GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Intel Core 2 Duo, clocked at 2.0 GHz (10 x 200), 3800+ rating
Motherboard model: ASUS motherboard
Southbridge — Intel chipset (Intel X48 chipset)
So, I was looking back at the old days—back when things actually felt like they had some soul left in them—and man, Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate really hits different. It wasn't just an OS; it was the peak. Everything about it felt intentional, you know? Unlike the bloated, telemetry-heavy mess we deal with nowadays that feels more like a subscription service than actual software. Back then, if you were running something like Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Nvidia GeForce 8800 gt, the whole machine just... breathed. It worked. You didn't have to fight your own computer just to get through a workday or even just to browse the web without feeling like you were being tracked by a dozen different invisible eyes. It was clean, it was snappy, and it actually stayed out of your way. Honestly, modern tech feels like it's constantly begging for attention, whereas Windows 7 just sat there, ready to work whenever you were. Pure nostalgia, but man, it was good while it lasted.
The NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT? Man, that card was a total relic. Looking back at it now feels like staring at a fossil—sure, it did its job back in the day, but compared to what we’re running today, it's basically a paperweight. It’s like trying to run modern software on an old handheld calculator. Total nostalgia trip, but definitely not something you'd want touching a rig in this decade.
Three gigs of RAM? Seriously? That’s basically like trying to run a marathon while breathing through a cocktail straw—you might make it to the finish line if you're lucky, but you're gonna be gasping for air the whole damn way.

Spending more than 4670 on this setup is basically just throwing money down the drain.

Man, I’ll probably grab a better CPU in a month or two once I actually have some cash to burn—but right now? I seriously need to pick up a new GPU before this one finally kicks the bucket on me.

Casey Long2 said:What’s wrong with you people? The guy has a GTS 250 and you're suggesting weaker cards? Unless William Lee45 is actually asking—which is impossible to tell here.

With $300 on the table, there's zero chance of grabbing an Nvidia card. Honestly, anything worth upgrading to costs way more than $300 (like the 5850 series).

I finally figured out what the question was. 😁

@William Lee45/">@@William Lee45: if you end up getting a new CPU (though with that motherboard, you'll probably be stuck looking at used parts), check eBay. You can find a 4850 or a GTS 250 from some sellers $250 up there

👍Much appreciated. I suppose the fundraising continues until... hmm...
I am currently unsure how to verify my power supply specs; all I know is that it is rated at 400W.

Perhaps an ATI Radeon HD 4870 dual-slot card might work.

Jeremy Hayes5 said:maybe an ATI 4870 dual-slot card

No, if you're looking to spend about $300, you really ought to be aiming for a 5850. However—and this is a big "however"—you first need to specify which power supply unit you're actually running. You'll have to open up the case and check the label on the PSU itself to see what we're working with.

Check the label on your power supply to see what brand you're actually running. 🤦
What are you even talking about with an HD 4870? That's a totally different beast.

Look, if you're planning on upgrading your GPU, you really ought to grab a new power supply too—assuming that stock one that came with your case is basically junk. Here is what I'd suggest:
The 5770 Vapor-X paired with
a Fortron 400W

Alright, I guess I'm just gonna pull the trigger on one of these two—what do you guys think? Which one is actually worth the cash?

Or maybe this one

The HD 4830 wouldn't even be a snack for this thing ☕

So, I finally scoped out the best deal over at Best Buy—pretty sure this is the winner. It’s a 4850, too

cosmicfox31 is correct; that power supply is just junk.
EDIT: My entire rig is under warranty, so I'm worried they might have tampered with the internals.

Hey guys, quick question—is the length pretty much identical for every single card in the 5770 series?

A few questions...

When are they going to stop making the 4850?
What was the launch price back then in USD?

The 5850 is sitting at over $200 right now.
Any idea what the price tag will look like in 6 or 12 months?

I've got an ASUS P6T SE motherboard.

It has three PCIe slots, all labeled as x16.
But the first two are blue and spaced out such that you can't fit two beefy cards in there together.

The third slot is tucked under a PCI slot—it's beige and actually has decent spacing.
How does that one differ from the first two blue ones?

And if I plug cards into the 1st and 3rd slots, can I actually link them up?
Seems like too much distance for a Crossfire bridge.
Or do you absolutely have to use the first and second slots?
(With that blower cooler on the 4850, it seems impossible.)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ASUS-ATI-Long-Fl...#ht_2661wt_911

All three have the exact same clearance... If those GPUs don't fit? Well, you've got my solution right there above...

Bryan Evans77 said:http://cgi.ebay.com/ASUS-ATI-Long-Fl...#ht_2661wt_911

All three have the same clearance... if those GPUs don't fit, you've got your answer, which is that link I sent...

Fine, maybe they are at the same distance
I misread things slightly

But that link you sent me is freaking overpriced

Or can you actually link slots 1 and 3 using that Crossfire bridge they give you?

And does it even matter that the slot colors are different?
Why are two of them blue while one is beige?

The Radeon 4850 was sitting around $180 or so when it first hit the shelves—that was back in the summer of 2008, if my memory serves me right (I ended up picking one up that autumn). These things haven't been in production for quite a while now; lately, it seems like they're really just focusing on the 5xx0 series.

Don't count on seeing any major price drops for the 5850 either—maybe you'll see a $30 discount once retailers start clearing out old stock to make room for the next generation.
Besides, we aren't exactly seeing prices plummeting during a recession (at least not here in the States).

Casey Long2 said:The Radeon 4850 was sitting around $180 or so when it first dropped, which was what... almost two years ago now? Somewhere in the summer of 2008, if I recall correctly (I grabbed mine that fall). They haven't been making them for a while; right now, it's all about the 5xx0 series.

Don't expect the 5850 price to budge. Maybe it'll drop by $30 once retailers start dumping old stock when the next generation hits.
Prices don't drop during a recession (at least not here in the States).

Wait, how can they not be in production when stores are still packed with them?

wiredotter14 said:Hold on, how can they not be making them if stores are literally overflowing with stock?

So, what, full warehouses don't count for anything??

The 5 series is out now, and all the factory lines have shifted over to that...

Maybe some newer 4 series cards like the 4770 are still rolling off the line, but I wouldn't bet on the 4850.....