GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Hey everyone..
It’s my first time posting here, and I have a bit of a question..
So, I’m currently running this ATI-Jev graphics card mentioned above. The issue is that it doesn't have an HDMI port, and I was really hoping to hook it up to my TV. I am aware that DVI-to-HDMI cables exist which would allow me to get a picture, but then I end up with no audio at all. I guess I was wondering if there might be some specific drivers I could download for the card that would somehow enable audio pass-through? Or, if anyone has any other suggestions—besides the obvious suggestion of just buying a brand-new graphics card—on how I might connect my PC to the TV while getting both video and sound..

Thanks a lot..🙂

stormytiger57 said:Hey everyone..
You guys have helped me out plenty of times before, so I’m hoping for some more advice here..
I'm looking at picking up a used graphics card, and I need to know which one is actually better—basically, what's decent for running stuff like Grand Theft Auto IV, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Metro 2033, and so on..

AMD Radeon HD 4850 1GB

ATI RADEON HD 4670 1GB

Nvidia GeForce 9800 GT 1GB

The rest of the build should be roughly this: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+, 4 gigs of RAM (assuming I can even track down a CPU like that)

Thanks for the help😉

Look, you aren't really going to have much fun with any of those options. Between the 9800 GT and the 4850, they're pretty much in the same ballpark, though the 9800 GT has slightly better texture filtering—meanwhile, that 4670 is basically half the strength of the other two.

Alexander Moore67, you can't find those cards anywhere anymore.

A negative response to this query means there isn't any. Lesson learned.

Jose Bennett3 said:Hey everyone..
It's my first time posting here and I have a question..
I'm running that ATI-Jev card mentioned above. It doesn't have an HDMI port, but I'd really love to hook it up to my TV. I know DVI-to-HDMI cables exist, but then I don't get any sound. Are there any specific drivers I could download for this card to handle the audio too? Or if anyone has other suggestions (besides just buying a new graphics card), how can I connect my PC to the TV so I get both video and audio..

Thanks a lot..🙂

The only way is if your TV has an audio input; in that case, just connect the PC audio out to the TV audio in.

or maybe

Which one is actually better overall when you look at performance, durability, and stuff like that...

Come on with the questions. Can't you see they're the exact same cards? The only differences are the VRAM amount and the cooler, not to mention the price.

There's already a thread for GPUs, so just move over there. List your CPU, motherboard, and power supply. Or, if you're building a whole new rig from scratch, start a new thread and actually answer the questions in the rules.

So that's why I'm asking which one is better out of those two, because they definitely aren't the same thing...
one's got more RAM, while the other has a stronger GPU.
Now I just want to know what people think about which one is actually better..

MSI offers a longer warranty, a better cooler, and a better price point. Plus, 1GB of VRAM is plenty for Full HD resolution.
The price of this Gainward card is already getting close to what a GTX 570 costs, so I wouldn't touch it.
Both are GTX 560 Ti, so they're running the exact same GPU.

Hey everyone, I'm looking for some GPU recommendations. It feels like it's finally time to retire my old card (currently running an ATI Radeon HD 3850 256). Gaming is my main priority here. Whenever possible, I play at my max resolution (1440x900) with textures cranked up. My budget is around $1000-$433, assuming I can find something available locally in the States.

My current PC specs:

Motherboard: Gigabyte P41-ES3G
CPU: Intel Core2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
RAM: 4GB
Power Supply: Just a standard unit, 350W (400W peak)

+

+

You're going to need a better power supply. Also, get a decent CPU cooler if you're still running the stock one; you'll want to overclock that Q6600 as much as possible. Adding an HD 6770 to this setup should fit perfectly fine.

Total: $449

Nathan Reyes59, thanks a lot...

I don't want to spend too much time digging through the forums, and I know this is a bit of a tangent from the main topic, but I was planning on picking up an SSD soon. Does anyone know if that one is worth roughly $267 (60 GB), or does anyone have a better suggestion? Also, would I need a better power supply than the one Nathan Reyes59 offered to handle it?...

Hey everyone! Quick question for you guys: which would be the better pick, an Asus GTX 480 $600 or a Gigabyte GTX 295 $367, assuming they both perform well?

Here's my current setup:

Case: Thermaltake Spedo Full Tower
Motherboard: Intel Skulltrail D5400XS
CPU: Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9775 @ 3200 MHz
RAM: 4GB Kingston (2x2GB DDR2-667 Fully Buffered ECC DDR2 SDRAM)
PSU: Seasonic 850W
HDD: 2x WD Black 640 GB

I’d definitely go with the GTX 295. It's just as powerful as the GTX 480—maybe even better—and $233 cheaper
.

You won't need a beefier power supply, and as for an SSD, just grab this one

Honestly, you've got a point there—I was actually thinking the same thing. On paper, the GTX 295 has dual cores, but the real kicker is that I just can't be sure about...

http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?c...ducts_id=10452 maybe this GPU would be the better call...

Richard Hernandez53 said:or

Which one is actually better overall—performance, durability, whatever...

It comes down to memory and cooling—personally, I'd go with the MSI. I had an old Gainward 9800 GT once and it was a nightmare... honestly, you might see maybe 1-2 fps difference, or maybe 5% at most, but for this price gap, just grab the cheaper one... it's not worth the extra cash.

James Castillo8 said:http://www.bestbuy.com/product_info.php?c...ducts_id=10452 maybe this graphics card would be a better choice.

So, what's actually the difference between that one and the one Nathan Reyes59 recommended?

fadedbear20 said:So what's actually the difference between yours and the one Nathan Reyes59 recommended?

The clock speed is slightly higher compared to the MSI, but the MSI comes with a 3-year warranty. You could go with the XFX if you really want those extra 50MHz, but it's more expensive $6.75...if you think the longer warranty is worth it (personally, I do), then stick with the MSI.

It's honestly a shame you didn't invest in a decent CPU cooler earlier. It would have been smarter to put that $83 from an Arctic cooler toward a better GPU like this http://www.newegg.com/p/product...id=9108 or http://www.bhphotovideo.com/details...i-dvi-dp/38810

But look, if you're aiming for about $433, you might as well just buy everything at once like this.

Don't even sweat it—just grab the GTX 295 and you'll be set. Your only real move is to squirrel away some cash now so you can upgrade your motherboard and processor down the road.