GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

wiredotter14 said:Look, I know it isn't you, but regardless, there aren't any links posted for that card with the five-year warranty.

Aha. Honestly, I haven't even looked into it myself.
But my gut instinct told me immediately that the deal was way too good to be true. 😁
Perhaps we should just wait for him to clarify things for us. ☕

Man, I’ve been staring at this deal for a while now—an AMD Radeon RX 6700 from Amazon for about $440 including shipping. The only catch is that it wouldn't actually arrive until January 21st. Do you think it's worth the wait, or should I pass?

ADM cut their GPU warranty down to just 24 months, so you're better off checking other retailers where they still offer 36 months... especially since the prices aren't even that different.
for example:

https://www.newegg.com/products/detai...m_medium=click

Greetings, I find myself in need of some guidance.

I am searching for the most sensible investment regarding a graphics card—something capable of handling any title released up until roughly 2013 without hesitation, using Grand Theft Auto V as my benchmark for performance.

Is it realistic to expect to find a suitable option on eBay for somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 dollars$167?

analogtiger19 said:ADM dropped all their GPU warranties down to 24 months, so you might as well check other shops since they offer 36 months for basically the same price...
for example:

https://www.newegg.com/products/detail...m_medium=click

I think that's more an error on ADM's part than an actual policy difference. Warranty isn't up to them, and Newegg doesn't provide some special extended commercial warranty either.

ASUS graphics cards generally come with 3 years (manufacturer) of warranty regardless of which retailer you buy from.

So, what’s the actual difference?
Well, one is the Ti version (which comes with 12GB) while the other isn't (and only has "just" 10GB)
It’s a pretty significant jump; I’d say at least a 10-15% performance boost
in favor of the Ti model, just so there's no confusion.
The price tag likely reflects that gap, too.
At the end of the day, you probably just get what you pay for.🙂

Look, I’m aware, haha. And honestly, the gap isn't massive $400 but I'm leaning toward the 3080 Ti because it's $3433 though I am eyeing the 4080. $4333 It feels ridiculous that they won't lower the prices on the other cards...
When you compare the 3070 Ti to the 3080 Ti, there's a clear distinction $1333 but they aren't touching the prices on these others at all.

granitebison said:Hey, I could use some help here.

I'm looking for the best bang for my buck on a GPU. I just want something that can handle any game released up through 2013 without breaking a sweat—let's say GTA 5 is the benchmark.

Can I find anything decent on eBay for around 300-$167?

CLICK

It was probably used for crypto mining, but it should be fine.

@Benjamin Sanders76/">@@Benjamin Sanders76: how on earth do you manage to strip out that initial QUOTE tag every single time? 😬 do me a little favor and try to clean it up, please, because at this rate even God can't tell where the quote ends and your actual response begins.

wiredotter14 said:I honestly think this is more about an ADM blunder than some massive shift. The warranty isn't their call, and Protis doesn't offer any kind of extended commercial coverage anyway.

ASUS cards generally come with a 3-year manufacturer's warranty regardless of which retailer you buy from.

It’s not a mistake; it’s a business model pivot. You see it all the time where shops only honor the legal 2-year minimum, leaving you to chase the manufacturer for the rest. That's a huge headache when you actually need help, especially if the manufacturer doesn't have a direct service center or representative right here in the States.

Obviously, Protis isn't handing out extended warranties. They just act as the bridge so you can claim the full manufacturer's warranty through them—exactly how ADM used to handle things.

wanderingbison9 said:Damn, a Sapphire puls RX 6700 from Amazon for $440 including shipping. It wouldn't arrive until Jan 21st. Is it a go or what?

Did you even catch that?

velvetlynx3 said:Did you catch that part?

Honestly, there’s something about this deal that feels off, and I’m hesitant to pull the trigger; even though it lists Amazon as the retailer, the primary option shown is actually a third-party seller at $470 plus shipping, so I can't help but wonder if it's just some pricing error that'll end up being a massive headache to resolve later.

At this point, I'm not even sure I want to buy anything at all right now. When I upgraded my GPU last time, I managed to score something twice as fast with double the VRAM for even less money—remember the jump from a GTX 960 to an RX 580?

analogtiger19 said:It’s not some mistake; it’s just a business model shift. You run into situations where retailers only honor the mandatory two-year window, and if you want anything beyond that, you’re stuck dealing directly with the manufacturer. That can be a massive headache when the manufacturers don't have a local service center or direct representation here in the States.

Of course Protis isn't offering an extended warranty. They’re just making sure you can claim the full factory warranty through them (which is exactly what Best Buy used to do).

Standard practice is that the factory warranty is handled by the manufacturer, their distributor, or an authorized service center.

The fact that Best Buy sends you to Asus after two years isn't weird, nor does it mean that card doesn't have a three-year Asus warranty.
It also doesn't mean Protis is going to fix everything for you within those three years. They stated the product has a three-year warranty (which is true), but they aren't the ones issuing it. Putting that in the product description is just informative. Unless Protis gives you something in writing stating they are providing a commercial warranty, you’re in the exact same boat as you would be with any other retailer (and Best Buy has a better reputation than Protis, correct me if I'm wrong).

Plenty of retailers start sending people straight to the manufacturer before the two-year mark even hits, provided the factory warranty is still valid.

wanderingbison9 said:@Benjamin Sanders76/">@@Benjamin Sanders76: how do you manage to strip out the initial QUOTE tag every single time? 😬 Please, put in a little effort here; the way you're doing it, even God knows what's actually a quote and what's just your own reply.

I suppose that's just the trend these days. ☕

I've decided to pick up a full PC setup from Micro Center, excluding the monitor, for about $2,000.
I was offered a 5% discount, but there's a catch: it only applies if I pay via online banking. They won't accept any other method. Even though I told them I'd pay in cash, they refused, claiming the amount is just too high. I don't quite get it—doesn't everyone prefer cash?😵

Now they’re dealing with this whole mess of switching from dollars to whatever new currency is hitting the books. Expect long lines at the bank, especially if you're trying to settle up in old cash... and I doubt they'll offer any discounts just for using the new stuff.

It’s way easier for them to handle everything through digital transfers. Less chance for mistakes, less manual labor, and much cleaner bookkeeping. Honestly, handling physical cash is just more expensive than getting a direct deposit.

Once this two-week transition period blows over, things will probably just go back to being the same old headache.

wiredotter14 said:They’re dealing with all this chaos switching from dollars to whatever new currency system they've implemented, and I bet the banks are absolute madhouses right now, especially if you're still trying to settle things with old cash... plus, they probably haven't even decided if they'll offer discounts for using the new stuff yet.

It's much smoother for them to handle everything through digital transfers since there's less room for error, it cuts down on the manual labor, simplifies the bookkeeping, and honestly, it's way more expensive for them to take physical cash than just having it hit their account.

Once this two-week transition period settles down, things should hopefully go back to being just as seamless as they were before.

Actually, I wouldn't say that's quite true; I just paid for my Kindle via online banking without even realizing I was missing out on a deal, mostly because the order confirmation had all the payment details printed in big, bold letters, making me think it was a direct prompt—even though if you look really closely at the bottom, it mentions not to pay based solely on that confirmation.🤦 Sure, maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, but now they have to deal with the fallout because they didn't set up a clear procedure, and here I am stuck waiting for them to fix it while they hold onto my money and I'm left without my Kindle... predictably, they haven't even reached out to me yet.

wanderingbison9 said:Not really. I just sent them the money for my Kindle via my mobile banking app without even waiting for an invoice. Why? Because their order confirmation had all the payment details right there in bold. I honestly thought it was a direct offer, until I noticed the tiny fine print at the bottom telling me not to pay based on the confirmation.

Yeah, that's just plain stupid. 😵

And if I were running the shop, I wouldn't be offering cash discounts on custom orders—especially not on custom-built PCs. People order stuff and then just ghost you. I bet that happens all the time.

Or maybe they expected cash upfront before they even started building the rig...

wiredotter14 said:Honestly, that just doesn't make any sense. 😵

If I were running my own retail shop, I wouldn't dream of offering cash discounts on custom-ordered items, especially not on high-end custom PCs. People place orders and then simply vanish. I'm sure that's happened more than once.

Or was the intention for them to pay cash upfront before the build even begins?

Exactly. That’s why you take a small deposit; if they flake out, the business isn't left holding the bag. It's pretty straightforward.

Adam Moore3 said:CLICK

I assume there was some crypto mining involved, but I suppose we will see how it all plays out in the end.

Thanks for the response.

I wonder if anyone else has been feeling that same sense of quiet contemplation lately, perhaps while sitting by a window watching the world go by? It seems to me that we often rush through our days without stopping to ask ourselves why we are moving at such a frantic pace in the first place. Is there truly a need to be constantly occupied, or have we simply forgotten how to exist in the stillness? I find myself reflecting on these small, seemingly insignificant moments more often than I used to, almost as if the noise of modern life has finally started to fade into the background. Does anyone else find beauty in that sudden, unexpected silence? kaže:
CLICK

I’m sure they were running some mining operations there, but honestly, it’ll all work out in the end.

I just finally got around to clicking that link. $167 What's the going rate for a used RX 580 these days? I’m trying to figure out if it's even worth my while to put it up for sale, or if I should just hold onto it for a bit longer.