GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

PCI Express x16 refers to the slot size, while PCI Express 3.0 is all about the bandwidth. It might actually come in handy, especially since that card isn't exactly a powerhouse.

My old card was PCI Express, and since I'm running on integrated graphics right now, CPU-Z isn't showing whether I need PCI Express or AGP. It's probably PCI Express, right? Right.

Short version:
AMD X2 dual Core Processor 5400, MMX, 3DNow (2 CPUs), ~2.8GHz
2 gigs of RAM
Biostar motherboard
My old GeForce 9500 GT died (well, I think so, because the display issues stopped once I switched to integrated)

Nvidia GeForce 6150SE nForce 430 (chipset)

If you guys need anything else, I'll add it. Budget is up to $333. Any local shops here in Washington, D.C. are fine, as long as they aren't strictly online retailers. Ideally, I'd want a card good enough to run Skyrim on medium settings—that's pretty much the peak of my gaming ambitions.

Thanks in advance. I'm a total amateur when it comes to hardware, so any help would be appreciated. *thumbsup and all that*

Greetings;

I am looking to acquire a new graphics card, yet I find myself undecided on which model would be most appropriate.

My current configuration includes a Sapphire HD 7770 OC with 1GB of DDR5 memory, supported by a Corsair CX600 V2 power supply.

Would it perhaps be more advantageous to pursue a CrossFire configuration given my P8Z68-V/Gen3 motherboard, or should I simply opt for a single card such as this one;

http://www.bestbuy.com/product/...

My budget is capped at $667!

Since I am a regular customer at Best Buy, I would prefer to purchase from them. My target resolution for both current and future gaming is 1920x1080, utilizing a 23'' Dell U2312HM LED monitor (8ms, 300cd/m2, 2000000:1, IPS, featuring D-SUB, DVI, DP, a USB Hub, and pivot functionality, finished in black).

Hey, I'm looking at picking up this graphics card I specifically need a PCI Express card. My power supply is sitting at 430W and my motherboard is an ASRock FM2 FM2A75M. I’m planning on buying it using a credit card through Best Buy or maybe just paying cash over at Micro Center, assuming a one-time payment with a budget somewhere around 500 dollars $200. I really want something that can actually handle running a few games, even if I have to settle for low settings.

Grace Murphy92 said:My old card was PCI Express, and since I'm running on integrated graphics right now, CPU-Z isn't showing if I need PCI Express or AGP. But it's probably PCI Express, right? Right.

Long story short—
AMD X2 dual Core Processor 5400, MMX, 3DNow (2 CPUs), ~2.8GHz
2 gigs of RAM
Biostar motherboard
My old GeForce 9500 GT died (well, I think so, because my display hasn't acted up since I switched to integrated)

Nvidia GeForce 6150SE nForce 430 (chipset)

If you need more info, I'll add it. Budget is up to $333. Any local shop in Washington, D.C. works as long as they aren't online-only. Ideally, I want something decent enough to run Skyrim on medium settings (that's basically my peak gaming requirement)...

Thanks in advance. I'm pretty much a total amateur when it comes to hardware, so any help would be huge. *thumbsup and all that*

just grab a Sapphire HD 7770 with 1GB DDR5

stormycobra52 said:Hey, I'm looking to pick up this graphics card I need a PCI Express card. My power supply is 430W and my motherboard is an ASRock FM2 FM2A75M. I'd buy it via credit card from Best Buy or similar, or just cash at Micro Center. One-time payment, budget is around 500 dollars$200. I'd love to be able to run some games, even if it's just on low settings.

That one is pretty bad. Better to go with an HD 6670 with 1GB DDR5 or an HD 7750 DDR5. Or if you can find a cheap HD 7770 DDR5 somewhere, though I doubt it...

stormycobra52 said:Hey there, I'm looking to pick up this graphics card I need a PCI Express card. My setup includes a 430W power supply and an ASRock FM2 FM2A75M motherboard. I'd probably buy it via credit card from Best Buy or Walmart, or just use cash at Micro Center—I have a one-time budget of around $500$200. I'd love to be able to run some games, even if it's just on low settings.

Brian Campbell36 said:Greetings;

I'm thinking about getting a new graphics card, but I'm stuck on which one to choose.

Right now, I'm running a Sapphire HD 7770 OC 1GB DDR5 with a Corsair CX600 V2 power supply.

Would it be smarter to go with CrossFire on my current motherboard (P8Z68-V/Gen3), or should I just grab a single card like this one;

My budget is up to $667!

Since I'm based near Sound Blaster, I prefer shopping at Micro Center. I play at 1920x1080 resolution (using a 23'' Dell U2312HM LED monitor, 8ms, 300cd/m2, 2000000:1, IPS, D-SUB, DVI, DP, USB Hub, pivot, black)

It looks like the GTX 760 is actually more powerful than that CrossFire setup, though the CrossFire option would end up being cheaper.

I'm looking to swap out my graphics card since my Nvidia 7600 GT finally kicked the bucket
(typing this up from Safe Mode)

I've got my eye on this one:

So, I was wondering if it'll actually work with my motherboard

It's a Gigabyte - 945P-S3

Here's the rest of the setup:

1GB of RAM

CPU: Intel Core Duo 6300

And I'm pretty sure the power supply is just a standard Codegen 400W

Just a heads up though—this is strictly a temporary fix (maybe for a year) because I'm planning on picking up a much newer PC soon. I don't really want to sink more cash than this into it, especially since it wouldn't make much sense given my current specs anyway

Mark Anderson90 said:I need to swap out my graphics card because my Nvidia 7600 GT just died on me.
(writing this from Safe Mode)

I'm looking at this one:

I'm wondering if it'll work with my motherboard:

Gigabyte - 945P-S3

Here are the rest of the specs:

1GB RAM

CPU: Intel Core Duo 6300

And I think the power supply is a Codegen 400W

Just a heads up, this is strictly a temporary fix (maybe for a year) since I plan on upgrading to a newer PC soon. I don't want to sink too much money into this build—it just doesn't make sense given the current hardware.

It'll work; you have a PCI Express slot. That specific card might be hard to find, so just grab something budget-friendly (like an HD 5450) if you aren't worried about performance.

Timothy Kim60 said:It appears the GTX 760 holds more raw power than that CrossFire setup, though I suppose the CF configuration would have been the more budget-friendly route.

Would one observe a drastic difference in FPS when playing on ultra settings at 1920x1080 resolution between the GTX 760 and a CrossFire pair of Sapphire HD 7770 1GB DDR5 cards?

Timothy Kim60 said:You totally can, you've got a PCI Express slot right there. If you don't really care about performance, just grab some super cheap card—like an HD 5450 or something—if it's just for display purposes.

I mean, if I'm gonna play something decent, it'd be nice to actually have some decent graphics power, you know?🙂

So, I just checked her website and saw the minimum memory requirement is 2GB.
Does that mean it won't run at all if I only have 1GB of RAM?

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/pro...px?pid=3331#ov

Also, is there any way I could pull that 1GB stick of RAM out of my laptop and swap it in?

Mark Anderson90 said:I'd throw down some cash if it meant getting a decent propeller.🙂

Just checked her site—minimum memory requirement is 2GB.
So, you're saying it won't run with just 1GB of RAM?

Check out this Gigabyte board: http://www.gigabyte.com/products/pro...px?pid=3331#ov

Can I pull that 1GB RAM stick out of my laptop?

No way. It’s too small and won't even fit the slot in a desktop.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Nah, you can't. It's too small and won't even fit the slot in a desktop rig.

If I picked up some more RAM, would this whole setup actually run with this processor? Also, is there maybe a thread somewhere that walks through how to install all these parts?

Mark Anderson90 said:I’d probably throw a little extra cash at it if it meant getting a decent propeller included.🙂

The propeller isn't even a factor here. 😁
By the way, I’m pretty sure the 5450 actually outperforms the N210—though honestly, it probably won't even beat your old card. In today's world, those two are just jokes. If you actually wanted to get some gaming done, you’d have to shell out a lot more cash.

So, my old Nvidia 7600 GT just finally kicked the bucket on me.

Does anyone have any suggestions on where I might actually find some decent used gear? I've been scrolling through eBay, but honestly, most of what I'm seeing is way overpriced compared to the card I was running until today.

Take a look at those posts from Mark Anderson90 above. He’s running the exact same card you had before it died, so check out what people suggested to him.

Edit: My bad, I completely missed that we're talking about an AGP Nvidia 7600 GT here.

You'll probably have to hunt one down on Craigslist or eBay.

Timothy Kim60 said:Honestly, the propeller isn't even a factor here. 😁
Anyway, I’m thinking the 5450 might actually edge out the N210—though honestly, it probably isn't any better than that old card you used to run. Let's be real, both of those are pretty much joke tier by today's standards. If you actually wanted to get some decent gaming in, you'd definitely have to shell out more cash.

And honestly, my specs are pretty much a joke by today's standards—you can just scroll back through the previous pages if you want to see how ridiculous they actually are.

Man, I'm telling you, I've been running this game on High settings without any issues at all. No sweat!

Honestly, I don't even need it for gaming anymore. Just using it for browsing the web, listening to music, and... well, you know, watching adult movies.
Yeah, maybe just for a little bit of seasoning. 😁

And that’s exactly why I'm posting this from Safe Mode—the current setup just isn't cutting it right now.

No, for real though—I’m definitely planning on picking up a new rig pretty soon, so that's why.

So, just let me know—can I actually run that on my motherboard if I pick up an extra 1GB of RAM?

Replying to slywolf40:

Man, mine just kicked the bucket... everything's dead except for the PCI Express.

And don't even get me started on Craigslist—those people are absolutely out of their minds. They’re seriously trying to peddle ancient junk that hasn't been relevant in like ten years for... $67
Honestly, I have no clue who’s actually gonna pick this up.

Go ask Joshua Garcia3, he’s basically the king around here.

slywolf40 said:My old Nvidia 7600 GT AGP card just kicked the bucket.

Any suggestions on where to find used parts? I've been browsing eBay, but most of what's listed there is actually better than the card I was running until today.

Check this out:

http://www.nabava.net/trazilica.php?tp=0&q=AGP

It looks like a few shops have the AGP 3450—though I suspect that's a step down from the 7600 GT—but you don't really have many options if you're looking for something new. Your best bet is snagging something used on eBay for a decent $

@Mark Anderson90

That should work fine; honestly, throwing 1GB at it wouldn't hurt either.

(I actually have the exact same one in my setup) — it sits right in the same tier as a 7800GT or a GTX, so you won't be downgrading. I picked it up just to get a PC functional since the motherboard lacked integrated graphics, after failing to find a good deal on a used one earlier. In terms of Nvidia, you're looking at the 520 GT or the 610 GT. That's pretty much the extent of it; there isn't much of a selection in that price bracket.

@Brian Campbell36

Here, take a look: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/H...ossFire/4.html

Compare it against the HD 7950, because that performs similarly to a GTX 760. That’s the closest match on the list—otherwise, just search for standalone GTX 760 benchmarks for those specific games.
Based on these results, it really depends on the game; sometimes the difference is negligible (like in BF3), while other times it's significant (like in Batman). You'll have to decide which works best for you.

http://www.eteknix.com/amd-radeon-hd...fire-review/9/

Thanks a ton for getting back to me, I really appreciate it!

Well, I guess I'll just try my luck on the forums.
It doesn't look like I'll have much of a choice in the matter anyway, I suppose.

I'd probably throw in an $100 too, if my old Nvidia 7600 GT actually had any life left in it, or maybe one of those better cards like an HD 3850.
Luckily enough, I've got this ancient little laptop to keep me busy while I'm stuck waiting around.