GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

The power supply is an Antec model, just a 420W version.
I can't even unlock the cores because the system gets unstable—it's either this crappy PSU or a garbage motherboard.

Gaming isn't even my main thing; I care way more about how the card actually looks when I pick one.
I'm looking for a GPU in the $500 range, not the $433 bracket.
Since I’m willing to stretch my budget a little, would this specific card handle everything a heavy user like me needs?

I'm paying with a credit card on an installment plan anyway, so spending a bit extra isn't a huge deal.

http://www.newegg.com/products/detail...viddispl/42150

Whichever one you pick from that list, just get a better motherboard ASAP so you can actually overclock that processor. Trust me, having an extended warranty is way more important than how the thing looks. (Seriously though, why does aesthetics even matter?) My GPU died exactly seven days after the warranty expired—all I could do was sit there and cry. If I’d had just one more year of coverage, I would've been set. Think about it: if a card dies after, say, two and a half years, you get a replacement that’s actually in stock at that time, which will likely be much more powerful than the one that crapped out on you.
If you're already looking to spend more than $500, then check out or Otherwise, look for an MSI GTX 560 Ti with the Twin Frozr cooler.

Bottom line, the HD6870 is a solid card, but the three-fan version you showed for $532 is a terrible move.

Looks matter. I don't really feel like getting into a whole debate about it right now.
Look, I’m not some spoiled kid who only cares about aesthetics, but when I’m dropping money on a GPU, the look of the card is part of the decision for me.

I'm going all out on this one, $533 but I'm definitely not willing to overspend on the graphics card.

Why wouldn't that be a smart move?

Greetings... I have a PC running an Intel Pentium D 945, socket 775 LGA, featuring a 3.4 GHz Dual-Core processor, 2 GB of RAM, and I previously had an NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT with 512 MB, though it suddenly died on me, so I swapped in a weaker NVIDIA GeForce 7300 LE with 256 MB. With my first card, I could play most recent titles like Black Ops and Dirt on high settings at 1024x760 resolution, but with this weaker one, there is absolutely no way to play anything modern.
What graphics card would you recommend? I am not looking for anything extraordinary, just something equal to my original card, or perhaps even slightly better...

The price is just too high. It doesn't offer anything more than the same cards you can grab for around $1350, especially when you consider the HD6950 I linked you with dual vents. You could even go cheaper with this Sapphire model: http://www.sapphiretech.com/presenta...pid=1083&lid=1. $537 Check Best Buy http://217.14.221.177/StartEU.ashx?p...-hd6950-1gb-lr. Just order it now while it's actually in stock; it's significantly more powerful than the 6870.
I get it if you have a side panel that's clear or some DIY plexiglass custom build where you want everything to look pretty, but what’s wrong with an HD6950? It looks badass.

Greetings,.. I am running a system with an Intel Pentium D 945, socket 775 LGA, a 3.4 GHz dual-core CPU, 2 GB of RAM, and an Intel GeForce 8500 GT with 512 MB of VRAM, but my graphics card seems to be acting up occasionally. Lines appear across the screen, and even upon rebooting, the initial characters look scrambled with distorted colors, preventing me from booting into the OS; instead, I get a blue screen with error text before the machine restarts itself. It seems to work fine after a certain amount of time passes, but then the exact same issue recurs... If anyone knows what might be causing this, specifically if the graphics card is failing or if it is simply an overheating issue!!

Yeah, I realized it just isn't worth it.
But like I mentioned earlier, I’d be using a credit card with an installment plan. Online retailers aren't even an option for me since they all demand full payment upfront.

I need a graphics card by $533 that I can actually pick up at a local store and pay for with my card.

Benjamin King2 said:dustyskipper77, I honestly think you should strip those pre-installed Windows licenses out of the deal. That whole "dealer" thing smells like a scam... 😁 There's no way genuine Windows software is actually included in that initial price, so you could probably negotiate better peripherals instead...

I had my doubts too. No way some shady guy is offering a full, legitimate Windows license for only $4,800...😕

copperscout3 said:Hey there... I've got an Intel Pentium D 945 system on the LGA 775 socket, featuring a 3.4 GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM, and an old Nvidia GeForce 8500 GT 512 MB. That card finally gave up the ghost on me, so I swapped it out for a weak Nvidia GeForce 7300 LE 256 MB. With my first card, I could run newer games like Black Ops or Dirt on high settings at 1024x760 resolution. Now, with this weaker one, there's zero chance of playing anything recent.
I'm looking for a recommendation on a new graphics card. I don't need anything fancy, just something similar to my old one, or maybe even slightly better.

An AMD Radeon 6670 would actually be way too much for your CPU. You might want to look for a 5670 instead; you can probably find one around $133 somewhere.

Newegg, Micro Center, and companies like them aren't cash-only shops. Check their websites and look at the payment options; just find a card that works for you and make the purchase.

http://www.techcrunch.com

There are two different prices. With a credit card, it's $490
.
The HD6950 goes over $533
if you pay in installments.

Alright, it's settled. I'm going with the one you suggested.

Thanks a ton for the help and for sticking with me through this. 😍

No problem at all. Good luck with your gaming, and I hope everything works out fine with that ASUS 🙂

Alexander Moore67 said:http://www.techcrunch.com
brand new with a 24-month warranty

So, would that graphics card actually be a decent choice?
And I was also wondering if the Nvidia GeForce GT 210 with 512MB, GDDR3, and a 128-bit bus is any good??

stormytiger57 said:So, would that graphics card be alright?
Is an ATI Radeon HD4670 512MB, GDDR3, 128 bit any good??

The one mentioned above isn't available, and the 4670 is pretty outdated. You'd be better off grabbing a 5670 or a 6670.

Alexander Moore67 said:The options listed above aren't available anymore, and honestly, that 4670 is pretty outdated. You'd be better off grabbing a 5670 or even a 6670.

I'm starting to think that a 5670 might actually be a decent fit for my current setup (an Intel Core 2 Duo with 4 gigs of RAM), but I'm stuck wondering if I should go for the 1GB version or just stick with the 512MB one... I assume the main difference is that the 512MB model uses DDR5 while the 1GB version probably runs on DDR3, right?

Hey everyone. I'm looking to breathe some life into my current rig by picking up a new graphics card.

Here’s the breakdown of what I'm working with:

-I need a PCI-E card.
-Intel Core 2 Quad; LGA 775; Clock speed: 2310.6 MHz
-My monitor maxes out at 1920x1080 (though I don't necessarily need to game at that resolution).
-The motherboard is an MSI k9n6pgm2-v2 (ms 7309) 2.0
-3 GB of RAM
The power supply is just the stock one that came with the case—probably somewhere around 350 or 400 Watts.
-Budget is up to $167.
-I'll be shopping at Best Buy in Indianapolis, or maybe just hitting up whatever local shops are nearby.
-Basically, I need this card for gaming, plus running AutoCAD and SketchUp.

http://www.techcrunch.com

You won't find anything else worth buying from a retail store at those prices.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-1
http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-2
http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-3

All of these options outperform that new card mentioned above, but they're way too powerful for that no-name power supply, let alone your processor.
For AutoCAD, you'd be better off with Nvidia, but there's zero point in buying anything new with that $167.
The only interesting one is that used GTX 260, but it's overkill for your CPU and power supply.

Nathan Reyes59 said:http://www.techcrunch.com

Honestly, you can't find anything else worth a damn with that kind of money.

I found this listing online for a graphics card: http://www.techcrunch.com
Check out this listing for a graphics card on Craigslist: http://www.techcrunch.com
Check out this listing for a graphics card over on Craigslist: http://www.techcrunch.com

All of this is way more powerful than that new high-end model, but honestly, it’s overkill for that no-name power supply—not to mention the processor.
If you're planning on running AutoCAD, you'd be better off going with an Nvidia card. That said, there’s really no point in buying anything modern from that lineup right now. $167.
The only thing worth looking at here is that used GTX 260, but honestly, it’s way too much for your processor and power supply to handle.

I wouldn't touch used gear if I were you, but is there really nothing else on the market that works? If we could get a comparison between this card and some other viable options, that would be great. I know I could just go find a review online myself, but it’s always easier to wrap my head around things when someone breaks it down for me in plain English. From what I can tell, this specific card was picked because of that fast DDR5 memory, whereas everything else in this price bracket is still stuck using DDR3. Also, I'm pretty sure my motherboard has a PCI-E x16 slot. 1.0And all those cards have... 2.0And this one from the link over at http://www.techcrunch.com has... 2.1I'm actually wondering if that's going to end up being some kind of compatibility headache.

Your motherboard has a PCI-E x16 slot, so the card you're buying will fit perfectly. Don't sweat it; any PCI-E card works on your board regardless of it being version 1.0. You might lose a tiny fraction of performance, but don't let that bother you. Your real bottlenecks are the processor—which is too weak for modern cards—and especially the power supply.
The bigger issue is that there isn't anything better than the HD5670 for $167. If you want something for AutoCAD, a GTS450 would be a much better fit and costs about $227. That card has CUDA cores to speed up graphic processing, which the ATI lacks, not to mention it's significantly more powerful for gaming.
http://www.techcrunch.com Plus, factor in shipping to Indianapolis or just grab it directly from the Links site here:

Good catch on the memory. Look for DDR5; that’s why the ones with DDR3 or heaven forbid DDR2 are cheaper. They try to bait you with those massive 1GB or 2GB numbers, but it's just a gimmick.

If you absolutely can't scrape together enough for the GTS450, then the HD5670 is your only option. Otherwise, you simply don't have enough cash for serious gaming or work.

But since you're running that off-brand power supply, watch your wattage. The GTS450 pulls about 100W, while the HD5670 pulls around 60W.

- give them a call. It says it's new and unused. If everything checks out and it has a warranty, that would be your best bet if you can afford to add $67... there's no reason to fear used gear.

But seriously, get a new power supply soon if you decide to go with Nvidia.

Nathan Reyes59 needs a whole new rig if he wants to run that 550 properly. Everything else is just a massive bottleneck right now.