wanderingbison9 said:Gamer Meld is reporting some pretty grim news following interviews with Nvidia and AMD: don't expect the GPU market to recover before mid-year, and prices aren't dropping either—in fact, they're expected to climb even higher. Apparently, Lisa Su points to the WHO as the primary culprit.
I think we really screwed ourselves by telling people to just wait a few months for the new models to drop. Honestly, who could have predicted this massive crypto mining surge?
Literally, you can't find a decent high-end GPU anywhere right now; everything is completely wiped out. Even the used market has gone totally haywire. You can't even pick up those old 4GB cards like the GTX 1050 Ti or the GTX 1060 that became obsolete for mining. I remember seeing an R9 380X 4GB for $100 just the other day, but I checked again and there isn't a single one left, just one lone unit sitting there for $233...
You aren't going to find them at those prices anymore given how things are right now. Your best bet might be snagging an RX 570 4gb (or maybe even an RX 580 4gb) from a former miner, though you might have been able to grab them for 500-$200
You don't necessarily have to upgrade right away—I’d suggest either a 1080p 24" 144Hz setup or, if you really want 1440p, going with a 32" 75Hz model. Both sit around $500, though the latter is a bit pricier. Essentially, you either prioritize high refresh rates with a lower resolution, or you opt for 1440p without forcing 144Hz. Trying to run both 1440p and 144Hz alongside modern AAA titles is an incredibly expensive hobby because you'll need a top-tier GPU to pull it off. Of course, games like CS:GO or League of Legends are a different story; they aren't demanding at all.
Here is an example of a post:
I'm currently running an RTX 2070 Super with a 1440p monitor. 2K resolution is significantly more demanding than 1080p, so my advice to anyone happy with 1080p is to avoid even testing out 1440p. Once you experience a higher resolution, it's hard to go back—at least for me. For me, 1080p looks blurry and pixelated on a 27-inch monitor now. Going back to a 22 or 24-inch screen would feel like playing on a Game Boy. If you're satisfied with what you have, it's honestly better not to touch the monitor or the resolution. With my current card, 1080p would have been the perfect sweet spot for a few more years even with Ray Tracing enabled, but at this resolution, I'm not even close. I remember when Cyberpunk 2077 was running at about 40-50fps on 1080p with my 2070. I thought things would run smoother on the 2070 Super, and I really wish I hadn't made the jump to a higher resolution.
Honestly, I highly doubt that a simple panel swap accounts for that entire 40% difference.
Regardless, if you're aiming for 1440p at 144Hz, you're always going to need a high-end graphics card if you want to run modern titles at max settings while keeping your frame rates north of 60.
Look, man, you could buy something brand new for that kind of cash and get a much better motherboard...
This 1600AF is basically just a rebranded R5 2600 (it’s the same Zen+ architecture on 12nm), so you're better off grabbing a superior motherboard click
Everything would be brand new with a full 3-year warranty. Honestly, browsing Craigslist was a total nightmare.
Quick question though, do you already have DDR4 RAM?
If you're on a tight budget, your best bet is actually going with an i3 10100f paired with an H410 motherboard plus $16716GB (2x8GB) of DDR4 RAM
wanderingbison9, I just spotted some guy from Cincinnati on eBay selling an RX 570 Sapphire 4GB for $200. It’s pretty obvious these came straight out of a mining rig (since those listings are still all over the place), but at that price point, you really don't have the luxury of choice.
It really depends on what you're playing. If you're sticking to titles like Counter-Strike or League of Legends, it’ll perform just fine. However, if you want to run heavy AAA titles at 1440p and 144Hz, this setup is going to struggle. To be blunt, you’d need a high-end graphics card to handle that, and those are basically impossible to find right now no matter how much you're willing to pay.
Honestly, let him buy whatever he wants—provided it actually fits in his case. A cooler isn't like a GPU that’s going to become obsolete next year; it's a solid investment that can easily move right into a brand-new build later on. If he's looking for the best options for $67, I'd say sticking with the Freezer 33 or Freezer 34 would be his best bet if they're currently in stock.
They’re still out there, honestly $167. I actually spotted some at an online auction for $200 recently, but they're all gone now. They were being used for mining, so the seller was offering a bulk discount if you grabbed 10 units 😁 .
There’s basically zero bread left on the used market, guys. Even looking at last generation's GPUs—the ones that actually make sense for budget builds—they're nowhere to be found, with just a few outliers like the 1650 super. We’re going to have to sit tight and wait for the new mainstream models to drop and for the stock to actually hit the shelves. This could easily drag on for a few months.
That link isn't working, so I can't really tell what kind of printer you're dealing with. If it’s not just a settings issue—like adjusting the print density—then you're looking at a hardware failure, whether it's a faulty toner cartridge or the machine itself. It might be worth calling a technician to take a look, or if it's still under warranty, you should probably file a claim. Though, given how much work you have to get through, I'm guessing a repair isn't an option right now.
We might see a whole new wave of budget options hitting the market this spring—specifically the RTX 3050 and RTX 3050Ti—so it’s definitely worth holding off for a bit.
They were supposed to drop back in January, but things went quiet, and we only saw the RTX 3060 show up. However, I don't think it'll be long before those lower-end models arrive; we could be looking at February or March.
There isn't actually a 1660 super with 4GB of RAM; you either meant the 6GB version or you were thinking of the 1650 super. Generally speaking, the lineup goes from the 1650 super to the 1660 super, then the 1660Ti—which is almost identical to the 1660 super acting as its direct successor—though they are hard to find now. After that, you have Nvidia's RTX 2060 6gb (which used to be cheaper than $800, but is currently the cheapest $1067) and the comparable AMD option, the RX 5600XT (currently the cheapest at $887, though they used to go for as low as 2300-$800). Moving up, there's the Nvidia 2060 super 8gb tier (hardly any left on sites like Best Buy), and the AMD RX 5700 models, which could sometimes be found on sale for $833, while the standard price was usually $1000 (but again, availability is nearly zero). Beyond that, you're looking at Nvidia's 2070 and 2070 super (mostly just used ones available now), or the AMD RX 5700XT, which are either nonexistent or priced at $1600 (they used to be 3200-$1167)
Bottom line: the GPU market has been absolutely brutal lately. If you're looking for value, the 1650 super 4gb is a solid bet because prices haven't spiked; miners aren't interested in 4GB VRAM cards anymore (which is why you see so many used RX 570 4gb and RX 580 4gb units floating around on eBay). After that, the 1660 super 6gb makes sense if you can snag one for around $667 (prices have only crept up slightly to about $67). The AMD 5600XT is also a decent move, provided you can find a reasonable price like $867 via the Links. After those, everything else becomes overpriced nonsense. Honestly, the only card that really makes sense right now is the RTX 3060Ti, but only if you catch it near $1333 in the Links. Those are pretty much the only new cards worth considering; anything else is either impossible to find or priced ridiculously.
If you can hold out until spring, just do it. It’s hard to imagine things getting any worse than they are now. Plus, who knows? Maybe NVIDIA will drop a 3050Ti by then, or maybe the 3060 might actually hit a decent budget price point. At the current market rates, picking up an Intel Core i5-10400 makes way more sense than going with the Ryzen 5 3600, so I'd definitely weigh that option. As for the monitor, I couldn't agree more—that Dell S2421HS is the only way to go.
I’m leaning toward the G7, but I’ve read some claims about flickering issues. I don't know how much truth there is to that, though apparently they fixed it. On the other hand, the Alienware looks absolutely killer, but it’s only 27 inches.
I just want to know which one is the better bet and safer to buy. Right now I'm running a 60Hz Full HD setup
RTX 2080 Ti 128GB RAM i9 16-core
The G7 is solid as far as I know if that's the kind of performance you're after. Check this out:
Justin Phillips15 said:What’s your take—would going back to a 24" be the better move? Honestly, 24" feels like the sweet spot for me; I wouldn't even be looking for an upgrade if I hadn't smashed my old one.
In my opinion, this is the top choice for a gaming monitor through $500
It really comes down to personal preference. For some people, a 27" 1080p screen looks grainy, while others don't mind it at all. Your best bet is to head over to a local Best Buy or similar showroom and see it for yourself before buying.
It’s plenty; an EVGA 450 W is a perfectly fine PSU. At the end of the day, your CPU will likely pull even less power than what you're running now, and your future GPU probably will too.