They are PCIe 3.0 (backwards compatible with 2.0) 16x cards and the board has three 16x sized slots it can be used with.

r00t wrote They are PCIe 3.0 (backwards compatible with 2.0) 16x cards and the board has three 16x sized slots it can be used with.

So will it definitely be able to handle the new graphics card i would like to get?

DrSmitty wrote

r00t wrote They are PCIe 3.0 (backwards compatible with 2.0) 16x cards and the board has three 16x sized slots it can be used with.

So will it definitely be able to handle the new graphics card i would like to get?

Yes. What power supply do you have, though? I'd also strongly suggest the 290 over the 770.

r00t wrote

DrSmitty wrote

r00t wrote They are PCIe 3.0 (backwards compatible with 2.0) 16x cards and the board has three 16x sized slots it can be used with.

So will it definitely be able to handle the new graphics card i would like to get?

Yes. What power supply do you have, though? I'd also strongly suggest the 290 over the 770.

Thanks r00t for all the help!

I have a Thermaltake 1350 watt (80 plus silver edition) Tough power (model number TP-1350AH3CCS)

Also why would you strongly suggest the Radeon r9 290 over the nVidia GTX 770? i have been reading reviews and really cannot decide, though most reviews compare the Gtx 770 with 2gb of GDDR5 vs the r9 290 with 4gb of GDDR5! seems a bit uneven... i really need help on deciding, although the 290 beats the gtx 770 in alot of the benchmarks!

example of the uneven test (Scroll to bottom to see the memory size comparison): [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]
Also it seems as if the radeon r9 290 has such a low core clock and memory speed compared to the gtx 770?

Another thing that is pulling me to the GTX 770 is the awesome software and features! Does Radeon have something similar like g-snyc, gpu boost 2.0, geforce experience, ect?

also someone told me that i wont need 2GB of VRAM unless i am running at a higher res than 1080p, is that true? if so i could save lots of money!

Though i want the 4GB of GDDR5 to run intense games like metro last light and battle field with smooth frame rates. so bottom line is.. would it be necessary to get 4GB of GDDR5 for the games i want to play?

Thanks for all the help,
Brian

P.S. if i were to get a Radeon R9 290 what model would i get (MSI, Gigabyte, ect)
Yeah i know the PSU is total overkill

The 290 is much faster in nearly every task: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

Specs like core clock and memory speed are completely irrelevant when comparing cards that use different architectures. Your friend was half-correct because a few games can make use of more than 2GB of VRAM at 1080p and it's reasonable to expect more to do so in the future.

AMD has other things going for it like Mantle, OpenGL, ZeroCore (extremely low idle power draw), Crossfire (which I will argue is superior to SLI), HD3D, and FreeSync in the future. Nvidia has G-Sync and Shadowplay and if you MUST have these features, they'll come at the expense of lower performance because the 290 is much faster than the 4GB 770 for the same price. The 2GB 770 is the good one and it competes with the 280X.

This is the cheapest one with an aftermarket cooler I can find: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

r00t wrote The 290 is much faster in nearly every task: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

Specs like core clock and memory speed are completely irrelevant when comparing cards that use different architectures. Your friend was half-correct because a few games can make use of more than 2GB of VRAM at 1080p and it's reasonable to expect more to do so in the future.

AMD has other things going for it like Mantle, OpenGL, ZeroCore (extremely low idle power draw), Crossfire (which I will argue is superior to SLI), HD3D, and FreeSync in the future. Nvidia has G-Sync and Shadowplay and if you MUST have these features, they'll come at the expense of lower performance because the 290 is much faster than the 4GB 770 for the same price. The 2GB 770 is the good one and it competes with the 280X.

This is the cheapest one with an aftermarket cooler I can find: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

Thanks for all your advice!

So would you recommend getting the 4GB of GDDR5 (for playing intense games but not above 1080p.... yet) or just stick with 2 GB of GDDR5? Also will i be able to overclock the GPU or is it usually factory overclocked? Also will my PSU handle the radeon card and do i need to worry about my cooling system?

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Lastly what model do u reccomend? here are some of the deals i found
(new egg) [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]
(tiger direct) [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] OR http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8869860&CatId=7387
(amazon) [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]
Sapphire (w/150 gift card)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202103&cm_re=sapphire_vapor-x_r9_290-_-14-202-103-_-Product
Gigabyte- [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] or (150 gift card) [ Register or Signin to view external links. ]

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Thanks for all the help,
Brian

P.S. You seem to be very knowledgeable in this area of computer components and their functionality, could you suggest a place for me to learn?

So would you recommend getting the 4GB of GDDR5 (for playing intense games but not above 1080p.... yet) or just stick with 2 GB of GDDR5?

The base 290 has 4GB and the 290 is easily the best choice for a $400 card, so yes. If you're buying a 770, get the 2GB model (in most cases).

Also will i be able to overclock the GPU or is it usually factory overclocked?

Factory overclocks are not very ambitious and you should be able to overclock much more if you get a card aftermarket cooler like the one I suggested.

Also will my PSU handle the radeon card and do i need to worry about my cooling system?

The PSU you have can easily handle three of either the 770 of the 290 in SLI/Crossfire.

As for your case cooling, you haven't mentioned what you have, so I can't help you there.

P.S. You seem to be very knowledgeable in this area of computer components and their functionality, could you suggest a place for me to learn?

Lurk forum sites and read reviews and articles.

r00t wrote

So would you recommend getting the 4GB of GDDR5 (for playing intense games but not above 1080p.... yet) or just stick with 2 GB of GDDR5?

The base 290 has 4GB and the 290 is easily the best choice for a $400 card, so yes. If you're buying a 770, get the 2GB model (in most cases).

Also will i be able to overclock the GPU or is it usually factory overclocked?

Factory overclocks are not very ambitious and you should be able to overclock much more if you get a card aftermarket cooler like the one I suggested.

Also will my PSU handle the radeon card and do i need to worry about my cooling system?

The PSU you have can easily handle three of either the 770 of the 290 in SLI/Crossfire.

As for your case cooling, you haven't mentioned what you have, so I can't help you there.

P.S. You seem to be very knowledgeable in this area of computer components and their functionality, could you suggest a place for me to learn?

Lurk forum sites and read reviews and articles.

Alright thanks again!

MY cooling system: Cooler Master w/ 1 fan on the side also i have 3 other case fans
Temps: CPU-24
HDD-24
SYS-24
all converts to about 75 Fahrenheit

What program are you using to read temps? It's impossible for your hardware to stay at ambient temp. Which case do you have specifically? Cooler Master is a brand, not a model.