GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Check out this video:



Basically, with those ultra-cheap cards, you get zero performance, whereas if you pay $67 a bit more, you actually get a decent card. You could even grab a used AMD Radeon HD 7770. If you’re dead set on buying one of those low-end pieces of junk, I guess just make sure it at least has GDDR5 memory.

mellowtiger83 said:I

Look, you've gotta be able to run some games, even if it's just on low settings, older FPS titles and stuff like that. And

If there's any way you can, try to aim for something like this

If there's any way you can, try to aim for something like this

http://www.craigslist.org/video-cards-listing-19003474

which is basically the Space Shuttle compared to the other options

fadedorca66 said:You could grab a used AMD Radeon HD 7770, for example.

I think that card requires a PCI-e power cable, which he doesn't have.

P.S.
Maybe his power supply has a Molex connector, gotta check.

They actually released a follow-up to that video: Low end video Cards Rant - Are they still terrible?

Gentlemen, I have acquired an incredibly rare find: an AMD Radeon HD 8570 with 1GB of GDDR5. To be clear, this isn't that APU version, the 8570d.

This card sits right in that sweet spot alongside the Radeon HD 6670. It definitely outpaces the GT 630 and those various 730 models running on DDR3 memory.

I am running the standard Battlefield 3 benchmark today. It ran quite smoothly at 720p on medium settings. Fraps was registering somewhere between 33 and 45 fps, which implies that without the software running, the performance is actually a bit higher.

It’s an OEM model, sourced directly from AMD.

Paid. $83It doesn't require any extra power from the PSU. The thing is tiny—it had to be a low-profile card, which I neglected to mention earlier. Based on a quick bit of digging online, it runs on some sort of Polish architecture. In practice, however, it works perfectly.

crimsonstag84 said:Something new. Visually superior. $133Even so, the math just doesn't quite add up. It’s still not exactly a great value proposition.
I found this listing for a Sapphire R7 240 with 1GB of DDR5. It seems like a straightforward enough piece of hardware for anyone looking to pick up a budget card. There isn't much else to say about it, really. It does what it's supposed to do.

Roughly what you'd find used:
I am looking at this listing for a graphics card on a local marketplace site. It seems like a standard offer for someone looking to pick up some budget hardware. If you are interested in checking out the specs or the price, you can find the details right here.

Thanks. In any case, all those business-grade 5670 cards that were within my reach have either been sold or are already reserved. That one over at the Best Buy is way overpriced right now. I ended up picking up an AMD Radeon HD 8570 instead, though I’ll likely be hunting for a low-profile GTX 750 in a few months if I can track one down.

My apologies, I should clarify that this comes with DDR3 memory running at 1800 MHz. I am currently tinkering around with MSI Afterburner. I have bumped the processor clock up to 1000 MHz from the stock 780, and pushed the memory to 2100 MHz. As of right now, it is passing the stress test without any issues. In Battlefield, under identical conditions, I saw an increase of roughly 3 to 4 FPS—maybe slightly more. If you need further details, just let me know. I have some free time, so I’m just messing around with this little toy at home.

It’s more than enough for my kids. They've grown a bit lately, so they'll actually be able to get some decent playtime in now. 🙂

Use the edit button instead of posting three separate messages in a row.

Nice find.

Did you grab that on Craigslist? How many bucks did it set you back?

I'm stuck between these two cards

https://www.asus.com/Graphics-Cards/...X980DC2OC4GD5/

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/pro...px?pid=5215#ov

Need some advice here—thanks!

Richard Murphy45 said:I'm torn between these two cards

https://www.asus.com/Graphics-Cards/...X980DC2OC4GD5/

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/pro...px?pid=5215#ov

Need some advice, thanks!

Neither of those older generation cards is worth it anymore. You can grab an RTX 3070 for roughly $1333 which absolutely crushes the GTX 1080 across the board. Honestly, just wait a bit until the next gen fully hits the market with all the different models available. Buying a GTX 1080 right now is just throwing money down the drain. ☕

I can't just sit around waiting for a new card to drop—I already pulled the trigger on a pre-built
setup, so now I'm stuck deciding between these two GPUs. Honestly, I just need to know
which one actually holds up better?

You don't even realize the scale of the mistakes you've made here 🤣 Not only did you order a pre-built rig, but you went for a premium pre-built right before a massive new generation of GPUs hits the market. But hey, it's too late for regrets now—if you have any say left in the matter, just go with a cheaper option. 🙂

Richard Murphy45 said:I can't just sit around waiting for a new card to drop. I already pulled the trigger on a pre-built
setup, so now I'm stuck choosing between these two cards. Just curious,
which one actually hits harder?

Did you just order it, or did you actually pay? If the money hasn't left your account yet, you can always back out. It's your cash. Even if you already paid, you can still call them up and ask to swap things out.

analogtiger19 said:Did you just order it or did you actually pay? If you haven't paid yet, you can always back out. It's your money. Even if you already paid, you can still ask to change the order.

Give me a break. A GTX 1080 isn't something you just toss in the trash. It’s still a premium card regardless of the RTX 3070 or 1080... it'll handle 1080p and 1440p just fine.

I'll tell you what:
just grab the one with the longer warranty and go for it. 👍

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Look, a GTX 1080 isn't trash either. It’s still a premium card, regardless of the RTX 3070 or 1080... it'll still crush everything at 1080p or 1440p.

Obviously, the card isn't garbage. My point was about whether buying it actually makes sense financially... I get what you're saying, but I'm just telling him he can get way more bang for his buck elsewhere... I'm assuming his money isn't just burning a hole in his pocket for no reason 🤷 ☕

So here’s the rig I dropped $4083 on, plus they threw in 4 free games worth about $300

http://www.newegg.com/product/...&code=36842ADM

I was thinking maybe an RTX 3070 would fit in here—or honestly, even better, a GTX 1080—but I don't know if I should be swapping out other parts too
assuming they'd even let me trade stuff around like that?

I just ran the numbers. If you were to build that exact same setup using individual components from the same retailer—and that’s assuming you get free assembly anyway—it would run you about 11 $67 (though I swapped out the RAM and the 212X for different parts). Basically, you paid full price for those games, even though you probably snagged them for free through some software bundles.

In a better scenario, you should have gone with a cheaper motherboard and used those savings to grab a better SSD (like a Samsung 850) or perhaps just a more budget-friendly drive. You could have opted for 8GB of RAM, a Define R4 or a Define S case (something a bit higher-end than $200), and if you really want that high-end feel, just go with the 550W version of the power supply. As for the GPU, you either wait for the 480 or just pick up a GTX 1070.

Timothy Kim60 said:... grab a better SSD for that kind of cash (Samsung 850) ..

That’s a tough one to call. I used an Intel 520 SSD before and it was absolute magic. Honestly? I'd bet it actually beats out the Samsung. 😉

There's really no point in arguing about which one is better; you just look at the reviews and check the standard benchmarks to see the winner. And honestly, it's Samsung every single time, no question about it. CLICK

That whole thing about Windows booting two seconds faster? It’s honestly nothing. You won't even notice the difference during actual daily use... and I'd bet my money that the Intel
lasts longer.

http://forum.pcekspert.com/showpost....postcount=2798

Chris Robinson25, you're giving those Intel SSDs way too much credit. Sure, their high-end stuff hits the mark, but this particular model is just average—and honestly, overpriced.

The Intel 520 SSD was mainly a winner because it was budget-friendly and came with a solid 5-year warranty. When it comes down to it, Samsung produces the best consumer SSDs on the market, offering the perfect balance of performance and reliability.

Timothy Kim60 said:I just ran the numbers—same exact specs, shopping at the same Micro Center—and if you were building this from scratch (especially since you get free assembly anyway), it would cost about 11 $67 (though I swapped in different RAM and a 212X). Basically, you paid full price for those games, even if you think you got them through some random bundle deal.

You should've gone with a cheaper motherboard, then used that extra cash to grab a better SSD (like a Samsung 850) or maybe just a cheaper one to save money, grabbed 8GB of RAM, a Define R4 or a Define S (something better than $200), and if you really want high-end, just stick to the 550W power supply version. As for the GPU, either wait for the 480 or just grab a GTX 1070.

So, if I'm reading you right, you'd rather have a cheaper motherboard, a cheap case, and a weaker
power supply. Look, if that's what I wanted, I could've bought a budget rig. I
specifically wanted a high-end machine with premium components. In my opinion, the only
thing they messed up was the game situation—I didn't get anything "for free," I
paid for everything outright.

Instead of overspending, I’d opt for more cost-effective components where you wouldn't even notice a difference in real-world use. By making those smart adjustments, you could save enough to pick up a GTX 1070 and actually see much better overall gaming performance.