GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

https://www.amazon.com/amd-graphics-cards/b?node=16351333011

or maybe this:

https://www.newegg.com/evga-geforce-gtx-1060/p/N82E16817382335

There isn't a massive difference, I guess. The 1060 is probably a bit more efficient and runs cooler, plus it's slightly better for DX11 titles. On the other hand, the RX 580 gives you more VRAM, supports FreeSync, and might have a slight edge when running DX12.

I could use some expert advice here. From what I’ve been reading online, these two cards are roughly in the same performance bracket: the EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and the MSI RX 560 Gaming. However, the second option is significantly cheaper. I was already leaning toward purchasing the first one. Should I reconsider?

frozengull44 said:I could use some expert advice here. I've been looking online and it seems like these two are roughly in the same ballpark: EVGA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and MSI RX 560 Gaming. The second one is way cheaper, so I was actually leaning towards grabbing the first one.

The ASUS ROG GTX 1050 Ti is definitely stronger than the RX 560. If you saw they were close, you were probably looking at comparisons for the standard GTX 1050....

analogtiger19 said:The GTX 1050 Ti is significantly more powerful than the MSI RX 560. If you felt they were close, you were likely looking at comparisons for the standard GTX 1050 (without the Ti)....

I was browsing a site where the 1050 Ti wasn't listed as "much stronger" than the MSI RX 560, but rather just "slightly better." However, upon further inspection, it seems the performance gap is actually a bit wider than just "slight." I will go with the 1050 Ti. Thank you for the assistance.

Hey there!

So, I was wondering if I could get some advice here 🙂

Here’s what I’m working with:
- MSI GA-M56S-S3
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-currently rocking 4GB of DDR2 800MHz RAM—though I guess I'll bump it up to 8GB DDR2 800MHz later.

-CPU AMD Phenom II X4 955 3.2 GHz
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-power supply
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-HDD
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-Case is fine, has two fans built-in.

And now, I guess I need help picking a GPU so this whole setup can actually handle some 3D games... basically just trying to run Epic Games right now.

I've been browsing online and I think I've figured some stuff out, but maybe I'm wrong? When I look at the speeds, there's such a huge gap—like, my RAM is 800 MHz, but some GPUs go up to 4500 MHz. I don't want to waste cash on a card that's way too powerful because the rest of my parts will just bottleneck it, I guess.

My CPU is pretty much the max for this motherboard, and same with the RAM, so they're at their limit. I'd probably grab a used card since they're cheaper, unless the system can't even handle decent ones, then maybe I'd look at something new... though it really depends on what this build can actually take.

Thanks in advance for any tips! 🙂

If you ask me—and again, this is just my two cents—you’re looking at a pretty old system here, and honestly, I don't think it's worth throwing more money at it. You've got a weak processor, so even if you drop in a slightly better graphics card, the CPU is just going to act as a bottleneck and hold everything back. If things are tight financially right now, my advice would be to just save up your cash and grab some brand-new components instead.

Alright, so right now I'm rocking this GPU
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So, I was wondering... what's maybe the most powerful GPU I could toss into this build without the CPU becoming a total bottleneck? Or, like, what specs should I even be looking for so I can hunt for one myself? Honestly, looking at all these specs, I'm kind of lost on what actually matters 😉

If I were picking a GPU for Epic Games with this setup, everything else seems pretty decent for the recommended specs, it's just the GPU that's a bit weak. Like, they suggest an AMD Radeon HD 7870 or an Nvidia GTX 660 2GB, so I'm just trying to see if those would work without some other part hitting a bottleneck 😉

Even those recommended GPUs won't fully utilize that CPU, but let's be honest—the GPU you're currently running is bottom-of-the-barrel. If you're looking at something brand new with ovako, you'd see a massive jump in performance. You still won't be hitting a rock-solid 60 FPS minimum, but it would actually be playable. Adding more RAM wouldn't hurt either, but that's just extra fluff; honestly, it's probably not worth sinking too much cash into that PC
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If you want to look at the used market, check out a GTX 750, 750Ti, HD7790, R7 260X, 260, or 360, etc. You shouldn't pay more than $133 max for those. If your current power supply is total junk, you're better off grabbing the one linked above
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As long as your power supply isn't total junk:

https://www.craigslist.com/listing/graphics-cards...example

Maybe this one too:

https://www.craigslist.com/listing/graphics-cards...example

Kids are running Epic Games on this thing without breaking a sweat:

CPU: AMD Phenom II X3 720, AM3 socket, BOX, 7.5Mb cache

GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 950

Basically, if we're looking at modern cards, a GTX 1050 would be the more premium upgrade path...
or you could just go with a GT 1030 if you're trying to keep things cheap.

I’m not really sure why people are claiming the Phenom II X4 955 is too weak for Epic Games.😁

Honestly, picking up a GTX 1050 just doesn't make sense when you look at this deal:

https://www.amazon.com/graphics-cards...m_medium=click

It’s a pretty solid price... I guess the processor might bottleneck the card a little bit, but it still seems worth it.

Yeah, an ASUS ROG GTX 1050 Ti would probably handle it pretty well enough:



Plus, I'm running a Fortron Hex power supply, so there shouldn't be any issues there. It's a decent unit, I guess...

Hey 🙂

So, after crunching the numbers for a few days and thinking about it, I found this GPU

and I was wondering if it's similar to this one or maybe even weaker

The first one says it's low profile in the description, and the price is pretty much the same

Thanks in advance for any help 🙂

It’s essentially the same thing, though if I were in your shoes, I’d personally opt for the standard model over the low profile one—you get a much better heatsink. That said, it doesn't really matter since this isn't exactly a high-heat GPU; you could even get away with a passively cooled version. Just make sure to double-check if it still carries that 3-year warranty

Hey there!

Uhh.. I feel like I might be annoying 😢 but I could really use some help, so here goes. I've basically just been looking at GeForce stuff lately, but then I spotted this GPU on an online shop:

So, since they're in the same price range, I'm wondering which one is actually better. I noticed this one has 1GB 128-Bit GDDR5, while the next low profile one has 2GB 64-Bit GDDR5, so I guess, which one wins?

Oh, and yeah, I checked and all the parts come with a 2-year warranty.

You're better off with the GTX 1030. Its main rival is the RX 550, but in my opinion, the GTX 1030 comes out slightly ahead in performance while being easier on your wallet too.

Alright

So you're saying I should go with the PowerColor R7 250 1GB DDR5? I guess that's the move $223

Thanks a ton for taking the time to help me out 👍

Actually, the GTX 1030 is the better choice here. Where on earth did you read that we were sidelining the old R7 250?😁

Probably belongs here

but regardless, I think the first one is slightly more powerful and actually cheaper

Just grab a GTX 1030 and call it a day.

Sounds good to me 😁