GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

fadedorca66 said:What exact processor are we talking about here? You can check with CPU-Z or something...

It's an Intel Celeron 2.6 GHz dual Core, if you really care...

Since you’re already sitting on DDR3 RAM, I’d probably just grab a new CPU and motherboard instead
since yours is stuck on an old socket, I guess.

fadedorca66 said:Since you're already sitting on DDR3 RAM, I'd say just grab a new CPU and motherboard. Your current board is stuck on an old socket anyway...

So I definitely need a new motherboard too?

I’d probably pick up the processor now and wait about two months for the board if I have to...

Which CPU should I look at right now for under $333, and what kind of damage would a motherboard do to my wallet later on?

James Ortiz said:So, I'll need a new motherboard too?

I guess I might just grab a processor now and wait about two months to pick up a motherboard if that's what it takes.

What kind of CPU could I pick up right now for around $333, and how much would a matching motherboard run me down the road?

You’re going to need a new platform (socket)—either AM3 (AM3+) or LGA 1155 (motherboard + CPU combo). There isn't really anything left to buy for the 775 socket; it's a dead end, and honestly, the used prices are just way too high.

crimsonstag84 said:You've gotta move to a newer platform—either an AM3/AM3+ setup or something like LGA 1155. There's nothing left to buy for a 775 socket. It's a dead end, and even used parts are overpriced at this point.

If I grab this motherboard for about $200:

MSI Main Board Desktop AMD 970 (Socket AM3+, DDR3, SATA III,USB3.0,S/PDIF-out Optical,PS/2,Serial,USB2.0,LAN,Audio Line-Out,Audio Line-In,Microphone-In) ATX

What kind of processor should I pick up for $333?

You could probably go with a combo like this:

+

Or maybe just grab a better motherboard and settle for a weaker processor...

Are you thinking about getting the CPU up to $333 and grabbing the motherboard separately, or just picking up a bundle for $333? 😛

http://www.diskont24.com/product.php?productid=114568
http://www.diskont24.com/product.php?productid=75264

Or maybe go with what fadedorca66 suggested in that second scenario... though I'd probably swap in a P31-G3 board since it's a bit better and actually has PCI-ex 3.0 🙂

Hey, I'm thinking about picking up a new graphics card (HD 7850). Right now, I'm running a POV GTX 560 (non-Ti)

I have three quick questions:
1) What kind of percentage jump am I looking at with the 7850 compared to what I have now?
2) Is this actually worth the upgrade?
3) My motherboard only has a PCI-e 2.0 slot, but the 7850 uses 3.0. Will it work okay on 2.0, or is there going to be an issue?

If anyone knows of something better than the 7850 that stays in the same price range, let me know...🙂

brightskipper40 said:Hey there, I'm thinking about picking up a new graphics card (the HD 7850). My current one is a POV GTX 560 (non Ti)

I have three main questions:
1) What kind of percentage jump am I looking at from my current card to the 7850?
2) Is this actually worth the upgrade?
3) My motherboard uses a PCI-ex 2.0 slot while the 7850 runs on 3.0—will it still work properly on 2.0?

If anyone knows of something better than the 7850 that stays in a similar price range, please let me know! 🙂

It’ll work just fine—don't sweat it. Technically, you won't get quite as much speed out of a card running on PCI-ex 2.0 compared to 3.0, but honestly, you probably wouldn't even notice the difference anyway (at least, that's how I see it). As for comparing the actual power of the cards, your best bet is to check out some comparison sites to look at performance and power draw. Here are two good ones: http://www.hwcompare.com/ www.anandtech.com
It looks like AnandTech isn't loading for me right now, but it should be back up soon enough.

Honestly, with the cards we're using today, there's basically zero difference between PCI-ex 3.0 and 2.0.

That’s exactly what I thought at first—but after scrolling through some other tech forums, it seems like most people say the difference is practically invisible. It’s kind of like if you had an SSD that only supported SATA 3 on a motherboard that supports 2.5; you might notice a tiny, tiny fraction of a second difference, but honestly, who would even catch that? Anyway, what’s your take on this GPU? Would you be down to pull the trigger on an upgrade?

Looks like it's averaging about 20% faster, which isn't exactly a massive leap... honestly, I'm sitting here wondering if it's even worth picking up right now, or if I should just hold out for something beefier or wait for the prices to tank...

Honestly, I wouldn't bother. If you can actually run your games on Ultra settings right now, I’d skip the new GPU—even if the tech is better or it sips less power. Personally? I’d much rather grab a high-end SSD. The performance jump is massive, and it makes the whole computer feel like it’s absolutely flying. 😁

Man, my computer is just acting all wonky... plus, I heard that SSD performance tends to tank over time

Personally, I wouldn't swap an NVIDIA card this budget-friendly for an AMD one. Based on my own experience, there's a clear edge when pairing Intel and NVIDIA over AMD and ATI—especially when it comes to graphics performance.
I suppose the actual difference you'd notice might not be massive, given how similar their raw power is.
Take a look at this http://www.hwcompare.com/12054/gefor...adeon-hd-7850/

brightviper13 said:Personally, I wouldn't switch to AMD if I were running an NVIDIA card like this. In my experience, pairing Intel with NVIDIA usually beats out the AMD/ATI combo, especially when it comes to GPUs.
The performance gap won't be huge since they're pretty close in power.
Check this out here http://www.hwcompare.com/12054/gefor...adeon-hd-7850/

And I don't see much difference either way, btw. You picked the wrong one—mine is the non-Ti version, just a standard GTX 560 😁

brightskipper40 said:I see there isn't much of a difference in terms of performance between them. I think you might have misread my previous note—I was actually referring to my non-Ti model, just the standard GTX 560. 😁

I thought it was you, but I couldn't be entirely sure. Honestly, the one you're looking at might be a bit more powerful, though I suppose there aren't any massive differences between them. From what I can see, you listed your specs below, so if you're worried, I get it. Personally, I work on a much weaker machine, so I don't really give it much thought. As for your current setup, I probably wouldn't bother upgrading it for quite some time.

brightviper13 said:Ah, I thought it was you, but I guess I wasn't really paying attention. This one is a bit more powerful than yours, though there isn't a massive difference between them. Looking at your specs listed below, honestly... if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't bother upgrading this rig anytime soon. I work on much weaker machines myself, so I'm not sweating it.

I was actually thinking about grabbing a new card and selling this one, but the fan is driving me crazy with the noise. Now I'm looking at the 7850, but it doesn't look like it's exactly silent either. Maybe I should just pick up an aftermarket fan or a better cooler for it? I'm just not sure if anything even exists for this specific model...🙏

brightskipper40 said:I was actually considering buying a new card just to sell this one, since the fan on it is getting way too loud. Now that I'm looking at the 7850, it doesn't seem much quieter. Maybe I should just look into an aftermarket fan or cooler for my current card, though I'm not sure if anything even exists for this specific model.🙏

This one interests me. It’s massive—larger than the GPU itself. It doesn't come with its own dedicated cooler, but you can add one if you want. That said, it won't fit your specific card. You'd need to find something designed for yours; take a look.
http://www.amazon.com/hladnjaci__470...ro-s1__1732531
And their official site: http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/detail?sArticle=24.%3F

I was just checking this one out, and honestly, it looks pretty solid. The reviews aren't half bad either, so I think I'll just swing by Best Buy tomorrow and see how it actually performs in person...

http://www.bestbuy.com/?item=refrigerator-example-link