GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Well, I finally made up my mind and went ahead with the NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti. I suppose I’m just hoping I didn't make a mistake by choosing this one.🙂
It does only have 8 GB instead of the 12 GB version, but maybe that won't end up causing too many issues for me.

Well, you’ll find out... Or maybe you won't, depending on what exactly you decide to do about it...

Hey, maybe someone could give me a hand picking out a GPU? Looking to stay under about $667
.
Here’s what I’m running right now...

CPU:

Intel Core i5-10400 - 6

RAM: Vengeance® RGB Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3200MHz C16

PSU: Corsair RM850

Motherboard:

B450 Aorus Elite gaming V2

Storage:

1 TB - Samsung 970 EVO

250GB - Samsung 970 EVO Plus

Unfortunately, given how the market is looking right now, you won't find anything worth your money.

https://www.nabava.net/search.php?q=...50Ti&cod=&cdo=

That being said, I wouldn't recommend opting for that cheapest low-profile model.

swiftmoose9 said:I could use some help picking out a GPU for under $667

PC Specs

CPU:

Intel Core i5-10400 - 6

Vengeance® RGB Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3200MHz C16

Corsair RM850

Motherboard

B450 Aorus Elite gaming V2

SSD:

1 TB - Samsung 970 EVO

250GB - Samsung 970 EVO Plus

Do you already have all these parts or are you just starting to buy them?

You can find a GTX 1060 6GB on Craigslist for up to $667. Right now, you won't find a better deal than that...

That’s way too much money! I picked mine up back in 2018 for just $433
!

Sean Taylor7 said:that's just way too much, considering I picked mine up back in 2018 for $433

Well, welcome to the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Mad Max. In a world like that, even old rags can be worth a fortune, wouldn't you agree?

I was wondering if anyone could give me an idea of what I might get for my GTX 960 4 GB? I'm thinking somewhere around $333? I've got my eye on a low profile Quadro T600 for a mini PC I'm building, since this one won't fit in there...
Hopefully, Reddit can handle a question like this!

Greetings, I was wondering how the experience has been lately regarding selling GPUs on eBay; does the market seem healthy right now? I am considering listing an RX 580 8GB, specifically the Sapphire nitro model. It is about four years old, though I would argue it remains in excellent condition because it spent roughly 95% of its lifespan simply handling web browsing at reduced voltages. While it has certainly accumulated several hundred hours of playtime over the years, I can assure you it was never used for crypto mining.

oko $1000

Are you being serious? I see those prices listed, but I have to wonder—is there actually any real demand for them at that level? It makes me question if those 4GB models are priced so much lower for a specific reason. Also, regarding shipping, what would be the most reliable method to use? Should I stick with the USPS, or perhaps something like FedEx? I was also wondering if the Postal Service offers some kind of escrow service where they hold the funds for the seller and only release them once the buyer confirms everything is okay?

wanderingbison9 said:Working within the Adobe ecosystem is such a massive, varied field. Are we talking photo manipulation, video editing, or heavy post-production? If you're tackling 4K video, you really want as much VRAM as possible—especially when you're dealing with 6K or 8K source footage, which is becoming the standard more and more often.

But why bother? Both Adobe and Blackmagic Design tools have proxy workflows.
It’s just like software developers: when they lack actual coding skills, they end up leaning on massive frameworks to do the heavy lifting for them.

Samuel Castillo49 said:For real? I see those prices listed, but does anyone actually buy them? I guess there's a reason the 4GB models are so much cheaper. Also, what's the safest way to ship this—USPS or maybe UPS? Does USPS have some kind of escrow service where they hold the money until the seller is verified?

If I remember correctly, 4GB isn't great for mining, so performance is probably pretty lackluster.

If you sell it, just assume you won't be able to afford anything better with that cash. You could also just let it mine for a few months if you feel like it; maybe you could pull in $30-$50 a month from it...

I truly appreciate all the guidance you've offered, though I find myself leaning toward listing it immediately for perhaps around $2,700, assuming you believe that figure holds up from a crypto miner's perspective. If you could be so kind as to advise me on the most secure method for shipping—specifically, whether USPS offers the particular option mentioned above—I would be immensely grateful.

If FedEx didn't hold the money upfront, people would be shipping bricks and trying to collect the cash at the post office. Instead, FedEx takes the payment from the buyer first—that's the buyout—and then you either get the cash delivered to your door or it hits your bank account once you fill out the deposit slip.

Aha, that seems perfectly reasonable to me, so thank you for the insight. I suppose I will have to spend some time educating myself via their website; it appears they offer quite a diverse range of options to choose from.

Samuel Castillo49 said:Oh, great. Thanks for that. I guess I'll have to spend some time digging through their site then—looks like they've got a ton of different options to sift through.

Just head over to the post, fill out the recommended shipment form, and check the box for "COD." If you want the cash sent straight to your bank account—which is cheaper anyway—just fill out a standard money order in the buyer's name to go along with the package.

granitecrane2 said:But why is that? Both Adobe and Blackmagic Design tools include proxy workflows.
It’s honestly just like software developers; when they lack the actual coding skills, they end up relying on massive frameworks to do the heavy lifting for them.

The reason is pretty straightforward: you have to export the final cut from the original source files rather than the proxy, since the proxy simply doesn't have enough resolution to do the job.

wanderingbison9 said:Because the final export has to come from the raw footage, not the proxy, since the proxy doesn't have enough resolution.

Are you actually being serious right now, or just messing around? Of course the final render comes from the original files, but your actual editing, cutting, and compositing happen using proxies. That’s literally why they’re called proxies—they're stand-ins. You work with the proxy, and once you're finished, you hit render and the software (whether it's Premiere or DaVinci) automatically pulls from the high-res originals for the final output.

Honestly, has the video industry really declined this much lately that people don't even grasp basic workflow anymore?