GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

I’d personally lean toward the 7850, $500 plus you actually get Far Cry 3 bundled with it 🙂—and honestly, the processor is plenty strong enough that you won't have to worry about performance issues.

http://www.newegg.com/product_info.php?c...ducts_id=11306

As for $33, you can find an identical setup, though it's overclocked—unfortunately, it doesn't come with the game included.

http://www.newegg.com/product_info.php?c...ducts_id=11486

Thanks. I think I'll just go with the overclocked one since I've already finished Far Cry 3 anyway...🙂

Maria Phillips54 said:Thanks! I'm just grabbing the overclocked version since I already finished playing Far Cry 3 anyway...🙂

Here's a cheaper option:

If you can find one for under $1600, grab it:

or

Even better:

There's really no point in putting anything weaker than that in your build.

Has anyone here actually used the AMD Radeon 7870 Sapphire GHz edition 2? I'm looking at the 2GB DDR5 model with DVI/HDMI/256bit (part #11199-16-20). How's the performance been for you guys?

This card is actually pretty great—it handles all my games without breaking a sweat 👍

Aaron Chavez7 said:What’s the consensus on the AMD Radeon 7870 Sapphire GHz edition 2? Looking at the 2GB DDR5 model with DVI/HDMI/256bit/11199-16-20..

If your rig can handle it, go for it. Honestly, with the Radeon line, the x850 and x870 series usually hit that sweet spot where they're pretty affordable without sacrificing much performance. They hold their own.

Look, I’ve got the VTX 7870, and honestly? It runs everything I need without breaking a sweat. Even with just a single fan on it, temps stay totally fine. I’m happy with it.😁

Christian Mendoza60 said:I’ve got a 7870 myself, specifically a VTX, and it handles everything I throw at it without overheating, even though it’s only rocking a single fan. I'm pretty happy with it. 😁

Man, an Auu VTX :zbuo: . Honestly, I won't say much since I've never actually bought one myself—and I don't plan to 😁—but a buddy of mine has been swearing by them constantly over the last six or seven months. He was running an old 8800GT that kicked the bucket about a year ago, so he picked up a VTX HD6790. It ran decently enough for nearly a year, though he did mention it sounded like a jet engine whenever he played something heavy, before it finally gave up on him, haha 😬 . He sent it back under warranty and had to wait a little over a month for a response, only for them to send him a brand new VTX HD7850 since the first one was totally dead. He was actually satisfied with that one, but now he's starting to hear this weird buzzing coming from it. Who knows how much longer it'll "breathe" before it dies too 🤣

I’ve been running a VTX HD6790 for almost two years now, and honestly, it still works like a charm. Is it true that the cooling on these things is pretty mediocre and can get loud? Maybe. But my PC setup stays pretty cool overall, so I haven't really given it a second thought. I haven't even heard the fan ramp up to full speed once while gaming.

So, I'm currently rocking an HD 4850, but I really want to upgrade so I can actually play some newer stuff, you know? Like Splinter Cell, or Watch Dogs...

Money is a bit tight right now, honestly. I'm looking at maybe $700, tops, if I'm being generous $267

I was thinking about grabbing this

unless you guys have a better suggestion. My CPU is a phenom 2 x4 3.4 be, and my power supply should be fine enough, I guess.

Kenneth Jackson3 said:I'm currently running an HD 4850 and I really want to upgrade so I can actually play newer titles like Splinter Cell or Watch Dogs...

Money is tight, though. I'm looking at spending somewhere around $700, maybe a bit more if I have to. $267

I was thinking about picking this up:

Unless you guys have a better suggestion. My CPU is a phenom 2 x4 3.4 be and my power supply should be fine enough for it.

It's a decent pick, but if you can stretch your budget just a little bit to $267, you should definitely grab this instead:
For $33, you get a significantly more powerful card and an extra year of warranty coverage...

swiftfalcon89 said:Solid choice, honestly, but if you can swing the extra cash for $267, you should probably grab this one instead
for $33 you get a way better card plus an extra year of warranty...

Yeah, I saw that one. It’s not exactly a steal, but hey, what do I know? I just tend to trust Sapphire more than most 😁

I'll probably mull it over until next Wednesday

EDIT: Okay, so I spent some time digging around online just now... yeah, I think I'm gonna go with that 7770 😁

Kenneth Jackson3 said:I’ve seen them, and honestly, it isn't even about the price—I just tend to trust Sapphire more.😁

I'll sleep on it until next Wednesday.

EDIT: I've been doing some digging online, and yeah, I think I'm going with that 7770 after all.😁

I actually wanted to follow up on what you said. I'm not sure why you're skeptical about MSI cards; they're solid, and their coolers are usually incredibly quiet and efficient. 😁 I'm running a Sapphire card in my own rig right now, but if I had the option to grab a more powerful MSI model instead, I wouldn't hesitate much.😬

You’d see a much more significant jump in performance with the 7770. You should definitely grab it. As it stands, that 7750 is basically on par with an HD 4870—maybe even just a tiny bit stronger.

alright, thanks, I think I've settled on the 7770 🙂

It should definitely handle high settings on the new Splinter Cell: Blacklist, and as for Watch Dogs... I'm really hoping it manages to push past just medium settings 🙂)

That won't be hitting the market for quite some time; you might as well save up for something more powerful by then.

An SC is coming in just under a month. Plenty of time for Watch Dogs, I guess. I already pulled the trigger on this one, so if I’ve got some extra cash stashed away after the summer, maybe I'll grab a newer model. (I'm working weekends down at the beach all summer, so we'll see how it goes) 😁

Kenneth Jackson3 said:The SC should be here in just under a month. As for Watch Dogs, there’s plenty of time. I went ahead and ordered this one, so if I've got some extra cash after the summer, I might just grab a newer model. (I'll be working weekends down at the coast all summer, so we'll see how things shake out) 😁

What resolution are you running?

So, I’ve been stuck at 1280x1024 up until now, but honestly, that was just the ceiling on my old monitor. Now I'm actually looking at picking up an actual monitor—though, if I'm being real, I was playing everything on a 32-inch TV before, haha.

I don't know, I guess we'll see how it goes. I'll figure out what works best once I get it. I mean, I've never really played anything at a resolution higher than 1280x1024, so this is all kind of new to me.

Kenneth Jackson3 said:Well, I’ve been stuck at 1280x1024 up until now, but that was just the limit of my old monitor. Now I'm looking to pick up a monitor like this one (back then, I was playing on a 32-inch TV, haha)
http://www.edigital.com/Monitors/BenQ...VI-p38316.html

Honestly, I'm not sure yet. I'll just have to see what works best. I've never actually played anything at a resolution higher than 1280x1024.

Wait, so you're saying your monitor was dying? So it really is toast? Just like I suspected...

That BenQ is actually an incredible value, especially since it still includes a DVI port—you almost never see that in this price range nowadays.