GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

You can actually run two graphics cards at once—that way you can set up SLI or CrossFire.

Just make sure it's a PCIe card.

http://www.google.com/search?q=pcie+e...ml%3B425%3B320

That's an AGP card, which means it won't fit in your motherboard—it's just too old an interface.

So, what kind of budget are you looking at for a new graphics card? Also, could you let me know what power supply you're running? If you aren't sure, just pop the case open; the manufacturer and the wattage should be printed right there on the unit itself.

If you're planning on hooking this card up to massive monitors or high-end projectors, then I'd probably suggest going with the second option... but if your main focus is just straight-up gaming, then I guess the first one might be the better way to go.

Hey, it's me again!
I'm looking at a GeForce GTX 650 Ti with 2GB DDR5 and trying to decide which one to grab.
I noticed on the link that there are several versions available and they aren't all the same.
Which of these would actually work with my current setup? Also, if anyone could break down the differences between them for me, I'd really appreciate it!

Here is another
DxDiag dump for you guys.
-----------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 9/28/2012, 21:25:50
Machine name: OEM
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.120504-1619)
Language: English (Regional Setting : US English) system Manufacturer
System Manufacturer: BIOSTAR Group
System Model: P43-A7
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q8400 @ 2.66GHz (4 CPUs)
Memory: 3072MB RAM
Page File: 1262MB used, 3694MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0 C (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: None
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.5512 32bit Unicode

.
Input Tab: No problems found.
Network Tab: No problems found.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D: 0/4 (n/a)
DirectDraw: 0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectPlay: 0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow: 0/6 (retail)

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
Chip type: AMD Radeon Graphics Processor (0x9442)
DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_9442&SUBSYS_E104174B&REV_00
Display Memory: 1024.0 MB
Current Mode: 1280 x 1024 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor
monitor Max Res: 1600,1200
Driver Name: ati2dvag.dll
driver version: 6.14.0010.7267 (English)
DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 7/4/2012 06:37:10, 306176 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: No
WHQL Date Stamp: None
VDD: n/a
Mini VDD: ati2mtag.sys
Mini VDD Date: 7/4/2012 08:54:32, 7874560 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B71EE2-D702-11CF-9868-0EC1A1C2CB35}
Vendor ID: 0x1002
Device ID: 0x9442
SubSys ID: 0xE104174B
Revision ID: 0x0000
Revision ID: 0x0000
Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_C ModeMPEG2_D

@Olivia Collins5
2GB is plenty if you're running resolutions higher than Full HD (1920x1080) or driving multiple monitors from a single card. Since you're sitting at 1600x1200, you honestly wouldn't notice any difference between 1GB and 2GB.
All of these use DDR5; as far as I know, there isn't even a DDR3 version of this card available (and obviously, DDR5 is much faster than DDR3).

The cheapest GTX 650 Ti option is here:

EDIT
It's actually on sale at this link:

But this one is actually even better—it's an MSI model, so you get a year more warranty than the others, plus it's overclocked.

Then there's the Gigabyte OC version:

The last two options are from slightly more prestigious manufacturers and come factory overclocked. Even with shipping, they should only run you about $40.--$17

Any recommendations for a decent GPU to pair with my $400AMD Athlon II X4 750K
?

@Justin Rogers59 It’s a bit of an investment, but it is absolutely worth every penny
http://www.techradar.com/graphics-cards...example-link.html

So I picked up a GTS 450, and now I’ve got this question about the power connection. The card itself requires a 6-pin connector, but the adapter that came with it has a 6-pin on one end and two Molex connectors on the other. I took a single branch from my power supply that wasn't being used and plugged both of those Molex ends into it. There's another branch currently powering my DVD drive that still has two free Molex slots. Should I have plugged those two Molex ends into two separate branches instead? Maybe it matters.

Nah, whatever you say.

@Justin Rogers59 It’s a bit pricey, but it’s absolutely worth it
http://www.cnet.com/video_cards...ca-p33217.html

So now the big question for $400: who actually makes better cards, AMD or Nvidia??

Justin Rogers59 said:So, here’s the question... $400 It really comes down to what you're looking for, I guess. Is AMD or Nvidia better? It depends on your budget and what you're trying to do.

I guess Nvidia doesn't even have anything in the same league as the HD 7850 at that price point; the GTX 650 Ti is sitting around... $367It’s definitely a lot weaker, though I guess it might sit just a hair above the HD 7770.$283I guess the one in the link above is the way to go. 😉

rrrrregoc said:I can't get my TV to work with the integrated graphics on my motherboard. I can't find any way to connect it because I don't have any other cables right now.
Here is what the back of my PC looks like. Since all I have is a RCA cable for the TV, how am I supposed to hook this up?
Does this mean HDMI is my only option?

If I'm following you correctly, you've got an old CRT TV with RCA inputs, and you're trying to link it to the video output on your motherboard.

You won't be able to use an HDMI cable here. You'll probably need some kind of adapter—basically, something that converts the VGA signal from the motherboard into RCA for the TV. For the sound, you'd likely need to run a 3.5 mm jack from your speakers into a red/white RCA split for the TV.

Hold on, can you actually connect an HDMI output from the motherboard directly to an HDMI input on a plasma TV, or is that going to be another headache too?

Just buy a decent 5m HDMI cable—something high quality if you want the best picture. Anything else is just overcomplicating things. You end up needing all these converters and adapters that cost a fortune, only to end up with a worse image anyway.

Edit: If you’re really hell-bent on using RCA cables, then maybe grab this converter. It plugs right into the VGA port on your motherboard; one side has one connector and the other has two VGA ports, so you can hook up the device and your computer monitor at the same time. Just check out the manual for that specific device.

A 5m HDMI cable works fine at Best Buy $15 but if you go with 7.5m $27 or even 10m $33 you'll get the best possible picture and sound quality.
www.bestbuy.com

Are you looking for an AGP or a PCI-E card?
PCI-E
What does your current or planned setup look like, and what kind of power supply are you running?
For the power supply—I'm planning on picking this up http://www.newegg.com/p/example-item-12692.
What’s your budget looking like?
$200-around the maximum
Which stores are you considering?
Newegg
I'm currently torn between http://www.newegg.com/p/example-item-9997, http://www.newegg.com/p/example-item-11910, and even http://www.newegg.com/p/example-item-10026. My main concern is whether my CPU can actually handle these GPUs, or if my aging motherboard is going to become a massive bottleneck... I'll be adding another 4 gigs of DDR2 to the mix. For the display, I've got a Samsung SyncMaster 720n [17" LCD] (H9FLB06871), and the board is an Asus M2V-MX (2 PCI, 1 PCI-E x16, 2 DDR2 DIMM, Audio, Video, LAN). I would truly appreciate your thoughts on this... thanks.

Go for it—it’s got GDDR5, after all.

Larry Ortiz5 said:Just grab the first one you see since it’s got GDDR5.

So, I guess the old motherboard and power supply won't be an issue then?

If you're stuck with an Athlon 3600+, I guess modern games are gonna crawl.

And honestly, skip that power supply—you're better off grabbing one of these:

http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?products_id=11700
http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?products_id=9127
http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?products_id=12695

fadedorca66 said:If you're rocking an Athlon 3600+, it’s going to struggle big time with modern titles.

And please, skip that power supply; go with one of these instead:

A little more context wouldn't hurt—why recommend one of those specific power supplies over the one I mentioned? Plus, you didn't actually answer my question about which of these three graphics cards to pick, or if my CPU is going to bottleneck any of them... honestly, the processor is just enough for what I need right now. I appreciate the input, really, but I'm looking for some granular detail here. It isn't easy for me to drop over a thousand bucks, especially since I'm planning to grab a GPU, some RAM, and a new PSU all at once. thanks.