# GPU - Max 9k - Future Proof - Crossfire Support



## robotsmani (Sep 27, 2011)

I want to buy a GPU. Max budget is 9k and it should be future proof and support for crossfire in future also require 3d support in future. It should support my current mobo and CPU.

Usage: Casual Gaming, Photo Editing, Video Editing, Watching HD and Blue ray movies etc..

Here is my current config
CPU - Core 2 Duo 2.13 GHz - 6420
MB - Asus P5B - VM
RAM - Kingston 2x1GB 677MHz
PSU - Corsair GS600 - 4000k
Cabinet - Cooler Master Elite 430 Black 
Monitor - ASUS PA238Q 23" IPS
HDD - Seagate 1TB + 500GB
DVD RW - Sony 24X
KB+Mouse -Microsoft wireless

After one i have a plan to upgrade the CPU+MOBO and adding one more GPU for 3d support.

Please suggest me a good GPU

[MSI Cyclone HD6850 is in my mind currently]

Thanks,
Mani


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## topgear (Sep 27, 2011)

for 9-9.5k it's the best thing you can get - so grab it


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## mithun_mrg (Sep 27, 2011)

@op if 3d is essential better opt for nvidia


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## robotsmani (Sep 27, 2011)

topgear said:


> for 9-9.5k it's the best thing you can get - so grab it



Is MSI cyclone 6850 support my mobo + CPU + PSU? Is it any bottle neck? will this support 3d?



mithun_mrg said:


> @op if 3d is essential better opt for nvidia



What are the nvidia cards for my budget.

NOTE: I am not a big gamer.


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## mithun_mrg (Sep 27, 2011)

550ti,&  460  btw if u r not a big gamer then why r u opting for 3d


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## robotsmani (Sep 27, 2011)

mithun_mrg said:


> 550ti,&  460  btw if u r not a big gamer then why r u opting for 3d



For watching 3D movies. For this the 3D cards required. right? i am totally noob in this...


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## mithun_mrg (Sep 27, 2011)

robotsmani said:


> For watching 3D movies. For this the 3D cards required. right? i am totally noob in this...



for watching 3d movies a high end card is not required here is the list
3D Vision System Requirements

u need a supported Geforce GPU a 210 or 520 will do a compatible software like cyberlink power dvd with 3d support and of course the 3d monitor i.e of 120Hz refresh rate & the 3d vision glasses also windows7


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## RCuber (Sep 27, 2011)

mithun_mrg said:


> for watching 3d movies a high end card is not required here is the list
> 3D Vision System Requirements
> 
> u need a supported Geforce GPU a 210 or 520 will do a compatible software like cyberlink power dvd with 3d support and of course the 3d monitor i.e of 120Hz refresh rate & the 3d vision glasses also windows7



Does AMD have any solution for the same?


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## robotsmani (Sep 27, 2011)

One silly question...If i buy the HD6850 now and in the future i will buy the GT 210. Can it work together? 

Is it really require the 6850 for casual gaming. i said this card because lot of guys suggesting it. Can i go lesser budget card, if yes what is best in 5k range?


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## saswat23 (Sep 27, 2011)

Around 5k HD 6670 1GB DDR3 is the best option. Its available for 5.2k only. 

But for your work you better go with HD 6850 or NVIDIA counter part like GTX-460 for the same price.


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## abhinavmail1 (Sep 27, 2011)

In 5k range AMD's 5670 if 3d is required buy nvidia 430


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## ashis_lakra (Sep 28, 2011)

Go for Nvidia cards if you're more concerned for Video editing / Photo editing as they provide better quality output and has features like PHYSX /CUDA support. 

If you want to game, go for AMD cards.


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## topgear (Sep 28, 2011)

^^ AMD gfx cards also have support better photo / video quality and Nvidia and AMD both have some good gaming cards


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## mithun_mrg (Sep 28, 2011)

Charan said:


> Does AMD have any solution for the same?



yes Amd hd3d a crappy version outsourced to 3rd party i.e u need to purchase additional middleware in addition to the gpu & 3d hardware u can find more info here
AMD HD3D Technology



robotsmani said:


> One silly question...If i buy the HD6850 now and in the future i will buy the GT 210. Can it work together?



as a physx card with some special drivers but for a physx card at least a 9600/9800 is recommended by nvidia


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## rajnusker (Sep 28, 2011)

@OP 6850 Cyclone is probably the best you can get at that price range. Don't be surprised with the crappy AMD drivers. I had to pull my rig apart to find stable drivers. :/ nVIDIA is much better at this, better drivers, PhysX, CUDA, etc. You can get the MSI 460GTX Cyclone alternatively if its still on sale.


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## robotsmani (Sep 28, 2011)

OK...
Here is the strategy

1) Currently i need a GPU to watch HD movies, play casual games, Video/photo editing
2) My current motherboard have one PCIe port so no SLI/Crossfire as of now
3) Within one year i will buy a 3D TV. For this i want to watch 3D movies using my PC
4) In that time, if i got into the Games then i will upgrade my mobo, procy and add another GPU if required

Limitation
After buying the 3D tv i want to upgrade only the mobo and procy not the GPU
I can add another GPU if required, and SLI/Crossfire it

Suggest me in following cards
3D is must

*AMD/ATI* 
Low price max 3k
Mid price max 6k
High Price mak 9k

*Nvidia*
Low price max 3k
Mid price max 6k
High Price mak 9k

I am not buying the GPU for this month as the dollar value is increased. will buy next month when the Dollar value reduces.

Thanks,
Mani


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## Cilus (Sep 29, 2011)

If you're planning to buy a 3D TV and not gonna use 3D Monitor then AMD is the best choice here at any range. My pick is HD 6850.
Reasons are:-

1. HD 6850 performs better than any Nvidia offering at the same price range. It gaming performance slightly exceeds the GTX 460 1 GB version.

2. It is very cool card and has less power consumption than its Nvdia counterparts. So can be overclocked in a higher degree.

3. In 3D TV, both Nvidia 400 series and AMD 6000 series support 3D playback and gaming. It is in the 3D Monitor section where Nvidia is way ahead of AMD.

So with an AMD card, you'll be getting best gaming performance for money and 3D playback support too. Toms Hardware has tested the AMD 3rd party driver performance for 3D movie and game playback when they were launched for the 1st time and they result was satisfactory. Now the Drivers are more mature and I don't think there will be much of a problem with 3D playback regarding drivers.


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## topgear (Sep 29, 2011)

^^ completely agreed with the points mentioned by Cilus 



rajnusker said:


> @OP 6850 Cyclone is probably the best you can get at that price range. Don't be surprised with the crappy AMD drivers. I had to pull my rig apart to find stable drivers. :/ nVIDIA is much better at this, better drivers, PhysX, CUDA, etc. You can get the MSI 460GTX Cyclone alternatively if its still on sale.



I think AMD drivers are just fine


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## robotsmani (Sep 30, 2011)

i am thinking to reduce my budget   within 4 to 5k which is good.


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## topgear (Sep 30, 2011)

^^ just get a HD6670 1GB GDDr5 - should be around ~5.5k and it's worth the extra money you pay for it in the long run


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## robotsmani (Oct 11, 2011)

Finally i decided to buy MSI Cyclone HD6850 PE this weekend. I asked the price in Golcha sp road, it is 8.7k+tax. ITGain - 9k net. Is the ITgain is OK?

Is this run on my mobo as it requires PCI Express x16 *2.1*

IS MSI Cyclone *HD*6850 PE and MSI Cyclone *R*6850 PE is Same? What are differences between them?

Any final advice/change about my decision?

Suggest me a good Gamepad budget will be 1k. 

Also let me know the cooling structure for my cabi. Currently i have 3CM 120mm fans running on(one front-inflow, one back-outflow, one side-inflow).

My procy have CM TX3 with one fan, do i need another fan for this?

This is the final buy for my upgrade, so suggest me if i need to buy anything else important?

I am very new to gaming, so please advice me about some good games as well


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## mithun_mrg (Oct 11, 2011)

Buddy @9K its a steal grab it asap i got the xfx one @10K last week  don't worry it will run fine ur Mb it supports Pcie2.1 means its backward compatible to 2.0 & 1.0 

There are two power edition versions "R6850 Cyclone 1GD5 Power Edition/OC" & "R6850 Cyclone 1GD5 Power Edition" one is overclocked other is at stock

For the game pad please go for the XBOX 360 wired controller nothing else

for the fan config i think better off get rid of the side in flow fan if possible install it as top/side exhaust

R & d ursef and see


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## vickybat (Oct 11, 2011)

Go for "MSI R6850 Cyclone 1GD5 Power Edition/OC". Its the best version of 6850 out there.


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## robotsmani (Oct 11, 2011)

Thanks Mithun, Vickybat

So Which is Good OC or Stock Version. Is both are same prices?

XBOX 360-Microsoft?


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## topgear (Oct 12, 2011)

^^ both are good - if the price is same go with the OC version to get an extra edge in performance 

here's the link for Xbox 360 Controller for Windows 
Xbox 360 Controller for Windows | Microsoft Hardware


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## ico (Oct 12, 2011)

ashis_lakra said:


> Go for Nvidia cards if you're more concerned for Video editing / Photo editing as they provide better quality output


I actually think AMD/ATi cards performed much much better quality video transcode compared to nVidia cards last time when I checked. 



Spoiler



GTX 460
*images.anandtech.com/reviews/cpu/intel/sandybridge/review/quicksync/quantumofsolace/gtx460.jpg

HD 6870
*images.anandtech.com/reviews/cpu/intel/sandybridge/review/quicksync/quantumofsolace/6870.jpg





Spoiler



GTX 460
*images.anandtech.com/reviews/cpu/intel/sandybridge/review/quicksync/darkknight/gtx460.jpg

HD 6870
*images.anandtech.com/reviews/cpu/intel/sandybridge/review/quicksync/darkknight/6870.jpg





mithun_mrg said:


> yes Amd hd3d a crappy version outsourced to 3rd party i.e u need to purchase additional middleware in addition to the gpu & 3d hardware u can find more info here
> AMD HD3D Technology


hmm *crappy?* The latest Tomshardware review disagrees.

*Two Compelling 3D Solutions With Strengths And Weaknesses : Nvidia 3D Vision Vs. AMD HD3D: 18 Games, Evaluated*

Price comes out to be the same for both. 



Charan said:


> Does AMD have any solution for the same?


yup. AMD HD3D Blu-ray Playback - YouTube

Don't forget, you do need a 3D TV + glasses + driver.



rajnusker said:


> @OP 6850 Cyclone is probably the best you can get at that price range. Don't be surprised with the crappy AMD drivers. I had to pull my rig apart to find stable drivers. :/ nVIDIA is much better at this, better drivers.


And I wonder why these great drivers fail to give out 1920x1080 on my TV in Windows and Linux. Stuck on 1280x1024. Can't even force 1080p. Sorry, I can't pull my Mac mini apart. Funny thing is, nouveau (third party open-source driver for nVidia with negligible 3D and good 2D) seems to give me the option of 1920x1080 in Linux. 

Both companies make/have made sh!t drivers.



robotsmani said:


> Finally i decided to buy MSI Cyclone HD6850 PE this weekend. I asked the price in Golcha sp road, it is 8.7k+tax. ITGain - 9k net. Is the ITgain is OK?


Price is fine. 



robotsmani said:


> Is this run on my mobo as it requires PCI Express x16 *2.1*


It will run.



robotsmani said:


> IS MSI Cyclone *HD*6850 PE and MSI Cyclone *R*6850 PE is Same? What are differences between them?


Both look same to me. 



robotsmani said:


> Suggest me a good Gamepad budget will be 1k.


The only gamepad worth getting is the Xbox 360 Controller for ~1.4k. It's a pleasure to use it. It also works out-of-the-box in most games. No key-mapping required. 



robotsmani said:


> Also let me know the cooling structure for my cabi. Currently i have 3CM 120mm fans running on(one front-inflow, one back-outflow, one side-inflow).
> 
> My procy have CM TX3 with one fan, do i need another fan for this?


No you don't. It's completely fine.



robotsmani said:


> I am very new to gaming, so please advice me about some good games as well


The first game which you should play with your gamepad imho should be *Super Meat Boy* - great platformer. Kinda tough but worth playing. FIFA 12 and Batman: Arkham Asylum (best game of 2009 imho) are also great to play on a gamepad.

If you are a role-playing-game fan, then Mass Effect or Mass Effect 2.

The best games of this year are The Witcher 2, Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Portal 2. The former two are RPG games. I think your CPU will hold you back for TW2, but still it should run fine. Portal 2 will run smooth as butter. It's a first person puzzle platformer. But before playing Portal 2, do play Portal - only an hour long.

If you prefer to play first-person shooter games, then I'll suggest Bioshock and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Old, but still the best. If you prefer to play multiplayer FPS games online, then Team Fortress 2 (it's free) or Battlefield: Bad Company 2.


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## Jaskanwar Singh (Oct 12, 2011)

rajnusker said:


> @OP 6850 Cyclone is probably the best you can get at that price range. Don't be surprised with the crappy AMD drivers. I had to pull my rig apart to find stable drivers. :/ nVIDIA is much better at this, better drivers, PhysX, CUDA, etc. You can get the MSI 460GTX Cyclone alternatively if its still on sale.



o really?

I just dont understand why didnt i face a single issue till now. Tried 11.6, 11.7, 11.8 and now 11.9 since i got my card. I hope my drivers didnt descend from heaven going by ur comment 
dont worry. I too downloaded drivers from amd website.

and amd has APP in response to cuda.


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## robotsmani (Oct 12, 2011)

Thanks Guys....

@ico
Thanks for your detailed answer 



Waiting for the weekend.


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## mithun_mrg (Oct 12, 2011)

@ico that toms hardware review is not conclusive both the technologies are new  and both of them has certain amount of advantages & disadvantages but do u agree that to deploy nvidia 3d will be less hassle free than amd especially for us in india


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## robotsmani (Oct 16, 2011)

Bought the 
MSI Cyclone R6850 PE/OC - 9k
Microsoft XBOX 360 Game controller wired -  1.3k

Played 
NFS Mostwanted
Resident Evil 5

Great Experience. I was shocked when the controller vibrated. i didn't know that it will vibrate. It is really a surprise for me.(yes i am very beginner to the gaming world)

Installed the drivers from DVD which came with the package. 

Do i need to install any new drivers? What else i need to install?

Thanks for all your suggestion

Will post the pics soon


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## RCuber (Oct 16, 2011)

robotsmani said:


> Bought the
> MSI Cyclone R6850 PE/OC - 9k
> Microsoft XBOX 360 Game controller wired -  1.3k
> 
> ...



Congratulations !! I have the same set  , Enjoy the HD gaming , 

You have to try NFS Hot Pursuit, and Crysis 2 and Just Cause 2 to really see what the card can do 

Always download the latest drivers from AMD's site. 

Congratulations and Happy Gaming , I hope you dont end up going late to your Office like I did


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## virajk (Oct 16, 2011)

Congrats bro, happy gaming !


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## topgear (Oct 17, 2011)

@ *robotsmani* = congrats ! 

BTW, can you post the idle and load temp ( use games like crysis 2, MEtro 2033, AVP 2010 etc. ) of the gfx card  ??


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## reflexx20 (Oct 19, 2011)

@ topgear 

i have a Sapphire 6850 and its idle temp is near 30-34C(sometimes even as low as 28C) and at full load its b/w 66-69C.............and i have a crappy cabinet without any fans.....maybe its the "shimla" effect....


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## topgear (Oct 19, 2011)

^^ cool temps though the load temp is normal but with a good cabinet the load temps will be much more cooler 

BTW, which cabinet do you have and how many fans are in there ?


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## robotsmani (Oct 19, 2011)

BTW... how do i check the temps...?


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## Tech_Wiz (Oct 19, 2011)

Google is your friend


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## ArjunKiller (Oct 19, 2011)

Install the drivers from the ATI Website, not from the DVD, they would be older. The drivers  on the website are the latest and currently it is 11.8, if on the DVD you got 11.8 its fine otherwise download newer one from website.


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## robotsmani (Oct 19, 2011)

Thanks arjun. i already installed the latest from amd...
Thanks tech_wiz i will search for that...i just want to know what you guys are using...


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## reflexx20 (Oct 19, 2011)

topgear said:


> *BTW, which cabinet do you have and how many fans are in there ?*



Don't know.....got it 5 years ago when i bought a branded Lenovo PC......and it doesn't even have a single fan


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## topgear (Oct 20, 2011)

if possible mod it to add some fan 



robotsmani said:


> BTW... how do i check the temps...?



use this 

*HWiNFO*



ArjunKiller said:


> Install the drivers from the ATI Website, not from the DVD, they would be older. The drivers  on the website are the latest and currently it is 11.8, if on the DVD you got 11.8 its fine otherwise download newer one from website.



The latest driver version is 11.9 released on 9/28/2011


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## robotsmani (Nov 5, 2011)

Here is temp info

idle
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5486&stc=1&d=1320434723

full load with Modern Warfare 2 played some ~4hours
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5487&stc=1&d=1320434723

Damn...gaming is really thrilling...i am slowly addicting.
*
Please suggest a good gaming mouse and pad within 1.5k. currently i am using microsoft wireless combo*


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## topgear (Nov 5, 2011)

as I said before use HWiNFO ( link on post no 41 ) to know/show the temps properly.

As for Gaming Mouse and pad you opt for :

Logitech MX-518 @ 1.3k
SteelSeries Glide @ 0.3k


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## mithun_mrg (Nov 5, 2011)

use hwinfo as topgear suggested to get the proper temps those u showed here r idle temps also gpu is underclocked at no load u can run unigine heaven benchmark and record the load temps use msi after burner in background will show u the max temp of the gpu
for mouse & pad i would suggest u to get these
Razer Death Adder@2.1K + Razer Goliathus Control/Speed@4.5K


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## masach315 (Nov 5, 2011)

Within a budget of 1.5k for a good gaming mouse and surface, your choice is very limited. there's not much to suggest other than what *topgear* suggested for you. Don't underestimate MX518 though, it will served your needs.


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## robotsmani (Nov 5, 2011)

"SteelSeries Glide @ 0.3k" is this a mat(surface)? or some sticks for mouse. i didn't find it in google. if i increase the budget it to 2k what are the choices?


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## topgear (Nov 6, 2011)

get any one of this :

SteelSeries QcK mass or Razer Goliathus Speed Standard - both of them are around 0.7-0.8k


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## mithun_mrg (Nov 6, 2011)

at 2K budjet i suggest Razer Abyssys@1.3K+ Goliathus speed/control@.5k


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## robotsmani (Nov 6, 2011)

Thanks guys


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## robotsmani (Nov 6, 2011)

OK....
Razer Abyssys@1.3K OR Logitech MX-518 @ 1.3k

Which is best?

I found there are buttons and DPI differences
Razor - 3500dpi - 3buttons
Logitech - 1800dpi - 8buttons
Is the DPI really matters? Any other major info needs to look into these mouses?

Is letsbuy price ok to buy? Any coupons for letsbuy do you guys know currently  ?
Other cheaper online shops?

BTW here is the proper Temp info of My MSI 6850
idle
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5521&stc=1&d=1320592768

with load

*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5522&stc=1&d=1320592768


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## topgear (Nov 7, 2011)

^^ thanks for the temp info - those looks cool 

You won't notice any huge difference in games because of the DPI spec of those mouse and 1600DPI is more than enough IMO - so for mouse my vote goes with Logitech MX518 for their sheer build quality


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## mithun_mrg (Nov 7, 2011)

Temps r really cool does not cross 63 on full load there is a lot of room for oc then


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## robotsmani (Nov 7, 2011)

found this Logitech G400 the new MX518 with increased DPI and the same price of old MX518. Is it worth buying.
Buy Logitech G400 Optical Gaming Mouse at Best Price in India - Also find Specifications, Photos, Features & Reviews

and letsbuy, flipcart is out of stock, any other places to buy


OC...? is my GPU not oc'ed? i got the OC version only. How do i check it is oc'ed or not?


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## Jaskanwar Singh (Nov 7, 2011)

robotsmani said:


> found this Logitech G400 the new MX518 with increased DPI and the same price of old MX518. Is it worth buying.
> Buy Logitech G400 Optical Gaming Mouse at Best Price in India - Also find Specifications, Photos, Features & Reviews
> 
> and letsbuy, flipcart is out of stock, any other places to buy
> ...



he means you can further OC it by good amount.


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