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GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Started by Kimberly Gomez34 · · 👁 100 views · 5.7K replies

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Participants Kimberly Gomez34Michael King7Gerald Campbell65crimsonstag84Robert Rodriguez2Scott Mendoza88Ryan Wilson7Jesse Lopez83David Sanders4Taylor BrownAdam Moore3Benjamin King2Larry Ortiz5Amy Vaughn12Adam Williams2swiftscout21fadedorca66driftingwalker19William Hughes16swiftstag66mistymason18Jonathan Reed50hiddenpilot4Jamie Patel2 …
swiftscout21 swiftscout21 Newcomer
2 messages
joined Nov 2014
#801 ·
So, I’m looking at $7750 for the $133 versus $650 for the $150—which one is actually the better bet? I'm looking for something a bit more modern that can actually handle newer games without dying on me immediately... obviously, both are being sold used on eBay or Craigslist... I'm trying to put together a decent secondhand rig, you know how it goes... 🙄
Elizabeth Cooper2 Elizabeth Cooper2 Newcomer
8 messages
joined Nov 2020
#802 ·
crimsonstag84 said:http://www.bestbuy.com/product_info.php?c...c709744e81d09f

At the very least...

You could probably get an HD 4890 ~$150.


Is that AMD Radeon 1GB GDDR5 OC actually a significant step up from what I'm running now?

Will it handle all the latest titles without breaking a sweat? If I can offload my current card for $267 and pick this one up for $450—meaning I'm out an extra $350—is that actually a smart move? Is it worth the investment?
David Sanders4 David Sanders4 Member
47 messages
joined Feb 2015
#803 ·
Steven White96 said:Is that AMD Radeon significantly better than what I have right now?

Will it handle all the latest titles? I could offload my current card for $267, but this one would set me back 450, so I'm looking at a 350 difference... is that actually worth the investment?

It definitely is better, and it’s much more power-efficient too (I'm fairly certain yours doesn't even support DX11). Honestly, your current card is on its last legs—if I were you, I'd sell it while there's still a market for it.
Elizabeth Cooper2 Elizabeth Cooper2 Newcomer
8 messages
joined Nov 2020
#804 ·
David Sanders4 said:That one is definitely better since it uses way less power. Honestly, I don't think yours even supports DX11; you're running on borrowed time there. If I were you, I'd sell it while it's still worth something...

Mine doesn't support DX11. Besides that specific card, is there anything else in that price bracket? Maybe something from NVIDIA? Or are they always more expensive, if I recall correctly?
Kimberly Gomez34 Kimberly Gomez34 RegularOP
686 messages
joined Jul 2009
#805 ·
Nathan Castillo16

Upgrade for what? You could always just slap in an SSD or grab a better GPU if you're actually looking for a boost in gaming performance.

swiftscout21

They're basically in the same league. The GTX 650 might have a slight edge in raw power and extra features—so if those $17 matter to you, go with that one.

Steven White96

If you want to stick with NVIDIA in that tier, the GTX 750 is a solid bet since it barely pulls any power from the wall.
Megan Brown38 Megan Brown38 Newcomer
2 messages
joined Aug 2016
#806 ·
It’s not even about gaming specifically right now. I mean, sure, I play games, but I’m not exactly obsessed with running everything on ultra settings. To be honest, as long as things don't stutter, I'm good. But let's face it—new titles drop every single year, and naturally, eventually, you're going to hit some lag. In my current setup, I'm pretty sure the GPU is the weakest link. I've been putting this rig together using a mix of new and used parts, mostly because the goal is just to build something solid enough that I won't have to worry about upgrading for at least another two or three years.
Kimberly Gomez34 Kimberly Gomez34 RegularOP
686 messages
joined Jul 2009
#807 ·
Just hang tight until the next round of GPUs hits the market and prices finally settle down (if you're looking at the higher-end stuff)
You could always toss in a 120GB or 240GB SSD instead—it’ll give you a noticeable boost across the board, from faster boot times to much quicker loading for everything installed on the drive.
Kimberly Gomez34 Kimberly Gomez34 RegularOP
686 messages
joined Jul 2009
#808 ·
Finally, ATI GPUs have dropped in price here in the States, especially with the new Nvidias squeezing the market.

http://forum.pcekspert.com/showpost....&postcount=704

The shortage of the GTX 970 isn't ending anytime soon:

By the way, I wanted to give an update to the group that ordered MSI GTX 970 cards yesterday.

I swung by the warehouse today, and of course, there isn't a single trace left of those cards. Once they hit the price list yesterday, the entire stock likely vanished within the first thirty minutes. Some major big-box retailer probably swooped in and snatched them all up right from under our noses. They told me we haven't seen this kind of frenzy in over a year, not even back when everyone was hunting for ATI mining rigs. This time, the madness is even worse; the forklift drivers aren't even setting the pallets down—they're loading them straight into the delivery vans.
Larry Ortiz5 Larry Ortiz5 Regular
710 messages
joined May 2020
#809 ·
I mean, honestly, who doesn't love a good deal? I don't see any reason why I wouldn't just grab one. It outperforms the GTX 780, pulls less power, and stays much cooler—plus, the best part is that it isn't nearly as pricey as last year's high-end models... gotta hand it to Nvidia. 👍
Kimberly Gomez34 Kimberly Gomez34 RegularOP
686 messages
joined Jul 2009
#810 ·
You can't just buy love if you don't have it, no matter how much you want to 😁 (here in the States). A lot of people have been trying to order it from Wish
Larry Ortiz5 Larry Ortiz5 Regular
710 messages
joined May 2020
#811 ·
They'll be here—maybe not this second, but they should show up eventually..
Megan Brown38 Megan Brown38 Newcomer
2 messages
joined Aug 2016
#812 ·
EVGA 560ti or Nvidia 9800 gx2. Anyone know which one actually holds up better?
Larry Ortiz5 Larry Ortiz5 Regular
710 messages
joined May 2020
#813 ·
The GTX 560 ti actually uses GDDR5 memory, whereas this one is stuck with GDDR3. If you don't mind me asking—what kind of price tag are we looking at for those two cards?
crimsonstag84 crimsonstag84 Regular
518 messages
joined Jun 2010
#814 ·
GTX 560 ti
Megan Brown38 Megan Brown38 Newcomer
2 messages
joined Aug 2016
#815 ·
Larry Ortiz5 said:The GTX 1060 has GDDR5 memory while that one uses GDDR3. If you don't mind me asking, how much cash are we talking about for those two cards?

I actually have both sitting here. The GTX 1060 is currently in my rig, but I'm still on the fence about the GTX 980. Not even sure if it'll boot up. Even if it does, I'd have to move half my components around just to make room in the case, and honestly, since it isn't even a color build, I can't be bothered. Also, I haven't figured out if the 1060 is a standard retail card or some OEM version from a pre-built, and whether there's any actual hardware difference between them or if they're basically identical.
Larry Ortiz5 Larry Ortiz5 Regular
710 messages
joined May 2020
#816 ·
Just snap a photo and post it here—then we can figure out if it's the stock version or some other manufacturer's take...
Megan Brown38 Megan Brown38 Newcomer
2 messages
joined Aug 2016
#817 ·
Larry Ortiz5 said:Just snap a photo and upload it. Then we can actually tell if it’s an OEM part or some off-brand knockoff...

image
Megan Brown38 Megan Brown38 Newcomer
2 messages
joined Aug 2016
#818 ·
Larry Ortiz5 said:Just take a photo and upload it. Then we can actually tell if it's an OEM part or just some off-brand junk from another manufacturer...

image
fadedorca66 fadedorca66 Regular
372 messages
joined Nov 2022
#819 ·
Yours is an EVGA... there's a difference, I guess, but performance is pretty much identical.
rapidpuma59 rapidpuma59 Newcomer
8 messages
joined Sep 2015
#820 ·
Timothy Kim60 said:It is now a hundred percent certainty that you can fit a GTX 960 along with your power supply into three slots. You won't even need anything fancy—maybe a CX430 or an XFX 450...

There is also a good chance the R9 290 will see a price cut soon, as that seems to be the trend; I remember seeing a Gigabyte Windforce priced at $867 once before, and by any logical standard, the price should drop even further if the GTX 970 ends up hovering around $967. Of course, if you go that route, you’re going to need a much beefier power supply.

Well, it turns out you were absolutely spot on regarding the R9 290. I was browsing Newegg yesterday and stumbled upon this:

Gigabyte GV-R929OC-4GD OC-Edition 4.0 GB OC high end Graphics Card 279.90
They have slashed the price by 37%, dropping it from 449 down to 280 dollars. And it isn't just them; the others are looking similar too:

MSI Radeon R9 290 gaming 4 G 4.0 GB OC high end Graphics Card 272.90

XFX Radeon R9 290 Black edition 4.0 GB OC high end Graphics Card 278.90

Sapphire Radeon R9 290 Tri-X UEFI 4.0 GB high end Graphics Card 285.90

It looks like the R9 290 is actually cheaper than several of the R9 280 x models right now.

You all mentioned that if I pick up the R9 290, I'll definitely need a more robust power supply, which I've already taken into account. What I am really wondering is, how much more raw power does the 290 actually pack compared to the 280 x? And given these new price points, has the R9 290 suddenly become the best bang-for-your-buck option? I also caught a rumor floating around that the GTX 960 might not even launch this year.

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