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I have a small HTPC that is running a i3 2100t with a Intel DQ67EPB3 mini-ITX motherboard. I'd like to find the fastest, most power efficient quiet video card available. I'm just not sure where that sweet spot is.

Thanks!

5150 wrote:

I have a small HTPC that is running a i3 2100t with a Intel DQ67EPB3 mini-ITX motherboard. I'd like to find the fastest, most power efficient quiet video card available. I'm just not sure where that sweet spot is.

Thanks!

The location of the "sweet spot" is going to depend on how much weight you give each of those three criteria.

Well, I'm just gaming on a 1080p TV, I don't care too much about excess eye candy or running it at maximum quality. I like to run games at the monitor's (in this case TV's) default resolution with normal settings. I don't care much about AA. I suppose I care more about idle power usage and noise than I do when gaming. ~$200 is probably my limit.

Radeon HD6850

It may come down to what fits in your case. Can your case handle a double-slot graphics card?

Radeon HD6870 provides better gaming performance than the HD6850 with only a small increase in power usage under load. It's still well within your budget.