GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

crimsonstag84 said:http://www.craigslist.org/forsale/graphics-card-listing-6682399

The newer cards from $83 aren't even significantly better than what you get integrated on a motherboard nowadays. Honestly, they just aren't worth the investment at all...

I'm currently running an Intel g33 chipset and, frankly, nothing runs well when I try to play any games, so I was looking to upgrade to something more capable. Do you think this card http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-5017045 would be able to handle http://www.videogamer.com/pc/euro_truck_simulator_requirements.html?

That card is about five years old now and worth roughly $17. You're better off grabbing something closer to that 8800 mentioned above.

Jeffrey Chavez6 said:That card is about 5 years old now and worth roughly $17. You're better off grabbing something like that 8800 mentioned above.

+1... what you linked is pretty much junk 😬

Just wondering... what kind of CPU and PSU are you running? Honestly, it might be hard to beat that 8800 GTS deal; it’s got some real muscle for more demanding games 😉

To start things off, I am looking at picking up either the or perhaps the I noticed the latter one boasts a higher count of stream processors. In your professional opinion, which of these would be the superior choice?

crimsonstag84 said:+1... that link you posted is total junk. 😬

Just one more thing... what kind of CPU and power supply are we talking about here? Honestly, you're going to have a hard time finding a better deal than that 8800 GTS anyway; it actually has enough juice in it to handle some of the heavier games. 😉

The processor is an Intel Celeron E34 @ 2.60GHz, and the PSU is 450W... I'm not looking to play any of the newer or high-end titles.

James Cooper5 said:To start off, I'm looking at getting either or The second one seems to have more stream processors. Which one is the better pick?

You posted the exact same link twice... and honestly, that card is junk. If the other one is an Nvidia GT 520 or an HD 6450, neither is worth it. They're barely any better than your integrated graphics; you'd just be throwing money away...

crimsonstag84 said:You posted the exact same link... that one is garbage. I'm guessing the other option is an Nvidia GT 520 or maybe an HD 6450? Neither of those are worth your time; they're barely any better than your integrated graphics. You'd just be throwing money down the drain...

The second option is this one: http://www.amazon.com/Graphics-Card...R3-198308.aspx

Yeah, total garbage. It might actually run, but don't even think about it. If you really want to play anything, just grab something used instead.

Jeffrey Chavez6 said:Yeah, that's absolute bottom-tier junk. It might technically run, but don't even consider it. If you're serious about gaming, just pick up something used instead.

Fair enough... so, which would be the better move: going with an option that has 800MHz memory clock and 80 stream processors, or choosing one with a 1000MHz memory clock and 16 stream processors?

Honestly, you're better off skipping them both. The 5450 is slightly less pathetic than those two, but let’s be real—neither of them is actually any good.

Euro Truck Simulator isn't demanding, so it'll run fine on either, but don't expect anything more recent or intensive to work.

What exactly does a 40nm process refer to?

So you came here looking for advice from people who actually know their stuff better than you do? Well, they gave it to you. Why are you trying to reinvent the wheel now? Just take the recommendation and run with it. Nobody here has any reason to steer you wrong.

James Cooper5 said:What exactly is a 40nm process?

You’re likely talking about 40nm transistor fabrication technology. Basically, the smaller the transistor, the more you can cram onto a chip, which lets you build much more powerful hardware.😁

crimsonstag84 said:A new one from $167 can be just as powerful, but it definitely won't be stronger. You might see "used" because it can be better... for example, like this:

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

That listing expired... Got any other suggestions? :/
What kind of budget am I looking at to get something with the same performance? I can't even find a new version of the exact same card (Nvidia 9800 GT) anywhere in the States right now.

Could you look into this listing for me? It feels like a pretty solid deal...

http://www.craigslist.org/vi/graphics-cards-listing-6713347

That 7750 is an absolute steal.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-example Is it actually worth grabbing this one for $233 or should I just bite the bullet and get a brand new 7750?

Just an update on the Q6600 and the AMD Radeon HD 7870 setup. Got the card installed and it’s running fine. 😁

A buddy called me asking if I was the one who picked up that ASUS card.

I ran 3DMark 11. With the processor at the stock 2.4 GHz, I hit about 4700. Then I quickly overclocked the CPU to 2.9 GHz—just bumped the FSB from 266 to 323, kept the memory ratio at 800 MHz, and left the PCI frequency at the default 100, which is standard on this board regardless of other tweaks. Nothing else. The total score jumped to roughly 5100.

That's where I left it. Didn't feel like messing around with more overclocking.

Everything works great, though. We fired up Mass Effect 3 and Assassin's Creed 3, and he's playing them smoothly right now.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know. 🙂

Tyler Castillo14 said:is it worth grabbing this for $233 or should I just go for a new 7750?

Honestly, you’d be much better off picking this up instead:

Just a bit of friendly advice—be extremely careful when you're buying stuff on Craigslist so you don't get ripped off. It happens all the time, and you definitely won't be the first victim. Especially when you're dropping this kind of cash. If you absolutely have to buy used from a site like that, try to meet up in person at least (though even that isn't a foolproof guarantee that the gear actually works)—better yet, test it out right there on the spot.
Forget about paying via COD.