GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Bradley Morris13 said:crimsonstag84 ..... seriously, check that link you sent again 😁 then let me know what you think 😁 maybe you'll change your mind. I finally get why it was such a steal; they list it as 1GB GDDR5 and then basically pull a fast one by switching it back to 512MB DDR3 -.-

Yup, they switched it up 🤣

How about this one then... it’s actually a bit better than the GT 240 😉

http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?id=7946

I dig it. Hopefully, once my internship check actually hits my bank account (if it ever does), I can swing a new GPU and maybe some extra RAM 😁

NVIDIA GT 520 2048MB SDDR3 64bit DVI VGA HDMI 810 1066 POV-VGA-520-A3-2048... is priced at $160! I’d love some input here! 😁D

_____________________________________
Motherboard: HP 3048
RAM: Samsung DDR3 2GB
CPU: Intel E5500 Dual-Core 2.8 GHz
HDD: 320 GB

George Harris2 said:The NVIDIA GT 520 2048MB SDDR3 64bit DVI VGA HDMI 810 1066 POV-VGA-520-A3-2048... costs $160! Thoughts? 😁D

_____________________________________
Motherboard: HP 3048
RAM: Samsung DDR3 2GB
CPU: Intel E5500 Dual-Core 2.8 GHz
HDD: 320 GB

Forget about gaming; that card is barely enough for an HTCP setup just to have something in the slot. It's overpriced and far too weak to actually run any decent games.

crimsonstag84 said:Yup, they swapped out the 🤣

Check this one then... honestly, it’s a bit of an upgrade over the GT 240 😉

umm, would it actually be worth it to grab the 1GB version? if they even have it, plus if I get 1GB of RAM, I'll have $217 to work with 😁
just got some cash in hand

wanderingviper7 said:Forget about gaming with that setup—it’s barely enough to qualify as an HTCP just to have something running inside. It costs way too much for how poorly it handles actual games.

So what are you even suggesting then... I mean, this thing is basically junk with only 2GB... look, I don't claim to be some hardware expert, but I honestly thought it would be a solid deal given the price point!
What about this one? ... I'm thinking this might actually be reasonable! :P

George Harris2 said:What am I supposed to get from that then... basically junk, I mean, it only has 2GB... I don't really know much about this stuff, but I thought it would be great considering the price!
What about this one? ... I think it might be reasonable! :P

Not a chance. If you have $167, just pull up a site like Craigslist, search for a GTS 450, and I'd give you the link—but I think that's against the rules here. Anyway, some guy is selling one for $182 (it still has an 18-month warranty). Try negotiating with him; if he won't budge on the price, see if he'll throw in free shipping. That seems like the most logical move, provided the card is actually in good shape

What kind of power supply are you running?

wanderingviper7 said:Please—if you can actually find a $167. Just head over to one of those local classified sites, search for a GTS 450, and it'll probably spit out a link—though I suspect that might be against the rules here... anyway, some guy is selling one for $182 (it still has 18 months of warranty left). Maybe try to haggle a bit; if they won't budge on the price, see if you can get them to cover the shipping. Honestly, if the card is actually functional, that seems like the most sensible way to go.

What kind of power supply are you running?

It's an HP power supply... seriously, just send me the link to the ad so I can track it down! Thanks!🙂

George Harris2 said:An HP power supply... just tell me which listing it was so I can find it! Thanks!🙂

I saw that specific ad over on Craigslist... though honestly, the fact that it only has 512MB is a bit of a dealbreaker for me.

George Harris2 said:I saw that listing on Craigslist... but I'm not thrilled about the 512MB capacity.

VRAM only really matters when you're pushing higher resolutions. If you aren't running a Full HD setup—say, if you're stuck with a 1680x1050 monitor or something lower—then 512MB on the card is plenty. Anything beyond that would just be wasted potential you can't actually use.
What kind of monitor are you actually using? What resolution are you playing at? Also, do yourself a favor and check your power supply wattage before you pull the trigger on a purchase.

George Harris2, you already started your own thread, so just keep posting there—stop beating around the bush, we can't actually get anywhere if we talk like this. 🙂

Alright, alright... I've finally pulled the trigger and decided to go with the It’s basically identical to the GTS 450—and honestly, given how much I'd rather keep my cash for other things, I think this is going to be the smartest move for my wallet! 👍

And why wouldn't you go with this one instead? It's actually better and costs less.
http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=7946

The 8670 isn't even in the same ballpark—honestly, the GTX 1050 actually outperforms it. It feels more like a minor refresh of the 5570, which is really just the bare minimum if you want to play anything even remotely modern (meaning, don't go expecting any kind of mind-blowing performance from it)

If you’re truly looking to buy something new, you should really be aiming for the 5670.

Bradley Morris13 said:umm, I wonder if it might be worth grabbing the 1GB version instead? If they actually have it, plus an extra 1GB of RAM, I'd have $217 available 😁since
the money just hit my account.

Man, forget 1GB. Extra VRAM mostly just helps with higher resolutions (1080p and up), and this one is noticeably more powerful.😉

http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?products_id=10271

😛

well damn, if I do that I won't have enough left for a gig of RAM LOL, I'm just ordering everything tomorrow anyway, we'll see how it goes

actually, wait, could my crappy little build even handle it? I'm mostly aiming to upgrade the motherboard and the power supply...

http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=9406

http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=4128

http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=8517

I just realized what CPU and power supply you're running, I totally forgot... 😁

That Pentium probably won't be able to keep up with an HD 6750, or even a Radeon HD 6450... so this one should be plenty, especially with a decent power supply and 1GB of RAM for $217 everything total 😛

Ugh, okay, now you’ve totally confused me 😁
I never actually said... since I don't have the cash to just drop on a whole PC at once, I'm doing this component by component (yeah, I know I should probably start with the motherboard, but I just can't bring myself to do it) and my plan is to let this drag out over some time... like, I don't want to be back here needing a whole new setup in a few months or a year or two...
Would it even work if I picked up one of those graphics cards mentioned earlier? Like, would it actually run? I know I need better specs eventually, so maybe grab a stick of RAM first, then the CPU later,

Quote : system Requirements ... 400 Watt Power Supply is required.

I've got a 400W power supply, and the CPU won't happen for maybe a month or two, three max, so if this Radeon HD 6450 would actually work with what I've got right now, I'd grab that—or maybe even the newer one for $650, then deal with the RAM and CPU down the road.
If you get what I'm saying, I really don't want to blow those $217 only to end up having to buy everything all over again

Sorry for making things complicated, just what it is

Try looking for something like this—you could probably score a better deal if you hunt around:

Put whatever cash you have left toward a decent GPU. You can always grab more RAM down the road, and honestly, you don't need a fancy power supply right now. That GT 710 crimsonstag84 mentioned pulls maybe 60W tops; you could run that thing on a potato... personally, I’d grab that used CPU and pair it with something like this:

The whole setup won't even touch 200 W...

Besides, there's zero point in upgrading the motherboard at this stage. Just beef up whatever else you can in the rig for now, and then just ride it out until you've actually saved enough for a completely new PC.

@Benjamin King2/">@@Benjamin King2

I suspect that motherboard might not actually support that CPU :/

http://www.asrock.com/mb/cpu.asp?Model=775XFire-RAID