GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Try something like this instead:

Stay away from those DDR2 cards—they're ancient history. So, did your old graphics card finally kick the bucket or what?

Or maybe just shell out an extra hundred bucks for something that actually performs significantly better. 🙂

Benjamin King2 said:Check this out then:

Stay away from DDR2 cards. Did your GPU die or ...?

My monitor flickered and trashed my graphics card (at least that's what the tech guy told me)
Right now I've plugged in a different monitor and uninstalled the GPU drivers, so the PC is still running.
It’s not perfect, obviously, but it works until I can afford a new card.
🤷Doesn't it have to be DDR2 if my old one was DDR2?
Currently, I'm using an xpress 200 series card.

urbanpilot said:My monitor died and it fried my graphics card (or so the computer repair guy told me)
Right now I've hooked up a different monitor and uninstalled the GPU drivers, so the PC is still running. It’s not perfect, obviously, but until I can afford a new card, this is just how it is...

Doesn't it have to be DDR2 if the previous one was DDR2? 🤷
I'm just using integrated graphics at the moment.

How on earth can integrated graphics actually die?

Look, a monitor isn't going to brick a graphics card—it just doesn't work like that. Have you actually tried testing that "broken" monitor on the integrated graphics... or maybe plugging the new monitor into the "broken" GPU? There's just way too much guesswork happening here, and honestly, none of this logic is adding up.

Benjamin King2 said:A monitor isn't going to brick a GPU. Have you actually tried that "broken" monitor on the integrated graphics... or the new monitor on the "broken" GPU? There’s just too much nonsense being thrown around here that doesn't add up.

So, here's the deal. The GPU is an ATI radeon xpress 200 series. She’s totally screwed.

The monitor is also toast. The PC boots into Windows, plays that startup sound, and you see the desktop for a split second before everything just flickers and goes pitch black. Total darkness. We tried toggling the monitor power and rebooting the PC a few times to see if we could coax it back to life, but eventually, even that stopped working. Nothing.

Got this new LG monitor, and it’s driving me nuts. It displays the Windows boot sequence and the desktop just fine, but then the screen starts flickering on and off every 30 seconds. This cycle goes on for about 3 to 5 minutes, followed by maybe 3 minutes of steady operation before the whole mess starts all over again.

So, we uninstalled the drivers for that card and swapped back to the old monitor, but nothing worked—total dead end. Then we tried plugging in this new monitor instead, and that actually works fine. The only catch is there are no drivers installed yet, but at least the screen is actually displaying something.

The mechanic claims the monitor is a total ghost—total motion blur, which we can all see for ourselves—and now he’s blaming it for frying the graphics card too. 🤷

What else should I try besides just buying a new GPU?

Gary Johnson64 said:Heh, if you say so, then I guess I'm being lied to... 😁I was actually planning on scraping together enough cash to pick up that HD 6670... but now I'm reconsidering and thinking about hunting down an Nvidia 9800 gt instead. 😁The card is solid; I’ve been running all the latest titles on max settings without a hitch (using an AMD Athlon ii 630 x4 2.8, 4 GB of RAM, a 500 GB SATA drive, and an Nvidia 9800 gt 🙂). Thanks a lot, I'll figure out my next move. 🙂Best,

crimsonstag84, look who's back at it again. 😁 😁 What’s your take on the Nvidia gts 250 1gb ddr3? Is it performing better, worse, or roughly the same as the 9800gt? 😁 😁 Sorry to bother you with this. 😁 Thanks.

urbanpilot said:So, we went ahead and nuked the drivers for that card—just completely wiped them out—and then tried plugging back in the old monitor. Absolute disaster. Nothing. Not a single signal. We were staring at a black screen like it was some kind of magic trick. Then, we swapped things around and hooked up this newer monitor, and suddenly, everything’s fine. It’s working perfectly, I guess—except, obviously, there are still no drivers installed for the card itself. But hey, the monitor is actually displaying an image, so at least we aren't staring at a brick anymore.

The guy is out here claiming the monitor is G-Sync compatible—which we can all see is a total lie—and now he’s trying to pin the death of his graphics card on the screen. Like, really? That's just not how any of this works. 🤷

What else am I supposed to try besides just buying a new GPU?

Look, if the monitor is behaving itself when you strip out the drivers—assuming I’ve actually followed your logic correctly here—then you’re looking at a software issue, plain and simple. I mean, if the image looks perfectly fine on the screen during the POST process before Windows even starts loading, then the hardware isn't the culprit. It's clearly the driver causing the headache. Period. Right here.Look, just head over to the "Support & Drivers" section—it's pretty straightforward—then pull up that dropdown menu and navigate through Desktop Graphics to the Radeon X series, then specifically the Radeon X3xx series. Once you're there, pick whatever version of Windows you're running and try installing the latest available Catalyst driver. That should do the trick.

Look, let's just get this straight—a monitor can't damage your graphics card, and a GPU can't go around wrecking your monitor either. It’s physically impossible. They’re two separate components doing their own thing through a cable—it's not like they're feeding off each other or anything—so there's zero chance one is going to fry the other. Period.

Gary Johnson64 said:Hey Smartic, it’s me again. 😁 😁 So, you're asking about the Nvidia GTS 250 1GB DDR3? Honestly—it’s a bit of a weird one to weigh against the 9800GT. If we're talking raw power, the Nvidia GTS 250 1 is definitely going to come out on top—it's just a beefier card overall—but that DDR3 memory swap changes the math a little bit. Usually, you'd want the GDDR5 version if you actually care about performance, but compared to the 9800GT? Yeah, the GTS 250 1 still holds the edge, even with those slower memory modules. It's basically like comparing a reliable old Chevy to a slightly newer Ford—one's got more under the hood, but they're both pretty much relics at this point. 😁 😁 Hey, sorry to be a pain—don't mind me, just being a nuisance. 😁 Thanks.

The GTS 250 1 is definitely punching in a much higher weight class here.

Benjamin King2 said:If the monitor works fine once the driver is removed (assuming I followed correctly), then the issue is likely within the driver itself—especially if the image looks normal on the screen during the POST process before Windows boots up. Try going here, select 'support & drivers', then navigate through the dropdown menu via desktop graphics -> Radeon X series -> X3xx series. Pick your specific version of Windows and try installing the latest available Catalyst driver.

A monitor can't damage the graphics card, and vice versa. It just doesn't work that way.

The GTS 250 is actually quite a bit more powerful.

Yup, it's built on the same chip as the 9800GT... just noticeably improved. 🙂

Benjamin King2 said:If the monitor works fine once you strip out the driver (assuming I followed correctly), then the issue is definitely sitting within the software. Especially if the image looks perfectly normal on the POST screen before Windows even loads. Go here, hit 'support & drivers,' and from the dropdown menu select desktop graphics -> Radeon X series -> X3xx series. Pick your version of Windows and try installing the latest available Catalyst driver.

A monitor can't damage a GPU, and a GPU can't damage a monitor. It doesn't work that way.

Thanks so much.
I downloaded the driver, installed it, and everything's been running smoothly for over half an hour now. This new monitor isn't cutting out anymore.
Hopefully, it stays this way.

👍 Look, there’s no real need to go chasing driver updates if everything is running smoothly—honestly, don't fix what isn't broken—but the second you start seeing some weird display glitch or a flickering screen, the very first thing you should do is grab the latest driver version from the manufacturer's site.

Benjamin King2 said:👍 Generally, you don't need to touch the drivers if everything is running fine. But the second a display issue pops up, downloading the latest version should be your first move.

Thanks. I honestly assumed someone with an IT degree or someone running their own computer shop would know more than me, but apparently not.
The easiest answer is always "it's broken, just buy a new one." Up until now, I've handled all my own PC stuff—reinstalling Windows, dusting out the tower, swapping in RAM, that kind of thing. This time, I thought it was just the monitor, so I reached out to someone who actually ought to know the answer.
But hey, from now on, this forum is my go-to.

crimsonstag84 said:Yup, they utilize the same chip architecture as the 9800GT, just with some noticeable improvements. 🙂

And what about the ATI Radeon VTX 6570 1GB DDR3?

Oh, for crying out loud. 😁 You already asked about this on the last page.

urbanpilot said:thanks. I honestly figured someone who actually finished IT school—you know, the kind of person running their own computer shop—would have a better clue than I do, but apparently not.
The easiest thing to say is just "buy a new one," right? Until now, I’ve always handled my own PC stuff—reinstalling Windows, dusting out the tower, swapping RAM, all that little stuff—so when this happened, I thought it was just the monitor or something simple, and I leaned on someone who *should* have known the answer.
But hey, from now on, this forum is my go-to No. 1.

Well, yeah—if it were his money on the line, he probably would've actually tried harder. ☕

Benjamin King2 said:Good grief. 😁 You already asked this on the previous thread.

hahahah my bad, totally forgot xDDD

Hey everyone, I'm looking to pick up a new graphics card.
I need a PCI-E card with a budget of around $333, and my goal is to run a multi-monitor setup—specifically two monitors (one 17" and one 19") plus a TV...
For context, most of my work involves using Photoshop...

Here is what I'm running currently:
MSI K9 N4 Ultra
Blue Star II 400W
4 GB DDR2 800 MHz
Nvidia 8800 gts 640 mb

That’s pretty much everything—thanks in advance for the help!

It doesn't matter which retailer I use, as long as they ship via USPS since I'm located out on an island off the coast of California.🙂

Honestly, just grab something like this—you really don't need to blow your budget on some high-end beast—it's got 2 DVI outputs plus an HDMI port:

Benjamin King2 said:Just grab something like this—there's really no need to go for a more powerful or expensive card, especially since you've got 2 DVI outputs and an HDMI port available:

But based on this comparison, it looks like that one is actually weaker than mine
http://www.hwcompare.com/10954/gefor...-6670-oem-1gb/

I mean, seriously—what do you actually need a high-end card for when you're just running Photoshop? 😕