GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

nimblehawk89 said:Not at all! I just ran the numbers on Best Buy and it actually turned out $303 cheaper than Micro Center. Plus they offer shipping, so I'll probably just grab it there. As for the build, this setup works for me 😉 (we actually picked the exact same processor), and regarding the GPU, I was originally dreaming of a 5830, but honestly, a GTX 465 costs $67 more anyway (which is an instant win when switching from Micro Center to Best Buy ^^). I’m still going to tinker with the specs a bit, but I'll stick pretty close to
yours.

Just a heads up, Best Buy adds a 7% surcharge if you pay by credit card...

Those prices are strictly for cash/debit.. don't want you overshooting your budget 🙂

Bryan Evans77 said:Also, watch out—using a credit card at Walmart adds about a 7% markup...

Those prices are for cash only. Don't want you overspending!🙂

I was counting on cash.😁

If you’re going with that Gigabyte board, it comes with a 6Gb SATA controller, so it’d be a total waste not to grab a 6Gb SATA drive too:

Hmm, everyone on the forums seems to be raving about the GTX 465 lately. After digging through some reviews, I noticed it sits right in that sweet spot between the 5830 and the 5850. So, I'm leaning toward going with $33 more
. Should I pull the trigger?

The GTX 465 is honestly a bit of a letdown. If you look at either version of the 460, they really outshine the 465—they run cooler, stay much quieter, and don't pull nearly as much power from your PSU. Once the market stabilizes and prices settle down, those 460s really ought to be priced lower than the 465 anyway.
In short, the 465 feels like a total miss.

Between this junk and my internet connection 😁 I can't make heads or tails of it. One person says it's great, the next says it's trash—everyone has an opinion. Honestly, at this rate, I might just end up adding $133 and stabbing

http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=7863

The only reason I factored in the NVIDIA GTX 465 was because a decent HD 5850 wasn't available for $700 😁
.
I just took another look at the reviews and yeah, it's true: the NVIDIA GTX 465 is a total flop; it actually loses to the NVIDIA GTX 275 😂😂
quite often.
If you can snag an NVIDIA GTX 460 at Best Buy, go for that, otherwise, maybe stick with the HD 5850 😉
.

crimsonstag84 said:If you can snag an NVIDIA GTX 460 at Best Buy, go for it. If not, stick with the HD 5850.😉

Just grab whichever one is cheaper. They’re pretty much neck and neck performance-wise, though you should keep in mind the GTX pulls more power and tends to run a bit hotter than the HD 5850.👍

Here’s what I’m running right now:
Motherboard - M3A785GM-LE/128M
CPU - AMD X3 435 (one of the cores is dead)
RAM - Kingmax DDR3 2x2GB 1333MHz
Drive - Samsung 500 GB F3
PSU - FORTRON 400W Super Silent
Case - Gigabyte GZ-KX1

Monitor - Samsung 22" 1920x1080

I'm looking to pick up a GPU... StarCraft II is dropping soon, and I still haven't even touched Fallout 3, Grand Theft Auto IV, or CoD—basically anything in that tier.

1. What kind of card should I grab if I want to crank most games to max settings without completely choking out my processor?
2. What would be a good move if my budget stays under $300? And how much of a performance jump am I actually looking at compared to the first option?🙂 ?

Thanks for the help.

Gregory Murphy66 said:Here's my current setup:
Motherboard - M3A785GM-LE/128M
CPU - AMD X3 435 (only 4 cores working)
RAM - Kingmax DDR3 2x2GB 1333MHz
Hard Drive - Samsung 500 GB F3
PSU - FORTRON 400W Super Silent
Case - Gigabyte GZ-KX1 monitor

Monitor - Samsung 22" 1920x1080

Thinking about adding a GPU... With StarCraft II coming out soon, and I haven't even touched Fallout 3, Grand Theft Auto IV, or CoD yet...

1. Any GPU recommendations that let me run most games on max settings without totally bottlenecking my CPU?
2. What's a good recommendation up to $300? And how much performance jump am I looking at compared to option 1? 🙂 ?

Thanks for the help!

An overkill card is just one your CPU can't feed. Usually means those newer mid-range cards that cost way too much... you could overclock the CPU to close the gap, but hey, extra power never hurts, right? 😬

Up to $300, you're basically stuck with a 4850 or a GTS 250 if you want something brand new from a store...
If I were you, I'd hunt for used gear: a 4870, NVIDIA GTX 260, an HD5770, or something similar. You can usually find them lying around... 🙂

Grab this while it's still available... decent price 😉

http://www.craigslist.org/re/listing/560866

Sent a guy a DM... 🙂

Which one is better, the 5770 or the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 (216sp) Standard edition?

Look, I get what overkill means. But I'm trying to figure out what the ceiling is for an Intel Core i3-4350. Like, a 5870 would just be wasted since the CPU would be a total bottleneck... maybe a 5830 is the sweet spot?

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 is a bit more powerful than the HD 5770, so I guess your processor might struggle to even feed an HD 5770, let alone an HD 5830.😁
If you managed to overclock it to 3.5 GHz, you might be able to...

Aha... Well, that’s why I’m asking since I don't really know 🙂 Thanks for the info.

So, I'm just running the stock cooler on my CPU right now, so I'm not sure if I can even push an overclock, maybe just a tiny bit?

Is this graphics card actually worth the price tag? I've done some digging online and it seems like a decent deal, though I suppose I’d feel a bit more confident about pulling the trigger if I had some extra validation from you guys. I was originally eyeing the Gigabyte version of the GTX 460, but they don't seem to have it in stock here in Kansas City, and I just can't find the time to head over to New York City to track it down. This Sapphire model looks pretty solid too, I guess. Is there really much of a difference between the Gigabyte and Sapphire versions of the 460?

Gregory Murphy66 said:Oh, okay... That's exactly why I was asking since I wasn't sure. 🙂 Thanks for the help.

Hmm, I'm just using the stock cooler on my CPU, so I'm not sure if it can be overclocked at all—maybe just a little bit?

You might be able to squeeze out maybe 200-300 MHz, but you really need to watch those temperatures. Honestly, those Intel stock coolers aren't great; looking at my own processor, I know what I'm talking about.😁

Nicholas Hughes said:Is this graphics card actually worth the price tag? I did a little digging online and it seems like a solid deal, but I'd feel a lot better about pulling the trigger if I had some second opinions first. I was originally aiming for the Gigabyte version of the GTX 460, but they don't have it in stock here in Kansas City right now (and I can't really make it down to New York City). This Sapphire one looks pretty decent too. Is there much of a difference between the Gigabyte and Sapphire models of the 460?

There isn't any real difference, and even if there were, it would likely just come down to the cooling setup. Since these two look identical, it doesn't matter which one you grab. If you're asking me, I’d just go with whichever one comes with the longer warranty. 😁

p.s. try looking for a deal outside of the big retail stores to save a few bucks. 🙂

So, I see people up there saying an Intel Core i3-4350 won't be able to keep up with an NVIDIA GTX 580. I guess you might be wondering if that's also true for my Intel Core i3-4250, and whether I could actually pair this GAINWARD NVIDIA GTX 460 GLH 512MB with my processor

It’s a decent enough deal if you’re pairing it with a GTS 250 and sticking to a smaller monitor or lower resolution... but if you’ve upgraded to a 22" screen or anything larger, you might be better off looking at the 5770 or 4870 instead.

I'm thinking about picking up some sort of 24" LED-backlit LCD. Right now, I'm stuck using this old Philips 170B2—it's a 17" LCD that's probably been sitting on my desk for over five years now, I guess.