GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Ryan Thomas60 said:What about these: 1. ATI Sapphire HD 6850 1GB DDR5 256-bit - $167
2. ATI HD 6870 1GB DDR5 - $167
3. Vapor X Radeon HD 4870 1GB DDR5 256-bit - $133

That HD7770 is definitely the smarter move here. At launch, the HD7770 was roughly on par with the HD6850, but that 7xxx series really saw a massive performance boost thanks to driver updates over the years. Plus, it’s more power-efficient than the 6850 or 6870, offers DX12 support to help reduce bottlenecks, and it's just a much newer architecture overall.

Regardless of the bottleneck issue, you'll get much better value by picking up a stronger used GPU. You can always upgrade your CPU later or move the card into a newer PC down the road. Honestly, dropping $500-$200 on a DDR3 card is just throwing money away—whether it's those weak GT 730s or even an R7 240, even if they have DDR5. The only real perk there is the warranty...

Regarding new cards, I previously sent you a link for the cheapest R7 250 DDR5 (from Centro or Futura), which is actually an MSI model with a 3-year warranty. Shipping is around $30-$13, and you can pay via COD (once it hits your doorstep), which makes returns and claims much more reliable.

Timothy Kim60 said:That HD7770 is definitely the better call. Right when it launched, it was pretty much on par with the HD6850, but that 7xxx series really stepped up its game with driver updates over the years. Plus, it pulls less power than the 6850 or 6870, supports DX12 to help with bottlenecks, and it's just a newer card overall...

Bottlenecks aside, you're way better off grabbing a stronger used GPU. You can always upgrade your CPU later or swap it into a newer rig down the road. Honestly, dropping 500-$200 on some old DDR3 card is just a waste of money—I mean, those weak GT 730s or even an R7 240, even if they have DDR5. The only perk is the warranty...

From the new stuff I linked, the cheapest option was that R7 250 DDR5 (from Centro or Futura), and it’s actually an MSI with a 3-year warranty. Shipping is about 30-$13, and you can pay cash on delivery, which is great because they're super reliable if you ever need to return something.

I think I'll go with the R7. Thanks so much for all the help, everyone!

I’m asking for a little bit of help here, mostly because I’ll be the first to admit I’m no hardware genius when it comes to computer components...

So, I’ve got this aging desktop sitting here with the following specs:
ASUS 945GCM-S2 775/1333/667 MOTHERBOARD
INTEL PENTIUM CORE2DUO 2.4/800/2MB PROCESSOR
KINGMAX SUPER RAM 2GB DDR2 800
SEAGATE 250GB SATA2 7200rpm HARD DRIVE
And a VGA ATI RADEON X1550/256MB/128BIT GDDR2 graphics card.
My current GPU just kicked the bucket.

I mainly use this machine for web browsing, and now I’m planning to hook it up to my TV, so I need a new video card. I stumbled upon this one:

What I really want to know is: would this work for me without any hiccups? Since it's technically more powerful than my old one, will it fit properly in the same slots?

velvetnomad44 said:...

It’s just not worth your money.

Better to save up for an integrated setup if you can afford it. 😉

Chris Robinson25 said:It’s just not worth your money to sink it into this.

If you have any integrated graphics at all, stick with those instead. 😉

But look, if this specific card is $90, then maybe it'll actually work...

At this point, I honestly don't need anything else from this machine. As long as it doesn't freeze up while I'm trying to watch a movie or if I have a few Flash pages open at once, I'll be perfectly satisfied.

The motherboard has a PCIe slot, so it’ll work! Just make sure you completely wipe out those old ATI drivers first and install the NVIDIA ones instead. It really shouldn't be an issue...

So, I'm currently putting together a new PC and I'm feeling pretty torn between two graphics cards: the GTX 560 or the radeon r9 380? They're actually sitting at almost the exact same price point right now—and honestly, I really don't want to go over budget and break the bank! I've always been an NVIDIA fanboy in the past, but if the Radeon might actually be the better pick, I'm totally open to switching things up. What do you guys think?

The GTX 560 is already four years old, whereas the R9 380 just hit the market this year. Don't you think you might have misstated that first one?

If you haven't lost your mind, then yeah—definitely go for the radeon r9 380.. But before you pull the trigger, what kind of processor are you running, and what's your power supply situation like?

I think there might have been a bit of a misunderstanding—it looks like you only sent a single word! If you were trying to share a specific post or comment for me to rewrite, go ahead and paste the full text. I'm ready to jump in and give it that upbeat, conversational American makeover whenever you are! kaže:
The GTX 560 is already four years old—it's practically vintage! Meanwhile, that Radeon RX 480 just hit the shelves this year. I think you might have gotten the first one mixed up, maybe? Just a thought!

Larry Ortiz5 said:Unless you’ve made a mistake, you should definitely go for the Radeon RX 480—no question there! But before you pull the trigger, I guess you should probably let us know which processor you're running and what kind of power supply you've got tucked away in there.

My bad—I totally typed the wrong number there! I actually meant the GTX 960.
So, I've got this massive 650W EVGA Silent power supply sitting here—it's a bit of a beast!
So, I was looking at this Intel Core i7-4770K—it’s an 8-core processor running at 4.0 GHz!

I sent you all the details via DM on Coolinkov regarding the FX 8300 + R9 390 setup for $2100 😵

Apologies for dropping this here instead of starting a whole new thread—just wanted to keep things tidy since my question is pretty quick.
Is the thermal paste used for a GPU actually the same stuff we use for a CPU? Or is there some specific detail I should be looking out for? I’ve got some leftover Coolink Chillaramic from an old CPU cooler setup—do you think that'll cut it, or am I asking for trouble? If it's not up to par, I'd love to hear if anyone has a solid recommendation.
Also, regarding the application itself—it's the same deal as usual, right? Just a little pea-sized amount right in the center?

crimsonstag84 said:And hey, I actually sent you a full breakdown via DM on Coolinkov with an FX 8300 and R9 390 combo for about $2100 😵
!

I saw your message—some of those parts look great, so I've already added them to my build list (the power supply, motherboard, and RAM all seem solid). But man, that graphics card (the R9 390) is just way too pricey for me right now... it would totally blow my current budget out of the water.

It’s all the same; you can definitely use it

Lawrence Reed3 said:I went through your message, and I ended up including some of those parts in my build (PSU, motherboard, RAM), since they seemed fine. But that GPU (R9 390) is pretty pricey, so it would definitely push me over my current budget.

So you tested it by picking a more expensive CPU with a higher clock speed $267? 😬
The graphics card costs way more because it’s actually much more powerful than a GTX 960 or an R9 380—like, maybe 60-70% better.

What’s your total budget at this point... I was thinking somewhere around $2000, depending on what makes sense.

Someone just listed this on $517. It’s got a warranty until January 2016. I'm wondering if it's actually worth picking up—does this card make sense at this price point?

http://www.craigslist.org/listing/graphics-cards-ads-15169056

A stock cooler and over 1,000 views? I don't know, maybe not me.

Why wouldn't it be specifically because of the Stock cooler? He’s telling me it barely saw any action—just a few months of light mining use, which is basically what everyone claims anyway.

Even then, it tends to overheat if you're just using the stock cooler, unless you happen to have an incredibly well-ventilated case.