GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

When you're out hunting for a new graphics card, there are a few things you really need to keep in mind:

First off, check your motherboard—do you actually have an AGP slot or a PCIe x16 slot? PCIe is the modern standard, while AGP is pretty much a relic at this point, meaning any cards fitting that older slot are going to be several years behind the times...

The second thing to consider is your power supply. It really varies depending on what kind of card you're looking at—low-end cards don't pull much power at all, so honestly, almost any budget power supply will handle them just fine. But once you start looking at mid-range or high-end cards, you'll definitely want a high-quality PSU to make sure your system stays stable and doesn't crash... basically, you need to know if your power supply can actually handle the load.

And from what I understand—which is the CPU—you could technically pair a beefy graphics card like an $1667 with a weak processor, but that CPU won't be able to keep up during gaming. It won't let the GPU hit its full potential, which is what we call a bottleneck. Though, if you're dropping that kind of money on a top-tier card, you'll likely already have a powerful enough processor like an 😉 to match it anyway.

Honestly, $133you can't find anything decent in local retail stores even if you just want to play casually.
If you are buying something brand new, this should be your absolute baseline:
Though, in my opinion, that GPU is overpriced for what it actually delivers.
If you have about $350-$$133 to spend and actually want to game, you should be looking at used listings for something like a GTX 260. Or maybe a GTX 260/275 if your power supply can actually handle it.
Maybe this one would work if it were priced around $350-$$133.
You probably have some generic, off-brand power supply, so you'll need a reliable unit to support a decent graphics card. For new ones, stick with Chicony, or look for a used Corsair or Chieftec unit.

I guess this R7 250 is probably the cheapest option out of everything suggested here.

loneraven15 said:Nobody really sat me down and explained what I should be looking out for when buying a GPU—specifically, if any card will work with any motherboard, or if the same logic applies to CPUs. Also, any tips on where to find decent used gear? I’m planning to pick up something solid for around $300$133. Since I, David Sanders4, never play everything on max settings, raw performance matters more to me than visual fidelity, if you catch my drift.🙂
So, please recommend a good GPU within that $133 budget and maybe a reliable shop.

And honestly, why wouldn't you? You can grab a used card that packs way more punch for the money. I'm not sure where you're based, but even with the CPU, you went the used route. Granted, a CPU is a different beast since they don't fail nearly as often as GPUs or motherboards, but you'll still see much better value by going secondhand...

Building a new rig
I'm reusing my old 500W ModExtream Pro power supply
Likely going with an Intel Core i5-3570K + Z77 combo—though I might consider the i5-4670K + Z87, if it even makes sense financially.
A standard 24'' monitor
Budgeting about $150-$$67 for the GPU. I need something that won't demand a new PSU; I don't want to sink extra cash into a power upgrade.
I was looking at the GTX 970. Is it actually worth dropping a few extra bucks for an R9 280, or maybe something else entirely? I'm hunting for a "best buy"—I have zero interest in paying a premium for marginal performance gains.

With a budget of $1500, picking up a GTX 260 or a GTX 970 is a total steal. For instance, check out this GTX 260:

Now, for the GTX 970:
http://www.diskont24.com/product.php?productid=131025 or if you want one with a superior cooling system:

The R9 280 is a bit stronger, but it really depends on which retailer you're looking at and whether the value is actually there. Personally, I wouldn't drop two hundred bucks on it since the performance jump isn't massive. It’s a decent option if you can snag it here: — though I'm a little skeptical about that listing. That looks like the old price for an MSI with the standard reference cooler; if you're serious about buying, make sure it actually has the Twin Frozr (Gaming) version. Also, be prepared to wait a while for shipping from them.

Your power supply should handle any of these options just fine.

I've tracked down a few options, but I'm having a hard time settling on which one to pull the trigger on:

- regarding this specific card, I'm feeling a bit stuck because my brother mentioned that this SDDR3 might not even be compatible with my rig?! :O

I am well aware that you all have already pointed out the necessity of checking for PCI versus AGP, ensuring the slot is 16x, and verifying that the power supply is sufficient, but does the distinction between SDDR, GDDR, and similar memory types actually matter in any meaningful way?

Honestly, all those cards are weaker than an HD 4650—they're more in the ballpark of a GeForce 8400 GS. I doubt they’ll even run Red Dead Redemption or Call of Duty: Black Ops properly on low settings.

loneraven15 said:I know you guys already warned me about checking if it's PCI or AGP, making sure it fits the 16x slot, and ensuring the power supply can handle it, but does the SDDR vs GDDR stuff actually matter?

It doesn't really matter... though GDDR5 is obviously better. As for the amount of memory, it isn't a huge deal, at least not in this low-end bracket. But like crimsonstag84 said, you aren't going to get any serious gaming done with any of these. Better to save up for a $67, or just look for something used...

Here are the Mantle performance benchmarks (not from AMD or DICE):

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2014/...4#.UvOqREDoYhv
http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages...preview,1.html
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7728/b...mantle-preview
http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/17...ce-directx-9/4
http://hothardware.com/News/AMD-Mant...nd-Star-Swarm/
http://www.legitreviews.com/amd-mant...yst-141_134959
http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphic...rmance-Testing
http://wccftech.com/amd-mantle-api-p...adeon-r9-280x/
http://www.golem.de/news/amds-mantle...02-104261.html
http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/g...u-amds-mantle/

If I recall correctly, this currently only covers the GTX 260 and the R9 290X, though support for the rest of the Radeon and HD7xxx series should follow later.
The first game to feature native Mantle and TrueSound support right out of the gate will be the new Thief.

You put a lot of effort into this. Here’s one I found—it’s a somewhat questionable (American) site that’s been covering gaming for quite a while now.

mantle/directx11,2

Is it actually worth hunting down an old Radeon HD 5870 or maybe a Radeon HD 4890... I mean, if I can snag one for decent cash? Not sure how much sense it makes compared to a 7850—especially since the 70 series and those new Radeon cards at the store are way overpriced for my budget. I guess the GTX 970 goes for about $467 if we're just talking about a few extra FPS... which isn't even worth it. I honestly can't find any decent benchmarks for newer stuff like Call of Duty...

The Radeon HD 5870 and the Radeon HD 4890 aren't actually any better than an HD 7850. I guess you might see some real value if you stepped up to a GTX 970 or an R9 290X, or maybe even a GTX 670.

My AMD Radeon HD 5670 just bit the dust. I'm getting these weird green lines all over my screen, and I can't even boot into macOS normally—it only works if I force it into Safe Mode. It feels like the hardware is finally giving up the ghost, so I’m likely looking at a new purchase. I really need some solid recommendations on what to pick up next. I paid $400 for this current card about 3 years ago.

Current setup: Power supply is an NZXT H510, case is a Cooler Master Silencio, running an Intel Core i7-2600K, and using an MSI B450 Motherboard.

-PCI-E card
-AMD Ryzen 5 3600 processor, Gigabyte Z87, 8GB (2x4GB) Kingston DDR3 @ 1600MHz, 1TB HDD Western Digital, SATA III, NZXT H510 XFX 450W Power Supply
Quick question: Is a 450W unit actually enough to handle an EVGA GeForce GTX 980? 🙂

I’d probably go with the Cooler Master or the Alienware version instead, since those Razer cards can be pretty power-hungry 😬

That EVGA one should be enough, I guess. It might be cutting it close if you decide to run Intel Extreme Tuning Utility with an Overclocked 4670 MHz and hit the GeForce GTX 970 with 3DMark, but you probably won't do that anyway 😛

A buddy of mine over at PCPartPicker had a Corsair RM series handling a GeForce GTX 980 and a 3570K @ 4GHz, and this EVGA card has a bit more headroom

crimsonstag84 said:A buddy of mine over at PCPartPicker mentioned his Corsair RM series was handling a GeForce GTX 980 paired with an i7-3770K overclocked to 4GHz just fine, and this EVGA unit actually offers a bit more headroom.

That's what I read as well. I suspect he was looking at peak draw in Metro, which probably hit around 370W.

Quick look at DirectX performance using the GeForce GTX 980 (US)

Is an A10 really beating an i7 in Call of Duty: Multiplayer when paired with a GeForce GTX 980?? Whaat? It might just be down to how they ran their tests (as they admitted themselves). That guy StarSwarm definitely put things into perspective 😬 , but using DirectX narrows that gap significantly

Honestly, developers could step up their game and put a bit more effort into optimization.

I'm looking for some advice on a new graphics card—ideally the best bang for my buck up to $133. I need something solid for gaming since my current setup isn't really cutting it anymore. Right now, I'm running an OCZ 500W power supply and a GeForce GT 640, and here is the rest of my build...