GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

In that price range, you'd be better off grabbing an ATI Radeon HD 4850 since it's way faster than those other options. Honestly, unless you're playing on a massive screen higher than 1900x1200, you don't even need a card with 1GB of VRAM... and even then, more memory doesn't really help much on those specific cards, so it's not worth the extra cash. You're better off putting that money toward another 2GB of RAM instead!

Hey there,
here’s what I'm running:
AMD Phenom II X4 945 3.0 GHz
Gigabyte MA785GMT-UD2H 4
4GB DDR3 RAM
Nvidia GeForce 8400 GS
550w MS-ov industrial pro silent PSU

I'm looking to ditch this old 8400 GS for something with a bit more kick, so I wanted to see what you guys suggest...
I've got a 19-inch CRT monitor, but I usually just hook it up via HDMI to my 42-inch plasma TV.
Mostly using it for Blu-rays, DivX movies, and the occasional round of Call of Duty 4, PES 2010, and stuff like that.
Something in the ballpark of $333...
thanks

Yeah... I meant $333 not like 25,000 haha

1xNvidia GeForce 512MB DDR3 @ 575MHz, Dual DVI, HDTV out, HDCP ready $238
1xFortron 400W Power Supply, FSP400-60APN, Super Silent, 12cm fan $97
$334.Located in AMD.

Look, that MS-ov isn't such a piece of junk that you need to swap it out immediately. Sure, keeping everything on it is a bit risky, but the odds of it actually failing aren't nearly as high as everyone makes them out to be...

If you aren't planning on upgrading your power supply, maybe check out an Nvidia GeForce GT 430, you can find them for just over $333. The 5750 is a little cheaper, but honestly, I don't think it's worth it compared to the 5770. Another solid option would be the ATI Radeon HD 4850, though it does run a bit hotter and pulls more power than the others...

Man, seriously... it's absolute garbage. And I'm not just talking about the power supply—it's everything. Keyboards, mice, cases, speakers... basically anything with that MS label on it. It’s honestly pathetic how low the quality is.

Of course it's a total gamble that just isn't worth it! You're way better off saving your cash somewhere else instead of skimping on a power supply, especially since decent ones aren't even that pricey... But man, people always get sucked in by those huge wattage numbers, totally ignoring the fact that the actual power delivery is sketchy and the build quality is basically zero. Honestly, sometimes I feel like people think every cheap unit is just gonna blow up instantly and take the whole rig with it, which isn't always true, but hey, why take the risk of being that one unlucky person?

I’m thinking about swapping out my graphics card eventually. Right now, I’m picking up a new power supply (a SuperPower 400W), but my current setup is just a Pentium 2.66GHz CPU, 2GB of RAM, and an old ATI Radeon X1300 on a PCI Express slot. What would you guys suggest if I want to stay around the $500--$200 mark? I was leaning towards something from Lynx, maybe. I don't play anything crazy, but I want to be able to actually run games—like The Sims, haha—without everything breaking. Mostly, I just watch movies. I want to pull up some 4-5GB MKV files or a decent Blu-ray rip, but right now the playback is so choppy it's basically unwatchable with this junk power supply and my current specs. Basically, I just need something decent for movies, series, concerts, and light gaming—nothing heavy like WoW, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, or Honkai, but stuff that still eats up a bit of memory and GPU juice.

The basic question here is whether your motherboard supports AGP or PCI Express graphics cards... if that board only takes AGP cards, you're in trouble... go check...

PCI Express, I checked it one more time 😬

Thanks, I'm definitely open to other suggestions too 😉

Is this component actually quiet on its own, does it even work well, and how long am I going to get out of it before I have to swap it for something else?

Chloe Alvarez said:Thanks—feel free to throw out any other suggestions my way 😉

Is this silent component actually efficient on its own—and how long until I’m looking at another replacement?

The GPU that CNN recommended is a total steal for your budget. Unless you're running high-end demanding software, it'll probably last you quite a while...

Alright.

So, I'm kinda wondering... what's the deal with DDR3 in this whole equation?

That’s just the type of memory used on the graphics card. It means a card running on DDR3 is going to outpace anything using DDR2. There are a few exceptions here and there, obviously.

Which HD 5770 would you guys suggest from the selection over at Best Buy?

I'm currently in the middle of putting together a brand-new build, so I'm making sure all my other components match up perfectly with whichever graphics card I pick out.

Thanks!

dustytiger19 said:Which HD 5770 would you recommend from what's currently in stock at Best Buy?

I'm putting together a new build—everything else will be balanced around whichever card I pick.

Thanks!

Grab the Force3D if you want the cheapest option—otherwise, just wait until the EVGA shows up.

Jeffrey Hill5 said:Grab the Force3D since it's the cheapest option, or just wait until the EVGA model arrives.

I agree with that.
Since they all perform basically the same, it makes sense to go with whichever one is the least expensive.

The EVGA cards do have better cooling, though, which gives them an edge over the others.