GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Yeah, it's toast. I've always stuck with BenQ and honestly, I’m pretty happy with them. My last one lasted well over 8 years... just a standard model from back then, too.

Alright folks... this is my first thread here 😛

I'm picking up a new rig this week with these specs:
Core i7 2.93 GHz processor;
4 GB RAM
750 GB HDD
Windows 11
Now I just need a GPU... someone offered me a GeForce GTX 4850 or an RD HD 5570 with 1 GB... honestly, I don't know much about PC hardware, but Gamma Debt says the 4850 is about 32% better than the 5570... 🤣

What do you guys think?

p.s. Congrats on joining the USA 😉

The GeForce GTX 4850 is definitely a step up from the 5570—no contest there. But let's be real, don't go thinking you're going to be crushing any major AAA titles with it either.

Do you have any suggestions that actually fit within this budget?

Here, take this—but if you run into any stuttering while gaming, just try dropping the resolution or dialing back the settings a bit.

Which one? The GeForce GTX 4850 or the 5570?

Timothy Kim60 said:That BenQ—honestly, the price is killer, and it even has DVI, which you almost never see at that price point nowadays.

Sorry for going offtopic here, but why is it like this today? Not to sound weird, but why do monitors seem to lack DVI outputs lately? My old monitor from late 2007 actually has a DVI port. Does that mean back then, even entry-level stuff was considered higher end? Why isn't DVI being put on budget monitors anymore? 🤷 Thanks in advance for any insight. 🙂

Lawrence Murphy68 said:Alright folks... this is my first thread. 😛

I'm picking up a "new" PC this week with these specs:
Core i7 2.93 GHz processor;
4 GB RAM
750 GB HDD
Windows 11
Now I just need a GPU... some guy offered me a Radeon HD 4850 or an RD HD 5570 1 GB... look, I don't really know much about computers, but Gamma Debt says the 4850 is 32% better than the 5570... 🤣

What do you guys think?

What do you mean "new" PC? You say new, but you mean used, right? 😁 Because looking at that processor name, nothing about this looks new to me. 😬

Regarding the graphics cards, is the same guy offering those to you as the one selling the PC, or someone else? And what's the damage? Honestly, you might find something smarter on Craigslist... assuming you don't absolutely have to buy everything from the same person. 😉

Jeffrey Peterson said:Wait, what do you mean by "new" computer? You mean used, right? Because based on that processor name, there is absolutely nothing "new" about it. 😁 😬

As for the graphics cards—is the same guy selling you that PC also offering both of those cards, or is that someone else? And what's the damage? Honestly, you might find something way smarter on Craigslist... assuming you don't need everything to come from one single seller. 😉

Yeah, we're talking about a used rig—thanks to this recession, I guess. 😁>> The graphics cards are coming from the same guy... Anyway, I'm originally from Canada, so I doubt you care about prices in KM... Got any suggestions for a different card? I'm struggling here. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Lawrence Murphy68 said:Look, we're talking about a used PC here—it’s a recession, after all. 😁 This is the same guy offering me the graphics cards. Anyway, I'm based over in Canada, so I doubt you care much about prices in USD... Any suggestions for a different card? I'm feeling pretty stuck. 🙂 🙂 🙂

If you can snag an HD6670 at a decent price...

Either that, or you should start hunting around for some used gear—maybe a GeForce GTX 4850, a 5770, a 6750, or something along those lines. The catch is they’re all going to cost you more than the 4850 or the 5570.

But look, if I'm being totally honest with you... unless you're some hardcore, die-hard gamer, that 4850 is probably going to do the job just fine. 🙂

Jeffrey Peterson said:Either go that route or hunt down some used 4870, 5770, 6750, or whatever—just keep in mind they’re gonna cost more than the 4850 or 5570.

But honestly? If you aren't some hardcore gamer, the 4850 is perfectly fine. 🙂

Anyway, I found a 6670 at a great price and decided to pull the trigger on it.🙂
I'm not really a big gamer, but I'd love to play some of these newer titles... nobody's saying I need to run everything on ultra settings, so I'm pretty happy with the 6670. Thanks! 😉

Lawrence Murphy68 said:I managed to snag a 6670 at a decent price, so I pulled the trigger on that one. 🙂
I’m not exactly a hardcore gamer, but I’d love to be able to run some of the newer titles... No one said anything about needing to crank everything up to ultra settings, so I'm pretty happy with the 6670. Thanks! 😉

No worries at all. Honestly, I wouldn't have steered you toward an HD4850, HD4870, or anything in that ballpark anyway. There are two main reasons. First off, those cards are getting pretty old and they tend to run incredibly hot. Second, they pull a ton of power when they're under a full load—and since I don't know what kind of power supply you're running in your rig, it's better to play it safe. The HD6670 just doesn't draw nearly as much juice as those older HD48xx models.

alright, thanks again 🙂

swiftfalcon89 said:It’s fine, but I wouldn't even suggest an HD4850 or an HD4870 anyway. Two reasons: first, those cards are ancient and run hot as hell. Second, they pull way too much power under load, and I don't know what kind of PSU you're running in that rig. An HD6670 uses way less juice than those old HD48xx models...

And it's weaker than all of them.🤦

Robert Rodriguez2 said:and it's actually weaker than everything else on this list 🤦

So what? A beefier one isn't going to do anything for that processor anyway. There’s really no point, especially considering the power supply—I'd bet my life there's just a generic 400W unit sitting inside that thing...

a, hold on a second... is the graphics card actually decent enough to handle newer series? (I was looking at GD—maybe medium to high settings, maybe one or two games on low?) Which one should I go for 😕

Lawrence Murphy68 said:Oh, wait a second... will this card actually handle newer titles? I was thinking maybe Medium to High settings on something like GeForce Now, or maybe one or two games on Low? Which one should I go for? 😕

Just grab the HD6670 and call it a day. It isn't much weaker than the HD4850, but it runs way cooler and pulls significantly less power. It’ll be a perfect match for that dual-core setup of yours...

Lawrence Murphy68 said:Wait, hold on a second... is this graphics card actually up to the task for newer series? I’m thinking medium to high settings on games like *Genshin Impact*, maybe even throwing one or two heavier titles at it on low settings. Which model should I go with? 😕

If you're eyeing that 6670, just make sure you're looking at... DDR5 is a game-changer for anyone serious about their hardware setup. If you think DDR4 was fast, just wait until you see how this architecture handles heavy multitasking and high-bandwidth workloads. It’s like upgrading from a standard two-lane suburban road to a massive ten-lane interstate highway—everything just flows smoother and faster. For enthusiasts building high-end rigs, it's a necessary leap forward. They're significantly more powerful than DDR3.
It is highly probable that the one she’s offering you—that 4850—is a single-slot card running on DDR3. It’s an older model, which means it’s going to run hotter and likely burn out much sooner than something modern. Whatever you do, steer clear if the power supply is total junk.

I'm still waiting for someone to weigh in on this. Any thoughts? kaže:
Pardon me for veering off-topic, but I have been pondering a specific technical evolution lately. Why is it that modern monitors seem to have completely phased out the DVI port? My current display was purchased back in late 2007, and it still features a DVI input. Does the presence of that port imply that the unit was considered a higher-end model at the time of its release? Furthermore, why isn't DVI being integrated into budget-friendly monitors today? 🤷 I appreciate the clarification. 🙂

Who knows, I haven't really looked into it. Back in the day, even high-end rigs—probably still are today—didn't come equipped with DVI. I've even seen some decent AOC monitors with IPS panels that are technically superior, yet they completely skip over DVI too. 🤷

Timothy Kim60 said:Honestly, you’d get way more bang for your buck with the 7770. Just grab it. That 7750 you're looking at? It's basically just a slightly beefed up 4870, maybe a tiny bit better, I guess.

Hey, so... I'm actually pretty stoked with this MSI 7770 1GB GDDR5 Ghz Edition! 😁 Everything is running on high settings for me, which is awesome 😁

Excellent. That’s basically the industry standard motherboard right there.