GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Greetings, everyone.

Below is my current setup, which I assembled roughly five years ago:

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CPU: AMD Athlon 4000 AM2 DualCore
MB: Gigabyte M52 S-3P AM2
RAM: 2GB DDR2 800MHz Kingston
HDD: Western Digital 160GB HDD
GPU: Gigabyte Radeon HD 2600 XT, 256MB, DDR3

I also replaced a generic power supply with an EVGA 400W about three or four years ago.
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My graphics card recently died on me. I went out today and purchased a replacement, though I now regret not consulting this forum before making the purchase. I had a specific budget set aside for $167 the GPU, and I settled on:

AMD Radeon HD 6670 GPU, 1GB DDR3, 128-bit, Dual-link DVI-D / D-sub / HDMI

http://www.newegg.com/example-product-link

Was this a sound decision?
I wouldn't classify myself as a hardcore gamer, but I occasionally enjoy playing FIFA 13 or something along the lines of Modern Warfare.

You aren't going to find a better card at that price point; honestly, you'd probably be better off hunting down a used one. That said, for what you're trying to do, this will get the job done just fine. There’s really no point in picking out a more powerful card when the rest of your build can't even keep up anyway.

Carl Collins59 said:Did I make a solid choice?
I wouldn't call myself a hardcore gamer, but I enjoy jumping into FIFA 13 every now and then, or maybe a shooter like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare...

I agree. You didn't make a mistake (honestly, I don't think anyone would suggest anything else anyway), and you didn't overpay for it either. You might even run into a slight bottleneck with that processor. That's just my take—others might have a better technical grasp on it. Regardless, you won't need anything more powerful for that specific setup, just like Jeffrey Chavez6 mentioned.

Is it worth it? $233 Is it worth picking up a used EVGA Nvidia GeForce 550 Titanium 1 GB if the warranty is still active, or should I look for something else for that kind of cash?

For that kind of cash, you could grab a 6850 that actually outperforms that Nvidia card 😉

Greetings to everyone....

At the moment, I am utilizing a PowerColor HD 7770 GHz edition OC

http://www.sapphiretech.com/presenta...pid=1468&lid=1

Does this specific graphics card possess sufficient capability to meet the hardware requirements necessary to launch and smoothly run titles such as Hitman, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, or Far Cry 3, or am I simply asking too much?

So, I'm thinking about swapping out my GPU.

Here's my build:

Core i3 2100.
4GB of DDR3 RAM.
GT240 512MB GDDR5
MSI H61M-P22 B3
FSP HEXA 400W
I can't really get my head around why anyone would bother with this specific setup. It looks like a total waste of cash if you ask me. I’ve seen better hardware in a dusty basement in Ohio than what they're pushing here. Honestly, just save your money and buy something that actually works without needing a miracle to boot up.
Technical Specifications: Max. power at +12 V/DC (1): 17 A Max. power at +12V DC (2): 17 A Max. power at +3.3V / DC: 24 A Max. power at +5V / DC (SB): 2.5 A Max. power at +5V DC: 15 A Max. power at -12V / DC: 0.3 A

So, here's the deal. I'm thinking about swapping this thing out for a VTX HD 5750 1GB GDDR5 if I can snag one for... $133
I checked out that link about the VTX Radeon card. Basically, if you’re looking to squeeze more performance out of your setup, you might want to take a closer look at how it handles under pressure. It's one of those things where the specs look great on paper, but real-world testing tells a different story. Definitely worth a read if you're trying to decide whether to pull the trigger on an upgrade or just stick with what you've got.
What do you guys think? Is this actually worth the money? How much of a boost am I really gonna get in terms of performance and higher FPS when I'm gaming?

The 5750 is a massive step up, and you’d definitely feel the difference. $133Sure, the price tag might be a little steeper than what it actually ought to be, but we're not talking about a total rip-off.

Brian Campbell36 said:Hey everyone...

Right now I'm running a PowerColor HD 7770 GHz edition OC

http://www.sapphiretech.com/presenta...pid=1468&lid=1

Will this card actually handle games like Hitman, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, or Far Cry 3? Like, can I actually launch them and play without everything breaking...

Of course you can play all of those on that card 😉

Taylor Brown said:of course you can run everything on that card😉

Fine, but let me ask you this: is there any realistic possibility that this specific GPU will simply fall behind once we start seeing truly demanding titles? I am talking about a situation where its graphical capabilities are just insufficient compared to what modern games require.

Brian Campbell36 said:Alright, but is there a chance down the road where this card just becomes too weak to handle really demanding titles (graphically speaking)?

Look, you’ll be able to play everything smoothly for quite a while. When the absolute heavy hitters eventually drop, you might struggle to max out every single setting—specifically anti-aliasing, which is a total resource hog. But honestly, that doesn't matter; if you're looking to push things to the extreme, you'd be buying much more expensive cards anyway.

Is it worth dropping $300
on an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285?
It’s sitting at 50th place for performance right now.
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

Nah. Anything north of $800 is just way too much, though if I’m being honest, I probably wouldn't drop more than $750 myself.😁

Gerald Flores63 said:Is it actually worth getting an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 for $300
?
It’s currently sitting at 50th place in terms of raw performance.
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

Personally, I don't think so—because if I recall correctly, some retailers (I can't remember which ones right now) have the 6850 available, which is brand new and superior, for about $333

Timothy Kim60 said:If you ask me, I wouldn't—because if I recall correctly, certain retailers (I can't quite put my finger on which ones right now) are carrying the 6850, which is newer and objectively superior, priced at around $333

Just grab an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 and call it a day.

Brian Campbell36 said:Just grab an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 and you'll be fine.

What kind of idiot are you thinking?
We're talking about a budget card around $300 not something twice the price. :/
Not everyone has money to burn on a GPU.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:What kind of idiot are you if I have to explain this?
We’re talking about a budget GPU around $300$, not some high-end card that costs twice as much. :/
Not everyone has a massive paycheck just lying around for a graphics card.

And I heard those cashiers at Target make plenty of money. 🙂 Perfect.

Well, he certainly puts it nicely up to $300, but then he goes ahead and suggests a graphics card that costs twice as much.

Timothy Kim60 said:I wouldn't say so—some stores (I can't recall which ones right now) actually carry the 6850, which is newer and better, priced at $333

It’s more recent, sure, but that doesn't mean it's better.

Gerald Flores63 said:Is it worth dropping $300
on an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285?
Right now, it's sitting at 50th in terms of raw power.
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

http://www.newegg.com/products/detail...xedition/46297

It's a bit pricier than the 900 series, and you might find one for a few bucks less somewhere, but this is brand new with a full warranty. Buying used is just asking for trouble. If I were in your shoes, I'd definitely go with the new card, even if it was just a 7770.

Alexander Moore67 said:It's newer, sure, but it isn't actually better.

Let's just agree they're basically the same thing.