GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

shadoweagle36 said:What GPU would you pair with this build? Budget is around $367
1 x Thermaltake V3 BlackX Edition, ATX, mATX
1 x OCZ 500W ModXStream Pro Power Supply, SLI-Ready, 12V/36A, Active PFC
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Corsair, 1600MHz, 9-9-9-24, Vengeance Heatsink
1 x WD 1TB Caviar Blue 10EZEX HDD, 1000 GB, SATA3, 64 MB, 3.5", 24mo
1 x Asrock 970 Extreme4, AM3+, AMD 970 + SB950 - 4 x DDR3 2100(OC)
1 x AMD FX-Series X8 8350 Processor 4.0GHz, 16MB, 125W, AM3+, FD8350FRHK

An R7 265 would work, but an R9 270 offers better value—especially since the current best-buy is the R9 280 for about $500

If you haven't pulled the trigger on those parts yet, I’d swap quite a few things to get better bang for your buck. You should look at a different power supply, upgrade to an 8320, and grab a much more solid motherboard like the ASUS M5A97 R2.0, which is only slightly more expensive. Also, consider a Zalman Z3 case and an XFX 550 power supply

Keep an eye out on eBay for an R9 270X or a GTX 760 and save some cash; they don't need to be brand new.

By the way, the link you shared shows a Gainward GTX 660 Golden Sample 2GB GDDR5 listed for $333 under the used items section, which comes with a 1-year warranty.

I would strictly opt for buying something brand new if I'm looking at the long term. I’m not exactly a hardcore enthusiast, but I want to ensure my configuration actually has some room to breathe and allows for meaningful upgrades once the next big AAA title hits the market.

shadoweagle36 said:I’d personally just go with something brand new if I were looking at the long term. I’m not exactly a hardcore gamer, so my main priority would be having a build that allows for easy upgrades once some big new titles drop in the near future.

What kind of budget are we working with if you're planning to buy a whole system? And are you paying cash or using a credit card? Or do you already have this setup sitting at home and you're just hunting for a new graphics card right now?

Keith Wright2 said:What kind of budget are we actually looking at here if you're planning on buying a whole system? And are you paying cash or using a credit card? Or do you already have this setup sitting at home and you're just hunting for a new graphics card?

I am looking to buy an entire computer for $1700. I realize I might be asking the wrong question

shadoweagle36 said:Thinking about grabbing a whole rig for $1700. I know it's a bad idea

Cash or credit?

shadoweagle36 said:I'm thinking about buying a complete PC build for $1700. I know the timing isn't exactly ideal

If you ask me, this is the way to go. With this setup, you'll be running just about any game on ultra settings. You get a powerful processor that stays cool and draws very little power, a beast of a graphics card, 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB hard drive...

-Intel Core i5-4440 (3.1GHz, 6MB, LGA1150) box
-Asus H81M-PLUS motherboard
-Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3G GDDR5 PCI-E DVI-I / DVI-D / HDMI / DP DUAL-X OC VERSION (UEFI), 11221-00-20G
-KINGSTON ValueRAM DDR3 SDRAM Non-ECC (8GB, 1600MHz(PC3-12800), Unbuffered) CL11, KVR16N11/8 memory
-SILVERSTONE Strider ST50F-230 AC 180-264V, 50/60Hz, DC 3.3/5/±12V, 500W, Retail, Active power supply
-WD Caviar Blue 1TB SATA 3 WD10EZEX hard drive
-Zalman micro tower case black, ZAL-ZM-T2

Total cost:$1773 Free assembly via Centro.hr
This price is for cash payments. Go ahead and stretch those extra $67 because the performance boost you get is massive!

So why cram an R9 280X into an mATX case with a pricey H81 board?

If you're grabbing an XFX R9 280 Black Edition specifically to overclock it up to R9 280X levels—which is basically $200—then I guess you really ought to get a decent case, maybe spend a few extra bucks on a B85 motherboard, grab a power supply with significantly better voltage regulation and lower ripple, and perhaps even an SSD (it ends up being around $1750).

crimsonstag84 said:Why pair an R9 280X with an mATX case and a pricey H81 motherboard?

If you're grabbing an XFX R9 280 Black Edition specifically because it can be overclocked to reach R9 280X performance levels—which means $200—then why stop there? You should pick up a decent case, maybe spend a few extra bucks on a B85 motherboard, get a power supply with significantly better voltage regulation and lower ripple, and perhaps even toss in an SSD (bringing the total to roughly $1750).

That all makes sense, but I highly doubt he actually knows how to overclock a GPU. If he does, then sure, he might as well just go straight for the R9 280X.

The R9 280X is only about 15% faster, so I don't think it's really worth it.$200In my opinion, you shouldn't skimp too much on the other 4 or 5 components.

Hey there! I'm not entirely sure if this is the right spot for this question, but
so here's the deal: I've got some DDR3 RAM (2x2GB), an AMD X3 running at 2.4 GHz, and a standard PCIe slot just sitting there
with integrated graphics that only pulls about 512MB
Since I don't actually play any games on this machine—it's strictly for surfing the web and doing stuff in Excel or Word—I was wondering how I can make things run smoother? The lag is honestly starting to drive me crazy... Chrome with Shockwave (especially YouTube) can easily gobble up 2GB of memory, which makes everything feel sluggish. YouTube stutters, and high-res movies? Forget about it, they just freeze up... So, I'm torn. Should I grab a dedicated graphics card, or would it be better to swap out my current setup for 4GB of RAM instead of 2?

My power supply is decent, a Corsair 430W (I'm pretty sure it hits that 80% efficiency mark),

If I decide to go the graphics card route, I'd want to spend no more than $$100 per card.
Looking at all those specs out there, I'm totally lost on what to pick. Low-end? Entry-level? Any advice?

Which motherboard is this exactly? And does it have 2GB or 4GB of memory now?

Hey everyone... so I'm looking to pick up a new graphics card because, honestly, I'm pretty fed up with this ASUS HD6670GDDR5; it just keeps stuttering whenever I try to play anything modern...
I'm not pulling the trigger just yet, though—I'm aiming to grab something by Christmas, unless I manage to scrape enough cash together before then...
I'm leaning towards going with Nvidia this time around since they generally seem way better than those AMD cards, don't you think? What do you guys reckon, crimsonstag84 or Robert Rodriguez2?

Here's what else is running in my rig...
I've got an AMD A10-6790K currently clocked at 4.3GHz, but I'm definitely planning to push the overclock even further now that I've got a decent cooler 😬
Asrock FM2A88M Extreme4 + Hitachi HDD
Hitachi HDD (system) and Maxtor
My power supply is actually pretty solid—it's a Seasonic 430W bronze... I think it says 80 Plus on it or something...
I'm assuming the PSU should be fine...
Oh, and I'm using a Thermaltake MIDI tower, the V4 Black Edition

Right now, I'm playing at 1280x1024, but I also have an HDTV at home, so it would be awesome if I could run games at Full HD resolution just as smoothly as I do on my monitor.

So yeah, I'd much rather just go with an NVIDIA card... I mean, who cares if they cost a little extra? If anyone thinks I'd be better off sticking with AMD, please, feel free to tell me...

Roger Gray8 said:hey guys... I'm looking at new GPUs. My NVIDIA GeForce GT 730 isn't cutting it anymore; it just stutters whenever I try playing anything modern...
not buying yet, probably waiting until around Christmas... unless I save up enough sooner...
I'm leaning toward NVIDIA this time. They seem better overall than Intel cards, right? Smartic, Robert Rodriguez2?

here's the rest of my build...
Intel Core i5 currently at 4.3GHz, might try overclocking more since I just got a new cooler 😬
ASUS Motherboard + Seagate HDD
HDD Hitachi (system) and Western Digital
The PSU is decent—EVGA 450 W bronze... has an 80 plus rating on it...
Should be fine...
case is a MIDI Thermaltake V4 Black Edition

Right now I play at 1280x1024, but I have an HDTV too, so I’d love to run games in Full HD just as smoothly as I do on my monitor.

Basically, I'd rather go with NVIDIA... even if they cost a bit more. If anyone thinks Intel is a better bet, let me know...

😂 then show up a day or two before you actually buy something and we'll tell you then... until then, just wait and see what gets released.

fadedorca66 said:Wait, which motherboard exactly? Are we talking 2GB or 4GB of memory here?

It's 2*2 GB of RAM. I'm running an MSI Motherboard in a micro case.
Plus, I've got two hard drives going

Anyway, I'm really torn! Should I swap out one of those 2GB sticks for a single 4GB one, or just go for a new graphics card instead? The price is pretty much the same for both—around $250 to $300. That's basically what I'd drop on the GPU.
I'm guessing the graphics card would give me a way bigger boost, right? Since integrated graphics are usually the biggest bottleneck in a system when it comes to performance.

driftingpilot8 said:I've got 2*2 GB of RAM. Motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-MA78LMT-US2H in a micro case.
Plus I'm running two hard drives

Basically, I'm wondering if I should swap one 2GB stick for a 4GB one, or just upgrade the GPU. They cost about the same, maybe $250-$300. That's what I'd drop on a card.
I'm guessing the GPU would make a bigger impact since integrated graphics are the bottleneck here. Performance-wise.

Why bother swapping? This board has 4 RAM slots. Just grab another stick and go. 🙂 You don't even have to strip the old RAM out of the machine.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Why on earth would you even swap it out? That board’s got 4 RAM slots! Just pop another stick in that top slot and you're golden 🙂 You don't even need to strip the old RAM out of the PC

I bet there's a ton of dust in there

And what about the graphics card?

driftingpilot8 said:you've got dust

what about the GPU?

Just buy a new one. What's your budget?

Roger Gray8 said:Hey everyone... I'm actually looking into getting a new GPU myself. To be honest, I'm pretty frustrated with this ASUS HD6670GDDR5—it just can't keep up and starts stuttering like crazy whenever I try to run anything modern...
I haven't pulled the trigger yet, though—I'm planning to hold off until closer to Christmas when things hopefully settle down..

Here’s what else I'm running...
My AMD A10 6790 k is currently pushed to 4.3GHz, but since I just picked up a new cooler, I'm definitely going to try pushing the overclock even further 😬
Asrock FM2A88M Extreme4+

I honestly can't believe you haven't given AMD's hybrid CrossFire a shot yet???

I think you can only pair it with the HD 6670 DDR3 version, since that's what the system memory uses.