GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Look, if you aren't really feeling up to selling off your current GPU just to get by, then you might as well grab a GTX 770 or an r9 280 x. It’ll definitely buy you some peace of mind for a while longer.

Much appreciated.
The prices you mentioned for those cards have already drifted down to where the GTX 760 was sitting just three months ago, and frankly, since I’m in no particular rush and have plenty of time to kill, I suspect they might actually dip even lower if I just sit tight for a bit.
Best regards,

That really depends on whether you need it immediately or if you're holding out for some kind of sale.
Personally, I find myself checking prices every couple of days just to stay in the loop. Honestly, over a two-month window, there might not even be a dip; sometimes prices actually tick upward before they settle back down. Most of the time, though, they tend to trend downward. If you're willing to wait, you might manage to shave about $10 off the price...

I certainly don't want to come across as some tightwad, truly I don't. My son has a birthday coming up at the start of December, and he's been badgering me about getting Watch Dogs for ages now, so I've decided he's definitely getting it. Everyone seems to be raving about how intense this game is, which is a bit daunting. Currently, we’re running a GTX 650, and honestly, it handles just about everything we throw at it right now. I’ve spent plenty of time grinding through a few different Call of Duty titles myself, so I'm not particularly precious about having top-tier, cutting-edge graphics or anything along those lines. As long as the action is smooth enough, I'll be satisfied; if it isn't quite there, well, that's life. My main goal here is just to get a sense of what kind of hardware I actually need to stay relevant for newer releases. He's also got his sights set on the upcoming Battlefield, which is a big one. I was wondering if cards in the neighborhood of a GTX 770 or an r9 280 x will still hold their own for those kinds of titles.

Honestly, you can still get through most things on medium-high settings even with a GTX 650...
Maybe try listing yours online first to see what kind of interest you actually pull; people usually look for something in the $167 range. You could aim for somewhere between 350 and $150, then just see what happens...
If I were in your shoes and had the option, I’d probably lean toward buying used. For instance, you can find a GTX 660 for about $333, but if you push it to $100, you can grab a GTX 760. It performs better than the 660, though it does cost more—plus, there's a good chance it might still have some warranty left over.
At the end of the day, graphics cards tend to cycle out every two or three years if you're trying to stay current, whereas a decent CPU can easily carry you for over five years.

Alright, I've finally decided to pull the trigger on an upgrade and see just how much life I can squeeze out of this thing.

Motherboard - ASUS M3A78-EM
Processor - AMD Phenom X4 9550 2,2 = => I'm swapping in a Phenom II X4 965 BE 125W
Memory - 2x2GB Kingmax DDR2 800 => another 2x2GB kit
Graphics card - ATI Radeon hd 4850 512 DDR5 => I need some advice here—what should I grab that won't be total overkill?
Power supply - Gigabyte GE-R460-V1 => Will an XFX PRO 550W actually cut it?

Power Supply: Fortron Hexa+ 500W
GPU: HD 7850/GTX 660/R9 270/HD 7870

David Sanders4 said:well, you can actually manage to play on medium-high settings even with a GTX 650...
And honestly, why don't you just list yours in an ad and see what kind of interest you get? People are usually looking to pay around $167, but I’d suggest aiming somewhere between 350 and $150, and just see where the chips fall...
If I were in your shoes—and I mean if you truly have the option—I would much rather pick up something used; for instance, you could find a GTX 660 sitting around for roughly $333, but for $100, you could step up to a GTX 760 which outperforms the 660 significantly, and there's a decent chance it might still carry some sort of warranty...
The thing is, graphics cards evolve at a breakneck pace every two or three years if you're playing the game right, whereas a solid CPU can easily carry its weight for over five years before it starts feeling sluggish.

You know, I've never really been one for the used market, and frankly, the fear of getting swindled by some shady seller keeps me away. When you mentioned that a GTX 650 could handle things, were you specifically referring to Watch Dogs, or were you speaking in more general terms? My whole intention here is to buy a card specifically so I can run this particular game. If it's capable of running on medium settings, then maybe this one isn't such a bad idea after all for the time being.

crimsonstag84 said:Power Supply: EVGA 500W
GPU: HD 7850/GTX 660/R9 270/HD 7870

Thanks, man! 👍

rapidpuma59 said:To be honest, I’m not much of an expert when it comes to buying used gear, so I’m always a little worried about getting stuck with a lemon. When you mentioned that a GTX 650 could handle it, were you specifically thinking of Watch Dogs, or just talking generally? My main goal is to pick up a card that can actually run this game. If I can manage to play on medium settings, then maybe my current setup will hold out for a little while longer.

If there's a warranty involved, you really shouldn't have anything to worry about. Even if you're buying locally, you should be able to test it out first—run a quick OCCT stress test or something similar. If it passes those checks and performs reasonably well, you're likely in the clear.

Also, once you actually get the game installed and start playing, you might find that the visual quality doesn't matter as much as you'd think. Once you're fully immersed in the gameplay, even a GTX 650 can do the trick. Just look at the people playing on a PS3 or running everything at 720p with most of the effects stripped away; they still find plenty to enjoy.

Well, I suppose I should extend my gratitude for the counsel provided. At this juncture, however, everything ultimately boils down to a matter of personal resolve.

rapidpuma59 said:Fair enough, thanks for the advice. At this point, it’s just a matter of making a call.

Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I’d just list your own card in the ad. If people start calling... 🙂

rapidpuma59, if I recall correctly, you were looking at that CPU upgrade specifically to boost gaming performance. But look, if you stick with the GTX 650, your frame rates aren't going to budge—the GPU is still the primary bottleneck here. Honestly, skipping a better graphics card at this stage is like flying all the way to DC just to miss seeing the President.

Your memory serves you quite well, actually. In the interim, however, certain technical nuances have shifted slightly, which leaves me in this rather tedious position of trying to figure out how to squeeze every last drop of utility out of my current upgrade path, all while praying it remains somewhat functional for the next two or three years without becoming an expensive paperweight.

Nvidia GeForce GTX980 4GB performance testing

MSI GeForce GTX 970 gaming OC Review

Timothy Kim60 said:Nvidia GeForce GTX980 4GB test

MSI GeForce GTX 970 gaming OC Review

True, they're solid and efficient enough, though the real question remains: how much are they going to set us back? Until we have a clear answer on pricing, I suppose he can just list his current setup on eBay...

If they actually pull the plug on production—meaning the gtx 780 and 780 Ti get phased out of the market entirely—at least that's what Elric is claiming over at Tech of Tomorrow. And honestly, prices here in the USA will likely drop even lower than those other cards, so 👍

Once they’ve completely cleared the shelves, that’s the perfect window to wait for a gtx 780 or even a 780Ti to finally give up the ghost right at the end of its warranty period. At that point, swapping it out for a gtx 970 or a 980 if you're running a Ti becomes a pretty reliable move.

Wait, what was the reason they skipped over the 8xx series entirely? 🤷

To avoid any potential confusion or messy branding issues, Nvidia decided to skip over the 8 series entirely—since those cards were only ever released for mobile devices—and jumped straight to the 9 series instead.