GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

So, here’s where I ran into a snag.

The whole thing was tucked so far back into the corner that I couldn't even see the chassis, let alone what was plugged into it, so I ended up having to tear the setup apart just to get a clear look.

I thought I was looking at a 400-watt unit, but it turns out I was actually staring at a 165.

It's an MS Platinum 400ATX P4...

I suppose it'll hold up for the time being.

Keith Ward78 said:So, here’s where things get tricky.

It was tucked away in such a tight corner that I couldn't even see the case itself—so, yeah, I had to take everything apart to check.

It says 400 watts, but then I look closer and see 165? Weird, right?

It's an MS Platinum 400ATX P4...

Should be enough to get me through for now, though.

It'll work, it'll work.

I'd swap that out immediately; that power supply is total junk.

http://www.amazon.com/product_info.php?c...caae53b39c6d15
Grab this power supply instead; it's definitely $40 worth it if you want a better graphics card.

Hello. I am looking to upgrade my graphics card by $250, and I was wondering if you all had any specific recommendations?

Current Specs:

Motherboard: ASUS motherboard
Processor: Intel Core i7 processor
RAM: 4 GB DDR2 - 400MHz (2x2)
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX series (256-bit)
OS: Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
Power Supply: 600W

Additionally, would it be worth investing in another 4 GB of RAM, or is what I have currently sufficient?

ruggedskipper30 said:Hey there. I'm looking to pick up a new GPU by $250, any suggestions?

Current specs:

Motherboard: ASUS motherboard
CPU: Intel Core i7 processor
RAM: 4 GB DDR2 - 400Mhz (2x2)
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX series (256-bit)
OS: Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
PSU: 600W

Also, is it worth grabbing another 4 GB of RAM, or am I fine for now?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing
4GB should be plenty.

What kind of power supply are we looking at here?

Is it some off-brand junk or... just a wild guess on my part 😁 maybe an old Dell Office monitor setup power brick?

Anyway, you should probably save up for $33 and grab an MSI Radeon HD 7770 1GB instead.

Honestly, 4GB is plenty for now—don't waste money on 8GB. You're better off putting that cash toward a new combo: CPU, motherboard, and DDR3 RAM.

ruggedskipper30 said:Hi there. I'm looking to pick up a new graphics card for about $250, what would you suggest?

Current Specs:

Motherboard: ASUS motherboard
Processor: Intel Core i7 processor
RAM: 4 GB DDR2 - 400MHz (2x2)
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX series (256-bit)
OS: Windows 11 Pro 64-bit
PSU: 600W

Also, would it be worth adding another 4 GB of RAM, or is this amount sufficient for now?

There has been a change in plans. My budget has actually increased to $500. In your opinion, is it worth putting all of that into just a graphics card, or would you recommend upgrading other components as well?

The power supply is an EVGA Power Supply

for $500
http://www.amazon.com/product_info.php?c...d369fb7996f0e2

For that kind of cash, I'd definitely go for something more powerful: NVIDIA GeForce GTX series

Many thanks 🙂

I’d suggest overclocking that quad core a bit; it might be causing a slight bottleneck since the clock speed is pretty low. With the stock cooler, you could probably push it to at least 2.6 GHz 🙂

Hey everyone... I could use some help if anyone is available..

Intel Core i7-2600K, 3200 MHz (16 x 200-proc
RTX 3080 sapphire card
4GB RAM
ASUS Prime Z790 motherboard (assuming I got that right)

That’s about the gist of it—so I was wondering what I should upgrade to ensure newer games run without too much hassle
for the next maybe 2-3 years.
I’d probably buy everything locally in Chicago using a credit card.
If you have any ideas at all, please let me know.

Games should just work without all this bullshit on a decent rig. Where exactly is the bottleneck?

Hahaha, let's all go get wild 😂

Are you running a triple monitor setup? 😬

You just need another 4GB of RAM and a decent CPU cooler, though honestly, that motherboard is pretty entry-level... I guess you'd probably need to drop at least $1000 on some upgrades to see a real difference. 😛

crimsonstag84 said:So, you're running a triple-monitor setup? 😬

I suppose I just need another 4GB of RAM and a decent CPU cooler—though, given that this motherboard is pretty much entry-level, I'm not entirely sure what the point is. It really feels like I should probably invest at least a little more into this build, if only to make it worth the effort. $1000 To see any significant improvement—if you can even call it that—you’d need to make a substantial leap. 😛

Haha, no... but money isn't exactly the issue here.
I had similar intentions—to perhaps invest a bit more capital so I could actually build something on my own.
It seems things have gone quiet... maybe too quiet.
I was considering sticking with the RTX 3080—and then perhaps upgrading the processor and motherboard to match its performance level.
What are your thoughts?

northernbison8 said:haha, no... though honestly, money isn't really the main issue here.
I was already planning on putting a bit more aside—just so I could build something myself and actually feel...
good about it.
I was thinking about going with an RTX 3080, and then matching the CPU and motherboard to fit that level.
What do you think?

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is actually a decent card—is there something you can't play at 1080p with it? Stuttering or something?

Larry Ortiz5 said:The AMD Radeon RX 580 isn't exactly a bad card—are you really telling me you can't handle Full HD resolution with it? Maybe even something like Stellaris?

There is zero chance of running modern titles at a full 1920x1200 resolution while keeping everything maxed out.

northernbison8 said:There's just no way you're running modern titles at Full HD 1920x1200 and expecting everything to run smoothly.

Look, if you aren't happy with this setup, why not just start a new thread? Just let us know what kind of budget you're working with—and honestly, tell us what you actually use the PC for. Do you need a whole new desk setup with peripherals, or are we just talking about a single component?