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Resolved Question

i3 6100 530 HD alone or 9800GT 512mb? (+2x4GB DDR4 2133)

Sep 9, 2016 9:10AM PDT

So I don't have the money for a discrete card at the moment and while I'm obviously not aiming for HD gaming without one I'd like to be able to run games released before ~2014 with reasonable performance.
My last rig was a 2.4 c2d paired with the card and I was wondering if I would be better of without using it in the new one (huge power draw, this card) or would the performance be noticeably better with the once high-end (it was in 2008 obviously) card compared to the integrated HD 530?
Trouble is I think in overall GPU performance it's better, however the huge drawback is the 512MB ram. I can allocate more to the integrated chip. But still, the 9800gt is technically a faster card (256bit vs 128bit and other minor differences) than the integrated one.
I was wondering if it would be worth it to use the 9800 gt at all here? I mean even if I gain 5-10fps with it it's gonna matter a lot cause we're talking about the 30-40fps range here.
Anyone got any experience using the hd530 on this processor? how does it run some games?

Discussion is locked

rollthespliff has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer

Best Answer

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Forget the 9800
Sep 9, 2016 5:56PM PDT

Use the 530.... you won't game at max settings but low to medium should work.
The trick with an igp is to get fast ram and use dual channel.
You have the proper ram config just be sure to fit it into the proper slots.

Save up a 100+ bucks and then shop for a modern gpu.

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Answer
Here's how I'd find out.
Sep 9, 2016 9:30AM PDT

Keep in mind the 9800 was not light on power use so you know to add that many Watts to your PSU just for the GPU. I can't guess the exact TDP but on a TDP chart I see 197 Watts TDP tops. So your PSU would be sized to your PC plus 200 for the GPU to be safe.

NOW how do I compare GPUs? I use GPUBOSS.com and google of course.

First hit is http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GeForce-9800-GT-vs-Intel-HD-530-Desktop-Skylake/m7716vsm33102 which on the surface gives the Intel the win.

https://pcpartpicker.com/forums/topic/167830-9800-gt-hd-530 finds IRL (in real life) the 9800 wins.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-HD-Graphics-530.148358.0.html shows a sea of red.

So in spite of the first link's good showing, my bets are on the 9800 winning this round IRL.

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Thanks, but I'm not really any closer..
Sep 9, 2016 9:45AM PDT

It's weird the guy says the 9800GT performs so much better IRL... he might have the 1gb version? Really the spec that would make the most difference I think is the bandwith, and the 9800gt is 256bit while the hd 530 is just 128. I was wondering if the now ridiculous 512MB ram would be more of a limiting factor than memory bandwith(I can allocate up to 1gig to the hd 530 but its still gonna be 128bit)? because if so there's no point to justify the 10x power draw, and generated additional heat. I keep seeing contradicting answers both from IRL experiences and synthetic tests... I guess i really gotta try myself when the parts arrive.

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The one guy
Sep 9, 2016 9:54AM PDT

Was using benchmarks and the others are IRL (in real life)

I pulled in the laptop article to find IRL results and it was painful to say the least. Way too much red.

As to the power, my desktop designs run PSUs at 50% load. This is done because as PSUs age they lose capacity. If the owner is pushing it, maybe 50% over max load but that takes time to test and given the 10 or 20 buck difference if that, we usually don't skimp on PSUs.


I can't know if what you have is OK or not. I use a P3 WATT meter to get a reading on how close we are cutting it.

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IN THESE FORUMS. Someone built this!
Sep 10, 2016 9:44AM PDT

It was no surprise they are locking up with Steam games. You'll keep the 9800GT for now.

Post was last edited on September 10, 2016 9:44 AM PDT

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edit
Sep 9, 2016 9:48AM PDT

Also I reckon a 350W psu (good quality) should be enough? It powers my current rig alright and its a c2d 2.4 with this monster of a card, so I think I should just stick to it. right?