GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

You aren't going to get standard Crossfire on that motherboard; it only supports CrossfireX. So, you'd need to pick up another Radeon 6670 and plug it straight into the first slot on the board. Honestly, you won't even need to upgrade your power supply...

And I didn't even bother looking at the idiot... hahaha

Alright guys, thanks. Honestly, I had been mulling over getting a Radeon 6670 myself, but since you all clearly know way more than I do, I figured I'd better ask first before making any dumb moves!

So, I'm working with this motherboard http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Int...specifications
and I noticed the specs mention 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, but it doesn't specify if it's running on version 2.0 or something else. I’m trying to wrap my head around all of this because I'm currently relying on integrated graphics. Could someone please point me in the right direction regarding what kind of graphics card I could actually plug into this? Ideally, I want to find the best possible option specifically so I can play Gothic 3—I absolutely love that game. The rest of my PC specs are fine and I've already checked the recommended requirements for the game, so I really just need some guidance on the graphics card itself. Thanks in advance!

First off, tell me what CPU and power supply you're running, plus what settings you usually play at 🙂 and how much cash you're actually looking to drop

I just took a look at an Intel Pentium D925 running at 3 GHz. The power supply is just some generic unit, nothing special, topping out at maybe 400W. It’s got 3 GB of RAM, and a resolution of 1280x1024 should be perfectly fine for Gothic 3. Honestly, for about $110, it's worth it if the main goal is just getting Gothic to run smoothly enough...

Samuel Taylor10 said:So I just checked out an Intel Pentium D925 at 3 GHz. It’s running on some generic power supply, maybe 400W max, with 3 gigs of RAM. For Gothic 3, a resolution of 1280x1024 should be fine. For about $110, I just want to make sure Gothic actually runs okay...

1 x Sapphire HD 5670, 1GB GDDR5 128bit, HyperMemory (up to 2.8GB)
1 x Power Supply CORSAIR 430W, CX Series CMPSU-430CXV2EU, 12cm fan

$310
www.newegg.com ( the GPU alone is $200 ) if that old power supply can't handle it, grab this one instead.
It ought to work; the card isn't a huge power hog.

I’m looking to pick up a new graphics card, ideally staying under the $300 mark. I’ve been browsing around and noticed there's an ATI 6750 sitting at about $217, but then I see a similar model listed for $300. On the other hand, there's the GTX 550 too... honestly, I'm feeling a bit indecisive. My main priority is strictly gaming performance. Does anyone have any solid advice on which way to go, or perhaps some good recommendations for something reliable on the used market?

http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?c...ducts_id=10275
The ones priced at 600 aren't even the same as these $300 ones... 😁
Anyway, you can find the main thread over here
for graphics cards...

Hey
is it even worth switching from an HD 6850 to a 4870 X2

Robert Rodriguez2 said:1 x Sapphire HD 5670, 1GB GDDR5 128bit, HyperMemory (up to 2.8GB)
1 x CORSAIR 430W Power Supply, CX Series CMPSU-430CXV2EU, 12cm fan

$310
www.newegg.com ( the card is just $200 ) if it doesn't work with your old power supply, then go with this one.
It should be fine; the card isn't exactly a power hog.

Thanks, I appreciate it. I think I'll go ahead and grab that. If I decide to install it myself, is there anything specific I should watch out for? Is it possible to accidentally fry something during the installation process?

Samuel Taylor10 said:Alright, thanks. I'll grab it then. If I decide to install it myself, what should I look out for? Is there any chance I could fry something during the install??

There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube, man.

Jacob Jones782 said:Hey there,
is it actually worth upgrading from an HD 6850 to a 4870 X2?

if you're looking for a space heater to keep the house warm... by all means!

Andrew Fox74 said:if you just want a space heater for your house... go for it!

Man... my heater just crapped out on me 🙂
so I guess it's not worth it?
Because they're selling a used one for $133 that won't even put out a picture, even though the fan is spinning. Should I just take it in for service or maybe try "baking" it in the oven, haha?

Jacob Jones782 said:Man... my heater just died on me 🙂
So it’s a waste of money?
Because they're offering used ones for $133 that won't even output a signal—just spinning fans. Might as well take it to a repair shop or try "baking" it in the oven lol

Total waste of cash

Is that the one on Craigslist? Honestly, I bet it’s already been cooked and toasted multiple times. Look, the 4870 X2 is obviously faster, but what’s the point of swapping out a perfectly functional card under warranty (I assume) just to get one that doesn't work? Even if you manage to fry it, how long do you think that'll actually last? 🤷

Here, this guy compared those two cards, so take a look:
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/s...d.php?t=684245

By the way, if you aren't running a 500W+ high-quality power supply, forget about using that thing as a space heater. 😁

My conclusion: even though HD4870X2 can beat HD6850 considerably in CrossFire supported games, it's unpredicted behavior, in my opinion, does not make it a better card than HD6850, and having in mind tremendous power consumption and ridiculous noise (the loudest card i ever had) i would recommend to anyone using HD4870X2 change to at least HD6850.

Quick question here—what’s the actual deal with the difference between Intel HD 2000 and the HD 3000 integrated graphics?
P.S. And seriously, can I even run modern games on these integrated chips, even if I just crank everything down to low settings?

Jacob Jones782 said:Quick question: what's actually the difference between Intel HD 2000 and the HD 3000 integrated graphics?
P.S. Can I even run modern games on these, maybe just on low settings?

The HD 3000 is a bit better, but honestly, don't expect to play anything demanding, even on low...

An AMD APU could probably handle low settings without much trouble, though you won't have any real room for upgrades on that type of platform. 😉

Hey everyone!
I'm pretty fed up with my Radeon HD 5850 Black Edition, so I’m thinking about selling it and swapping it out for something better... I've got a 22" monitor, so I definitely need more kick for the heavier games. I was looking at the HD 6870 since it sits right around the same level as my old 5850, so maybe I'll just grab that. Or, does anyone have a recommendation for something in that same price range from the Nvidia side of things?

Check out this comparison of those two cards on an American tech site:

What resolution are you running? Full HD 1080p or 1650x1080?

Edit: If you ask me, they're pretty much cousins. The 6xxx series is obviously newer, runs cooler, and draws less power—standard tech evolution stuff. I wouldn't say jumping from one to the other is worth the cash, but hey, that's just my two cents. Wait for someone else to weigh in before you decide.