GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Timothy Kim60 said:Just some cheap power supply (never heard of it, honestly)...

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/blog/...-of-Cement/220

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Timothy Kim60 said:Look, it’s totally normal for the GPU fan to spin up when you first boot the PC. Are you saying it's taking forever to start up? Did you swap anything out recently that might have triggered this? Honestly, that power supply sounds like junk to me, but who knows what's actually going on inside there.

That graphics card http://www.newegg.com/Video-Cards...GB-p31794.html is actually a pretty solid match for your build in terms of both price and performance. Just a heads-up: if you go that route, make sure you grab the DDR5 version.

He’d be better off grabbing this Radeon HD 7770 for the money. If everything the guy mentioned is legit, the card is practically brand new—it's only been used for about three months. Check it out here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-7431410

I notice the word "junk" pops up quite frequently on many forums when discussing power supplies. Personally, whenever I take them apart and look at the solder joints, the coils, or the heatsinks, they all feel poorly constructed to me—it almost looks like they were assembled by someone who had a few too many drinks. Of course, that doesn't necessarily dictate actual quality, but that’s just my visual impression. Regarding your observation, based on what I can see, it looks like it provides about 330W; if that's the case, it definitely falls into the "budget junk" category. Anyway, take a look at the unit yourself, and if you don't mind, please post a photo.
http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggIma...341-012-06.jpg
That's what I'm curious about.
There are plenty of tests available for these branded power supplies, and most of them justify both their price tag and their reputation. However, there are also those "junk" units that can actually serve you well for years. In my opinion, efficiency is a crucial factor; it isn't constant but fluctuates depending on the load, usually peaking around 50% for most units.
To be specific: if that 9800GT was running fine on this power supply, then a 7750 will work without any issues. A 7770 should also be fine, though it might be a gamble. If you have the budget, go for the 7850, and once you get another opportunity, upgrade to a stronger CPU. It isn't such a big deal if you don't utilize the GPU at 100% capacity; after all, that 7850 is about 30% more powerful, and it won't cause much of a bottleneck.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/...tel-core-e8400
This has been tested with a Radeon HD 6970, which is slightly more powerful than the HD 7850. Your CPU isn't listed here, but you can use the Core i5-620 as a rough comparison.
If you decide to buy a new power supply, stick to a proven, more expensive model with high efficiency. Consider this: if you compare two 500W units—one with 85% efficiency at full load and another with 65%—the first pulls roughly 590W from the wall, while the second pulls 775W. That is an extra 175W of electricity used. Based on average US utility rates per kWh$0.33, assuming about 6 hours of full-load operation daily, that adds up to about 1050Wh. At roughly $0.15 per kWh, over 365 days, the difference would be $122. This works against the cheap option. So, if a "junk" unit costs $33 and a high-end, premium unit costs $217, according to this math, the better one pays for itself in about 18 months... (keeping in mind that other factors like temperature, noise, and long-term reliability play a role too).
P.S. Please feel free to correct me if my math is off somewhere.

Benjamin King2 said:http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/blog/...-of-Cement/220

😁

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http://www.manolagem.com.br/wp-conte...oll-smiley.jpg

Gentlemen—I truly appreciate the exhaustive responses and all the advice provided here—I’ve decided I'm going to pull the trigger on either the 7770 or the 7750. Now, whether I’ll actually have enough left over to afford a brand-new (top-tier) card remains to be seen... if not, I'll just flip my old one—but man, I really need to hustle if I want to scrape together enough cash for a decent power supply and a proper GPU! As it stands, I picked up the PSU, the CPU, and the motherboard just last month—everything was brand new for $500, so now it looks like I'll be grinding to save up another grand for a graphics card and maybe a better power supply (even if it's used)!!

Hey everyone—I just stumbled upon a "Corsair Vengeance 250G" 680W unit for $133... it says "lightly used," and honestly, I’m thinking it might actually be a solid fit for my current component setup!

Noah Campbell52 said:Listen, guys—thanks for all the deep dives and advice. I’ve decided to pull the trigger on either a 7770 or a 7750. If it works out perfectly with my new build, great; if not, I'll just flip my old one. I just need to scrape enough cash together so I can actually afford a decent power supply and a solid GPU. I picked up the PSU, CPU, and motherboard about a month ago—everything was brand new for $500—so now it looks like I'll be saving up another grand to grab a graphics card and maybe a better power supply (used)!!

I wouldn't suggest going used on the power supply. You're much better off buying a new PSU and spending your money on a used GPU instead...

You definitely overpaid for that setup... For $167, you could have easily snagged a quad-core Athlon, paired with a decent $150 motherboard and about $350 for a high-quality power supply. But hey, what's done is done; the CPU and board are solid, and that 9800GT isn't a bad card either.

Even a 7750 can run on a cheap power supply because its draw is so low (maxing out at 55W), and even the 7770 (80W) pulls less juice than your 9800GT (105W). That said, investing in a better PSU is always a smart move—you don't need anything top-of-the-line for those cards, especially since the processor is also quite efficient.

If I were in your shoes, I’d prioritize buying a used graphics card and a brand-new power supply instead. It all depends on what kind of deals you find. Just be careful not to get scammed on Craigslist or similar sites. The card that swiftfalcon89 suggested is an absolute steal if it's still available.

As for the PSU, if you're tight on cash, this or maybe a Redwing Corsair Vengeance 250G or a 480W unit from the list below $100 should be your absolute baseline.

Ideally, these two options are high quality, which would give you plenty of headroom to upgrade to something more powerful down the road.

Noah Campbell52 said:Check this out—I found a Corsair 680W unit for $133. It’s listed as "lightly used," and I think it would fit perfectly with my current components!

I have no idea which specific Corsair 680W model that is, so honestly, I'd pass. You don't even need a brand-new power supply rated at $133, let alone some sketchy used one from a stranger. A Corsair CX 430W could likely handle your setup with half its capacity to spare. At the end of the day, the quality of the model matters far more than just chasing a high wattage number.

Noah Campbell52 said:Look, I found a "Corsair" 680W unit for $133. It says "lightly used," and I think it would be a perfect fit for my current setup!

-New Corsair CX430 $117 36-month warranty

-Used MSI HD7770 $233 36-month warranty http://www.craigslist.org/listing/graphics-cards...-ad-7431410

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$350, honestly? Just grab that one and toss it in the trash. As for the stuff you just pulled out, try to sell it for whatever you can get...

There really isn't any reason to go chasing power supplies north of 500W. Following the specific advice given by Timothy Kim60 and swiftfalcon89, I’d suggest taking the same route for your build. If you want to run some rough numbers yourself, here is a decent little calculator to get you started:
http://www.thermaltake.outervision.com/index.jsp
P.S. That link fosna shared is honestly pretty depressing to look at; I can only imagine how much of a headache it would be if I actually owned something like that...

Thanks, swiftfalcon89—I think I’ll take your advice, honestly... it’s really the only logical way forward right now, given everything else—a new card is going to run me about $130, and I'll have to scrape together some extra cash for a new power supply too!🙂

If you're looking to pick up a new HD 7770, honestly just grab the Gigabyte HD 7770 1GB OC — it’s got a better cooler that stays way quieter, and the factory overclock is about 100 MHz higher than the MSI version. Plus, you actually get a 36-month warranty.

As for the power supply, you can snag a decent Xilence Red Wing for pretty cheap, and it'll be brand new too.

Noah Campbell52 said:Thanks, swiftfalcon89. I think I’m going to take your advice; honestly, given where things stand right now, it's probably my best bet. A new card is going to run me about $125, and once that's sorted, I'll start scraping together enough cash to grab a decent power supply, too.🙂

No worries. If everything matches what the guy wrote in his listing—meaning the card is basically brand new, barely been touched, and still carries a full three-year warranty—then I’m on board. Plus, the consensus seems to be that MSI cards come with really solid coolers. I won't pretend I know from experience, though; I've never actually owned an MSI card. I've stuck with ASUS and Sapphire in the past, and I can tell you both of those have been great. 👍 As far as those parts you’re planning to swap out for the GT9800, you might be able to squeeze another $250 out of them if you play your cards right.$100Look, if you aren't in a massive rush, just throw it on there and it should clear up in a bit. $100As for the power supply, I'll be honest—I’ve never even heard of that brand before. 🤷 Give it a shot and try installing it for. $67 Maybe someone wants to try their luck. 😬

graniteharbor85 said:If you're looking at getting a new HD 7770, I'd suggest going with the Gigabyte HD 7770 1GB OC. It features a superior, quieter cooler, comes factory overclocked by about 100 MHz compared to the MSI version, and includes a 36-month warranty.

As for the power supply, you can pick up a decent Xilence Red Wing for a pretty low price, and it'll be brand new.

If that warranty info is actually accurate, then that HD7770 is an absolute steal.

graniteharbor85 said:If you're picking up a new HD 7770, maybe grab the Gigabyte HD 7770 1GB OC. It's got a better, quieter cooler, factory overclocked by about 100 MHz over the MSI version, and comes with a 36-month warranty.

Wait, since when do Gigabyte cards come with three years of coverage?

Does that depend on the vendor?

I think I saw someone mention that an ASUS motherboard they picked up from Best Buy came with a 3-year warranty🤷 whereas it wasn't the case elsewhere. From what I've seen at other retailers, it's usually just MSI (both motherboards and GPUs) that offers that 3-year coverage.

Timothy Kim60 said:Does that depend on the retailer?

I think I saw some guy mention that an ASUS motherboard he picked up at Best Buy came with a 3-year warranty🤷 whereas elsewhere it wasn't the case. So far, it seems like only MSI (both motherboards and GPUs) has offered 3 years at other shops.

It’s possible it comes down to the store itself. Maybe it's just a tactic—adding an extra year to entice people to buy from them instead of going to a competitor that only offers the standard 2-year coverage...

fadedorca66 said:Wait, since when do gigabyte cards come with a three-year warranty?

Look, my GTX 1060—which I picked up just two years ago at Best Buy—actually carries a three-year warranty.

Hey, Benjamin King2, give me your honest take on this one:
-Sapphire ATI Radeon™ HD 5450,
Look, I’m not some hardcore enthusiast trying to crank every setting to ultra; I usually just stick to 1200x700. For my purposes, it’s perfectly fine to squeeze a little life out of games
running at those lower resolutions.