GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Jesse Brown90 said:Hey Benjamin King2, tell me what you think about this one:
-ATI Radeon™ HD 5450 sapphire,
Look, I don't run games on max settings, just 1200x700. It's enough for me to get
by at lower resolutions.

That’s hardly a gaming card...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-example
With this, you might actually have some fun.🙂

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

Jesse Brown90 said:Alright, Benjamin King2, give me the lowdown on this one:
-ATI Radeon™ HD 5450 sapphire,
look, I'm not out here trying to crank everything to ultra settings—I usually stick to 1200x700. For me, just getting games to run
at lower resolutions is plenty.

If you're still hunting for a replacement for that 9800 GT, honestly, there’s only one upgrade worth your cash:

or maybe

Anything less than that and you're basically trading a Mustang for a tricycle.

Jesse Brown90 said:Hey Benjamin King2, let me know what you think of this one:
-ATI Radeon™ HD 5450 sapphire,
Just a heads up, I don't run games on max settings—I usually stick to 1200x700. For me, it’s enough just to get some decent performance
at lower resolutions.

So, what's the budget look like? If you can swing $233 this might be a solid deal

http://www.craigslist.org/video-card-listing-7431410

or maybe this

http://www.craigslist.org/video-card-listing-8091013

if you're looking for something cheaper, try this

http://www.craigslist.org/video-card-listing-8177651

or

http://www.craigslist.org/video-card-listing-7929937 - though watch out with that one; make sure your power supply is up to the task since it pulls quite a bit of juice. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of that specific card, even if everyone else seems to swear by it...

I’m trying to get Crysis 3 up and running, but I’ve hit a brick wall because of some DirectX 11 issue, and frankly, I’m at a loss here.
Why on earth isn't there a patch released to address this? My current Radeon card is supposed to support
DirectX 11, if I recall correctly, so I don't understand the bottleneck. Why do these manufacturers insist on churning out such mediocre hardware instead of
designing cards that can actually chew through modern titles at lower resolutions, much like how things used to be back in the day?
Games aren't even advancing in complexity at nearly the same rate they demand more power, yet it feels like these manufacturers
are practically in a race to see who can release the most obsolete piece of silicon first.

Jesse Brown90 said:I’m trying to play Crysis 3 but I'm stuck because of DirectX 11 issues, or whatever.
I don't get why they haven't released a patch for this yet. This Radeon card supposedly has
DirectX 11 support, if I recall correctly. It feels like manufacturers just pump out these weak cards instead
of making ones that can actually handle everything at lower resolutions like they used to.
Games aren't even evolving that fast or getting that demanding, yet these hardware companies
act like they're in a race to see who can release the most outdated card possible.

So, what's your actual question here?

Jesse Brown90 said:I'm trying to run Crysis 3 but I'm stuck because of DX11 issues, and I have no clue
why they haven't released a patch for this yet. This Radeon card supposedly supports
DX11, so why do they keep churning out such weak hardware instead
of making cards that can actually handle everything at lower resolutions like they used to?
Games aren't even advancing that fast or becoming that demanding, yet these manufacturers
act like they're in a race to see who can release the most outdated card possible.

I'm pretty sure there's a patch out there, but don't just take my word for it. Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hhUdbndd3s 🤷

By the way, what kind of Processor are you running, what's your PSU (specific model), and how much RAM do you have?

3.0 dual Intel core
4gb
550w GigaTech

Jesse Brown90 said:3.0 Intel dual Core
4GB
550W Gigatech

Look, you should probably list the rest of your specs clearly, like this:

PROCESSOR: Intel dual Core E5700 3.00 GHz
MOTHERBOARD: Asus P5KPL-AM
RAM: 4GB (2x2) DDR2 800 MHz
PSU: Gigatech PSB-550W
GPU: ASUS Radeon HD3850
HDD: 500 GB

And what's the actual goal here? Are you looking to pick up a new graphics card or something?

If you're rocking a 9800gt—just like they told you—then anything less than an 7750 1gb ddr5 or an Nvidia gtx 650 isn't actually going to feel like an upgrade.

Look, if your CPU isn't one of those newer Intel dual core chips like a Celeron g5xx or a similar Pentium—think more along the lines of Sandy or Ivy Bridge—you probably won't even be able to push a better card to its full potential (especially when you're playing modern multiplayer titles). In that scenario, my advice is to just stick with what you've got while it still works and start saving up for a completely new platform down the road.

Alternatively, if you're dead set on getting DX11 support, you could sell your current card and toss a little extra cash toward a 6670 ddr5. But honestly, you aren't going to see a massive jump in raw performance; the only real benefit would be having access to DX11 and cutting your power consumption nearly in half.

Timothy Kim60 said:Look, if you're actually rocking an Nvidia GeForce 9800 gt like they told you, then honestly? Don't even bother looking at anything lower than that. Just stay above that line. 7750 Just 1GB. Honestly, looking back, it’s almost funny how little that used to be. It feels like a lifetime ago. So, I’ve been seeing a lot of chatter lately about DDR5. It feels like we're finally standing on the edge of a massive shift in how we handle memory, and honestly, it's about time. If you've been sticking with DDR4 for the last few years, the jump to this new standard isn't just a minor tweak—it's a fundamental overhaul. We're looking at much higher bandwidth and significantly improved power efficiency. On paper, the numbers look great, but what I really care about is the real-world application. When you're pushing high-end builds, that extra speed can actually make a dent in latency and overall system responsiveness. It's one of those things where you might not notice it while browsing Reddit or checking emails, but once you get into heavy multitasking or demanding workloads, the difference starts to show its face. Of course, there's always the "is it worth it right now?" question. Moving to DDR5 means committing to a new platform, which usually implies upgrading your motherboard and potentially your processor too. It’s a bit of an investment. For most people currently running solid mid-range setups, staying put might be the smarter move for a little longer. But if you're planning a build from scratch today and want to future-proof yourself against whatever comes next, the transition is pretty hard to ignore. It’s a bit like moving from an old reliable sedan to something with a serious turbocharger; it's more expensive upfront, but man, does it change the drive. Honestly, upgrading to an Nvidia gtx 650 wouldn't even count as a real step up.

If you aren't running a newer Intel chip—something like a Sandy Bridge or Ivy Bridge, or even just a basic Celeron g5xx or a similar Pentium—you’re probably leaving a lot of performance on the table with a card like that. It won't be fully utilized, especially if you're jumping into modern multiplayer titles. Honestly, my advice? Just stick with what you've got for now. Ride that setup until it gives up the ghost, and start tucking some money away so you can upgrade the whole platform down the road.

Look, if you're really dead set on getting your hands on DirectX 11, I guess the only way is to sell what you've got now and scrape together a bit of extra cash for an upgrade. I was looking at some specs for a 6670 DDR5 setup earlier. Just one of those things that sticks in your head when you're trying to figure out if a specific build is actually worth the headache. Honestly, I’m not seeing any real jump in performance here. If you ask me, the only things actually worth noting are the support for DirectX 11 and the fact that power consumption is basically cut in half.

Look, an upgrade to a DX11 card isn't going to do him any favors if it just eats up his precious FPS. Honestly, I wouldn't even suggest running anything on DirectX 10. With a processor like that, once you pair it with any decent graphics card, you’re basically asking for trouble. In my experience, sticking to DirectX 9 is the only way to go to keep things smooth because the CPU is going to be the bottleneck no matter what. I learned that the hard way myself.

Processor : Intel dual Core E5700 3.00
Memory : 2048MB(Speed 800)?😲
Mother Board : Gigabyte Technology Co.
Windows Version : Microsoft Windows Vista
Installation Date : 2012-02-09
Monitor : Generic PnP Monitor
Video Adapter : Nvidia GeForce 9800 gt
Mouse : Logitech USB WheelMouse Keyboard
Keyboard : Standard PS/2 Keyboard
Disk Drive : WDC WD6400AAKS-00A7B2 ATA Device(596GB, IDE)
DVD/CD-ROM Drive : HL-DT-ST DVD-RAM GH22NS30 ATA Device

I honestly can't wrap my head around why the system is reporting only 2048MB of memory when I clearly have 4 gigabytes installed.;(/glary utulities inf/😲

Jesse Brown90 said:Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo E8400 @ 3.00GHz
Memory: 2048MB (800MHz)?😲
Motherboard: Gigabyte Technology Co.
Windows Vista Home Premium Service Pack 2
Installed on February 9, 2012.
Monitor: Generic PnP Monitor
Video Adapter: Nvidia GeForce 9800 gt
Mouse: Logitech USB WheelMouse Keyboard
Keyboard: Standard PS/2 Keyboard
Hard Drive: WDC WD6400AAKS-00A7B2 ATA Device (596GB, IDE)
Optical Drive: HL-DT-ST DVD-RAM GH22NS30 ATA Device

I have no idea why my system is reporting only 2048MB of memory when I definitely have 4 gigabytes installed. It’s driving me a little crazy. I was poking around using Glary Utilities to see if I could find anything, but no luck so far.😲

Look, the case itself is actually pretty solid. You could easily tuck an HD7750, an HD7770, or even a GTS250 or GTS450 inside without any issues.

Look, if you can swing a decent amount of cash right now, my advice is to just sell what you've got and build something entirely new. You’re working with an old platform here—we're talking a 775 socket. Your motherboard tops out at 4GB of RAM, which isn't exactly cutting it these days. There really isn't any meaningful room left to upgrade this setup. If you can scrape together maybe $300, you'll be in a much better spot. $0.00 You can put together a really solid rig if you know what you're looking for. I've laid out a few different options here to get you started. I finally sat down to look at my old rig, thinking about how much things have changed since I first put this machine together. It’s funny how quickly hardware becomes "vintage." Looking back, I was pretty happy with what I had, even if it feels like a relic now. My setup used to be built around an Intel dual Core E5700 3.00. At the time, it felt snappy enough for everything I needed. I paired it with a Gigabyte Technology Co. motherboard and ran it on Windows Vista. I remember spending way too many hours tweaking settings just to get things running smoothly. For graphics, I was rocking an ASUS Radeon HD3850 HD. It served me well through the early days of DirectX 9 and DirectX 10, though moving toward DirectX 11 always felt like a massive hurdle for older cards. I eventually upgraded to an Nvidia gtx 650, which felt like a huge jump in performance at the time. Looking at the specs again, it’s a bit of a trip. I’ve gone from struggling with basic tasks on an older Celeron g5xx to dealing with much more demanding software. Even the peripherals feel different—I still have my old Logitech USB WheelMouse Keyboard sitting in a drawer somewhere. It’s strange how we get attached to these pieces of plastic and silicon. Anyway, just a bit of nostalgia hitting me today. It makes you realize how fast the tech cycle moves. One day you're celebrating a new upgrade, and the next, you're wondering where the years went.

Look, you’re looking at a relic from 2008 here. It runs just about everything except
Crysis 3, simply because of that ridiculous DirectX 11 requirement. Honestly, I
figured that given the state of the GPU market during
that specific era—where we saw a massive shift across several hardware generations
—I could probably snag something slightly better than my current setup
for next to nothing. I was hunting for an Nvidia GeForce 9800 gt for pennies, thinking maybe I could find something from 2010 or 2011 where
the prices have absolutely cratered. For what it's worth, this Nvidia
piece of kit is actually decent, but god almighty, the fan noise is unbearable; once you shut down the PC, you can still hear the hum ringing in your ears..

Jesse Brown90, I see you're just messing with us at this point 😬 Seriously, every couple of months you come back with the exact same question—we suggest a GPU, and then it's just a loop of the same thing over and over again. Look, if you’re actually happy with the performance you're getting from that current card, why not just stick with it and call it a day? Maybe take a look at that Crysis 3 video again—who knows, maybe there's some way to run the game without needing a DirectX 11 card after all.

Jesse Brown90 said:Look, you're looking at a bucket from 2008. It’ll run just about anything, except for...
Crysis 3 is such a pain because of that damn DirectX 11 requirement. Honestly, here I am...
I honestly thought that graphics card market was a lot more saturated than it actually is, given how things were looking.
A few generations actually passed during that timeframe.
Honestly, I’m just looking to grab something cheap for the hell of it—maybe even something better than what I've got now, just to see if I can pull off a steal.
You can grab a GT 9800 for next to nothing these days. It’s basically a relic from 2010 or 2011, but honestly, you get what you pay for.
Prices have finally dropped, which is honestly a damn shame because I was actually looking to grab one. That said, you can't deny this Nvidia card is solid.
It’s honestly driving me insane—that constant, low-frequency buzzing that rings in your ears the second you shut down the computer. It’s like the silence isn't actually silent.

You’re really going to screw up the translation just to make sure it doesn't land, aren't you? 😬 I mean, seriously, what were you actually thinking? You really thought you could snag a high-end card from 2010 for like 150 bucks?$67 What else is actually decent enough to handle modern games? Honestly, you're overthinking it. If you want to run new titles without everything turning into a slideshow, you have to invest. Anything worth buying today holds its value, too. If you want to play the latest stuff smoothly, man, just put the money into something better. Don't settle for less. $167 Don't even bother looking at used graphics cards. You can find the truth elsewhere if you actually put in the work. $100 I could grab a card that’s a bit more powerful than what I’m running right now, but let's be honest—it wouldn't even be a massive leap forward. It's just not worth the headache. $167 You can usually find some decent used deals on an HD7750, a GTX 550 Ti, or something similar if you're looking to spend around $600.$233 You could track down a more powerful HD6850 or maybe a GTX460—though you wouldn't be getting a warranty on those. Alternatively, there’s always the option of picking up a slightly weaker HD7770 that actually comes with a warranty.

Larry Ortiz5 said:Jesse Brown90, I see you're just messing with us at this point. 😬 Every other month you come back here asking the exact same question; we give you a solid GPU recommendation, and then you loop right back to square one. Honestly, if you're actually enjoying this endless cycle of frustration, just stick with your current setup and call it a day. Or better yet, go watch a trailer for Crysis 3—maybe there’s some magical loophole where you don't even need a DirectX 11 card to run the game.

...and that's exactly how it's going to play out.

Back in the day, the 9800gt was a steal at around $300 brand new—one of Nvidia's best deals. So, honestly, don't be surprised if it still holds its own in most games. But let’s be real: you can't expect to swap it out for a $100 and suddenly see double the performance. That said, I really think if you picked up a used 6850 for maybe $90, you'd feel a massive jump in power, just like people are suggesting. I made the leap myself from an 8800gt—which is basically the same thing you're running—to a 6850, and man, the difference was night and day.

Andrew Fox74 said:Back in its prime, the 9800gt went for about $200 new, and it was Nvidia’s absolute standout offer at the time. So don't be shocked if it still holds its own in most games today. That said, you can't expect to swap it out for $100 and suddenly find yourself with twice the performance. I do think if you picked up something like a 6850 used for maybe $60, you’d really feel the jump, just like people suggested. I made the leap from an 8800gt—which is basically the same tier as what you're running—to a 6850, and man, the difference was night and day.

And honestly, you have no idea the massive boost I felt when I finally moved from an HD3650 to an HD6850 😬

I truly believe that if your processor is sitting at the same level as an HD3650, you’re going to feel a massive difference once you upgrade him or even try some overclocking. Right now? You're probably just bottlenecking the GPU. That said, I still think the HD6850 is a fantastic card—especially considering what you can pick up on the used market these days. Honestly, I have zero intention of swapping mine out until an 8850 hits that same price point.

Andrew Fox74 said:I believe you. Honestly, if your processor is sitting around the level of an HD3650, you’re really going to feel the difference once you upgrade him or even try some overclocking. Right now, you're almost certainly bottlenecking that GPU. That said, I still think the 6850 is a fantastic card—especially considering what you can pick up used these days. Personally, I’m not planning on swapping mine out until an 8850 hits that same price point.

Yeah, I know the CPU is bottlenecking the card. I'm actually looking into picking up a Quad Core (Socket 775) or maybe an E8xxx; from what I've read, those should let me tap into about 80-90% of the card's potential, at least according to the folks online... I grabbed my own $250 Sapphire HD6850 with the Vapor-X cooler—the full bundle with 1.5 years of warranty from Best Buy...