GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Whoa... 10A on the 12V rail(!!!)

It’s honestly a miracle that thing is even powering that 3870K. You must be running on integrated graphics, right?

crimsonstag84 said:Yikes... 10A on the 12V rail(!!!)

It’s a miracle that thing can even run just that 3870K. You're probably running on integrated graphics, right?

Yeah... :/
You think a 7850 or a gtx 660 wouldn't kill it?

No way. It feels like they totally scammed them (charging for Corsair but stuffing in Shroteks instead). They probably assume the average Joe isn't ever going to bother opening it up to check what's actually inside.

Yeah. I’m not sure which shop you picked up that from, but honestly, you might want to look into filing a lawsuit through a lawyer. It’s not just about getting a replacement.

It’s pretty ironic. I tore this thing open the second it arrived and didn't even bother checking the power supply... I bought it three years ago, so it's a bit late to be looking for a replacement or anything now. My bad for not noticing right away.
Since I'm already sinking money into this, I might as well grab a new PSU too.
What do you guys suggest? Which GPU and which power supply should I go with?

Since you mentioned that having $33 is worth its weight in gold—at least this or this (especially considering a 5-year burner).

If you're looking at the links, you could easily get by with this or this (the new silver version).

These are honestly solid power supplies without breaking the bank; they'll handle about 90% of GPUs out there, provided you aren't running one of those massive power hogs.

Timothy Kim60 said:Since you mentioned that $33 is worth its weight in gold—maybe look at this or this instead (mostly for a 5-year-old rig).

You could also just use the link to grab this or this (the new silver version)

They're decent power supplies without breaking the bank. You'll be fine with 90% of GPUs out there, barring the absolute power hogs.

$17 Going back and forth here... which of these is actually the best if I just want some peace of mind?
By the way, what GPU would you suggest for an Athlon II X4 840 so I don't hit a massive bottleneck? It’s running a Freezer 13, so I could probably push an overclock if that actually helps anything.

It probably depends on where you're located so you don't get hit with shipping fees... though there are plenty of decent used GPUs out there, especially since new releases tend to drive down the prices of older cards.

Maybe this would work too:

https://www.amazon.com/power-supply-unit-500w/s?k=power+supply+unit+500w

As for graphics cards, I’d probably grab a gtx 660 or an HD 7850 for around $55 $200 regardless of any bottlenecking issues. If not those, I see there's a GTX 470 with pretty solid coolers for about $133, which is roughly 40% slower than the other two.

crimsonstag84 said:Depends on where you're located so you can skip the shipping costs... there are plenty of decent used GPUs out there, especially now that new releases are driving down the prices on older cards.

Or maybe this:

As for graphics, I’d grab a GTX 660 or an HD 7850 for around $550--$200 regardless of any bottlenecking. If not those, I see there's a GTX 470 with solid coolers available for $133, which is about 40% slower than the other two.

I'm basically commuting between Chicago and Indianapolis, so I could pick it up in either state if I can find a better deal.
I was thinking about getting a GTX 670... would that be overkill for this CPU?

Look, an HD 7850, a GTX 660, or a 650Ti are all top-tier options for you. They're solid cards. It wouldn't make sense to shell out extra for something like a GTX 670 or a 7950, and honestly, they'll probably still hold their own when you eventually build a new rig.

If you want something newer, an RX 460 might be a good fit once it drops, provided it stays under $333 at launch (it’ll likely outperform those other suggestions

as far as the warranty goes.
Hit up the retailer. Demand a full refund or have them swap that power supply for the exact model—or one of equal value—that you actually ordered.
Cite Section 407 of the Uniform Commercial Code. If the store is being total jerks and tries to brush you off, tell them you're calling the Better Business Bureau and the consumer protection agencies.

The law basically states:


A buyer doesn't forfeit the right to claim a defect just because they didn't inspect the goods immediately upon receipt or failed to notify the seller within a reasonable timeframe, nor if the defect only becomes apparent after two years—or six months for commercial contracts—following delivery, provided that the defect was known to the seller or could not have been unknown to them.

Bottom line: you keep all your rights under the UCC for two years after purchase. The retailer is legally obligated to fix or replace any junk that isn't your fault.

Obviously, don't bother hiring a lawyer for a dispute involving $133
small fry 😵😵😵😵

What kind of "shortage" is this? It’s straight-up highway robbery. If they’d just have the decency to name the shop, at least we could go online and drag them through the mud properly.

Hold on, hold on... I haven't even plugged the card into my motherboard yet. What happens if I buy a GPU in October and find out the slot is dead when I finally go to install it? What’s the point of having a warranty then?

Jeffrey Allen92 said:Hold on, hold on. I haven't even plugged a GPU into my motherboard yet... what if the slot is dead by the time I actually buy a card ten months from now? What's the point of having a warranty then?

Wait, what?

A warranty is a warranty. You either have coverage or you don't. 🤷

Timothy Kim60 said:Wait, what?

A warranty is a warranty. You either have coverage or you don't. Period. 🤷

Read what wiredotter14 wrote above. It’s a direct excerpt from the law... it looks like they can just totally screw you over on your warranty...

Actually, my bad. I misread that. You actually have a two-year window to report a defect.

Bottom line:
You’ve got two years to spot a defect and notify the retailer in writing. The item doesn't actually have to reach them within that window. Theoretically, you should report the flaw shortly after noticing it, but in reality, a retailer can't really argue that you waited too long—they can't prove exactly when the issue started, so the two-year rule basically always applies. (Though, this wouldn't fly if you noticed your Ford F-150 was burning oil, drove another 60,000 miles, and *then* decided to complain to the dealer about it.)
During the first six months after purchase, the burden of proof isn't on you; the retailer can't claim you caused the damage. After that, they can start pushing back. (That's assuming it's not obvious physical damage, obviously.)

The warranty provided by a retailer or manufacturer is completely separate from your legal consumer rights. That's just a commercial warranty, which could be 6, 12, or 120 months—whatever. It has zero impact on your legal right to file a claim within those two years.

Once those two years are up, your statutory rights expire, but the manufacturer's warranty stays valid if they issued one for longer than two years.

However, if a retailer knew—or should have known—they were selling you defective goods, your right to file a claim doesn't expire after two years. You can still demand a repair, replacement, or refund regardless of how much time has passed, just as if you were still within the initial window.

So, man, go ahead and hit up the store and demand that Corsair

Might be slightly off-topic here, but everyone should probably read this since these legal protections clearly aren't common knowledge.

P.S.

All of this applies to sale items too. The only exception is if the item was explicitly sold as "defective"—you can't claim for the specific flaw mentioned, but you can certainly claim for anything else.

Honestly, I picked up a Sharkoon Fireglider Black from Best Buy... the thing died on me, and they just handed me a standard Sharkoon Fireglider as a replacement. To make matters worse, they only gave me about eight days of warranty left on it. If I remember correctly, under consumer protection laws here in the States, I should be getting a full two years of coverage on a replacement. So now what? It feels like I'm just stuck with nothing.

You really should have told them. They need to provide a full replacement under warranty, not just a repair. If they go the repair route, the warranty period should be extended by however long the device was out of your hands.

BTW, which one is the "black" version and which is the standard one? 🤷
I know there are laser and optical options, but I'm looking for the specific distinction here.

Jeffrey Allen92 said:meh, I picked up a Sharkoon Fireglider Black at Best Buy... the thing died on me and they just swapped it for a standard Sharkoon Fireglider. They gave me what, maybe 8 days of warranty? According to consumer law, I should be getting a full fresh 2 years, right? Now what? Nothing happens. Just lose out.

They could have given you a warranty that lasts until tomorrow morning for all the difference it makes—it doesn't change your legal rights.

Also, when they swap an item for a new one—whether it's the exact same model or a different one—the warranty resets. Same goes for major repairs. If they only fix one specific part, then only that part gets a reset warranty.

I had to return my Xperia Z5 T-Com after about 10 months (phone was basically a paperweight) and ended up with a replacement device.

When they handed over the replacement, the paperwork said the warranty on the new unit was only 30 days or until the original warranty expired.
I stood my ground, insisting the warranty starts over from the date I received the replacement. After arguing with the store manager for a few minutes, they actually hand-wrote on the receipt that my warranty would last until the two-year mark from my original purchase date. So, they tried to shortchange me by about 5 or 6 days, but I basically got the full 2 years starting from the swap. Same logic applies to your situation.

Warranty Period Extension
Section 425.
(1) In the event of a minor repair, the warranty period is extended by the amount of time the consumer was deprived of the use of the item.
(2) However, if the item is replaced or undergoes a major repair due to a defect, the warranty period restarts from the date of replacement or the return of the repaired item.
(3) If only a specific part of the item is replaced or significantly repaired, the warranty period restarts only for that specific part.

Timothy Kim60 said:You should have told them. They need to give you a brand new replacement under full warranty. If they just repair it, they’re basically just extending the time it was out of your hands while it sits in their shop.

BTW, which one is the "Black" version and which one is the standard one? 🤷
I know there's a laser and an optical version available.

There wasn't an optical one back then—that was probably ten years ago... but I remember one that was solid black with some fire design on it. I bought a plain black one that eventually died, and they gave me this one as a replacement. Not really complaining, honestly. It still works perfectly and it's great, but I didn't get the full warranty coverage I expected.

Timothy Kim60 said:You should've just told them.

If he's got the paperwork—some kind of receipt proving when the swap happened—then he hasn't lost a thing. Actually, he could take that document back to them and demand a written guarantee that the full original warranty starts from scratch. But there's really no point; under US consumer law, his warranty is already extended for two years from the date of the replacement.
It makes sense to ask for a written guarantee on a replacement device if the warranty lasts longer than two years. Say a RAM module dies in 2025, which would be year nine of a ten-year warranty, and they extend everything out to 2035.