GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

hiddenbison99 said:I'll write down the specs from my receipt for you:
-Motherboard - MB ECP4m800ProS -M, s775, VIA
Processor - CPU Intel Celeron (2.8GHz, 533MHz, 256K)
Memory - DDR2 256MB PC 5300 (667MHz) GoodRAM
Hard drive - *HDD Western Digital, 80GB, and useful
Floppy - Floppy Disk Drive 1.44MB ALPS/NEC; black
Optical drive - DVD+RW/-RW AOPEN DW1670, black, DWD+R DL
Graphics card - onboard
Case - CODEGEN midi tower 6102-CA, 400W PSU
I'm a bit older, so I'm hoping to find something decent for a low price—which I know is hard to come by.
Thanks! 😕

Whoa, okay—let's just take this from the top, shall we?

Motherboard: Since you mentioned needing this for kids' games and stuff, we aren't touching the motherboard—it stays as is.

RAM: Now, about this part. You should grab 2GB of Kingmax DDR2 RAM. If you check out this listing on eBay:$50 http://www.ebay.com/itm/ram-memory-example-listing, it would be great to get 4GB, but since your motherboard tops out at 2GB, let's stick to that.

Graphics Card: Right now, you're using integrated graphics, which—honestly—isn't built for gaming or anything visually intense. If you pick up this card, you'll have a really solid upgrade that'll speed things up and actually let you play some basic games. http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-example-listing

Processor: Let's leave that one alone. It’s plenty fast enough—I mean, it’s not exactly a powerhouse, but for everyday use, it does the job just fine.

Power Supply: That looks perfectly fine too.

If you're interested, just shoot me a private message with your email address so we can talk more about the PC.

Best regards,

hiddenbison99 said:I'm not very good at troubleshooting computers. When I try to install games, some will open and then just freeze up. They are mostly kids' games. How can I fix this? My computer is an Intel Pentium running at 2.8GHz with 1.00GB of RAM and Windows XP. What should I upgrade, or should I get a better graphics card?
Thanks

Emily Walker2 said:Well, let's take this from the beginning.

Motherboard: Since you mentioned this is primarily for children's games, we can leave the motherboard as it is for now.

RAM: This is where we should start. You could pick up 2GB of Kingmax DDR2 RAM. I found this listing on Craigslist: $50:http://www.craigslist.org/ram-memory/...-ad-4942345. It would be great to have 4GB, but your motherboard only supports a maximum of 2GB.

Graphics Card: Right now, you're using integrated graphics, which really isn't designed for gaming or any heavy graphical tasks. If you grab this one, you'll have a solid card that will boost your PC's performance significantly and allow you to play more straightforward games: http://www.craigslist.org/graphics-cards...-ad-5059554

Processor: You can leave the CPU alone for now. It’s fast enough—it's certainly not a powerhouse, but it handles everyday tasks just fine.

Power Supply: That seems fine as well.

If you're interested, feel free to send me a private message with your email address regarding the PC.

Best regards,

I sent you a PM.😕

Alright, here’s the deal...
I just offloaded my old GPU, so now I'm back on the hunt for an upgrade.
My previous card was a GTX 250 with 1GB of VRAM.
I’m looking to drop somewhere between $50 and $333
.
Current specs: CPU is an Intel Core 2 Duo
Motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-M59 SLI S4
Power supply is a Chiftec GPS-450 AA-101 A
Memory is 3 x 1GB Kingmax DDR2 sticks

Anyone got any solid suggestions?

hiddenbison99 said:I sent you a PM.😕

It hasn't shown up on my end yet—but hey, I'll just go ahead and send it over to you instead!

XFX NVIDIA GeForce, 2GB DDR5, HDMI, DVI, 2x miniDP

OR

PCI-E Sapphire NVIDIA GeForce, 2GB DDR5, HDMI, DVI, 2x miniDP, HDTV

What's the actual difference here, and which one should I grab?

Thanks!

Emily Walker2 said:It hasn't arrived for me yet, but I'll go ahead and send it over to you.

If I could ask one more thing—I didn't mention this in my earlier posts—do you think these specific upgrades will actually allow me to run games like Harry Potter? Right now, I can't get them to work; the game launches, but then the screen just freezes up completely.
I have my grandson using his aunt's laptop at the moment, and since I'm planning on buying these parts myself, I'm a bit worried about whether I can handle the assembly. I have a decent grasp of mechanical work, but electronics are a different story for me. To be honest, I'm getting older, and most of what I know about computers was picked up toward the very end of my career. I'd really appreciate your advice on this before we move forward. I don't mean to be a bother or pushy. Thank you so much!😕

hiddenbison99 said:I’d also like to ask—since I didn't mention this in my earlier posts—would these upgrades actually let me run games like Harry Potter? Right now, I just can't get them to work. The game launches, but then the screen just freezes up.
I have a grandson who's currently using his aunt's laptop. Since I'm looking at buying these parts, I'm honestly not sure if I could put them together myself. I know my way around basic mechanics, but electronics? Not so much. I'm getting on in years, and most of what I know about computers was picked up right toward the end of my career. I'd love to hear your advice before we decide anything—I don't want to be a bother or pushy. Thanks so much!😕

Don't worry, you can definitely handle this. I'm happy to walk you through everything! Just check your private messages—I've sent over a recommendation there for you.
Now, it really depends on which Harry Potter game we're talking about. But honestly? My best advice would be to just replace the whole computer. It's simpler that way. After all, technology moves fast, and computers just get outdated—it happens to everyone.

If we decide to swap out the motherboard, that does require a bit more technical know-how. I'll list some options for you below, so just let me know what you think. These machines are perfect for what you need, and the prices are pretty reasonable too.

For what you're looking to do, I'd recommend something like these:
1) $400 - http://www.craigslist.com/search/cpu?query=desktop+pc

2) $617 - http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=desktop+computer

3) $1000 (this one is a bit pricier, but trust me—with a setup like this, you won't have to worry about it for your grandson for another 2 or 3 years) - http://www.bestbuy.com/site/computers

4) $600 - http://www.amazon.com/computers

hiddenbison99 said:I'd love to hear your advice—once I get that, we can go from there. I really don't want to be a pest or come off too strong. Thanks so much!😕

Oh, and one more thing—no need to be all formal with me. I'm pretty young! :P 🙂

The main difference comes down to the cooling setup. I'd suggest going with the Sapphire model that features two fans.

http://www.newegg.com/product_info.php?c...ducts_id=11306

I have a simple question. I am looking for a graphics card capable of running modern games; I am not necessarily aiming for ultra settings, just something reliable and decent for smooth gameplay. My budget for a used card is up to $100.

shadowjackal16 said:Just a simple question. I am looking for a graphics card capable of running modern games. Nothing high-end, just something solid enough to work... My budget for a used card is up to $100.

I own an ATI HD 4850 and it performs excellently 😛, but I am not selling mine 😉.

shadowjackal16 said:Just a simple question. I need a GPU that can actually run modern games. Nothing crazy, just something decent enough to play... used, budget around $100.

With that kind of cash, you can't even afford the bottom-of-the-barrel junk.

Drew Miller38 said:With such a small budget, you can't even pick up the cheapest junk...

Thank you for the response. That was precisely the information I was looking for...🙂

You can definitely snag a decent graphics card for that kind of cash—it really just comes down to what kind of power supply you're running and if your CPU can actually keep up with it without bottlenecking.

For $100, you could probably find some used ATI HD 4850 cards lying around. Honestly, those things still hold their own and can run most games pretty smoothly on medium or high settings, depending on your resolution.

edit: if your PSU is actually decent, my vote goes to the XFX 9800 GTX

Drew Miller38 said:With that kind of budget, you can't even pick up the absolute bottom-of-the-barrel junk.

Just give them a call and ask... if it’s got GDDR5, then maybe it's worth it, but if not, just walk away.
http://www.craigslist.org/listing/graphics-card-ad-5225570

I actually have this card myself, and honestly, it runs everything fine. I mean, don't expect maxed-out settings, but they play okay enough...🙂

edit: ahhh, crap, I quoted the wrong guy...

Regarding the newer cards—this entry-level tier starts at roughly $100. Which one is actually better: the 6450 or the 520 GT? I've been digging through some benchmarks, but the results are all over the place; one site says the 520 GT wins, while another claims the opposite.

One more thing—in this price bracket of about $167—is this the best option available?

Timothy Kim60 said:Regarding those newer cards—this entry-level stuff—they’re starting at around $100 Which one actually performs better, the 6450 or the 520 GT? I've been watching some reviews where the 520 GT comes out on top, but then I see other tests saying the exact opposite...

And one more thing—in this price range, roughly $167—is this one the best option? http://www.bestbuy.com/products/detail...a-hw-uvd/47852

Look, just make sure you grab something with GDDR5 memory... there are options for about $167
Over at Best Buy, you can find the VTX3D HD5670 512MB - $156 (GDDR5) or the Sapphire HD6670, 1GB GDDR5 - $179

Taylor Brown said:Make sure you grab one with GDDR5 memory... you can find them for about $167
In your case, you've got the VTX3D HD5670 512MB - $156 (GDDR5) or the Sapphire HD6670, 1GB GDDR5 - $179

What’s actually the difference between those two? They seem like basically the same model to me. Does it really matter that one is 512MB while the other is 1GB? Also, what does "low profile" mean in the product name?

And regarding the brands—if it's the same model, like a 6670, why are there so many different versions from ASUS, VTX, Sapphire, XFX, etc.? It makes no sense; how can the exact same product with the same GDDR cost anywhere from $167 to $260 depending on which manufacturer you buy from? WTF?

Lastly, what do terms like "silent" or "passive" actually imply?

Hey there.

What’s the actual difference between, say, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 from NVIDIA versus one from ASUS?

Or take the AMD Radeon HD 6870 PowerColor vs. a Sapphire Radeon HD 6870.

The thing is, those NVIDIA or PowerColor models are actually affordable, whereas the ASUS or Sapphire versions come with a massive markup. They’re essentially the same card, right? Do the Sapphire and ASUS models just have better cooling? What else am I paying extra for if I go with them over the NVIDIA or PowerColor options?

Is there a specific thread somewhere discussing these manufacturers so I know which ones to steer clear of?

Thanks!

Alex Wood53 said:Hey there!

What’s actually the difference between, say, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 470 from Nvidia versus one from ASUS?

Or like, an AMD Radeon HD 6870 PowerColor compared to a Sapphire AMD Radeon HD 6870.

The thing is, those Nvidia or PowerColor models are at a price point I can actually afford, while the ASUS or Sapphire versions are way more expensive. They’re basically the same card, right? Does it just come down to the Sapphire or ASUS models having better cooling systems? What else are they offering that makes them worth the extra cash over the Nvidia or PowerColor options?

Is there a specific thread somewhere discussing these manufacturers so I know which ones to steer clear of?

Thanks!

So, look—everything you mentioned is spot on. One might have slightly better cooling, another might be factory overclocked, and so on. Honestly, I'm running an XFX version myself and I'm pretty happy with it. Maybe a Sapphire model would run cooler or stay a bit quieter, but hey, it is what it is.🙂 🙂