GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

It might work... the power supply isn't exactly top-tier, but it’s certainly not junk either—it gets the job done. How old is the unit exactly?

Hey everyone...

Back again with more indecision. I'm still planning on picking up a new graphics card, and I've got until Christmas to make it happen...

If I go the new route, I'll probably grab a GeForce 8800 GT, though I've been browsing the used market too.

I'm stuck right now. Should I get the card mentioned above, or maybe just look for a used 3870 dual?

Something like this

What do you guys think? Is that a solid choice, or should I keep looking?

Thanks

The 3870 dual is alright, I guess, but it’s ancient. We're talking 3xxx series tech when 6xxx is already out there... why bother? Just grab the GeForce 8800 GT instead. It’s newer, supports DX11, runs way cooler, sips power, and honestly? It absolutely rips.

Bryan Evans77 said:The 3870 dual might work, but it's pretty dated—it belongs to the 3xxx series while we're already looking at 6xxx... You'd probably be better off grabbing a GeForce 8800 GT; it's newer, supports DX11, runs cooler, pulls less power, and performs like a beast...

I realize it's older. Still, you get that dual setup. Plus, from what I've seen online, used prices for the 3870 and the GeForce 8800 GT are basically neck and neck.

Those specific perks you mentioned about the 8800 GT are actually what's making it look tempting...

Alright, thanks. 🙂

electricranger17 said:I get it’s older. But hey, it’s a dual setup. Plus, looking online, used prices for the 3870 and the GeForce 8800 GT are pretty much neck and neck.

The main reason I'm eyeing that 5770 is exactly what you mentioned...

Alright, thanks 🙂

Why not just look at something like a 4870 1GB?
It'll gulp down power, sure, but it beats the 5770 in performance—and it’s still newer than the 3870.

You can find them for about $110 now—$267...

Bryan Evans77 said:why wouldn't you look at something like a 4870 1GB??
it pulls more power, sure, but it's stronger than the GeForce 8800 GT, and still newer than the 3870..

you can find them for about $110 now -$267...

Something like this?

http://www.craigslist.org/listing/graphics-card-ad-12345

I haven't really kept up with GPUs lately. I haven't had any reason to upgrade my current one (GeForce 8800 GT), so I haven't given it much thought. That's why I'm considering any advice I get🙂

So, you think the 4870 might be a better value?

electricranger17 said:Something like this?

http://www.craigslist.org/listing/graphics-card-ad-example

I haven't really kept up with GPUs lately. My current card (GeForce 8800 GT) works just fine, so I haven't felt the need to swap it out. Haven't given it much thought, which is why I'm actually listening to your advice here. 🙂

So, you think grabbing the 4870 is the better move?

Yeah, something like that... that card is a beast. It absolutely crushes the 5770 in basically every category. The only catch is it lacks DX11 support, but if you've been playing on DX10 this whole time, you probably won't even miss it.🙂

Bryan Evans77 said:Yeah, basically... that card is a beast. It’s significantly more powerful than a GeForce 8800 GT across the board. The only downside is the lack of DX11 support, but if you've been playing on just DX10 anyway, I guess you might not even miss it.🙂

No, I don't think I'll miss it. DX10 is perfectly fine by me. As long as the GPU performs well enough for me to actually enjoy my games, that's what matters. Honestly, I wouldn't even be looking to swap my current one out if it hadn't started struggling lately. I suppose I'll take your advice into consideration.🙂
Thanks,

Casey Long2 said:It’s a possibility... the power supply isn't exactly top-tier, though it isn't complete junk either... How old are we talking here?

I picked up this pre-built rig back on October 6, 2010—so about six months ago—except I’ve been stuck in some legal trouble and haven't even touched the machine for nine months. The whole thing is basically gathering dust at my mom's place because she was pretty unhappy with me regarding the situation.😁

So what kind of power supply we talking about here...
Who cares if it worked before or if it’s just two months old? Or if you grabbed some random unit from Best Buy...
What matters is the brand and the wattage. 😬

Bryan Evans77 said:but what kind of power supply is it...
It doesn't matter if it was working before, or if it wasn't—whether it’s two months old or you picked up some random unit from Micro Center...
The only thing that actually matters is the brand and the wattage... 😬

Alright, come here and let me give you a dollar for being a dummy 😁 (just kidding)
If you look back a few posts, I already mentioned my PSU is a Thermaltake Master Maxout Power 420W

Samuel Martinez said:Alright, come on then. You gonna let me take you out for a drink to make up for that stupidity? 😁 Just kidding.
A couple posts up there? My PSU is a Thermaltake MasterMax 420W.

And if I could? 😬 Wasn't really feeling it today. Just kind of quiet? 😁
Read that whole thing like twenty minutes ago and already forgot it? Seriously? xD

So they're saying the power supply efficiency is only around 70%? Really?

$5,850? Honestly, that feels like a stretch. I mean, it’d probably hold up, but who knows how it handles when you actually push it to a full load?

Bryan Evans77 said:Actually, I might 😬—I was a bit slow on the uptake today—😁
I read that about 20 minutes ago and then it completely slipped my mind. xD

They’re claiming the power supply efficiency is sitting at roughly 70%

But specifically for a 5850? Honestly, that doesn't sound great to me... It would probably hold up fine under normal use, but I have serious doubts about how it would handle things once you hit a full system load...

So, what kind of high-end GPU could it actually handle while still running games smoothly?

My 400W power supply held up fine with the 4850 😁 but then those planes started appearing... haha

Do you think it could actually handle a GTX 660 1GB? Or should I be looking at the 768MB version instead?

I don't think so. A GTX 660 1 GB requires at least a 450W power supply. This Gigabyte model pulls 194W at idle and jumps to 326W under full load. You also have to factor in the power draw from your CPU. It might technically work, but you’ll be cutting it far too close.

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/lis...,53@53&v=1,1@2

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/lis...,53@53&v=1,1@2

P.S.
You're going to run into the exact same issue if you try using the 768 MB version.

326 pulls everything at once 👍
Under full load... though only benchmarks actually hit full load... games and stuff struggle 👍

How does the GTX 660 stack up against the 5850 when you look at power draw, temps, and noise levels?

The 6850 pulls way less power than any other card in its class.🙂

stormywolf39 said:The 6850 pulls significantly less power than any other card in its class—it’s honestly impressive how efficient it manages to be compared to the rest of the field. 🙂

Yahoo. At the end of the day, your temperatures and noise levels are almost entirely dependent on the quality of the cooler you choose to run.
It’s funny how things work out—you have a card like the GTX 660, which actually carries a higher TDP, yet the Corsair Airwulf version stays remarkably quiet under load. Meanwhile, I keep hearing horror stories about the reference coolers for the 460, 5850, or even the 6850; apparently, they can get loud enough to drive you absolutely insane.
My advice? Definitely do a deep dive and Google the specific model before you pull the trigger—it’s worth the extra effort. You really want to see what other people are saying regarding thermal performance and how loud those fans actually get under load... there's nothing worse than getting home with a new setup only to realize it sounds like a jet engine taking off.