GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

@fadedorca66/">@@fadedorca66: thanks for being so understanding about everything 🙂

@wearymason4/">@@wearymason4: so when I turn the key, the dashboard just flickers on and off with this clicking sound. I can't quite remember if the check engine light comes on when I first turn the ignition, but if it does, wouldn't that point toward a computer issue?

Maybe look for a GTX 1030 if you're just planning on using it for video playback, though you should definitely make sure it has DDR5 RAM and try not to overpay for it, since I'm not entirely sure what they go for brand new these days... If you're looking at those polaris AMD-ice cards, keep in mind they don't decode VP9 (YouTube), so you'll need to rely on your processor for that...

wanderingbison9 said:@velvetlynx3/">@@velvetlynx3: that sRGB mode is a total trap—I’ve got it, but all it does is mess with the white balance, not the actual gamut, so everything stays way too neon... And HDR on an IPS without local dimming? Man, forget about it.

Not even worth mentioning until there's a video.🙂

At 14:05:



Looks like this one actually keeps the colors from being over-saturated. Still, HDR on a monitor? Doesn't move the needle for me... unless we're talking OLED.

Alright, I'll go ahead and hunt down a GT1030 then. 👍

ps: So, based on how those lights are flickering, you’re looking at either a loose connection on the terminals or—even worse—a bad cell connection inside the battery itself. 😢
To fix the terminals, just pop them off the battery, grab some sandpaper, and give the posts and the clamps a good scrub until they're clean. Then pop everything back on and good luck cranking it.
It’s also possible the battery is just totally drained because that bad connection prevented it from charging in the first place. Once you get out for a drive for maybe an hour or so, you'll know if the battery is actually holding up or not.

wearymason4 said:Alright, I guess I'll hunt down a GT1030 then.👍

ps: Based on those flickering lights, you're looking at either a loose connection on the terminals or, even worse, a bad connection between the cells inside the battery itself.😢

As far as the terminals go, you can just pop them off the battery, clean the posts and the connectors with a bit of sandpaper, put everything back together, and hope for the best when you try to crank it.

It’s also entirely possible the battery is just drained because a poor connection prevented it from charging properly in the first place; once you get out for a drive for about an hour, you'll know if the battery is actually holding a charge or not.

No, they don't flicker while the ignition is on—everything looks fine until I turn the key to start it, and then with every click you hear, the lights flash on and off. It feels like a relay is skipping or something, since I'm not hearing the starter engage at all. My battery is a Yuasa, maybe two or three years old; my previous one lasted me eleven years and the one before that six, both being Panasonic brands. It started up perfectly this morning and worked a few more times after that, and then suddenly, nothing. Regardless, we'll definitely check the battery; if it starts up once the terminals are cleaned, then we'll know the starter motor is still good.

@velvetlynx3: That color gamut looks fantastic, though I can't seem to adjust the grayscale settings; everything seems inverted compared to mine, which is a little strange... and you mentioned you won't be getting anything until next year? What's stopping you from picking up an RX 6800 before you even get the monitor? If there isn't some crazy sale happening right now, it's unlikely there will be a better one soon, and at this rate, you might as well just treat yourself to that GPU for Christmas.😬

wanderingbison9 said:@velvetlynx3/">@@velvetlynx3: looks great, but you can't even tweak the grayscale—it's totally flipped compared to mine, kind of weird... and wait, you're saying it won't be available until next year? Why not just grab an RX 6800 before the monitor? Unless there's some crazy flash sale coming up—which isn't likely—you might as well just treat yourself to a new GPU for 😬Christmas

That's exactly why I'm itching 😉

I'm just not in the mood to sit around waiting six months for the 7800/7800XT... assuming the price tag doesn't end up being absolutely insane...

Yeah, that's exactly what I meant. It’s totally normal for them to flicker like that when you just turn the key to the accessory position.

I go looking for a budget GPU online and it’s just a sea of beat-up sneakers and random junk.😁
Now that I'm basically a pensioner, my plan is to first$267 get some extra cash for an all-in-one toolset, and then next year🙂 start putting money aside for a decent card.

They absolutely trashed those shoes on the curb 😬

If I can manage to score a starter for around 800 bucks plus some extra sweat equity, maybe I could actually pull together enough to grab a decent graphics card too...😬 I just want to make sure I'm not overextending myself or ending up with something that's way more expensive than it needs to be.

@wearymason4/">@@wearymason4: I just realized, the card is actually a GT1030, not a GTX.

wearymason4 said:Yeah, that’s exactly what I meant—it's totally normal for them to flicker just when you turn the key to the accessory position.

I search for cheap graphics cards online, and all I find is a mountain of sneakers and maybe one card. 😁
Now that I'm retired, I should probably go first. $267 Hands up for the balancer next year. 🙂 Saving up for a new GPU.

I have a Gigabyte graphics card available for sale. It’s in great shape and works perfectly. Please reach out if you're interested!
$100 It’s got an HDMI port and 2GB of DDR5.

Alexander Moore67 said:https://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-example

$100It features an HDMI port and 2GB of DDR5 memory.

The catch is that this card lacks HEVC or VP9 decoding support... We aren't entirely sure what kind of integrated graphics wearymason4 is running, which makes it hard to pinpoint why he's hitting those video playback issues in the first place. If he's going out to spend money on an upgrade, shouldn't he aim for something that meets his basic needs while still being modern enough to feel somewhat future-proof?

velvetlynx3 said:Everything just got absolutely crushed on the curb. 😬

I was looking at this AOC Q27 monitor online today—it’s got that QHD resolution and a built-in USB hub. Seems like a solid choice if you need those extra ports for your peripherals.
$733 A 27-inch screen with a 1ms response time.

Alexander Moore67 said:https://www.amazon.com/aoc-monitor-q2...dmi-4x-usb-3-0
$733 27" 1ms

I get it, thanks. There's a similar Gigabyte model at a lower price point—but I'm sticking with IPS. I've already done the deep dive on this, and I'm definitely going for the higher-end option, which would be the 27GP850...

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=aoc+q27g2u

wanderingbison9 said:Nah, the lights aren't flickering at the contact points or anything; everything looks fine until I actually turn the key. Every time I hear that click, the lights just cut out and come back on. It feels like a relay is skipping, though I don't hear the starter engaging. My battery is a Yuasa, maybe 2 or 3 years old—my last one lasted me 11 years, and the one before that got 6, both made by Panasonic. It started up totally fine this morning and a few times after that, then just... bam. We'll definitely check the battery, though; if it jumps when I jump it, I know the starter is fine.

If you're hearing clicking, it probably means the solenoid is doing its thing, but the starter isn't actually cranking. You could always take it to a local auto electric shop; usually, a repair runs about $400$167 and if they actually know what they're doing, it'll be way better than some cheap aftermarket part.

I was browsing Best Buy earlier and nearly choked when I saw they're asking $1,200 for an RTX 3080 Ti. I listed mine on eBay for $2167 and literally nobody has even bothered to message me.

@fadedorca66/">@@fadedorca66
...Look, I'm an electrician by trade. Based on what you're describing, I don't think the starter motor itself is the culprit. It sounds more like a bad connection or a dying battery—it might just be totally drained. You can tell because the voltage drops the second it tries to pull enough juice to actually crank the engine.

In my case, the issue is definitely the starter brushes. The dash lights stay bright even when I turn the key to start. Usually, the solenoid gets power from the ignition switch, and the other side should get its kick through those brushes. But right now? Nothing happens. The lights just sit there glowing like I haven't even touched the key (I double-checked everything with a multimeter at the ignition switch).

Back in the day, swapping out brushes was a breeze since they just sat in a holder. Nowadays, they spot-weld them in place 😢 ...so soldering is basically my only move here. Honestly, it’s not the cleanest fix, but it's all I've got to work with.

Thanks. I’m planning to call my local mechanic tomorrow to see if they can squeeze me in, and then we'll decide whether to try jump-starting it and drive it over myself, or just call a tow truck at the bank's convenience... finding someone skilled enough to fix it isn't the issue; it's more about how I'm going to get the vehicle there. ☕I have a feeling the whole board would just shut down the moment I tried to turn the ignition.

Michael Hill6 said:I was browsing Newegg today and honestly, I was shocked to see the 3080ti priced at $1,200. I listed mine on eBay for $2167, and not a single person even reached out.

Everything on eBay is sitting right between $6,000 and $2333!!
It really makes you wonder about the state of our economy. It feels like prices never drop here, no matter how much demand dies down. I look at what people can afford overseas and realize we could buy two cards there for the price of just one here... 🤦

velvetlynx3 said:Exactly. The standard operating procedure here is that they refuse to sell anything below the initial cost price, no matter what. They’d rather just scrap the stock than take a hit. If they picked up inventory at a specific price point, that’s the floor—maybe they’ll shave off a tiny percentage later, but that's it. That's why you see products sitting on shelves for years with those inflated original price tags.

They only drop to more reasonable levels once a fresh shipment arrives. And let's be honest, the initial margins are massive, often exceeding 30%...

It isn't like in the USA, where if a manufacturer drops their prices, everyone else follows suit because the manufacturer offsets the loss for the retailers...

Since I just laid that out myself, it's clear it's a losing situation on both sides. 😵

So while prices are trending down abroad, they just keep climbing here. It's ridiculous. 😁

Instar put a "DISCOUNT" tag on a 3080ti; it went from $1,000 to $900. Absolutely absurd.