GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Honestly, there isn't anything here worth picking up. Even if you go with $150, you're still going to have to put in a massive amount of playtime just to see any real value. If I were in your shoes, I’d probably just grab some cheap, entry-level setup—maybe even something used to save a few bucks—and then tuck that extra cash away for something actually worthwhile later on.
Something like a new 4350 or a similar model.

s can find used ones for $50

silenttrucker14 said:Man, I wish I had some actual cash on hand. I'm stuck buying everything on credit right now.

With that kind of money? You can't buy anything worth it. Why not just find someone heading to the store before $167,
offer to put their stuff on your tab? They give you the cash, and then you can actually go pick up something useful with it...

The forum is a mess... double posts everywhere? I guess I'll just become a chemistry expert to understand how this graphics card works instead.

I'm curious, what's actually the most powerful NVIDIA graphics card on the market right now?

Nathan Scott95 said:I was wondering, what's currently the most powerful NVIDIA card on the market?

GeForce GTX 480☕>

So, is there actually a massive gap between the GeForce GTX 480 and the GeForce GTX 460?

http://tinyurl.com/28htdmj

Thanks, though I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around what they're actually saying there... I was just wondering if there's a massive difference in the actual graphics performance (aside from the price tag, obviously)? Is going with a GeForce GTX 480 really going to give me a significantly better visual experience compared to the GeForce GTX 460?

Have you actually looked at the price of the GeForce GTX 480? It costs as much as two GeForce GTX 460s. You aren't even getting better graphics; you're just getting more FPS on specific settings compared to the GeForce GTX 460. Honestly, even now and moving forward, the cheaper card is going to handle games at max settings with great frame rates... unless you're some tycoon's kid who can afford a GeForce GTX 480, maybe two of them, and one for me too.

The GeForce GTX 460 is perfectly sufficient and still a very powerful card today.

Can anyone tell me where this 9800GT actually sits—is it in the same ballpark as the 4850 or 70?

It’s got S-Video TV-out, so I was leaning toward it for that... but if there's something else in that same tier you'd recommend I grab today before it's gone, let me know. I'm running an AMD Athlon II—is that going to bottleneck the card's max performance or what?

Also thinking about swapping in a new 520W power supply

That okay?

It’s a bit of an older card—I’d say it sits right around the same level as the Radeon HD 4850. Personally, I feel like the price tag is a little steep, though I have to admit, there isn't much else out there right now that makes sense for your money at that specific price point.
The power supply is top-notch.

The truth is, looking at the classifieds right now is pretty much $167—once they run out of those Zotac GeForce GTX 250 cards, I’ll just be buying power supplies for cards that don't even work...

What GPU should I grab for $333? My trusty old x1950pro is finally hitting retirement age—and man, so much has changed since I last looked at this stuff. I honestly can't be bothered to slog through a mountain of reviews. Running an E6750 at 1280x1024 right now, but I'll be moving up to 1920x1200 soon, so I need something that can actually handle that without choking. Should I hunt down a used 4890 for $333 or look elsewhere? Maybe go with Nvidia?

William Gray90 said:Which GPU should I grab $333? My old x1950pro is finally retiring, and honestly, so much has come out since I last looked at this stuff that I can't be bothered reading a mountain of reviews. I'm running an E6750 at 1280x1024 right now, but I'll eventually move to 1920x1200, so I need something that can actually handle that decently. Should I hunt down a used 4890 for $333 or look elsewhere? Maybe Nvidia?

HD 5770 1GB

GeForce GTX 460
$333 A used 5770 with decent cooling (like Vapor-X or MSI Hawk) is worth something, while a GTX 460 is worth a bit more (though Best Buy has a Gainward model for $443 right now), so expect their used prices to drop too.

I’m using the exact same CPU as you, paired with an MSI 5770 Hawk, and everything runs fine.

The 4890 is more powerful, so think about it. It's a solid choice.

Nathan Reyes59 said:hd5770 1 gb
GeForce GTX 460

$333 A used 5770 with decent cooling—like Vapor-X or MSI Hawk—is worth something, and the GTX 460 goes for a bit more (though Best Buy has a Gainward one right now for $443), so their used prices are gonna tank.

I’m running the exact same CPU as you, plus an MSI 5770 Hawk, and everything works fine.

The 4890 is stronger—just think about it. Both are solid choices.

I wouldn't drop over $1300 on a GPU right now, so Nvidia is out. It's either the 4890 or the 5770. Looking at the benchmarks, the 4890 seems way more powerful—but obviously, it pulls more power, so it's hotter and louder. My main thing is having a card that stays quiet when idling, and the 4890 with the stock cooler doesn't look like it does that. Anyone know of any good aftermarket coolers for this card that would actually be worth installing later?

Hey everyone.

I need some help picking out a new GPU. I'm looking for something around $167, maybe give or take 100 bucks. My current setup is running a Codegen 400W power supply, an AMD Athlon II dual core, and 3GB of RAM. Does it actually matter how much VRAM the card has, or is it just about the bus width, like 128-bit? I'm a bit lost. Also, if I grab a new card, am I gonna need to upgrade my power supply too? Thanks.

Nathan Reyes59 said:HD 5770 1 GB
GeForce GTX 460

...

Having only 768MB of VRAM is certainly not ideal when you are trying to run at 1920x1200 resolution.

My max screen resolution is only 1600x900... do I really need a 1GB card? thanks

James Walker3 said:My screen's max resolution is 1600x900... so do I really need a 1GB card? thanks

Nah. For 1600x900, 768MB is plenty.