GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Honestly, you're better off grabbing a 5750/6750 or maybe a GTS 450. They aren't much more expensive, but they'll give you way more bang for your buck.

stormywolf39 said:I’d honestly rather go for something like a 5750, 6750, or even a GTS 450 since they aren't much more expensive and offer a significant jump in performance.

I am sticking strictly to the $600 budget he mentioned$233 and I'm looking for the best possible value within that limit, because that's really the whole point here.😁 If you happen to stumble upon a 5750 or a GTS 450 with 1GB or 512MB of DDR5 for under $233 let me know, though you could check Best Buy, but I doubt you'll find anything there. The only other thing that actually fits this price range is the model linked below, which comes with 512MB of DDR5 memory, but it remains a solid choice; the cooler is decent enough, though that VTX 3D model mentioned earlier definitely has a superior and more efficient cooling setup.😁☕

http://www.bestbuy.com/products/detail...20-x16-h/44970

It looks like they don't have it in stock right now, though. It just says to check availability...

stormywolf39 said:You did the exact opposite of what you were supposed to do. You wipe the drivers first, and then you swap out the graphics card. Simple enough, right? Why make it complicated?

Well, look, just boot it up in Safe Mode and run Driver Sweeper to wipe both drivers clean. Once that's done, give it a restart and see what happens. If it’s still a complete disaster? Well, you can always just reinstall Windows. 😬

I reinstalled the Nvidia drivers and now everything is running fine, but I still can't for the life of me get rid of those old ATI drivers. Is it possible they won't delete because it's an integrated chip? Could that be the reason?

James Fisher11 said:I reinstalled the Nvidia drivers and it's working now, but I still can't get those ATI drivers to delete—maybe because it's integrated and won't let me wipe them?

So it's "working" now... which probably just means you're running on the basic Windows 7 driver... Try going through the Control Panel and stripping out the entire motherboard driver package first, then install the GPU driver separately before adding back the audio and network stuff... It should work. Doesn't really matter if some leftover integrated driver is hanging around somewhere...

Benjamin King2 said:Maybe grab this one—it’s right in the same ballpark as the x1650 Pro: http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-example

Just pop the case open and check the sticker on your power supply to see what the amperage is on the 12V rail—it should be around 20A.

There's a little chart here, and under the +12V section, it says 14A.

I'm thinking about picking up an HD3450 with 512MB. The specs say I need at least a 300W PSU, and I've got a 400W unit.🙂

Andrew Miller102 said:I’m sticking to the $600 budget he mentioned$233. I want the best performance possible within that limit—that’s the whole point, right?😁 If you happen to track down a 5750 or a GTS 450 with 1GB or 512MB DDR5 for under$233 that price, let me know. You could check Best Buy, but honestly, don't hold your breath. The only other thing fitting this budget is this specific model here; it’s got 512MB of DDR5 memory, which is still a solid choice. The cooler is decent enough, though the one on that VTX 3D model above is significantly better and more efficient by comparison.😁☕

http://www.bestbuy.com/products/detail...20-x16-h/44970

They have plenty in stock if you're looking
—specifically the 6750—but that's basically the same🤔 k

William Moore65 said:There’s this spec sheet showing a +12V rail rated at 14A underneath it.

I'm looking at picking up an HD3450 512MB—the one where the specs say you need at least a 300W power supply—but I've already got a 400W unit sitting here.🙂

You're fine—those cards barely pull any juice at all.

I'm thinking about picking up a new GPU. It's been forever since I actually sat down to game, but with MW3 and Battlefield 3 coming out soon... I might as well blow some cash and get back into it. 😁 I’m strictly looking at FPS titles, though.
Right now, I'm running a Radeon x1950 Pro, but it's gotten way too loud. It's also starting to overheat and just crashes mid-game—which is why I couldn't even finish COD Mw2.

My current setup is an Intel Core 2 duo E6750, 4GB of RAM, a Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3P motherboard, and a 400W power supply.

I suppose I could stretch to maybe $100 or so $333 for a new card. Ideally, I'd rather spend less, obviously. 🙂

Bradley Smith88 said:I’m looking to pick up a new GPU since I haven't played anything in forever, and with MW3 and Battlefield 3 coming out, I want to get back into it. 😁 I'm strictly focused on FPS games.
Right now I'm running a Radeon x1950 Pro that's gotten way too loud and keeps overheating and crashing mid-game (couldn't even finish COD Mw2 because of it).

My setup is an Intel Core 2 duo E6750 / 4GB RAM / Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3P motherboard / 400W power supply.

Budget is around $110 for a new card. Ideally something cheaper, obviously.$333 🙂

http://www.bestbuy.com/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=9897 nvidia

ATI
http://www.bestbuy.com/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=9943

http://www.bestbuy.com/product_info.php?c...ducts_id=10275

Bradley Smith88 said:I'm looking to pick up a new graphics card. I haven't played anything in quite a while, and with MW3 and Battlefield 3 coming out soon, I really want to get back into the action. 😁 I'm strictly interested in FPS games.
Right now, my Radeon x1950 Pro has become way too loud and keeps overheating, which causes it to crash mid-game—it actually stopped me from even playing COD Mw2.

My current setup is an Intel Core 2 duo E6750, 4GB of RAM, a Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3P motherboard, and a 400W power supply.

... and I’d like to spend around $110 $333 on a new card. Ideally something cheaper, though. 🙂

Which specific 400W power supply are you using? That's a crucial detail!

The power supply is an EVGA 450W

So, looking at the system requirements for something like Call of Duty... I'm starting to wonder if my CPU is just totally outdated and acting as a bottleneck (Intel Core i5-2500K, 2.66GHz)? They're recommending a quad-core. Honestly, at these prices, I might as well just go grab an Xbox 360 instead. 🙂 (new GPU + new CPU)

I really don't want to drop a ton of cash on a new graphics card only to have the game crawl because the processor can't keep up..

Bradley Smith88 said:The power supply is an EVGA 450W

Looking at the system requirements for something like Call of Duty... I’m starting to wonder if my CPU is just outdated and becoming a total bottleneck (Intel Core i5-2500K, 2.66GHz)? They recommend a quad-core. I guess at this price point, I might as well just grab an Xbox 360. 🙂 (new GPU + new CPU)

I really don't want to drop a ton of cash on a graphics card only to have the game stuttering because the processor can't keep up..

There's a difference between recommended settings for maxed-out details and the bare minimum configuration. If you're better than the minimum, you'll be able to play, maybe just with lower settings. It is what it is—you get what you pay for, I suppose.🙂

Minimum requirements for Call of Duty

* OS: Windows XP or Windows 10 * Processor
* Processor: Core i5 @ 2.0GHz
* RAM: 2GB
* Graphic card: DirectX 12 compatible Nvidia or AMD card.
* Graphics card memory: 512 MB
* Hard drive: 15 GB for disc version or 10 GB for digital version

Bradley Smith88 said:The power supply is an EVGA 450W

Looking at the system requirements for something like Call of Duty... I'm starting to wonder if my CPU is too old and acting as a bottleneck (Intel Core i5-2500K, 2.66MHz)? They recommend a quad-core. Honestly, for that kind of money, I might just pick up an Xbox 360 instead. 🙂 (new GPU + new CPU)

I don't want to drop a ton of cash on a graphics card only to have the game stutter because of the processor.

That power supply is getting pretty old, maybe 3 or 4 years now, and that old card has really put it through its paces. Your best bet is to grab the cheapest option here:
http://www.amazon.com/products/detail...1-x16hdm/44976
for $183 and start saving up for a brand-new rig down the road.

Alexander Moore67 said:That power supply is already pretty worn out—maybe 3 or 4 years old—and that old GPU probably pushed it to the limit. Honestly, the cheapest move is just grabbing an
http://www.newegg.com/p/evga-450w-power-supply/12345
for $183 and then just saving up for a real rig later...

Nah, that’s just throwing money away. A GTX 1050 won't break that PSU—it'll hold up fine. Once you actually have the cash—since you mentioned being able to drop up to $333—just grab a better GPU like a $300 plus another $67 and get a proper new power supply then.

Thanks. I think that's what I'll end up doing—maybe even grab a GTX 1050 or a 550 if I can find one for the same price... maybe around $85/$300 on eBay or something.
I just hope my processor doesn't give me too much trouble. I've never tried overclocking it before, though I guess that's an option (not that I really want to mess with it and risk burning something out, haha).

So, I've run into a bit of a situation! My old PC—we're talking an older motherboard from back in 2006 with a standard PCIe x16 slot—just had its graphics card kick the bucket. I was wondering, is there any chance a newer PCIe 3.0 x16 card might actually work in it?

All x16 slots are compatible, they'll just run at whatever speed the version dictates, like 1.0 or whatever 👍

Bryan Evans77 said:Basically, all x16 slots are compatible. It'll just run at whatever speed the specific version supports, like maybe 1.0 or whatever the current standard is. 👍

Thanks for the heads up!

* So, are you looking for an AGP or a PCI-E card?
AGP
* What’s your current or upcoming setup look like, and what kind of power supply are you running?
E8400, 3GB of RAM, and an 8800 GTS
* What resolution are you playing at?
1650x1050
* How much cash are you planning to drop?
up to $250
* Any specific stores you're eyeing?
doesn't matter really
* Got any other specific requirements or things I should know?

Honestly, I'm pretty happy with my current card and build—it's doing okay! But, I guess I haven't really been keeping up with the market lately, so I was wondering if spending around $250 might actually make a massive difference compared to what I have now.

Looking at some Benchmarks (nothing too crazy), I didn't really get the feeling that I could grab a GPU for that price that would give me a huge performance boost...

Any suggestions?

Oh, and... I think my power supply is a Corsair 450W