GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

I mean, I've tried telling him that an Nvidia would be the better move.

So, this HD 5670 should run fine without swapping out my power supply, right? It’s not exactly a power hog, and nothing else in my rig draws massive amounts of juice anyway. Honestly, I’d much rather be going with Nvidia, but once you drop a ton of cash on a new PC, you just deal with what you get. Until then, I guess I'm stuck with this ATI card.

EDIT: Just remembered another thing. My monitor uses an old-school 15-pin D-Sub connector to connect to the GPU. The monitor itself has both a 24-pin DVI port and that standard VGA setup, which matches what the new card offers. However, I don't have a dual DVI cable lying around. I do have an adapter that has DVI on one side and D-Sub on the other. Could I just plug that DVI end into the card and then run the D-Sub to the monitor? Or am I forced to buy a specific cable? I know there's a difference in signal quality, but how big is we're talking here? I saw the exact same card at a local shop in Des Moines, but that version lacks the D-Sub port—it's just DVI. It's actually more expensive $20 than the one on the website, but since I've shopped there a few times, I can probably snag a discount and break even. Plus, it's closer to home. What's the actual difference between this one: and this one: Any major differences? Also, those little designations they list after "DDR5"—what are they actually about?

Looks like my current GPU just kicked the bucket (RIP Nvidia 8800 gt). Anyone got recommendations for a new card that hits at least the same level as an 8800 gt, or maybe even better, without absolutely draining my bank account?

The rest of my rig:
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.0GHz (2 CPUs)
Gigabyte P35-DS3, s775, intel P35+ICH9, FSB 1333/1066/800MHz
4500 MB RAM
320 GB Total HDD

Come on, spit it out. Just how much cash are we talking about here? I need to know what kind of target we're actually aiming for.

500-700

thanks a million!

Hey everyone,

I'm running a Gigabyte MA69G-S3H motherboard here, though I’m a bit confused myself about whether I should be looking at VGA or PCI options,
My PSU is a Chieftec 450W, ATX 2.0, featuring 2×12V, Active PFC, AFC, and a 12cm fan.
Got some Kingmax DDR2 2GB PC6400 (800MHz) sticks in there.
The GPU is a Powercolor Radeon X1950Pro PCIe with 256MB, TVout, and dual DVI.
Running an AMD Athlon64 X2 4800 + box, dual core, on an SckAM2 monitor setup.
The monitor is a 19-inch Samsung, 16:9 aspect ratio.

The problem is this graphics card is incredibly loud—it's driving me nuts. If anyone has any ideas for something quieter, please let me know.
Can anyone recommend a decent card in the $167 range? Or honestly, maybe suggest something a bit more expensive if the performance jump is actually worth the extra cash.

Thanks,

crimsonjackal66 said:That card is basically a jet engine; if you're looking for something that won't sound like a vacuum cleaner, let me know.
Can anyone suggest a decent card around the $167 mark? Or honestly, maybe I should just bite the bullet and spend a bit more if it actually makes a noticeable difference in performance.

You can snag a GeForce GT 430 for under $167. Now, if you're feeling flush and want to drop a little extra cash, picking up a Radeon HD 5570 or an HD 5750 would be a solid move. But look, given the specs of your CPU and the monitor you're running, anything beefier than that is probably just overkill—like putting racing tires on a minivan.

@mehaniks...those abbreviations after DDR5 are just the different ways you hook up your graphics card to a monitor (DP stands for DisplayPort, VGA is analog, DVI is digital, HDMI is 🙂 etc.). If your monitor only has a DVI port, just grab a VGA to DVI converter and call it a day. Don't blow too much cash on a GeForce GT 430; just go for the cheapest option available. You might even find a VGA to DVI converter included in the box, so check before you buy.

My monitor’s got both a VGA port (the 15-pin one) and a DVI-D (that dual-link version with 24 pins and the little dash). The graphics card I'm looking at has a DVI port—though it doesn't specify which type—and a D-sub. Honestly, I can't even tell the difference between VGA and D-sub right now, so if anyone's feeling generous, maybe drop a picture of what those two actually look like.

EDIT: Okay, so after falling down a rabbit hole looking at images online, I noticed that VGA supposedly has 14 pins (with one missing in the middle row), while D-sub has 15. Is that how it works? If that's the case, then I've actually got a D-sub, not a VGA.

Just tell me which monitor model you're using

rustyfox7 said:So, my monitor has both a VGA port (that 15-pin one) and a DVI-D dual-link port (you know, the 24-pin one with that little extra notch). But this graphics card I'm eyeing—it just lists DVI and D-Sub, without specifying which type, and honestly, I can't even tell the difference between VGA and D-Sub visually right now. If anyone’s feeling generous, maybe toss an image up showing how they actually look? I also have this adapter cable that has a 15-pin connector on one end (not sure if that counts as VGA or D-Sub) and a DVI-D connector on the other.

EDIT: Okay, so I just spent way too much time digging through images online, and I think I noticed something—apparently VGA has 14 pins because there's a gap in the middle row, while D-Sub has 15. Is that actually how it works? Because if that's the case, then what I have is definitely a D-Sub, not a VGA.

Nah, that's not quite how it works at all.

D-Sub with 15 pins and VGA are literally the exact same thing.

Nathan Reyes59 said:Come on, just tell us which monitor model you're running.

It's a 21.5" LED LCD Dell UltraSharp Quote

feraltrucker5 said:Nah, I don't think that's how it works.

D-sub 15 and VGA are essentially the same thing.

Oh, I see. Thanks for the enlightenment. 😉

rustyfox7 said:21.5" LED LCD Dell UltraSharp Quote

It's all 5, man. It has DVI and VGA, so you can hook up whatever you want.

I just picked up this graphics card: ATI 6450 512MB DDR3, PCI-E, DVI/HDMI/VGA LITE 11190-01-20G

Output
1 x D-Sub(VGA)
1 x Dual-Link DVI
1 x HDMI 1.4a
GPU
625 MHz Core Clock
40 nm Chip
160 x Stream Processors
Memory
512 MB Size
64 -bit DDR3
1334 MHz Effective
Dimension
Dimension 146(L)x24(W)x94(L) mm Size.

It cost me about $20, which is roughly 15 bucks... I don't really keep track of my exact change.

Quick question: will this card work okay? My main goal is just playing FIFA 11 on high settings!!? 🙂

My specs are a 3.4 GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM, and a 300 W power supply...

That’s pretty much the absolute bottom-of-the-barrel graphics card you can find anywhere.

1 dollar = 3.6-$1.25

copperscout3 said:I'm thinking about picking up this card: VGA SAPPHIRE ATI 6450 512MB DDR3, PCI-E, DVI/HDMI/VGA LITE 11190-01-20G

Any advice? Is this card actually decent? My only goal is to run FIFA 11 on high settings. 🙂

I've got a 3.4 GHz Dual Core processor, 2 GB of RAM, and a roughly 300W power supply...

That card is barely better than integrated graphics, so I'd say forget about hitting high settings on any game. ☕

You probably need at least an HD 5570, 5670, or 6570...

The only worthwhile option you'll find in the States from Genelec is the 6670. Everything else just isn't worth it for what you're looking for.