Need help adding a Gpu to my PC

[aldub516]

Hey all! So a few months ago I built my PC. Running an i5 processor,  on a z97-PC mate with 4
Gigs ram. Everything works 100% fine with mame and gameex. But recently found that it cannot use hlsl on its onboard video. All games get super choppy and move super slow. It's a build for my friend and he's givens permission to throw a video card in it. Besides the hlsl working I figured it wouldn't hurt to have a little extra oomph in the video department. So, trying to keep it on the cheaper side, maybe under 100? Can you please suggest a video card that might suit my needs?  As I said everything works fine, but I'd like to get the hlsl working and maybe even help with some newer games

[Generic Eric]

I have a few links in my sig you can pick through.  $100 won't get you extra oopmh unless you are buying used. 

Someone will chime in with more experience on HLSL an I, but I've been looking too and you are still compromising at that price point. You may have to wait for another cycle to upgrade.

[RyoriNoTetsujin]

Which IGP are you currently using (HD 3000? Less than that is certain to have a hard time with HLSL, but more recent than that should have no problems at all.)

Have you tried to turn bloom effects off? (Edit your mame.ini)

I've found that bloom in particular will slap silly the IGP in my 2500K.

I've seen EVGA GTX 750 (and 750 ti) cards for around $100. That'd definitely take care of you, and give you some current gaming to boot.

[Generic Eric]

Which IGP are you currently using (HD 3000? Less than that is certain to have a hard time with HLSL, but more recent than that should have no problems at all.)

Have you tried to turn bloom effects off? (Edit your mame.ini)

I've found that bloom in particular will slap silly the IGP in my 2500K.

I've seen EVGA GTX 750 (and 750 ti) cards for around $100. That'd definitely take care of you, and give you some current gaming to boot.

I'm still seeing the ti around $125 - $130

[lilshawn]

in all honesty, video cards aren't somewhere you want to cheap out. things tend to get really cheap really fast. problem is, you end up with a video card that is not much better than the onboard you had to begin with. Avoid GDDR3, opt for a card with GDDR5 (even if it's less ram, the throughput is many times greater)

check out craigslist and kijiji (and the like)

deals are out there and can be had. I know of someone who got a 290x reference for 100 bucks from a craigslist buy.

[aldub516]

I guess ill correct myself and say, 100 isnt my budget.. there technically is no budget but doesnt mean i need to waste money. Before i invest in one, i am indeed gonna play around with different settings, such as the suggested bloom. As i said, its really only for the hlsl, but the person paying for this build doesnt really have a budget, so he said throw the card in.. so, breaking the 100 dollar barrier, whats a fair and solid gpu some would suggest?

as for the question Which IGP are you currently using (HD 3000?, i have no idea how to find that out, or what that really is I googled its definition but thats an answer i dont have for u

[Generic Eric]

I guess ill correct myself and say, 100 isnt my budget.. there technically is no budget but doesnt mean i need to waste money. Before i invest in one, i am indeed gonna play around with different settings, such as the suggested bloom. As i said, its really only for the hlsl, but the person paying for this build doesnt really have a budget, so he said throw the card in.. so, breaking the 100 dollar barrier, whats a fair and solid gpu some would suggest?

as for the question Which IGP are you currently using (HD 3000?, i have no idea how to find that out, or what that really is I googled its definition but thats an answer i dont have for u

If you can't open the case, you can download a program like CPU-Z that will tell you the version of the motherboard.  In the case of my laptop, the same program tells me it has Intel HD Graphics 4000.

Consider reading this post

Often times when things like this are discussed, its at the bare minimum. 

[RyoriNoTetsujin]

IGP = integrated graphics processor. You'll also sometimes see this abbreviated as "iGPU."

It dawns on me that you are running a Z97 board, so your CPU has to be socket 1150, which means it has to be Haswell ...  that said, your i5, whichever model it is, really should be able to handle HLSL no problem as all Haswell i5s have HD 4600 or better... I guess what I'm saying is something doesn't add up here...? 

What resolution are you running the games at? 1080p? Higher than 1080p? Is your HLSL pre-scale at some ridiculously high value? (that's another thing to check in mame.ini)

I'm still seeing the ti around $125 - $130

Last I checked, that's still around a Ben Franklin... unless you go by Price is Right rules.

I have the 750 Ti, bought it at $150 and haven't regretted it. You can indeed get it for less now. Maybe even $100! 

But if all you're doing is Mame, what you've got should be enough to handle the VAST majority of Mame games, with HLSL to boot.  Can't say more without more info...

[bulbousbeard]

Just so you know, HLSL is no longer the preferred way of simulating CRTs on an LCD.

http://www.reddit.com/r/MAME/comments/2xvqlp/the_best_version_of_mame_so_far_the_best_batch_yet/

[RyoriNoTetsujin]

Another question, do you have vsync and/or triple buffering enabled (in addition to HLSL)? I vaguely remember that causing some problems for my i5-2500k on some games too...

[RyoriNoTetsujin]

Just so you know, HLSL is no longer the preferred way of simulating CRTs on an LCD.

http://www.reddit.com/r/MAME/comments/2xvqlp/the_best_version_of_mame_so_far_the_best_batch_yet/

There is already a thread about this in the Software section of the boards. Please keep it there.

The above, while interesting, is not in any way germane to the subject at hand in this thread, and will likely only serve to confuse the OP. 

[yotsuya]

Just so you know, HLSL is no longer the preferred way of simulating CRTs on an LCD.

http://www.reddit.com/r/MAME/comments/2xvqlp/the_best_version_of_mame_so_far_the_best_batch_yet/

There is already a thread about this in the Software section of the boards. Please keep it there.

The above, while interesting, is not in any way germane to the subject at hand in this thread, and will likely only serve to confuse the OP. 

Not only that, he's shilling his own posts on reddit.

[DietCoke]

Not only that, he's shilling his own posts on reddit.

That's an unfair characterization, yotsuya.  You should know that his posts aren't aimed at any of the people who replied here.

[yotsuya]

Not only that, he's shilling his own posts on reddit.

That's an unfair characterization, yotsuya.  You should know that his posts aren't aimed at any of the people who replied here.

He references a post that he made on another board without saying HE made it, as if it supports the position he's taken in this thread (which, like RyoriNoTetsujin pointed out, doesn't have anything to do with the OPs question).

Just so you know, HLSL is no longer the preferred way of simulating CRTs on an LCD.

http://www.reddit.com/r/MAME/comments/2xvqlp/the_best_version_of_mame_so_far_the_best_batch_yet/

He should have said "Look at this post I made on reddit about this very topic."  You can tell he's the one who made it, even though the name is different, just by the writing style. Then look at the post history. So no, I don't think my characterization is any bit unfair.

[DietCoke]

So no, I don't think my characterization is any bit unfair.

Agreed.

[yotsuya]

Oh, wait, I see what you were going for in your original post. I agree with you completely, my friend. 

[bulbousbeard]

The above, while interesting, is not in any way germane to the subject at hand in this thread, and will likely only serve to confuse the OP. 

That Reddit post is critically and uniquely germane to the subject at hand. It's information he NEEDS before buying anything.

GLSL in SDLMAME/Windows MAME with OpenGL needs more GPU power than than HLSL. The whole reason he's considering a new GPU is for CRT simulation on his setup. It changes the hardware requirements. A GPU that will run HLSL fine on his machine might not run MAME with OpenGL and the Lottes shader. He should know that before he buys any GPU.

Here's the reality of the situation: OpenGL with the Lottes shader requires less resolution for even scanlines than HLSL. Unless he's got a 4k monitor, and we both know he doesn't, OpenGL with the Lottes shader is going to look objectively better on his setup than HLSL. Even at the same resolution, 9 out of 10 dentists agree that the Lottes shader looks better. You think this poor guy doesn't want BETTER? Whatever dude.

The only reason I linked the Reddit post is because there was more detailed information in it than my arcadecontrols post. saint's edit - but saint does care about decorum on the forum - thanks!

But hey, nice attempt at misdirecting the original poster from critical information by crapping up the thread with useless bickering over nothing. 

[DietCoke]

The above, while interesting, is not in any way germane to the subject at hand in this thread, and will likely only serve to confuse the OP. 

That Reddit post is critically and uniquely germane to the subject at hand. It's information he NEEDS before buying anything.

GLSL in SDLMAME/Windows MAME with OpenGL needs more GPU power than than HLSL. The whole reason he's considering a new GPU is for CRT simulation on his setup. It changes the hardware requirements. A GPU that will run HLSL fine on his machine might not run MAME with OpenGL and the Lottes shader. He should know that before he buys any GPU.

Here's the reality of the situation: OpenGL with the Lottes shader requires less resolution for even scanlines than HLSL. Unless he's got a 4k monitor, and we both know he doesn't, OpenGL with the Lottes shader is going to look objectively better on his setup than HLSL. Even at the same resolution, 9 out of 10 dentists agree that the Lottes shader looks better. You think this poor guy doesn't want BETTER? Whatever dude.

The only reason I linked the Reddit post is because there was more detailed information in it than my arcadecontrols post.

But hey, nice attempt at misdirecting the original poster from critical information by crapping up the thread with useless bickering over nothing. 

As always you mistake opinion with fact.  Some like the Lottes shader more than others.  It is hardly the only option, and it certainly can't be considered BETTER by everyone.  Your post is opinion, not FACT, and if things are that sluggish on his system as-is do you really think that update will fix everything?  I can shove high-octane fuel in a Yugo but it isn't going to make it keep up with a better car.  So all you're really doing is sending him on a fool's errand that will need to be resolved later - or more likely it'll frustrate the end-user to the point where the whole thing collects dust.

"Just so you know, HLSL is no longer the preferred way of simulating CRTs on an LCD."

How is that a fact?  Who prefers it?  Just so you know, what you wrote is critical but it isn't information, and no - it isn't germane.  Your post was garbage disguised as fact, topped with your regular serving of narcissism. 

But hey, nice attempt at misdirecting the topic towards irrelevant discussions.  There is uselessness in this thread, but it isn't from the topic.  And hey, here's an idea - if you're going to make pronouncements on the "preferred" way you might want to back it up with something you've done other than create verbal diarrhea. 

I don't claim to be an expert in this field.  But I do share wherever I can when I have something relevant or something that is more than opinion.  Anyone can spout an opinion, my post is as good an example as any.  But when you're claiming authority on things you need to do more than talk out of your ass.