GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Nathan Castillo16 said:Hey guys! Can someone give me a quick rundown on whether it's better to run two graphics cards together? And do they need to be identical, or can I just use one? I'm looking at a Zotac GeForce GT 630 2GB DDR3 versus a Zotac GTX 560 Ti 1GB 256-bit GDDR5.

As long as your CPU can actually handle the load and your power supply can keep up, the GTX 560 Ti is absolutely crushing that GT 630 in terms of performance.

I've got an i5 4570 at 3.2GHz and a 650W power supply. So, what's the move here? Is it actually worth adding both, or should I just stick with one? Right now, I'm just running a GT 630 in the rig.

How are they performing? They need to be identical for SLI to work correctly.

I mean, go ahead and grab the GPU if the price is actually reasonable.

Not entirely sure how this works, but I heard somewhere you can actually throw two graphics cards into one rig. Am I tripping? If it’s doable, do they have to be identical models or what... My motherboard is an MSI Z87-G43. Either way, a GTX 560 is probably the better move. Honestly, I’ve got both sitting right here, just trying to figure out which setup makes more sense.

We need to be looking at identical chipsets (like comparing a 560Ti to another 560Ti, rather than just matching Zotac against Zotac)

comparison (the GT 630 is essentially just a rebranded GT 440)

So, those were the specs I was looking for. Thanks for the heads-up. Guess I'm ditching the GT630 and swapping in a GTX 560 then! You live and learn, I suppose... though some people just never do.

Just one more thing... how's CoD Ghosts actually gonna run on a GTX 560?

GTX 560Ti vs. the standard 560?

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...host+gtx+560Ti

GTX 560 1GB 256-bit GDDR5

It should go pretty smoothly 🙂

Hey everyone,

So, I see there's a massive debate going on here about high-end GPUs for even higher-end rigs—people picking them out down to the last detail just to run the latest MMORPGs at a million FPS, or to make sure CoD doesn't stutter right when you're trying to land a sniper shot... honestly, I'm just talking nonsense because I have zero clue what people actually play anymore or what's considered "in." Why don't I know? Because my beloved PC can't handle anything more demanding than Minesweeper—or maybe Solitaire, if I feel like attempting an overclock. 😁

I'm exaggerating, obviously, though I'm not far off.

Anyway, I recently got my hands on a used computer—old and beat up, really, but new to me. 😍 They say don't look a gift horse in the mouth, especially if that horse is missing its tail, hair, teeth, and eyesight—it's still better than your legless cow.

Since I'm posting in this thread, it's obvious I'm having some kind of issue with my graphics card. And yeah, I am. Actually, I'm not, because I don't even have one. 🤣

So, the specs on this junker are roughly this:

CPU: Intel Pentium D 820 (this one)

Motherboard: 4CoreDual - VSTA (I think this is this one, CPU-Z won't show the manufacturer, just what I wrote above).

PSU: ATX - 400W (would be great if it actually listed the brand, but it doesn't, whatever).

It has a gig of RAM, which is probably the only relevant data point here—I doubt anyone cares what kind of burner or floppy drive it has. 🤔 🤷

So, here's the deal. I need a GPU that won't immediately melt my processor. My budget is as pathetic as the hardware, so I'm perfectly fine with used parts.

What's it for? Just browsing the web, running aBd, and playing a game or two. 🙏 I don't know. That's it.

If anyone feels like getting nostalgic and remembers a card that could actually pull this off, I'd appreciate it. We can even work out some temporary protection for my motherboard's PDF. ☕

Anthony Jackson2 said:Hey everyone.

So, looking at this thread, people are obsessing over high-end GPUs for even higher-end rigs. It's all about picking the perfect card just to hit massive frame rates in the latest MMORPGs or making sure CoD doesn't stutter when you're trying to land a sniper shot. Honestly, I’m just talking trash because I have zero clue what people actually play these days. Why? Because my current rig can barely handle anything more demanding than Minesweeper—or maybe Solitaire if I feel like overclocking it. 😁

I'm exaggerating a bit, but I'm not far off.

Anyway, I just picked up a used PC. It's old and beat up, but it's new to me. 😍 They say don't look a gift horse in the mouth, especially if that horse is missing its tail, hair, teeth, and sight—it's still better than your legless cow.

Since I'm posting here, it's obvious I've got a GPU issue. Well, technically, I don't have an issue, I just don't have a card. 🤣

Here's the breakdown of this junker:

CPU: Intel Pentium D 820 (this one)

Motherboard: 4CoreDual - VSTA (I think this is this one, CPU-Z won't show the brand, just what I wrote).

PSU: ATX - 400W (would be great if it actually had a brand name on it, but it doesn't, whatever).

It has one gig of RAM. That's pretty much the only useful info; I doubt anyone cares about the CD drive or the floppy. 🤔 🤷

So, here's the deal. I need a GPU that won't choke alongside this processor. My budget is tight and the specs are worse, so I'm totally fine with used parts.

What for? Just some basic browsing, running aBd, and playing a game or two 🙏 and... I don't know. That's it.

If anyone feels nostalgic and remembers a card that could actually run something on this, I'd appreciate it. We can even work out a little something for a temporary fix on my motherboard's PDF. ☕

Just tell us, what's the budget?
A logical plan would be:
a) slap in a GPU
b) swap the PSU
c) if the budget allows, upgrade the CPU
d) definitely add at least another gig of RAM

For maybe $120, you could put something together.

The motherboard model should be printed right on the board itself.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:just tell me what your budget looks like.
a logical approach would be--
a) grabbing a GPU
b) swapping out the PSU
c) if you have the cash, changing the CPU
d) definitely adding at least another gig of RAM

you could probably put something together for around $120.

the motherboard model should be printed right on the board itself.

As for the budget, I'm looking at $250-- $100 max for used parts. I'm assuming that $120 covers this entire list of upgrades you mentioned, not just a graphics card—because the whole setup wouldn't be worth it even if I bought a GPU for $267 and dropped it in. 🤣

And I'm definitely not planning on upgrading this rig any further. I just need a GPU to keep things running for maybe a year, maybe eighteen months. After that, I'll be able to drop some real money on a completely new build, and then I'll just give this one to my kid or pass it along whenever.

Regarding the motherboard, it's definitely an ASRock. If there are multiple versions, I'll have to figure out how to read the label.

New stuff + you definitely want at least another 1GB of DDR2 (used should be around $50-$20). Just install Windows 7 or 8.1 32-bit and you're good to go.

Obviously, you could go for something more powerful used, but your power supply is the bottleneck here (I'm guessing it's a century-old Micro Center unit), so you need to look for low-power cards—something like an HD5670 or HD6670. They're hard to find at that price point, but they exist. Make sure to aim for DDR5 if possible since they outperform DDR3 significantly. Also, keep in mind that when buying from Craigslist, you might end up with a literal brick or something broken if you don't test it first.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-12059961 - this is a solid price even for DDR3; I wonder why it didn't sell?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-12256869 - DDR3
http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-12234343
http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-11665099
http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-12130437 - ask the seller if it's DDR3 or DDR5.

In all honesty, anything much stronger than that isn't worth it for a PC like this; your power supply and processor would just throttle the performance anyway.

I dig this—specifically 🙏

Even if some of these are a bit out of my price range—they feel a little high-end for what I'm after—I'll make it work and just adjust ☕

The only real issue is that I'm based right around Washington, D.C., and you seem to be pulling listings from way outside the area 🤣

And yeah, buying through Craigslist can be a headache—but if we could settle on cash on delivery, maybe I'll just bully the mailman into letting me test it first... we'll see

Either way, thanks a lot 👍

http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-12209514

http://www.ebay.com/itm/processor-listing-8722890

I guess I'd probably just grab both of them.

Anthony Jackson2 said:Look, my budget is $250 $100 tops for used gear. I’m assuming that $800 you mentioned covers this entire list of upgrades, not just the GPU. That whole setup wouldn't even be worth that much if I just bought a card for $267 and slapped it in 🤣

And yeah, I’m definitely not upgrading this rig any further. I just need a card to limp along for maybe a year or eighteen months. After that, I'll have enough cash to drop some real money on a brand-new build, then I'll either pass this one down or just let it die when it dies.

Regarding the motherboard, it's definitely an EVGA. If there are different versions, you'll have to tell me where to find the specs.

Yeah, I meant the full upgrade, not just the card.
a) CPU
http://www.ebay.com/itm/processors/e52...listing-12214945
b) RAM
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ram-memory/...listing-10628894
d) GPU
http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-cards...-listing-6872420
e) PSU
http://www.ebay.com/itm/cases/power-supply...-listing-11712920

A Samsung monitor is way too much given the RAM and that GPU; you should be finding those components for peanuts, maybe around 50-$23, or even 100-$40. You can probably even snag some 2GB DDR2 sticks for cheap, but at least you nailed the CPU and the power supply.

EDIT: I did a little digging on Craigslist:

WTF
WTF? - This looks a little too good to be true. If I were living in Washington, D.C., I wouldn't touch this unless the guy actually shows me it works first.

Anthony Jackson2, you could also look into this or this if your power supply is decent (just check the label inside the case to see the model), or you could just grab that power supply Robert Rodriguez2 linked.

In my opinion, this would be the ideal choice