GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

It’s the budget pick... temps and noise levels seem okay, though it only comes with a 2-year warranty.
The first one offering a 3-year warranty is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with a single fan, but that’ll run you about $33 more.

Thanks! Looks like I'll have to go through $667 then. Hopefully my current rig is up to the task. Should I jump up to a 1070 for VR? Honestly, that feels like overkill for what I actually need—especially given the budget—but since I rarely swap out parts, I’d rather just buy once and be done with it for a long time.

The GTX 1060 6GB is actually pretty decent for VR, whereas I guess the RX 470 is more of a bare minimum since it's a bit weaker.

So, I'm thinking about picking up a new GPU for my rig, and I've been eyeing this Sapphire AMD Radeon RX 480. Now, the RX 470 is looking pretty cheap, and the 460 is way, way cheaper... so, I guess I'm wondering if it's actually worth splurging on the top-tier option? Let me know what you guys think! Anyway, here are the answers to the questions from that first post:

Q: So, you're staring at a motherboard and wondering... do I actually need an AGP card or should I be looking for a PCI-E one? It’s kind of a toss-up depending on what kind of retro rig you're trying to build, I guess. Like, if you're digging through old bins for some vintage hardware, you might be stuck with AGP, but if you want anything remotely modern or even just slightly less ancient, PCI-E is obviously the way to go. It really just depends on the era of the machine you're messing around with, maybe? Just gotta check those slots before you go dropping cash on something that won't even fit!

A: So... PCI-E. I mean, where do we even start with that? It’s one of those things you just kind of assume works, right? Like, you plug stuff in, and—boom—it functions. But man, once you actually start digging into the weeds of bandwidth and lanes and how much juice these modern cards are actually pulling... it gets messy. Fast. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you're thinking about upgrading, you can't just look at the slot and call it a day. You gotta think about whether your motherboard is actually gonna keep up with what you're throwing at it. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of the newest tech, but honestly? Sometimes the older stuff still holds its own if you aren't pushing extreme workloads. Or maybe I'm just being old school. Who knows? Just... yeah. Don't sleep on the specs, I guess.

Q: So, what are you guys running at the moment? Like, what’s the current build looking like, or what are you planning to put together next? And seriously, don't forget to mention your PSU—what kind of power supply are you rocking in there?

A:
So I've got this one Asrock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 sitting here—it's an Intel Z790 board, standard ATX layout, and it’s actually got those Premium Gold Capacitors on it too.
So, I've got this one kit of 8GB DDR3 from Kingmax—it's actually two 4GB sticks—running at 1600MHz, FLFE spec. Just wanted to throw that out there... I guess?
So, I've got this one Intel Core i5-2500K sitting here... 3.3GHz, you know? It's got that 1MB/6MB cache setup and pulls about 95W. Just a single chip, nothing too crazy.
So, I've got this one LG GH22NS DVD burner sitting here—it's a DVD±RW drive, by the way. It handles 22x DVD±R, 8x DL, and can do 40x CD-R if you're into that sort of thing... I guess? Just a little heads-up on the specs!
So, I've got this one Cooler Master HAF 912 sitting here... just one of them.
So, I've got this one old Samsung 500GB hard drive hanging around... you know, the 7200rpm kind with that 16MB cache, running on the older Serial ATA II-300 interface. It’s basically just an F3 model. Honestly, probably just sitting there gathering dust in a drawer somewhere, I guess.
So, I've got this one Zalman CNPS 5X cooling unit hanging around... it's compatible with pretty much everything from those old Socket 775 setups to the 1155/1156 stuff, and even works with AM2 or AM3 sockets if you're running an AMD build. Just a heads up!
So, I've got one of those Sapphire HD 6850 cards lying around... it's the 1GB GDDR5 version with the 256-bit bus. It's got the usual ports too—Dual Link DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort. Just figured I'd mention it!
So, I've got one of those Corsair 650W power supplies from the TX Series—it’s an ATX12V v2.31 unit. Just thought I'd mention it!

Q: So, what resolution are you guys actually running when you're gaming? I mean, I'm curious if everyone is sticking to the standard stuff or if people are pushing it.

A: 1680 * 1050

Q: So, I'm curious... what kind of budget are we actually looking at here? Like, how much cash are you guys seriously willing to drop on this?

A: I mean, I’m honestly down to drop like... maybe around...$667 I mean, honestly... it all just comes down to whether it actually pays off in the long run. Like, if you're looking at the big picture, does it even make sense? I guess it really depends on how you play it. Maybe.

Q: So, which stores should I even be looking at? I mean, I guess there's a bunch of options out there, but honestly, it depends on what you're hunting for, right? Maybe Best Buy if you want to actually see stuff in person, or maybe just stick to Amazon if you don't feel like leaving the couch... I don't know, it's kind of a toss-up depending on the vibe. Any suggestions?

A: I don't really have any specific demands, honestly... I guess I just think Prometheus would be the way to go. Maybe.

Q: If you guys have any other specific requests or anything else on your mind, just let me know! I'm all ears.

A: Man, I’m really just hoping for some peace and quiet here... you know? Like, I just want this thing to run silent. And honestly, if I can get at least 2 or 3 years out of it without any major headaches, I'll be a happy camper. That's really all I'm asking for, I guess.

James Ruiz said:I'm looking to pick up a new graphics card for my rig. I've been running an AMD setup, so the Sapphire AMD Radeon RX 480 caught my eye. Now, the 470 is a bit cheaper, and the 460 is significantly more budget-friendly... is it actually worth springing for the top-tier option?

Your power supply should handle it just fine. As for the GPU? Well, you get what you pay for, right? Though, honestly, the performance gap between them isn't massive. If you can swing it, I’d say go for the most expensive one. But, if things are a little tight financially, the middle ground—the 470—is a solid choice. Actually, if you decide to save that extra cash instead of going for the premium model, why not put it toward an SSD?
Just make sure you double-check the specs, specifically the ports. My old card had 2 x HDMI ports and I used both; my new one only has 1 HDMI and 3 x DP (DisplayPort). An adapter for DP/HDMI will run you about $27.

The RX 470 is a solid pick for your resolution and setup (especially on your budget). It’ll be a balanced build. An RX 460 is "just enough" for what you're doing, but an RX 480 is starting to lean into overkill territory.

If you're checking out Prometheus, they carry the Sapphire Nitro, so you won't go wrong there.

Hey there,
I just picked up a new PC, but since my bank account took a massive hit from some recent relationship drama, I couldn't swing a new GPU right away... I'm looking for some solid recommendations. Here’s the current setup: MSI H110M PRO-D
Processor: Intel Core i5-6400

Budget: roughly $500

Huge shoutout to ruggedpanther2 and wiredotter14 for all the solid advice... I finally pulled the trigger on an RX 480 and man, it is working out awesome!

Hey there...
Here is my current setup:
GeForce GTS 450
i5-2320 CPU 3.00GHz
4 GB RAM
I want to make some small upgrades so I can actually play modern games like GTA 5 decently.
I can run them, but the FPS drops and stuttering are constant.
I’ve been looking at the Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB or maybe a 1070.
I might just stick with this processor for now.
And I'll probably add 8GB of RAM, or more if necessary.
I don't know much about this stuff, so excuse me if I'm off base here.
Thanks for the help!

If you bump up the RAM by at least another 4GB, you'll be in a great spot to run an Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB or an RX 480 8GB (check out the current deals at Micro Center—they have both the standard XFX RS and the GTR models on sale right now). Also, make sure to verify the exact model of your power supply; just pop off the side panel to check.

Thanks for the input..
I think my power supply is an SL-500G, so probably 500W.
I'm assuming there isn't much of a performance gap between the GTX 1060 6GB and the RX 480 8GB... maybe just in price?
The GeForce GTX series is more my style, honestly.
Is a 1070 actually worth the jump?
And does my current PSU even have enough juice for a 1070?

Honestly, your power supply is garbage and won't handle anything. I'd swap that out before even thinking about other parts. What you've got right now is just low-quality junk. Plus, I guess a 1070 isn't really worth the upgrade for that CPU anyway.

fadedorca66 said:Honestly, your power supply just isn't up to the task—you really need to swap that out before you even think about touching other components. What you're running right now is pretty low-quality and unreliable. Plus, pairing a 1070 with that specific processor? It’s probably not worth the investment.

Yeah, it's still a 2nd gen i5 after all—if it were a 3rd or 4th gen, I might say otherwise...

Back again. My current graphics card is really starting to struggle, and after picking up a few titles during the Steam sale, I’ve realized I'm in a bit of a bind. I wouldn't call myself a hardcore gamer, but let's be honest—we all want decent performance, even if we only jump into a game every once in a while.
Should I go with a GTX 1050 Ti, or is it worth stretching my budget for a GTX 1060 so I can be a little more future-proof? More importantly, will my current power supply handle it, or am I looking at an upgrade there too? The PSU has a single 6-pin connector.

Intel Core i3-4130
LC-CC-95 cooler
MSI B450M with Corsair Vengeance RAM and NVIDIA GT 1030
2x4 GB RAM Kingston Hyper X 1600 Mhz
Radeon R7 250 1GB DDR5
500 GB HDD + 120 GB SSD
EVGA 500 W Bronze

I'd probably lean toward the GTX 1050 Ti, mostly because I feel like the CPU is going to struggle just to keep up with that one, let alone try to push a GTX 1060. As for the power supply, it’s a bit older, but it isn't total junk, so it should probably handle the GTX 1050 Ti just fine.

Is it actually safe to use a 2x Molex to 8-pin adapter? My power supply only has a 6-pin connector available, but I see the GTX 1050 Ti requires an 8-pin.

Hey everyone,

1. PCI-E (the motherboard says I've got a PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot)
2. ASRock B75 PRO3M, 1155, EVGA Core edition 450 w power supply, Intel Core i5 3570, KINGSTON DDR3 (8GB,1600MHz(PC3-12800) CL11
3. Playing at 1920x1080 (my current monitor)
4. I'm looking to drop about $1,500, maybe up to $0.83
5. So far, I'm pretty happy with my stuff from Amazon.com

I’m thinking about upgrading both my RAM and maybe even the CPU. Is there actually any point in jumping to 32 GB—will I actually see a difference, or am I just hitting some hardware limits? I'm running Windows 10 OS, but I really want a rig beefy enough to run an Ubuntu virtual machine smoothly without everything feeling super sluggish. My goal is basically to max out this motherboard without messing around with overclocking.

If you guys have any solid suggestions for the CPU or memory, I’d seriously appreciate it! 🙂

So, I have decided to master the art of playing Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, and the only thing standing in my way is a graphics card...
My current setup is as follows:

-ASUS F2A55 motherboard, AMD A55
-EVGA Core edition 450 w power supply
-Intel Core i3-2100 box processor, s. FM2, 3.2GHz, 4MB
cache, quad Core

I suppose I need a PCI-E graphics card, provided it isn't more expensive than roughly $333, with a maximum of $400.