GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

http://www.diskont24.com/product.php...cat=390&page=2

This is definitely the way to go. Anything listed below it seems like a bad deal and just isn't worth the headache. If you find this one a bit pricey, maybe just grab an extra $23, but I wouldn't touch anything cheaper. This card is easily three times more powerful than a GeForce GT 220, and honestly, probably twice as strong as an ASUS Radeon HD 5570.

+1 for the R7 250 gddr5

Honestly, you can grab an NVIDIA GeForce GT 220 or an ATI Radeon HD 5570 for that same price. That’s just ridiculous.

rustyranger6 said:I couldn't find any specs for my integrated graphics anywhere. But I guess I'm looking at these cards that should be a bit more powerful:
NVIDIA GeForce GT 220 1GB
or maybe
ATI Radeon HD 5570 1GB

My budget is $167

Not really, feels like you just took $167 and tossed it out the window. Maybe try checking Craigslist for some used gear?

Regarding Craigslist, I’d personally go ahead and grab it from there—but honestly, I’m still a bit on the fence about what exactly I should be picking up. I just can't be certain if the thing actually works or if it's just a paperweight.
As for the budget, I think I could probably stretch myself a little further by about $23. The real headache is that he isn't exactly throwing money my way, whereas I know I could snag it on Craigslist for around $133.

So, what are your thoughts on this one? It’s an AMD Radeon R7 240 with 2GB—though the only catch I see is that it uses DDR3 memory. From what I can gather, it seems like it might just be an older iteration compared to that R7 250 model with GDDR5.

No, that card is absolute garbage for what you're paying

Trust me, if you're looking for something new, nothing less than an Radeon R7 250 DDR5 is worth your money. You're better off saving up. The price gap is tiny, but the jump in performance is massive

And what if I decide to go the used route instead? What kind of factors should I be keeping in mind in that scenario?

What kind of power supply are you running? (Model name?)

Basically, I’d suggest looking for an ATI Radeon HD 5570, an HD 6670, an HD 7730, an HD 5750, or even a 6750. If you can snag an NVIDIA GTX 650 or an AMD Radeon HD 7750 within your budget, go for it. Just make sure they have GDDR5 memory—it's significantly faster. Honestly, those are pretty much the upper limits you should aim for given the CPU you're working with.

Check out this guy who has a similar CPU setup to yours; he has some good videos posted.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-11551950

http://www.craigslist.org/listing/graphics-card-listing-11183154

I guess the HD 5830 is a bit more powerful than the R7 250, though the NVIDIA GTX 560 probably edges out the HD 5830.

EDIT: You really need a decent power supply for cards like these, otherwise you might want to stick to the options Timothy Kim60 posted 😉

Greetings,

Does anyone have suggestions for potential upgrades? What would be your first priority for changes?

http://upload.slike.com/slike/2014/0...-Grafickad.jpg

http://upload.slike.com/slike/2014/0...168px-Komp.jpg

http://upload.slike.com/slike/2014/0...x-Procesor.jpg

Well, it really all comes down to what you're actually doing with the rig—if you're looking to tackle modern titles at full 1080p, I'd probably suggest swapping out the processor, the motherboard, the RAM, and the graphics card altogether..

Paul Doyle7 said:Hello,

Any upgrade recommendations? What would you change?
>

Everything is fine except the GPU; it's underpowered for modern gaming. If you aren't playing games, leave it alone.
People overestimate how much faster newer CPUs actually are.
I would swap the graphics card for an AMD Radeon R9 270. It is very fast and the price-to-performance ratio is excellent.
Check this list:
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

Also, if you are still using an HDD for your Windows boot drive, grab a 64GB SSD. They aren't expensive, and the speed boost will be massive.

LP

What kind of graphics card would you suggest for him? 😲 Honestly, I think his processor is going to be the bottleneck here...

Who cares? They just want more. As long as they keep swallowing everything we feed them...

I’d say you’re looking at an AMD Radeon HD 7770 or maybe an R7 250X at most for that CPU. Even if you push things to 4.5GHz with an overclock, you probably won't see any real benefit from an AMD Radeon R9 270. I guess it might be better to just grab a decent cooler and an R7 260X, then aim for a modest 3.8GHz overclock instead.

You’re basically one step away from $667 having a brand new rig (assuming your power supply isn't ancient)
1 x MSI A858XM-E35,FM2+, micro ATX, S FM2 Chipset: AMD A88X Memory
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value
1 x Sapphire R7 260X 1GB GDDR5 OC, 1GB GDDR5 128bit, 28nm
1 x AMD Trinity Athlon II x4 750 3.40GHz 4cores
1 x Thermaltake Contac 21, 775,AM2,AM2+,AM3,AM3+,FM1,1155,1156

$712

Hey there!

I’m pretty sure my GPU is dying (here's the ). Device Manager is throwing a "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)" error at me.

Here’s what I’m running right now:

The RAM is DDR3.
My card is an Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT
And I've got a 500W power supply.

What should I upgrade to? I'm looking for something mid-range—are the Nvidia GTX 750 or the 650 the way to go?
I've been able to run newer titles on Normal or High settings without much trouble (think Assassin's Creed 3, Batman: Arkham Origins, or Mass Effect 3), but this 8800 GT is already five years old.

Honestly, I don't know much about the technical side of things. Will my current PSU handle a new card? Should I grab another 4GB of RAM, and is my CPU actually decent enough to keep up?

I’d personally go for the GTX 750 Ti—or even just the standard GTX 750—paired with 4 GB of RAM, and you'll have a pretty decent little setup there. 🙂 That said, I suspect you might run into some trouble with your processor acting as a bottleneck—it probably won't be able to keep up with the graphics card. Maybe try overclocking it? As for the power supply, though, I wouldn't sweat it... if it handled an Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT back in the day, it should have no problem powering a card that uses about half the electricity. 🙂

Paul Doyle7 said:Hey there,

Any recommendations for an upgrade? What would you guys swap out first?

I’ve attached an image showing my current graphics card setup. Take a look and let me know what you think!

http://upload.slike.com/slike/2014/0...168px-Komp.jpg

I've attached an image showing my current CPU setup.

Just throw in a graphics card, for heaven's sake. R7 250...or if I were to go for something even more powerful. GTX 750 It’s especially risky if you're running a low-quality power supply, since these cards draw very little power—they basically just pull what they need directly from the PCIe slot. Honestly, if you aren't playing any heavy-duty games (and I mean actual AAA titles, not just some random browser game), there's really no reason to bother upgrading your GPU at all.

Maybe eventually I'll pick up a 120GB SSD, for example.
I found this listing for a 120GB basic SSD online. It looks like a solid little upgrade if you're trying to breathe some life back into an older machine. You can check out the details here: http://www.amazon.com/s?k=basic+SSD+120GB

Kevin Ward3 said:Greetings!

I have a feeling my graphics card is about to kick the bucket.Proof.I'm seeing this error in Device Manager: "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)."

Here is my current setup:

The RAM modules are DDR3.
The graphics card is an Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT.
I’m running a 500W power supply.

What kind of graphics card would you recommend? I’m looking for something in the mid-to-high tier, and I was wondering if the Nvidia GTX 750 or the GTX 650 would fit that description.
I've been able to run relatively recent titles like Assassin's Creed III, Batman: Arkham Origins, and Mass Effect 3 on Normal or even High settings without any issues, which is pretty impressive considering my Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT is already five years old.

I’ll be honest, I'm really not an expert when it comes to all these technical specs. Will my power supply be able to handle it? I was also thinking about picking up another 4GB of RAM, and I'm wondering if my processor is actually decent enough to get the job done.

Go ahead and pop the side panel off that case so you can double-check the exact model of your power supply. As far as the CPU goes, it’s still a solid performer; it actually has some impressive overclocking headroom. I know plenty of people running heavily overclocked chips like yours who are still getting great results with cards like the HD 7850 or the GTX 660. Even by today's standards, it holds its own—it’s roughly comparable to an R7 265, which pulls just a bit more power than an old Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT.

Just a heads-up: if you aren't planning on overclocking—and especially if you're running a budget power supply—you're better off sticking with the GTX 750. It’s easily the best move in that $85-$90 price range.$300)

It looks like you're dealing with GPU artifacts, which is a classic sign that the graphics card is failing. However, to be absolutely certain before you go out and buy a new one, try testing your PC on a different monitor, or better yet, plug your current monitor into another computer. It’s the only way to rule out a faulty display.

My power supply is an ATX 12V Power Supply, and honestly, it’s about 10 years old—basically a relic at this point.

Also, if someone could walk me through what that overclocking thing actually entails🤣(since my buddy mentioned it earlier too), I'd appreciate it. I have zero clue what's actually happening—is it just CPU overheating and how to stop it with beefier fans and those voltage spikes? Don't kill me😬), but I know it's off-topic, so just shoot me a PM if you don't mind.