GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Can anyone point me toward a GPU that actually gives you some bang for your buck and can handle driving a monitor this size?
Also, for those of you who know their stuff—do I really need a card with 2GB of VRAM for this resolution? Cheers!

What can actually unscrew what? And while you're at it, let me know the screen resolution—don't worry about the physical size, that doesn't matter much here.

Benjamin King2 said:Which one unscrews what? And let me know the screen resolution—size doesn't matter here.

My girlfriend told me something else entirely. 😁

Benjamin King2 said:Which one can actually unscrew what? And hey, let me know the screen resolution—don't worry about the size.

I think the resolution is 2500x1600

Walter Mitchell6 said:the resolution is, I think, 2500x1600

I mean, I highly doubt it if we're talking about a TV.

If you could just drop the TV model number here, it would make things a whole lot easier 😉

Yeah, I just checked—it's definitely 1920 x 1080.

Does anyone actually know which specific graphics cards are compatible with the miscellaneous motherboard?

Walter Mitchell6 said:Yeah, I checked—it's definitely 1920 x 1080 resolution.

What about the rest of the setup? I'd say let's start with the CPU and the power supply.

Angela Hall89 said:I was wondering if anyone knows which graphics cards are compatible with the miscellaneous motherboard?

Technically, you could run just about any modern card in there—but before you go shopping, what does the rest of your setup look like? I mean, what kind of CPU, RAM, and power supply are we talking about? Also, what's your budget looking like for this upgrade? It’s worth keeping in mind that you don't want to drop a ton on a high-end card if your processor or power supply can't actually handle the load...

Lawrence Phillips said:What else is in there? I'd start with the CPU and the PSU.

The rig is a Dell Optiplex 755. Honestly, I haven't touched anything except upgrading the RAM, tossing in an HD 5450, and swapping the power supply. It’s running on a Mushkin MKNPSVT500—500W.

Based on what I dug up online, I wouldn't bother trying anything beefier than this...
And even this is pushing it.

It’s not because your power supply or RAM is lacking; it’s just that your processor is too weak to handle the load.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:from what I managed to dig up online, I wouldn't bother trying anything stronger than this...
and honestly, even this is pretty beefy
http://www.newegg.com/p/details/product-link-128-bit-2.aspx
it’s not even about your power supply or having enough RAM—it's just that your processor is probably too weak to handle the load

Man, you said it all.🙂

Larry Ortiz5 said:I can recommend just about any modern card for you. But first, give me the rest of the specs—CPU, RAM, power supply... Also, what’s your actual budget for this upgrade? You can't just slap a high-end GPU into a system if the processor and PSU are garbage.

The PSU is a Blue Storm 2 500W.
I have 4GB of RAM.
Processor is an Intel celeron dual Core 1.8.
Looking at a used card for under $100. Is that reasonable? And how much would a new one run me?

Same as I said before, if you want new, stick to what I already told you.
If you aren't going that route, you're just gonna end up stuck with whatever you pick up later.

If you're hell-bent on buying used, then look at something like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-example

Timothy Kim60 said:Look, I’m not saying it’s trash—just leave the old rig alone and just swap in a new GPU.

If you’re actually looking to upgrade properly, honestly, any quad-core from this list would serve you fine enough.
http://www.gigabyte.com/support-down....aspx?pid=2843
Think along the lines of a Q8xxx or maybe a Q6600.

Since the Q6600 pulls more power than an E8400, is my current PSU actually going to handle the whole setup once I add the graphics card they suggested me???
http://futura-it.us/product.aspx?pr...d=11222-00-20G

Scott Diaz7 said:Since the Q6600 draws more power than an E8400, will my current PSU handle this build with the graphics card they recommended me?
http://www.newegg.com/p/product/11222-00-20G

A VX450? Honestly, you'll be fine. That unit can handle even more draw than what a Q6600 paired with a 260X would pull.

Timothy Kim60 said:The vx450? Please—it’ll pull way more juice than a Q6600 paired with a 260x.

Thanks for the input.
That pretty much settles the debate for me.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:Based on my research online, I wouldn't recommend anything more powerful than this...
and even then, it's pushing it.
http://www.amazon.com/details/product-link
It isn't because your power supply or RAM is lacking; it's simply that your processor is too weak to handle the load.

Can this graphics card http://www.bestbuy.com/graphics-card-link

Angela Hall89 said:can this card handle http://www.amazon.com/Graphics-Card...-L-256602.aspx

That card is basically just a glorified paperweight for displaying desktop icons. You aren't playing anything with it... nothing.