GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

1) The GTX 750 Ti has a 60W TDP, so it's probably not a huge deal.

2) I just went with whatever was the cheapest option available.

3) At $367, it feels like it's getting a bit too close to the R9 270 anyway.

4) You're throwing around the word stupid a little too easily 😉

It’s way too close, even with an R9 270. If I remember correctly, that card could actually sit right alongside a GTX 950 once you get the newer drivers installed; according to TechSpot, a few updates back, the R7 370 was within 5% of the GTX 950's performance.

Greetings, everyone! 😁

My buddy's graphics card finally gave up the ghost, so he's looking to pick up something new specifically to get back into gaming. 🙄 😁

I suggested that he should probably consult with the experts here ☕ 😁

He was considering this one.

It seems quite likely that we might also need to consider upgrading his old motherboard and power supply to ensure everything works harmoniously together.

His current motherboard is an MBO GIGABYTE EX58-UD5. Link.

As for the power supply, he is currently using a CORSAIR TX CMPSU-650TTX, ATX 2. Link.

Please, lend me your wisdom and give me some advice! 😁

Keith Gonzalez said:Hey everyone! 😁

My buddy's GPU just bit the dust. He's looking for a replacement since he needs to get back to gaming. 🙄 😁

I told him he should probably check with the pros here. ☕ 😁

He was eyeing this one.

We aren't entirely sure if he needs to swap out his old motherboard and power supply too.

The old board is an MBO GIGABYTE EX58-UD5. Link.

The current PSU is a CORSAIR TX CMPSU-650TTX, ATX 2. Link.

Give me some advice! 😁

No need to swap anything. The board has the slot for the card and the PSU is more than enough. 👍
Just what CPU is he running?

Robert Rodriguez2 said:There really isn't any need to change anything; the motherboard supports the graphics card perfectly fine, and the power supply is more than sufficient enough to handle the load. 👍
I just need to know which processor is being used.

Alright then, I will transcribe everything right here for you: 😬

i7 920 box, LGA 1366 socket, 2.66 GHz, 8MB cache, 1333 MHz FSB, 64-bit, QuadCore

😁

Quote : The New Guy

Keith Gonzalez said:Hey everyone! 😁

Man, my buddy's graphics card just kicked the bucket. From everything I can tell, he's looking to pick up something new since he basically lives for gaming. 🙄 😁

I mean, I already said I was gonna go talk to some actual professionals about this. ☕ 😁

He was kind of thinking about... I guess this one's for you....

I mean, I guess we shouldn't be so sure, but honestly, it probably makes more sense to just swap out the old motherboard and the power supply at the same time.

So, I'm rocking this old MBO GIGABYTE EX58-UD5 motherboard for now. I don't see a link here, man. You gotta actually drop the URL if you want me to take a look at whatever it is you're talking about. I guess I can't exactly read your mind, right? Just post it whenever you get a chance..

My old power supply was a CORSAIR TX CMPSU-650TTX, standard ATX 2. I can't see any link here, man. You gotta actually drop the URL if you want me to take a look at whatever it is you're talking about. I'm just sitting here staring at a blank screen, so unless you've figured out how to send telepathic messages, I'm basically flying blind. Just post the link whenever you get a chance, I guess..

I mean, I guess I could try to help you out, but you haven't really told me what's going on yet, have you? It’s kind of hard to give you any actual direction when I'm just sitting here staring at a blank screen. If you're looking for tech advice—like if you're trying to figure out whether to pick up a GTX 950 or maybe an R9 270 from Best Buy or something—then yeah, hit me with the details. Or if you're having issues with your rig, like maybe some weird driver drama with a GeForce card or your MBO GIGABYTE EX58-UD5 is acting up, just lay it all out. I don't mind the long stories, honestly. Just, you know, tell me what's bothering you so I can actually say something useful instead of just guessing. 😁

Look, everything about that build seems totally fine to me. You could pretty much run whatever you want on that setup, and honestly, you could even throw more than one GPU in there if you felt like it... I guess. But you didn't actually mention what kind of resolution you're playing at, which is kind of a big deal, right?

I mean, honestly, that i7 920 box will probably hit insane speeds, maybe even pushing past 4GHz if you play your cards right... and if you're looking at a used one, the price should be pretty reasonable, I guess. $100I mean, it's fine, I guess, but you're missing that extra layer of protection underneath your board. $233 Nowhere to be found, honestly... if I could, I probably would have just swiped your rig for myself. 😬 Man, that computer is an absolute beast... and honestly, seeing that old-school Corsair power supply makes me a little jealous. I had one just like it back in the day, and man, those things were tanks. Seriously, don't you dare let anyone talk you out of keeping it; even with ripple sitting around 5%, it's still solid. Just let me know which monitor you're running and what the resolution is, and we can go from there.

Keith Gonzalez said:Fine, I'll just write out everything myself 😬

i7 920 box, LGA 1366, 2.66 GHz, 8MB cache, 1333 MHz FSB, 64-bit, QuadCore

😁

then just grab whatever GPU you linked 👍 the R9 390 is in that same ballpark and it's a bit punchier...

and if he bumps that CPU up to 3GHz, he's basically set. 👍

$767 for a GTX 960? Are you guys out of your minds? 😬

@Keith Gonzalez

http://www.bestbuy.com/catalog/computer-parts/graphics-cards/r9-380-series/

...a slightly better card, plus free shipping.

crimsonstag84 said:$767 for a GTX 960, are you kidding me? 😬

@Keith Gonzalez

http://www.bestbuy.com/catalog/computer-parts/r9-380-4g/

...slightly better card, plus free shipping.

maybe he's buying it on credit...

Actually, I am quite certain that nothing else will suffice besides NVIDIA—specifically, GeForce. 🤣
I'm not making any purchases myself; I am merely acting as the messenger here. 😁

I have my doubts regarding whether the CPU will be able to handle an overclock. I intend to pass along any advice I receive and will consult with everyone here whenever it becomes necessary. 😁

Regarding the monitor, someone was asking: it is a Samsung 22-inch model.

http://www.bestbuy.com/product.asp?produc...&code=62553ADM

Well, that's that then.

crimsonstag84 said:http://www.bestbuy.com/product.asp?produc...&code=62553ADM

That's just how it goes.

For sure. If he's paying cash, $167 he keeps more in his pocket. He could probably grab an SSD with that extra change. 😉

Hey there,

I've decided to set aside some cash for a new graphics card, roughly around $333. Is this actually enough of a budget to make a meaningful difference, or am I just spinning my wheels here? Also, should I be looking into a new power supply at the same time?

AMD A8-5600K
LC-CC-95 cooler
ASRock FM2A75M-DGS
2x4 GB RAM Kingston Hyper x 1600 MHz Radeon R7 250
Radeon R7 250 1GB DDR5
Chieftec GPS 450 AA

goldenpanther said:Hey guys,

I've decided to set aside some cash for a new GPU, roughly around $333. Is that actually enough money to make a difference, or am I wasting my time? Also, should I be looking at a new power supply too?

AMD A8-5600K
LC-CC-95 cooler
ASRock FM2A75M-DGS
2x4 GB RAM Kingston Hyper x 1600 MHz
Radeon R7 250 1GB DDR5
Chieftec GPS 450 AA

Not really. Honestly, the best you can probably grab for that budget is an R7 360, maybe a 750Ti. Both outperform the R7 250, but if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't bother upgrading unless you could get at least an R7 265. They're just too close in performance classes. You'd be better off hunting for something used with a warranty, or saving up another hundred bucks for something like an R9 270 or similar.🙂

Over at Best Buy, you can grab an MSI HD 7950 with about 20 months of warranty left for $417, which seems like a decent move... especially since the HD 7950 isn't exactly a power hog, so you probably wouldn't even need to swap out your power supply.

That Asusica R7 265 disappeared from Best Buy back on December 10th, 2015, yet they kept insisting it was in stock for another whole month. 😵It looks like you really do need to send an inquiry before paying for an item upfront. 😁
🤷

Hmm, alright, I'll have to see. I'm currently waiting on a speeding ticket to clear, so depending on how much that ends up costing me, whatever is left over will go toward a new graphics card 😁

goldenpanther said:Hmm, alright, I guess I'll see. I'm actually sitting here waiting to see how much this speeding ticket ends up costing me. Depending on what the fine looks like, whatever cash I have left over is going straight toward a new GPU. 😁

You drove too fast, and now you're stuck "driving" a slower graphics card. 😁

Just download NFS next time and play it. 😁

How much of a difference does a backplate actually make on a graphics card?