.
So might lower the overclock of CPU reduce power consumption by 40W if needed.
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #41
Jun 26, 2009 at 11:21 PM
payment made+ for a Sapphire 4870 512
CM 90cfm 120mm LED fans x 2
Logisys 70cmf 120mm LED fans X 1
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #42
Jul 5, 2009 at 12:35 AM
Hi guys
got the 4870 yesterday and some 120mm high cfm LED fans.

tried it on Zebby Pro 550 and works like a charm. For double checking, i oced my CPU to its max value at which it consumes 165W which is even higher than most quads, added another HDD, DVDRW, and ran every benchmarking softwares i cud, like 3dM 06, everest etc.

OCCT utility failed to launch saying, DX9 files are outdated, even though ive installed latest DX10 updates for vista.

So now i can say A Zebby Pro 550[HEC OEM] can handle a 4870 easily.
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #43
Jul 7, 2009 at 7:52 PM
Hi guys
got an offer of AMD X3 8750 tri core unboxed after RMA for 4k shipped.
it sounds sweet to me. What do you guys think?

my current 4870 isnt even running at its 80%, as my CPu seems to be highly bottlenck @ its max 2.9Ghz.
my 8800GT stock gives a 3dM 06 score of 10600 @ 1024*768.
Everythin same, and with a 4870 gives only 11200 @ 1024*768 whereas in reviews it gives 14.5k~ 15k. I think my cpu is the culprit.
An X3 oced to 3Ghz can juice it fully, i think.
So is the X3 8750 5 months old is justified @ 4k ?
desiibond
desiibond #44
Jul 7, 2009 at 7:59 PM
Athlon X2 6000+ easily beats X3 8750, be it gaming or encoding. Which means that a 4.5k Athlon II X2 250 for 4.5k will be a much better alternative. Did I mention that X3 8750 is a power hungry processor?
It has TDP of 95W and Athlon II X2 has TDP of 45W.
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #45
Jul 7, 2009 at 9:28 PM
But 8750 oc max upto 3.3 Ghz on air and AII 250 seems to hit the roof at 3.6~3.7 Ghz. Its a dual core and has no L3 cache.
my current proccy too is 95w TDP, so more or less the same as of now even after ocing.
X3 8450 B0 was a crap, and oc max only upto 2.7Ghz.

As per the reviews the overall performance of X3 8750 new one with B3 stepping comes close to an E8400. 8750 seems to have better performance per clock than 250, as its a tri core plus it has L3 cache.
Also i inquired bout AII 250 locally and isnt available. they have only PII 550. Most online shops like lynx, mediahome or itwares dun seems to have 250 nowadays.
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #46
Jul 7, 2009 at 9:30 PM
also forgot to say
the deal is X3 8750 unboxed 5 months old + Arctic Silver 5 tube for 3.9k shipped.
hellknight
Jul 7, 2009 at 9:48 PM
Get AOC F22 22" monitor that supports 1920x1080 (16:9) with 30000:1 contrast ratio and a 5 ms response time. I got it for 9.5k yesterday... its awesome.. you'll fall in love with its looks.. you can go for Sapphire 4770 from Lynx store.. and from the rest buy a PSU..

So,

GPU - Sapphire 4770 (6950) with tax)
Monitor :- AOC 22" F22 (9500)
PSU :- you already have one.

PS :- Lynx is awesome.. my friend just got his Sapphire Radeon 4890 for 13.5k from there..
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #48
Jul 7, 2009 at 9:59 PM
@hellknight
i just got my 4870 sapphire last week from lynx.
working flawlessly on my zebby pro 550, thnk GOD
also heard from another forum that one guy is running a 9800GTX+ smoothly on a zebby pro 350 PSU. That card is more power hungry than a 4870. OMG !


btw than for the AOC monitor info.
will surelly look into it. i didnt like the look of sam 2233 much though perfprmance was awesome. was looking for a similar performing alternative, probably cheaper too. This looks just the one for me.
lemm search for its pics.
btw how is AOC service nowadays?
E
emmarbee #49
Jul 8, 2009 at 8:16 AM
d0m1nat0r - I've heard there is some lowering in the prices of LCD panels in the BUDGet. If that's so, wait for some time and get a 24" monitor with 1920x1200 (if u opt for 16:10 or 1920x1080 if u r pretty satisfied with 16:9). But don't settle in for a cheaper monitor (I mean performance wise)just because it has extra real estate.

I'm getting very much interested in LCD panels these days and I'm trying to know about the best lcd monitors out there.
Here's my thread for search of good LCD panel.
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=119086
Actually it starts with benQ - but i started that thread to know abt all kinda monitors.
And one more thing - if u haven't used a Widescreen LCD before - MAN, You are missing too much of enjoyment and PC Entertainment.
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #50
Jul 8, 2009 at 8:36 PM
dell 2209w for 9.5k
i think its the best deal as of now.
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #52
Jul 8, 2009 at 10:11 PM
TE
offer from Phoenix
*www.techenclave.com/dealers-paradise/dell-s2409w-rs-12750-shipped-you-140163.html
hellknight
Jul 9, 2009 at 12:41 AM
Hey.. dominator.. what's the resolution and contrast ration of that dell monitor...
damngoodman999
Jul 9, 2009 at 12:56 AM
Thats the HD monitor 1920 X 1080
hellknight
Jul 9, 2009 at 5:07 AM
AOC offers 3 year onsite warranty on it's products, so u need not worry about the services
desiibond
desiibond #56
Jul 9, 2009 at 9:12 AM
@Hellknight, everyone gives 3yr warranty on their products. Moreover, with Samsung and Dell you can forget thinking about warranty (and also with most monitors) because it would be the last product that can die inside warranty.

@dominator, Dell is very strict about warranty. You may not get warranty if you buy the monitor from a dealer who is not Dell authorized agent. Just a suggestion. You better confirm this before doing the purchase. If you buy this monitor along with a 5yr extended warranty, Dell will replace the monitor even if you find a single stuck/dead pixel (and you do confirm the same with Dell).
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #57
Jul 12, 2009 at 1:28 PM
i thunk dell provide warranty based on product codes. Also for RMA, u need to point out atleast 3~5 deal pixel, though not sure.
Heard it somewhere, but both are true for my XPS atleast.
I have a dead pixel on my lappy[when bought], and im counting it to be 3 very soon:-D
Ethan_Hunt
Jul 12, 2009 at 4:26 PM
@hellknight
i just got my 4870 sapphire last week from lynx.
working flawlessly on my zebby pro 550, thnk GOD
also heard from another forum that one guy is running a 9800GTX+ smoothly on a zebby pro 350 PSU. That card is more power hungry than a 4870. OMG !
Don't count on it. When I got my HD4850, it worked perfectly fine with my 500W Powersafe Gold PSU, even though the card's minimum PSU requirement is 450W. It worked flawlessly for 3-4 months & all of a sudden it couldn't bear the load & would shutdown or reboot my system. Chucked it eventually & bought a Corsair VX450 & hasn't given me a single issue till now. So don't always jump to conclusions before using it for some amount of time. :smile:
desiibond
desiibond #59
Jul 12, 2009 at 4:53 PM
@dominator, For Dell's Premium Panel displays, if you find a single dead pixel, Dell will replace the monitor for you.
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #60
Jul 18, 2009 at 12:04 PM
I sold off my X2 4200+ and Asus M2A VM
ordered a Biastar TA 790GXB A2+ and a phenom X2 8750[second].

at the same time my old A8NE died, and i gave it for RMA. Rashi guys agreed to give cash back of around 3~3.5k.

So what ive decided is to put another 2k with he cash back and get a PII X2 550 for the 790 + the 4870. Buy a 2.3k Asus M2N68 EM Plus for the PI X3 8750 + the 8800GT.
dOm1naTOr
dOm1naTOr #61
Aug 5, 2009 at 11:37 PM
Upgradings all done..

Now ive a PII X4 B50 proccy at 3.6Ghz.
3D 06 Score of 18.5k:))

G1: X4 B50@3.6Ghz, Biostar TA 790GXB A2+, 3GB DDR2@ 940mhz, Sapphire HD 4870, Audigy 2, T6060 5.1.
G2: X3 8750@ 3.0Ghz, Asus M2N 68 AM, 2GB DDr2 @ 1000Mhz, Sparkle 8800GT, Creative Vibra 128, local stereo speaker.
:grin: