GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Timothy Kim60 said:That's tough—I mean, it's a dual-core after all
$2000 for all that? No way in hell

An Athlon X4 740/750 K740/750 K would be the bare minimum, I guess

Ugh, yeah, I totally get that, but I guess I just needed someone to tell me straight up😢

So, what about a 7750 or 7770 paired with an E8400?
Just trying to compare things here—right now I'm running an 8800 GTS 512 MB. I'm kind of hoping I can tinker with it a bit, maybe swap in a new card to keep this rig breathing for another year or two. I paid a ton for it back in the day, and honestly, I feel like there's still some life left in that processor🤷. It's such a bummer, I actually tried listing the whole setup on eBay. The monitor is solid, the power supply is fine, the hard drive is good... everything's decent
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I'm not exactly a hardcore gamer or anything—I don't really care about stuff like BF3. But man, I've been browsing eBay and looking at used cards, and people are absolutely losing their minds with these prices! They're asking like $900$333 for a GTX 460. I mean, respect to them, I guess, but there's zero warranty or anything else included
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It’s a much better option than what you’re running right now—plus, you shouldn't run into any bottlenecking issues. If they aren't based out in California, maybe just ask if they can ship it via FedEx.

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

I don't really know what to make of this one—maybe I'm just overthinking it, but honestly, Osmanko? Not sure where to start there! kaže:
It's way better than what you're running right now—plus, I don't think you'd have to worry about any bottlenecks, either! If you aren't living in the Primorsko-goranska region, maybe just ask if they can ship it via FedEx?

Hey guys! I just stumbled upon this listing on Craigslist for a graphics card—check it out! It looks like a pretty solid deal if you're looking to upgrade your rig without breaking the bank. I mean, who doesn't love a good bargain, right? Anyway, let me know what you all think about the price or if anyone knows if this specific model holds up well in modern games. I guess it might be worth grabbing if it's still available!

It looks like it's about... I guess?
Check out this list of high-end GPUs over at Videocard Benchmark—it’s a pretty solid breakdown if you're looking to see where things stand!
sort of like...
I was just poking around online trying to track down some deals on a Radeon 7750—you know how it is when you're hunting for that specific piece of hardware! I ended up landing on this search page, though it's basically just a massive list of everything out there right now. It’s kind of overwhelming if you aren't prepared for it, I guess! Just a heads-up if anyone else is looking to upgrade their rig on a budget.

I guess I should probably mention those guys... $33 Honestly, given the price gap, I’d definitely just go with something brand new that comes with a full warranty... maybe it's a bit more upfront, but man, that peace of mind is everything!
Assuming the CPU can actually handle the load without choking—I mean, if it doesn't just totally eat it!
Oh yeah—based on those same benchmarks, that card is basically twice as good as the one I'm rocking right now!

Would a 7750 be going a bit overboard?
So, I actually started a thread about this once—I think I was asking for advice? And everyone basically told me to just throw in a GeForce GTX 460 instead. They were saying that as long as my processor isn't totally bottoming out, it should run pretty smoothly... plus, that card is actually beefier than a Radeon HD 7770, if I remember correctly!

So, my monitor resolution is set to 1650x1050, and I can't seem to get my framerate any higher than 60 FPS on Fraps—I'm guessing that's just because my monitor is capped at 60Hz, right?

I’d probably lean toward the 7750 or 7770—you could always grab a decent cooler if you decide to overclock the CPU later, especially if you start noticing any stuttering.

Plus, you won't need to go out and buy a massive power supply, since those cards barely pull any power at all. 😁

Larry Ortiz5 said:Personally, I'd probably just grab a 7750 or a 7770—maybe pick up a decent cooler too—and overclock the CPU if you start noticing any stuttering.

Plus, you won't need a massive power supply since those cards are basically tiny little ants when it comes to power draw. 😁

I've actually got a Scythe Yasya setup. I managed to bump my processor up to 3.6 GHz without much trouble, though—I guess—it's back down to stock speeds right now.
My power supply is a Fortron 400 W.

Thanks for all the advice! Honestly, this feels like the most realistic way to go, especially since I barely have any time left for serious gaming these days.

Personally, I’d opt for something brand new. I haven't had much luck messing around with used graphics cards... It’s not like a CPU where you can just swap it out and forget about it; with GPUs, there's just too much junk and counterfeit hardware out there nowadays.

A 6670 with DDR5 would definitely be a solid move, but honestly, since you're currently running an 8800 GTS, it wouldn't really be a massive upgrade.

Think of the 7850 as a temporary placeholder if you're planning to upgrade the rest of your rig later this year. Your CPU is going to be the bottleneck, soaking up all the performance it can... especially if all you need is a new CPU, motherboard, and RAM to get everything else in sync.

Honestly, that power supply should handle a Radeon HD 7750 or even a 7770 just fine.

Hey guys, could use some advice here 😬 I'm currently rocking a GeForce GTX 660 TwinFrozr OC Edition 2GB. I'm thinking about selling it—should I jump up to a GeForce GTX 660 Ti or go with a Radeon HD 7950 instead?

Nah, why bother? You might as well just spend that cash on drinks.

fadedorca66, sorry to burst your bubble, but I’ll go ahead and list it out anyway 😁—at least this way I can finally stop stressing about it. I was actually leaning toward picking up a Radeon HD 7950 with dual DVI ports instead. What do you guys think?

So, you looking for a new GPU because this one can't handle anything? Or maybe you just have too much extra cash lying around after Valentine's Day since you don't have a girlfriend? 😁

I just picked this up for Valentine's Day 😁 so it’s not quite what I was aiming for 😬

My current card is actually doing alright, but if I can manage to sell it, I'll probably grab a Radeon HD 7950—that way I can finally stop worrying about my setup. Don't get me wrong, my present card isn't bad at all, it's just that the 7950 has that extra punch I'm looking for 😁

I’m not sure if selling that thing actually makes sense for you—when you consider that you're only looking at a measly 15% boost in performance, all while still holding onto a perfectly decent 🤷
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I've been doing a little Googling myself—not seeing any massive jumps in prices yet. I'll keep an eye out over the next few days and let you guys know if anything changes.

Greetings.. I picked up an AMD Radeon HD 5770 .. for about $30, basically a steal 😁 based on what I've seen, it looks like a solid card and I've been poking around YouTube a bit, it seems decent enough...
I haven't actually tested it yet since I'm currently working overseas, so I don't have a rig to plug it into; I'll have to check it out once I get back home, so I'd love to hear from anyone who has experience with this card if you could share some good news 🙂

Looking at this graph, I’d honestly give this card a 10/10. Running an i5 with 8GB of RAM and this GPU, I managed to crank Call of Duty: Modern Warfare up to max settings at 1680x1050. I'll admit—there were a few frame drops here and there—but nothing deal-breaking.

Seriously though, this is easily the best graphics card I've ever owned. You really lucked out getting it for just thirty bucks.

Does anyone have any good recommendations for a new graphics card in the $350 range? I'm currently running an AMD Radeon HD 5850 and it's definitely time for an upgrade. Thanks!

Sent from my Galaxy S III via Reddit

Jack Alvarez said:Can anyone recommend a decent graphics card for around $350? I'm currently running an HD Radeon 5850. Thanks!

Sent from my Galaxy S III via Reddit

Go with the NVIDIA GTX 660 Ti, or maybe an ATI 7950 if you prefer.

Which one of these two graphics cards would you recommend I pick up for an AMD Phenom setup?

Here’s what I’m running right now:
Seagate 500 GB 7200
EVGA Core edition 80 550W PSU with EasyRail tech
Dell DVD Drive, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R, 8x DL, 40x CD-R
Gigabyte GZ-X8 midi tower, black/silver, no PSU included, USB
Kingmax DDR3 4GB (2x2GB), 1333MHz, FLFE
Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz, 1MB/6MB, 95W, Socket 1155
ASUS P67A-C43, Socket: 1155, Sandy Bridge, Intel ® P67, 4xDDR3
My GPU is an NVIDIA GTX 560 ti.

Instead of that current card (it's been giving me some real headaches lately!), I want to grab something else. Here are my top picks:

Budget is around $500 (+-$17) max. Which one would you guys go for?
Mainly looking for something to handle gaming.🙂

Also, would any of these cards actually play nice with my current setup? (Specifically thinking about whether my power supply and motherboard can handle them)