GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Don't even consider that—it’s way too much resolution for a card like that, not to mention how bad the screen tearing is going to be since you won't actually hit frame rates that match your monitor's refresh rate. Just stick to a standard 2560x1440p monitor—ideally one with FreeSync, maybe something like this https://www.nabava.net/monitori__90/...-led__17356731

Anyway, did you already pull the trigger on that PC and you're just upgrading the GPU now, or are you buying everything all at once?

Don't you notice the CPU usage in Speccy and the temperatures next to the components? 😛

As for the monitor, that HP one is alright...

fadedorca66 said:Keep in mind this motherboard features integrated graphics, which handles basic tasks just fine.

I am aware, but I need a dedicated GPU for anything remotely decent in gaming. As for the indecision, that's settled because I already bought it. However, the monitor stays black no matter what I try. I can't fix it, though that might be drifting off-topic.

I’m certainly not planning on diving into 4K territory; I’ll likely just stick to running World of Tanks at 2560x1440 with the settings turned up just a notch or two.

crimsonstag84 said:Don't you see the CPU usage in Speccy—and maybe those component temperatures too? 😛

As for the monitor, that Dell should be fine enough...

My brain was moving way faster than my actual common sense there 😵
Just glancing at it quickly—it honestly looked like some overly complicated setup from an Instar shop 😬

Carl Turner2 said:I'm not exactly planning on hitting 4K—maybe just some World of Tanks at 1440p with the settings cranked up a bit

The real issue is that when you start dropping the resolution below native on those kinds of monitors, the GPU performance just goes straight down the drain—it's a total mess, I guess.

Chris Robinson25 said:Personally, I wouldn't touch any of them. This MSI Armor isn't quite on the level of MSI gaming, and I doubt the Sapphire 2 x is going to hold its own against the 3X Toxic or the Vapor 3 x. Gigabyte is the same story—I just don't buy that their dual-fan setup can keep up with the triple-fan cooling on the 280X. To be honest... if I were absolutely forced to pick one, I'd go with the MSI Armor.

What’s the consensus on the ASUS Strix R9 380? It carries a bit of a premium over the MSI or Gigabyte options, but if the quality justifies the price, why not? Plus, they offer that same three-year warranty too..

It’s hard to justify $67 more than what you'd pay for a Gigabyte or MSI card... at that price point, you might as well just grab the 4GB version from Gigabyte.

Hello! I need some help picking out a graphics card. I'm looking at the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, but I can't decide which model to go with since they're all within $50 of each other. I'm wondering which one would be the best match for an Intel Core i5 4460 processor. I'll be buying this from Best Buy.

EVGA GeForce GTX 970 iChill, INO-C97V-2SDN-M5DSX
Palit GeForce GTX 970 4GB Jetsream
VGA Palit NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB, PAL-NE5X970016G2F
Palit NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Windforce, 4GB GDDR5, DVI, DP
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Windforce, 4GB GDDR5, DVI, DP
MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming, 4GB GDDR5, 1102MHz/7010MHz, PCI-E 3.0 x16, DP, HDMI, 2xDVI, VGA Cooler
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 GDDR5 4GB/256bit, 1114MHz/7000MHz, PCI-E 3.0 x16, HDMI, 2x DVI,
VGA Palit NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB JetStream, Palit GeForce GTX 970

These three options are slightly $33 more expensive:
TURBO-GTX970-OC-4GD5 graphics card
MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming 4GB DDR5, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 Windforce, 4GB GDDR5, DVI, DP

AMD Radeon R9 390 Nitro+ 😛

swiftfalcon89 said:What’s the verdict on the ASUS ROG Radeon R9 380? It’s a bit pricier than the MSI or Gigabyte options, but if it performs better, why not? Plus, they offer a 3-year warranty too..

I've heard rumors that the ASUS ROG models have an issue with one of the heatpipes, which causes them to run "a little" hot.

Otherwise—ASUS seems to be the manufacturer that somehow always runs into the most trouble with the 280X cards.

crimsonstag84 said:R9 390 Nitro 😛

In that case, I should probably just grab an automatic and more powerful power supply 😁 because I'm honestly not sure if my super Flower FX 550 w, 80+ is enough. I've heard that the R9 390 pulls twice as much power as the GTX 970.

I've heard the VRM temperatures on the GTX 970 can get pretty crazy high.

Anyway, I’d still grab the GTX 970 MSI gaming 4. It's hands down the best card out there.

The Windforce 3x OC or the MSI models are probably your best bets here.

If you're leaning towards the R9 390, you'll definitely need a 650W unit—but make sure it's a high-quality power supply.

If you're strictly sticking to 1080p, I guess you should just grab the GTX 970.

But if you have plans for 1440p or 4K, then the R9 390 might be the better move.

Maybe think about whether you want to use G-Sync or Freesync. If you already own a decent monitor that supports one of those, you should probably pair it with a GPU that won't let you down.😁

Chris Robinson25 said:I've heard the VRM temperatures on the GTX 970 run incredibly high.

Regardless, I would go with the GTX 970 MSI gaming 4. It is hands down the best card.

I've been reading up on that too and it concerns me. Still, if I'm picking up an R9 390, I probably need to grab a beefier power supply automatically. I noticed the recommended PSU for the Sapphire nitro r9 390 is 750W, whereas the MSI GTX970 gaming 500 W. only needs 500W.

Look, as a Radeon user, I’m telling you: just go with Nvidia. I’ve got an R7 260 and honestly, it has way too many flaws. I only picked it up because the colors felt a little more "alive" compared to my old GTX 750.

Chris Robinson25 said:Speaking as a Radeon user, I’d suggest going with Nvidia. I have an R7 260 and it definitely has its flaws; I only picked it up because the color contrast felt slightly more "alive" than the GTX 750.

Well, comparing the quality of a Radeon R7 260 to an R9 390 doesn't seem particularly fair, does it? 😁

The R9 390 is actually a great card, provided you have at least a high-quality 650W power supply, or maybe something more substantial in the 700-750W range.

That Fortron Hyper S 700W should be fine for this guy.$183.

To reiterate—if you're looking into multi-GPU setups, just grab the GTX 970.
If you own a G-Sync/Freesync monitor, pair it with a GPU that actually lets you utilize those features for gaming.
If you don't have that setup yet and you're sticking to 1080p, the GTX 970 is probably the way to go. If you're aiming closer to 4K, then maybe look at the R9 390.

silvermoose14 said:Are you seriously trying to compare Radeon quality between an R7 260 and an R9 390? 😁

The R9 390 is a great card, but you'll need AT LEAST a high-quality 650W power supply or a solid 700-750W unit.

There's a Fortron Hyper S 700W available for about that price.$183.

I'll say it again—if you're planning on running multi GPU, just get the GTX 970.
If you have a G-Sync/Freesync monitor, pair it with a GPU that actually lets you use those features for gaming.
If you don't have that setup yet and you're sticking to 1080p, go with the GTX 970. If you're aiming closer to 4K, then grab the R9 390.

I have this monitor, so I'm not sure if moving up to the R9 390 is even worth it. 😁 Honestly, I'm not planning on playing anything in 4K anyway.
https://www.amazon.com/monitors...d-led__4153171

The R9 390 can run on a Fortron Hyper 600W without any issues when paired with an i5 4460. You could even get away with a Fortron Hyper 500W, though there's really no reason to stress about it since the price difference is negligible. Most of what manufacturers list on their spec pages is just pure guesswork...

Mark Wood26 said:I've got this monitor, so I'm not sure if stepping up to an R9 390 is actually worth it. 😁 To be honest, I'm not really looking to push 4K gaming anyway.
https://www.amazon.com/monitors/...d-led__4153171

In that case, you might as well just go with a GTX 970.