GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

7% difference? On what, 60fps? That’s like 4.2fps... you wouldn't even notice...

And besides, GameDebate isn't exactly a gold standard for anything. If you actually want to compare those two cards, go check HWCompare instead. You'll see the 7-series only has a slightly higher memory bandwidth (7%), while the 6-series actually beats it in both texel and pixel fill rates—which makes sense since it has more shaders and TMUs. So asking "which one is better" is a massive stretch, especially for such a tiny percentage. You also have to factor in the CPU and the specific game being played, since different titles will lean on the hardware differently...

http://www.hwcompare.com/11774/radeo...adeon-hd-7750/

-PCI-E

MB: ASRock N68C-S UCC with integrated NVIDIA GeForce 7025/nForce 630a Chipset
CPU: AMD ATHLON 64 x2 4200+
2GB DDR2 RAM
PSU: ASUS ATLAS 36F 360W

I'm trying to figure out what kind of graphics card would be enough to get Diablo 3 running, even if it's just on low settings at 1024x768 resolution. I'd love to keep the cost under $133 if possible, and please don't suggest anything from Craigslist or similar sites!

Best,

darkowl72 said:A 7% difference? On what, 60fps? That's like 4.2fps... you wouldn't even notice with your own eyes...

And honestly, GameDebate isn't exactly a gold standard for anything. If you actually want to compare those two cards properly, go check HWCompare. You'll see the seven series only holds a tiny lead in memory bandwidth—maybe 7%—but the six series actually beats it in both texel and pixel fill rates, which makes sense given its shader count and TMUs. So, asking "which one is better" is a massive stretch, especially for such a minuscule percentage. You have to factor in the CPU, and frankly, the specific game you're playing matters too, since different titles lean on certain hardware features differently...

http://www.hwcompare.com/11774/radeo...adeon-hd-7750/

Thanks for clearing that up! 🙂 If you don't mind, could you please tackle the second half of my question? How much of a hit am I going to take on graphics performance, considering my motherboard only has a PCIe x4 slot instead of an x16? Is it even "worth it" to buy a new card at all if my motherboard is this old? (I'm not planning on swapping out the motherboard anytime soon because that's just too huge an investment right now. And if I do, I'd be forced into buying a new CPU and RAM as well...)

Scott Peterson68 said:-PCI-E

MB: ASRock N68C-S UCC with integrated NVIDIA GeForce 7025/nForce 630a Chipset
CPU: AMD ATHLON 64 x2 4200+
2GB DDR2 RAM
PSU: ASUS ATLAS 36F 360W

I'm wondering what kind of GPU would be enough to actually run Diablo 3, even if it's just on low settings at 1024... res. I'd like to know the price, maybe up to $133 if possible, and please don't include prices from sites like eBay or whatever.

Best,

http://www.diskont24.com/product.php...cat=390&page=2

Honestly, I feel like you’d get twice as much playtime if you just used Steam instead.😉

About $533 the graphics card?

http://www.amd.com/en_us/graphics/product_info.php?products_id=11143

For maybe $50 more, you can grab an HD 7850, so if you can swing it, I guess you should just go with that one...

Thanks.

So the 7850 outperforms the 650ti. Is it possible to add another one down the road if I need to?

ruggedraven10 said:Alright, thanks.

So you're saying the 7850 actually outperforms the 650ti? That's interesting... Could I just toss in another one down the road if I feel like it?

It's doable, assuming your motherboard actually supports Crossfire...

Checked it out. Yes, it's supported.

Thanks for the input.

Samuel Brooks said:CPU - Intel Core 2 quad Q6600 2.4
Motherboard - ASUS P5KC P35/G33/G31 Intel
RAM - 4x1GB Kingston DDR2 1333 MHz (Planning an upgrade)

I'm looking for a GPU capable of running BF3, Diablo 3, and some newer titles. I'd love to hear what you all would recommend in my situation. Thanks. 😉

Please, keep the suggestions coming. I was leaning toward picking up an MSI Nvidia GTX 560 HAWK, but I've read some unsettling things about potential issues with that specific card...

Samuel Brooks said:Does anyone have any other suggestions? I was leaning toward picking up the MSI Nvidia GTX 560 ti HAWK, but then I read there might be some issues with that specific card...

With that setup, you're better off going with this
http://www.newegg.com/products/detail...r-retail/55041
It uses newer tech and stays under $333.

Alexander Moore67 said:You're better off going with this configuration.
http://www.newegg.com/p/products/detail...r-retail/55041
It uses newer tech with power draw staying under $333.

I'm not looking to cut corners; I intend to spend up to $567, so I'm aiming for something with more raw 🙂
.

The issue here is the CPU. It’s struggling to keep up, which means you aren't even scratching the surface of what that GPU can actually do. That 560ti is basically hitting its ceiling; you really need to swap in a more modern processor to let the whole system breathe. Generally speaking, in this performance bracket, you should look at an older 560ti, a 6950, or maybe a newer 7850.

stormywolf39 said:The bottleneck is really the CPU; it isn't quite keeping up with the power delivery, so it can't fully utilize the GPU. That 560ti is definitely pushing its limits, but you'd probably need to overclock the processor a bit to really bring it to life. In that general tier, though, you might look at an older 560ti, a 6950, or perhaps a newer 7850.

I'm planning to overclock the processor to 3GHz, so hopefully that will be enough.

Samuel Brooks said:I'm thinking about overclocking the processor to 3GHz. Hopefully, that'll be enough.

What about the power supply?

Alexander Moore67 said:The power supply?

Xilence 600 w

Samuel Brooks said:Xilence 600 w

Does it have 2 x 16 amps on the 12v rail, or maybe 20 amps?

Alexander Moore67 said:Does it provide 2 x 16 amps on the 12v rail, or is it 20 amps per rail?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...122&CatId=1483

This is the power supply in question; it delivers 2x 20 amps.

If you aren't trying to cut corners anyway, then this might be 😬

The next logical step within $567 would probably be the GTX 560Ti, though I guess it pulls a lot more power and isn't quite as strong 🙂