GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

It's used, yeah, so I definitely need to negotiate the price 🙂 thanks

So, I just came across a Radeon HD 6750 listed for the exact same price, but this one is brand new rather than used, since the GTX ended up being sold already. 😢
I would really value your thoughts on this; if you want more context to give me better advice, please take a look at my previous post on the page. 😁

Which exact model are we talking about here? What’s the price tag looking like? And does it come with a warranty or is it just as-is?

I'm not entirely certain, I think it's 2GB, and it still has a warranty, so I'm looking for $135

Dennis Evans59 said:I'm not sure, I think it's 2GB, and it comes with a warranty for $125

Meh, that's the DDR3 version... I wouldn't touch it. Even for the DDR5 version, it's just way too much money.

Forget about that 125 dollar guy... just tell me exactly how much cash you've got to work with and I'll give you a solid recommendation for a used GPU.

Also, let me know what kind of power supply you're running, what resolution you play at, or basically—how big is your monitor?

graniteharbor85 said:Just forget about that guy asking for 125 bucks... tell us exactly how much cash you've actually got on hand, and we can give you a solid recommendation for a used GPU.

While you're at it, let us know what kind of power supply you're running and what resolution you typically play at—basically, what size monitor you have.

My budget for the power supply is up to $200.
I'm using a Samsung Sync Master 2243, which is Full HD, so naturally, I’d love to be able to play everything at max resolution. As for checking the power supply, I honestly have no idea how to go about doing that.🙂

You just pop the box open and check out the brand, the specific model, and how many Watts it's pulling.

Hey everyone, I could use some help here. 🙂
I’m thinking about picking up a new GPU—but only if the rest of my rig can actually handle it.
Based on that first page post, CPU-Z is showing me this:

CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo e8200 @ 2.66GHz
package: socket 775 LGA
core speed: ~2000 MHz
bus speed ~333MHz

MAINBOARD
Asustek Computer Inc
model 2 A73h
The graphics interface section is empty, but the adapter properties say:
Device ID: Intel G33/G31 Express chipset family
Chip type: Intel GMA 3100
Memory: 384 MB

MEMORY
type DDR2
size 2048MB
channels single

Hopefully, that covers all the essentials.
If the rest of the build allows for it, I’d grab a card that lets me play some MMORPGs or strategy games—things like Guild Wars 2 or Skyrim. So far, I've just been playing League of Legends and was perfectly fine with that.
To be honest, high-end graphics don't really matter to me; I just need it to be playable. I’ll always just crank the settings down to low anyway.
Price isn't a huge deal, though I'd prefer something... reasonable. 🙂 I'm not a hardcore gamer—just looking to play something every now and then—so I wanted to check if it's even worth buying anything at all. 🙂

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

Do you need an AGP or a PCI-E card? I am not quite sure about the difference, but I need one for gaming.
What is your current or planned setup, and what power supply are you using? Right now, I have an Intel Core i3 2100, 4GB of RAM, an ATI Radeon HD 4350 1GB DDR3, and an XFX 450W power supply.
What resolution do you play at? 1360 x 768
How much are you looking to spend? $233
Which stores are you considering? Best Buy...
If you have any other specific requirements, please list them. - It just needs to fit inside my case without being too bulky...

If you can stretch your budget just a little bit further, grab the MSI HD 6670. Otherwise, I'd say go with the Palit GTS 450 1GB.

Hey everyone on the forum..
So, I'm currently running a Sapphire Radeon HD5670 512mb (the GDDR5 version), but a friend of mine is using an Nvidia Geforce 9800 GT 512 and he keeps insisting his card is actually faster than mine. I was hoping to get some honest opinions from you guys: is his card really better than mine when it comes to playing stuff like GTA 4, Battlefield 3, or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3? Also, would it even make sense to pick up his card—maybe one with 1GB of VRAM—or should I look into something else that's a step up from what I have, like an HD4870 or an HD4890??

The rest of my build consists of an AMD Phenom II X4 955 BE, 6GB of DDR3 RAM, and an LC Power Green 460W power supply.

Thanks so much for the help

stormytiger57 said:Hey everyone..
So, I'm currently running a Sapphire Radeon HD5670 512mb (the GDDR5 version), but a buddy of mine has an Nvidia Geforce 9800 GT 512 and he keeps insisting his card is faster than mine. I wanted to get your take: is his card actually better for modern games like GTA 4, Battlefield 3, or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3? Also, would it make sense to pick up his card (maybe the 1GB version) or should I look for something stronger than what I have, like an HD 4870 or 4890??

The rest of my rig is an AMD Phenom II X4 955 BE, 6GB of DDR3 RAM, and an LC Power Green 460W.

Thanks for the help

His is slightly more powerful, yeah... but honestly, none of those are worth buying. They're ancient, they pull way too much power, and you can't even find them in stores anymore. If you're aiming for the kind of performance an HD 4890 offers... then maybe check this out:

It uses half the power and it's actually a bit stronger; it'll eat that 9800 GT for breakfast. 😉

Hey everyone! So, I picked up this rig "back in the day" in 2007 at a local Best Buy, built from parts by a buddy of mine (I had to settle for some weaker stuff because they didn't have exactly what I wanted in stock at the time), and now things are starting to kick the bucket. From what I’ve gathered from asking around, people keep telling me my GPU is just trash. Honestly, I can barely even run older games that used to fly on this thing, and don't even get me started on newer titles—the screen just goes black on its own after playing anything even remotely "demanding." Since I keep getting overheating warnings, I'm pretty sure the graphics card is the culprit. Here are my specs, so please, give me some advice on how to refresh this beast (but please, don't just tell me to "replace everything" because I am definitely not made of money 😁). My original plan was just to grab a new GPU, but I have no clue what kind of headache that brings with it. Like, if I drop money on a better card, am I going to trigger some massive chain reaction where every other old component just dies from the stress? 😁
If you're suggesting a specific part, could you please give me an exact model? I'm really not an expert when it comes to hardware 🙂

Specs:
1. MBO ASROCK, s. AM2, ALiveXFIRE-eSATA2, AMD CrossFire, BUS 2000MHz, serial ATA II, RAID, 7.1 sound, DDR 2, 1 Gbps, ATX 2
2. AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+, 3000 MHz, 2 Mb c., socket AM2, BUS 2000 MHz, BOX (Windsor Dual Core)
3. RAM, 2GB (1GB + 1GB), DDR 2, PC-6400, 800 MHz, GEIL ULTRA
4. Power Supply 500W ATX 2, FORTRON, BlueStorm II, ATX 2
5. Midi Tower, SPIRE Swirl SP-7062B, ATX 2, black, no PSU included
6. VGA PCI-E SAPPHIRE Radeon X1950 Pro LR, 256MB, tv-out, Dual DVI
7. HDD SEAGATE Barracuda 250GB, serial ATA-II 7200.10, 7.200 rpm, 16 MB cache (ST3250620AS)
8. DVD writer, DVD+-RW & DVD+-R, DVD-Ram LITE ON LH-20A1P-12C, 20x, 8x dual layer 8.5GB, bulk, black
9. FDD 1, 44MB, 3.5", black

None of these parts have been swapped out, except for a new hard drive I picked up recently.

Thanks in advance! 🙂

The most important thing here... how much cash are you actually planning to drop on a GPU??? 😍

Go with the HD6770 or the HD7750 (it's newer, pulls less power, and stays cooler).

Maybe you could try cleaning yours out yourself—like, actually taking the whole heatsink apart to get the dust out.

Taylor Brown said:But the bottom line is... how much cash are you actually planning to drop on a GPU? 😍

I don't really have a set budget in mind, I just want to grab something that actually works. 😁

Taylor Brown said:Maybe look at an HD6770 or an HD7750—the latter's newer, sips less power, and stays way cooler.

You could also try cleaning out your current one (you know, taking the whole heatsink apart).

Thanks, but honestly, I don't think there's any point in cleaning it since I've already tried everything, and as you can see, we're talking about a pretty weak card here anyway. 🙂

crimsonstag84 said:His card is actually a bit more powerful, yeah... honestly, I wouldn't bother with any of those options because they're ancient, they pull way too much power, and you can't even find them at a Best Buy anymore. If you're really aiming for performance close to an HD 4890... then

It uses half the electricity and it's actually slightly better; it'll eat a 9800GT for breakfast. 😉

I'm looking to pick up some used hardware that's a step up from what I've got right now... I stumbled upon an HD 6670 and an NVIDIA GTX 260 SOC. Would either of those be a decent upgrade over my current setup when it comes to gaming?

bluecanyon25 said:I don't really have a set budget in mind; I’d just like to pick up something that actually works well. 😁

Thanks, but I don't think there's much point in cleaning it since I've already tried everything. As you can see, it's just a pretty weak card. 🙂

I think this Radeon HD 7770 might be worth checking out if you're looking to upgrade. Maybe it fits what you need.

EDIT: @crimsonstag84/">@@crimsonstag84

The HD 6670 is a tiny bit stronger than the HD 5670, though I guess you might not actually feel much of a difference. On the other hand, the GTX 260 is noticeably better than the 9800GT, but man, it absolutely gulps down power. 😬 It's three generations old now, so I guess it isn't really worth buying anymore, but this is a pretty killer deal:

I saw this listing for a graphics card on Craigslist earlier. It looks like a decent enough deal if you're looking for something specific, I guess.

It’s actually more powerful than the GTX 260, uses less power, and is way newer. I guess the price is pretty decent too, since they're going for around $200 lately.