GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Hey everyone, I'm looking for some advice on picking up a decent graphics card. My budget is sitting right around $120, and my main goal is to be able to run The Elder Scrolls once it finally drops. 😁 For context, here are my current specs: I'm running an AMD Athlon series CPU at 3.02 GHz, paired with 2GB of RAM. My setup includes an MS 400atx p4 230v power supply and an MSI Motherboard. Thanks in advance for the help!

Michael Myers said:Hey everyone, I need a recommendation for a graphics card under $120 so I can play The Elder Scrolls when it drops. 😁 My setup is an AMD Athlon series 3.02 GHz, 2GB RAM, a generic 230V power supply, an MSI Motherboard. Thanks.

First off, you need more memory. Grab another stick of whatever DDR2 RAM you're running right now.
As for the GPU, look for an HD6770/HD6790 or maybe an Nvidia GeForce series GTX460—though that’ll cost more, so hunt for a good deal on Craigslist.
By the way, your power supply is garbage.

http://www.amazon.com/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=9150

What kind of GPU were you running before this? Honestly, that power supply looks pretty cheap, so don't be surprised if the whole system starts rebooting or just refuses to boot up at all 😛

It might be a good idea to swap out that PSU as soon as you can.

Thanks, guys! I'm assuming I'll need to pick up a new power supply to go with this—do you have any specific models you'd recommend? My previous card was an Nvidia GeForce series.

velvetcrane38 said:Well, damn—I just went ahead and measured the length, and it’s basically identical to my old 4650. But here’s the kicker: my 4650 is only about 7.5 cm tall, whereas this 5670 is sitting at a solid 9 or 10 cm. Great. Just great. At this rate, I won't even be able to close my computer case—total disaster. Does anyone actually know of a decent low-profile card that won't turn my PC into an open-air rig? $167 I was actually thinking about that 5570 card—you know, the one I had my eye on.

It’s not like you actually have any real options here—even if that card is absolute garbage... though, honestly, I have no clue what kind of junk you were digging out of the scrap bin before this. 🙂

Hi there!
Here is my current setup:
Intel Core series at 3.00GHz
MSI Motherboard
Nvidia GeForce series
550w power supply
4 GB RAM

Does it make sense to upgrade my graphics card? If so, which one should I look for?

It all depends on what you're actually looking to do—what kind of games you want to run, or what type of work you need to get done...

I was actually posting earlier about the 5670, but since I really need something low profile, I’ve been eyeing this GTS 250 instead, specifically http://www.microsoft.com/products/detail...-profile/30246. It fits the low profile requirement perfectly, and people over on Reddit were saying it's a solid choice!
My absolute priority is being able to run The Elder Scrolls and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. As for the rest of my setup, I'm running an Intel Core series CPU at 2.53GHz, 4GB of DDR2, and this specific card. My power supply is a 300W unit from an HP Compaq series—do you think that'll be enough juice for this GPU??

Look, you can definitely play, but not with that power supply—that card is a total beast and pulls over 22A on the 12V rail, which your current unit almost certainly can't handle. It’s just not going to cut it. This should get the job done for you:

@Benjamin King2/">@@Benjamin King2, that was my exact plan too! I was seriously considering picking up the 😁. Thanks for the heads-up!

Nathan Reyes59 said:It really depends on your specific needs—what kind of games you play or what kind of work you're doing...

Basically, I want to know if upgrading to a more powerful graphics card will actually be worth it, or if my current processor is going to hold it back from reaching its full potential...

coppertrucker682 said:Basically, I want to know if I upgrade my graphics card, will it actually be fully utilized given the processor I'm running right now...

That CPU is pretty much top-tier among those last Intel dual-core chips. It could probably handle something like an HD 6850/6870 or a GTX 460/560 with a bit of luck... but whether you're actually ready to drop cash on a new cooler and a GPU is the real question.
Your power supply isn't reliable enough to handle all that, either.

That took me forever, thank you!!!

Does anyone have experience with the NVIDIA GeForce 8600? I picked one up the other day for basically nothing, 6.2 miles 🙂 maybe about five bucks if I recall correctly... The only thing confusing me is this: I was playing Black Ops on my old 8500GT at 1024 x 768 resolution, and there is absolutely no way this new card can even run at that resolution, even on low settings. But according to the specs, the NVIDIA GeForce 8600 is supposed to be better than the 8500GT!!??

The NVIDIA GeForce 8600 is more than twice as powerful—honestly, just try reinstalling your drivers first.

Benjamin King2 said:The NVIDIA GeForce 8600 is more than twice as powerful; just try reinstalling your drivers.

Based on my own experience with similar issues, I'd suggest a clean reinstall of Windows.

I'm running an ASUS M5A78L-M Le motherboard paired with an AMD Athlon II X3 450 processor. I have 4GB of RAM and am using an LC-Power LC420H-12 420W power supply. I'm looking for a graphics card recommendation that won't exceed $167—ideally hitting $183 at most. Any suggestions?

Used HD 5770 👍

darkowl72 said:a used HD 5770👍

But what about getting something brand new?

You can usually find an HD 5770 sitting on shelves for around that price point, especially if you catch one with a solid two-year warranty. If you're buying straight from a big-box retailer like Best Buy, though, you might have to settle for something a bit more entry-level, like an HD 5670. Bottom line: when you're scanning the price tags, aim for 512MB to 1GB of memory—don't bother going higher than that—and make sure it’s GDDR5.