GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Hey there...

Quick question for you guys...

Is it actually worth upgrading my GPU right now?

Current setup: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT

Potential upgrade: AMD Radeon HD 4850

The rest of the build: Gigabyte P35 DS3 motherboard,
Intel Core 2 Duo e8200,
and 3 GB of RAM.

The AMD card would run me about $167 a certain amount, but I could probably offload my current one for maybe $40 or $50.
I guess I'm just wondering if this move makes any sense.

Thanks.

Not really... honestly, it’s all just a massive headache. Buy this, sell that, warranties are basically non-existent, then you have to deal with uninstalling and reinstalling everything... and the performance jump? It's negligible...

I'd rather just save up for a new HD5750 or HD5770 (around 800-$333 right now, though prices will probably drop by New Year's)... I know it's just a $67 difference to you, but in my opinion, the performance boost isn't worth the hassle...

darkowl72 said:actually, not really... just kidding, you deal with the buy-sell hassle, none of the warranties are left, then there's the whole uninstalling and reinstalling thing... plus, the performance gap isn't all that huge...

I'd probably just save up for a new HD 5750 or HD 5770 (around $800$333 right now, though prices will likely drop by the end of the year)... I know you're mostly looking at $67 differences, but in my opinion, the performance boost just isn't worth all that trouble...

So, one of those HD cards then...

Alright, thanks...

Well... my absolute favorite GPU just kicked the bucket on me... *sniff*... it was a Sapphire AMD Radeon HD 3870... man, I loved that card so much. We spent so many long nights—and days—together. I almost felt like buying flowers for its funeral! Now I'm out here hunting for a successor. Can anyone recommend something that’ll hold a candle to her, or maybe even beat her, without absolutely destroying my bank account? Hmm... anyone?

electricranger17 said:Hey there...

Quick question for you all...

Is it actually worth upgrading my graphics card right now?

Here’s the setup: currently running an NVIDIA GeForce 8800

looking at moving to a sapphire AMD Radeon HD 4850

The rest of my main gear: a Gigabyte P35 DS3 motherboard
an Intel Core 2 Duo e8200
and 3 GB of RAM

The AMD card would run me about $167 used, and I could probably offload my current one for maybe $40 or $50.
I'm just trying to figure out if this move makes any sense.

Thanks!

Nope.

coastaltiger2 said:Well... my absolute favorite graphics card just kicked the bucket... sigh... it was a Sapphire AMD Radeon HD 3870... I really loved that thing... we spent so much time together... nights... days... I almost felt like buying flowers for its funeral... now I'm looking for a successor... can anyone suggest something that's at least on par with it, maybe a little stronger, but won't break the bank? Hmm... anyone?

http://www.newegg.com/p/product...products_id=9150

This one's about 40-50% better than the HD 3870, plus it runs cool and stays efficient... 😉

http://www.newegg.com/nvidia-geforce-8800-gt/pd/NVIDIA/8800GT

Hey—how does this card actually stack up against the rest of the 8800 GT lineup? And how much of a jump am I looking at compared to an HD 2600XT? It’s got DDR4

crimsonstag84 said:http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=9150

This thing is 40-50% faster than the HD 3870, runs cool, and doesn't suck power... 😉

Yeah, true... but my wife—who isn't exactly a tech wizard and took me forever to teach just how to play a movie and switch it over to our dual monitors (that big LCD TV we hooked up via HDMI)—is giving me a hard time. We're super used to that old ATI interface; she loved all those specific settings and options. Switching to this "new breed" of graphics card means I'm gonna spend HOURS and HOURS teaching her again (and probably learning 😁 myself)... so I need a recommendation for an ATI Sapphire Radeon HD xxxx somewhere in the 3800 series range (or maybe just a tiny bit better) for the absolute lowest price possible. Like, I mean LEAST AMOUNT OF MONEY... please... please... 🙏

Look, if you want a deal, just hit up the local flea markets or Craigslist for an AMD Radeon HD 4830 or an AMD Radeon HD 4850... they're solid cards, still plenty of power left in them, and you can often snag one that’s still under warranty for no more than 400-$150 bucks...

James Castillo8 said:http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-example

Hey, how does this card stack up against the rest of the 8800GT series? Also, what kind of performance jump am I looking at compared to an HD 2600XT? It’s DDR4

Looks like some special edition inno3D build. Since they messed with the reference design, I'd guess it's an OC Ana since they clearly swapped in a better cooler—otherwise, why bother with the extra cost of ripping off a stock heatsink? Probably.

There was also this awkward rumor floating around online back in the day that these cards were actually fine, but the fan controller circuit died, so they modified the cooling setup and now the fans just run at max speed constantly. Double-check that before you drop any cash on it...

darkowl72 said:Looks like some weird special edition inno3D card... since they messed with the reference design, I’m guessing it’s an OC model—mostly because nobody wastes the time or money swapping out a stock cooler unless they have to. Maybe...

There was this rumor floating around the forums back in the day about these being perfectly fine cards, just with busted fan controller circuits. That's why someone swapped the cooling setup and now the fan just runs at full blast constantly. Might want to double-check that before you drop any cash...

I've been scouring Google and I can't find anything even remotely similar http://www.inno3d.com/products/graph...ges/8800gs.jpg This is the closest thing I've found, but it's a GS version, not the GT I'm looking for. Honestly, it feels more like a PowerColor design or something else entirely...

Then I check this over here http://www.dvhardware.net/news/inno3...ce_9800_gt.jpg and it's clearly a 9800 GT

Hey there!
I can see there's a group here that really knows their stuff when it comes to building rigs. If you don't mind, could I grab some quick advice?
I'm currently running a Dell OptiPlex with integrated graphics. I wouldn't call myself a hardcore gamer, but I do jump into a game every now and then. I was wondering if anyone could recommend a decent graphics card that won't break the bank—maybe something in the $75 range?
The CPU is an Intel Core i3, LGA 1151, with a core speed of 1197 MHz.
The motherboard is an MSI 2A78h.
RAM is at 2 GB DDR2.
I'm not sure if this matters, but I'm still using an old Samsung 17 inch CRT monitor.

Thanks a ton!

New ATI 5670 with 512MB DDR5 vs. a used 4850 or an Nvidia GTX 1050

Let's celebrate reaching page 100!🤣

Lol, someone please tell me how these stack up against this one: http://hardverapro.hu/dl/upc/2010-08/154233_inno.jpg an Inno3D 8800GT 256MB 256-bit vs. this HD 2600XT DDR4 http://www.ixbt.com/video3/images/rv...00xt-front.jpg

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/vid...4_9.html#sect1

Thanks for the quick reply, stormywolf39! I’m not really one to go hunting for used gear, so I’ll probably just grab a brand-new ATI 5670 instead.

Hey there!
I could use some help. We've been having issues with our computer for a few days now, and it turns out the graphics card finally kicked the bucket. We're running on a temporary replacement for the moment, but we need to pick up a new one within the next few days.
The thing is, I have absolutely no clue which one to get, and I'm struggling to answer any of those questions on the first page.🤦
The PC is about two years old, and here is what I know (hopefully this info from the system helps at least): it's an Infinity (A434), and the monitor is a Samsung Galaxy S22".
We're looking to spend up to $267, and most of the time it'll be used for playing COD.

Karen Rogers23 said:Hey there!
I could really use some help—we’ve been having issues with our computer for a few days now, and it turns out the graphics card finally gave up the ghost. We’re running a temporary placeholder right now, but we need to pick up a new one within the next few days.
That’s where I’m stuck; I have absolutely no clue which one to get, and honestly, I’m not even sure how to answer those technical questions on the first page. 🤦
The PC is about two years old, and here is what I know (I'm pulling this from the system info—hopefully, it's enough to go on): an Infinity (A434), and the monitor is a Samsung Galaxy S22".
We’re looking to spend up to $267, and mostly, it'll be used for playing COD.

Oof, yeah—even searching online makes it tough to figure out exactly what’s under the hood. Why don't you download CPU-Z, then grab a screenshot of each of the different tabs? That way, we can see exactly which motherboard and processor you're working with, along with the total memory. 🙂

Casey Long2 said:Man, it's actually pretty tough to figure out what's inside this thing even with a Google search. I guess maybe you could just download CPU-Z, take some screenshots of all the different tabs, and then we can finally see which motherboard and processor we're dealing with, plus how much memory is in there 🙂

Here’s what I found:
PCI-E
Name: AMD Athlon(tm) 64x2 Dual Core Processor 4000+
Package: Socket AM2 (940)
Gigabyte Inc.,
Model: GA-M56S-S3 1GB RAM

I don't know if I missed anything else... 🤔