GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

That’s just how they write the processor specs in the product title, and it honestly varies from one online retailer to the next.
Some shops just list the component name and model, while others dump the entire spec sheet right into the heading.
The bottom line is that it’s the exact same Intel Core i5-12400 processor you can find pretty much anywhere.

Look, on Newegg, the 5600G shows up first, but if you bother to scroll down a bit, the 5600 is right there.
Here are a few other spots for you:

https://www.newegg.com/p/products/detail...600-box/188687
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/cpu-intel-core-5...72890/product/
https://www.microcenter.com/cpu-intel-ryz...72123/product/

Ever since I started working in Information Technology, I’ve kind of neglected my own hardware setup—it should probably be the other way around, right? 🙄

From what I can see, those new RTX 4000 series cards are starting to drop. I’m currently rocking an NVIDIA RTX 2070 super, and I’d love to sell it while I still have about 8 months left on the warranty to pick up one of the newer models... though I'm guessing prices for these GPUs are going to be pretty steep.

A decent jump would likely be moving up to an NVIDIA RTX 4070..

If anyone could share some more details or advice, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks! 🙂

The RTX 4070 isn't even out yet; they haven't even announced it. That’s not happening until next year.
For now, we've only seen the NVIDIA RTX 4090 and the NVIDIA RTX 4080, and even those just dropped recently. Honestly, the real question is whether you can actually find them in stock right now.
As for the competition, the AMD high-end cards are slated for mid-December.

The 4080 is pretty easy to find... but man, that price tag is YIKES https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rtx+4080&cod=&cdo=

Thanks for the input, everyone—that's basically the price tag for a 4080 right there.🤦

Honestly, you might be better off holding out for a 4070 or maybe even a 4060 model instead...

I’d say just hang tight until the start of next year when those mid-range 4000 and 7000 series hit the market. Prices for the current lineups should probably drop around then, I guess.

Samuel Evans5 said:Look, I’m no hardware guru or anything, but I know enough to tell when things don't line up. I was just a bit confused because the numbers above seemed totally different—36MB at 4.2GHz—but then this one down here shows 32MB and doesn't even mention the clock speed. So I figured they weren't the same thing. 🤦

The Ryzen 5 5600 packs 32MB of cache, while the 5600G only has 16MB. Honestly? If the price gap is tiny, I'd definitely grab the 5600.

Those two processors are built on different chip architectures. TL;DR, the 5600 is a clear winner, but the 5600G gives you integrated graphics instead.

Yo, is there actually any real difference between these two?

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 8GB GDDR6
EVGA AMD Radeon RX6600 Fighter, 8GB GDDR6

I've been looking at comparisons and they seem identical in everything except the physical size... but I don't know, I get this weird vibe that the NVIDIA version might be lower quality or something, maybe it's just me. Right now I'm seeing the NVIDIA one for $190 and the EVGA for $220, so I'm honestly wondering if that extra cash is even worth it... I'm kind of worried that if I don't grab it during some Black Friday sale in the next few months, prices won't drop this low again.

There isn't any major difference here; both options are perfectly fine. It's not some power-hungry card that runs hot enough to cause serious thermal issues, which is a common headache with certain models.
That card usually goes for around $450 without any discount, so this is definitely not an offer you want to pass up. At $375, it's already a pretty solid price, so I'd personally go with that version.

for $733 you're already way too close to the 3060XT

Man, the 6600xt is just in a whole different league, you can't find any new ones anywhere below $1233

Sean Sanders3 said:Look, the 6600xt is in a completely different league. You won't find anything new sitting below it right now.$1233

A bit less, sure... but yeah, they totally butchered the headline here.

https://www.bestbuy.com/powercolor-rx6600...m_medium=click

So, I’m rocking an Intel Core i5-10400 and a GTX 1060 right now, but I finally scraped together enough cash for a new GPU. I'm eyeing the RX 6650 XT, though I've been seriously debating if I should upgrade my Processor too.
The thing is, I have zero clue how much of a boost I'd actually see if I jumped to an Intel Core i5-10400.
I've been scouring benchmarks, but honestly, everyone seems to be testing on stuff like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, which is totally out of my league. Like, if you can afford a 3090, you're probably just throwing a Ryzen 5800x or whatever high-end chip in there anyway.

What resolution and refresh rate are we talking about here?

wiredotter14 said:What resolution and refresh rate are we talking about?

I’m rocking a Dell UltraSharp 27—1080p at 144 Hz. Honestly, I mostly just stick to single-player stuff, mainly RPGs, nothing super competitive. Right now, I can run older titles on mid-to-high settings without any issues.

Your graphics card is definitely the bottleneck here; you aren't going to see much of a boost just by swapping out the Processor. Especially if you aren't chasing those high refresh rate FPS numbers for competitive gaming.
So, I'd say forget about upgrading the Processor for now and look into grabbing something like an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 or a 3060 Ti instead.

BTW, how much RAM are you running and do you have an SSD? It seems a bit odd to me when you say you're playing 'older games on mid-high settings,' because that specific combo isn't really all that old or bad.

Adam Moore3 said:Your GPU is definitely the bottleneck here, man. You aren't gonna see much of a jump just by swapping out the Processor. Especially if you're trying to chase those high refresh rates for competitive gaming.
So yeah, I'd say skip the CPU upgrade for now and grab something like an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 or maybe a 3060 Ti.

BTW, how much RAM are you rocking and do you have an SSD? It sounds kinda weird when you say you play 'older games on mid-high,' because that setup isn't exactly ancient or anything.

I've got 2x8GB Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB and a 1TB Samsung NVMe. I was thinking about all the recent releases, but let's be real—I can't count on playing brand new titles on High settings with this GPU.

Aha, okay. When you mentioned "older games," I was actually thinking about stuff released more than five years ago. But yeah, if you're looking to run newer titles at higher settings, then your graphics card is definitely going to be your primary bottleneck.
Right now, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti are pretty solid buys for around $360-$$1233. The 3070 generally offers a bit more raw power, but DLSS gives the NVIDIA cards a huge edge in any title that supports it (and plenty of modern games do, or will soon), so it's up to you. Ray tracing is another area where NVIDIA blows the competition out of the water, so decide what matters most to you.

I’d definitely suggest upgrading the GPU first; that'll give you an immediate, massive performance boost. The Intel Core i5-10400 is still a more than capable processor for gaming.