GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Timothy Kim60 said:The 380X is arguably the more powerful and cost-effective option, though I suppose the cooler isn't quite as good. Both come with a 3-year warranty.

In my opinion, you should go with the Sapphire R9 390, but first, you really need to specify which case you're using. Length matters here, and you have to ensure there's adequate airflow.

Zalman Z9

Look, the Sapphire model just won't fit in your case. Your best bet is the MSI version, even if you have to shell out a little extra for it. I wouldn't touch the budget Gigabyte R9 390; the cooler isn't up to the task for a chip that powerful, and it runs way too loud.

If the MSI is pushing your budget too far, maybe check out this one with the GTX 970
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Alternatively, you could grab an R9 380X along with a 240 GB Adata SSD—you can find them for $166 at the Best Buy downtown.

Timothy Kim60 said:I mean, the Sapphire models just aren't going to cut it. You really need to look at the MSI version, even if it costs a bit more. I wouldn't touch the cheapest R9 390 from Gigabyte; the cooler isn't exactly up to par for a chip like that, and it runs way too loud.

If you find the MSI too expensive, maybe consider this one GTX 970
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Or you could grab an R9 380X along with a 240GB Adata SP550 SSD—I think they have them for $166 at Best Buy
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So it should be fine now; I currently have a 270X Toxic, which also has three fans, so it's quite long.

mistypilot9 said:It should be stable by now. I’m running a 270x Toxic, which also features a triple-fan setup—it’s a pretty long card.

I have been eyeing that MSI 380 version for quite some time now, but I have finally decided to pull the trigger on the R9 390 instead. I suspect it might actually outperform the GTX 970, and honestly, having 8GB of VRAM compared to the 4GB found on the GTX 970 seems like a much smarter move. Plus, if I go this route, I should have enough left over in my budget to pick up a decent monitor as well. 👍

Hey there.
Could use a little advice. I’m not exactly a hardcore gamer—just play things here and there—but lately, I've been picking up the controller a bit more often. I built my own rig a while back, and now it feels like the right time to swap out the GPU. My current card is getting a little old, but honestly, it still does the job for what I need. So, the big question is: am I actually gaining anything by swapping an EVGA GTX 680 for an ASUS GTX 960 Strix OC?

Nathan Castillo16 said:Hey there!
I could use a little advice. I'm not exactly a hardcore gamer—just play stuff here and there—but lately, I've been jumping on more often. I built my own rig, so now it's finally time to upgrade the GPU. It's getting a bit old, but it still does the job for what I need. So, the big question is: is it worth swapping out my EVGA GTX 680 for an ASUS GTX 960 Strix OC?

Look, since today is the official paper launch for Nvidia's latest generation, and we've got those new AMD GPUs dropping in just a few weeks, there's really no reason to pull the trigger right now... Just hold off until we see what Pascal and Polaris actually bring to the table. ☕

Maybe I didn't explain myself very well. I'm not talking about the price tag—I don't live in the States, so I'm not paying $150 for it or whatever—but I am talking about actual performance. Sure, I'll admit it's maybe 8% faster, plus it’s a newer card, but the real question is how much longer a GTX 680 can even stay relevant before it just dies on us.

This is either a straight downgrade or, at best, a sidegrade. It’s just not worth the money.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1494?vs=1596

Save your cash for something that actually offers a tangible performance leap.

Alright, now for a stupid question. I’ve had my GTX 680 for about two years now, picked it up used. And this new one I'm definitely grabbing because it's sitting at $150 while the retail price is closer to $260, though there isn't really much of a difference anyway.

Take a look at the link above. Do you really think that's worth the swap?
In my book, an upgrade only makes sense if you're jumping to a GPU that’s at least 40-50% more powerful. You want something you can actually feel in terms of performance, not just a marginal bump that fluctuates depending on which game you're playing.

Basically, if you're going to pull the trigger, you should be looking at a minimum of an NVIDIA GTX 970, an AMD Radeon R9 290/390, or whatever their successors are hitting the market with next.

What's the question?

The 680 used to be in the high-end tier, while the 950 was more mid-range. I guess that's why there isn't much of a noticeable difference after a few years have passed anyway.

I'm definitely picking it up. It doesn't even have to stay in my rig permanently, but I want a backup ready to go. I just got a new monitor and I've been noticing some weird visual glitches while gaming. Plus, I keep hearing this clicking sound from the GPU whenever the load drops after a session. My screen stuttered a few times yesterday too—can't say for sure if the graphics card is the culprit, but I'm leaning that way. I need something better to run some tests, and I don't exactly have a buddy I can borrow a card from. This feels like a solid chance to save about $110
. I'm buying it privately, but it's brand new in the box with a receipt. Honestly, dropping $300-$500 on a card right now just isn't in the budget. I've got this nagging feeling my GTX 680 is about to kick the bucket, so might as well get something for it while it's still breathing. Thanks for the help 👍😊😊😊

I've got one more question for you. Would I actually see any kind of performance boost if I hooked up two NVIDIA GTX 970 cards together? And does it matter if they aren't a perfect match—like, can I mix an ASUS card with an MSI card or something along those lines...

They don't even need to be from the same brand (MSI, ASUS, etc.)

If you have to choose, go with one powerful card rather than two weaker ones in SLI. You might see some benefits in games that actually support SLI, but honestly, running dual GPUs often just results in worse frame times and annoying microstutter.

A quick comparison, which one should I pick?

Should I go with the AMD Radeon R7 240 1GB DDR3 or the Gigabyte GT 730 2GB DDR3?

I'm looking for a low-power solution for a specific build—a Dell desktop featuring an i5 on the 1156 socket and 4GB of DDR3 RAM.

Finding any actual, useful comparisons online is proving impossible. To be clear, the power supply in this Dell is a 300W SFX unit. I am not considering upgrading the PSU, nor am I willing to spend more than $133 on a card. Therefore, my options are strictly limited to these two chips from AMD and NVIDIA.

None of them. It's just throwing money down the drain. You're better off finding a used AMD Radeon HD 6450 or a GT 610 for around $100 $50 instead.

Maybe this is a dumb question, but

Are you absolutely certain there isn't integrated graphics on that CPU?
The Clarkdale chips on the 1156 socket actually had it. If this is some basic Microsoft Office machine, it might already have integrated graphics built-in.

wiredotter14 said:This might be a redundant question, but...

Are you absolutely certain that the processor doesn't have integrated graphics?
Those Clarkdale chips were on the 1156 socket. If this is just some standard Microsoft Office workstation, it might already have integrated graphics built right in.

It exists, but it’s essentially useless. We're talking about hardware that's several generations old now. I can't quite recall who brought up the GT 210 or the HD 6450, but realistically, even a Gigabyte GT 730 or an AMD Radeon R7 240 would be at least twice as fast as those two. At least, that's my assessment.

Timothy Kim60 said:None of them. It's just throwing money down the drain. Just find something for a hundred bucks.$50 I'm looking for something used—an AMD Radeon HD 6450, a GT 610, or something along those lines.

One needs to be able to run certain games, at least on low settings—older FPS titles and such. There are plenty of games that are actually playable on this hardware, and if you look at YouTube, it’s flooded with gameplay clips. However, I haven't been able to find a single coherent comparison between these two specific cards.

New, looks great for the eyes $133, though I guess it’s still not much of a bargain:
http://www.newegg.com/sapphire-radeon-r7-240-boost-1gb-ddr5/p/N82E16814126775

Something similar on the used market:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/used-graphics-card-listing