GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

They’re just flooding the market with these cards lately—makes me miss the days when we actually had stuff like the 9600pro/xt 😁
...

Not exactly, though. If you look back at that era, they actually slowed down their release cycles quite a bit. It’s true that there’s a much wider variety of cards on the market now, but the new series only seem to roll out every year and a few months—it's definitely not the rapid-fire pace we used to see.

Yeah, new series drop every single year (except when Nvidia makes some big announcement and then just drags their feet for like 6 or 7 months 😁), but once a new lineup hits, suddenly there are 20 different cards flooding the market—you know, the 5550, 5570, 5670, 5750, 5770, and I haven't even started yet—not to mention memory options ranging from a measly 512MB all the way up to 2GB...
And on top of all those shiny new releases, there’s still a massive mountain of old hardware being sold off today 😁

And I’m looking at that 4870/90... it's priced basically the same as a brand new 5850/6850 😁
... what a joke...

Look, the 4890 still hits hard performance-wise, and the 4870 is right there too, just not quite as much. The prices are sky-high because retailers are stuck with old stock bought at massive markups—like, they grabbed them for $333 a couple of years back, added their margins, and now they're stuck. They can't drop the price below what they paid without losing money, so that's why it's so expensive..

Hi there, please excuse me if I’ve stumbled into the wrong thread; I actually just registered about three minutes ago because I am genuinely curious about which graphics card would be the most logical choice for my current setup. Given that I'm running an Intel Core 2 Duo dual-core processor paired with a 530W power supply, I was wondering what you all might recommend within a budget of roughly $0.83.

That GPU from $833 isn't going to cut it with that setup 🙂—the CPU is way too weak for that kind of power. Plus, it really depends on what kind of power supply you're running... if you go with something like an HD 4870 or an Nvidia gtx 280, that processor is definitely going to be a bottleneck. You might be better off grabbing an Nvidia gtx 460 and a fresh CPU, then just offloading the old gear—though that depends on your motherboard and PSU. Finding a new 48xx series is unlikely for less than $333, but you could probably snag some used ones for $233 or even less... honestly, though, a new CPU paired with the card below is likely your best bet. It's got DX 11 support, too...

http://www.newegg.com/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=8827

Carl Ward59 said:Hey there—I hope I’m in the right place! I actually just signed up about three minutes ago because I’m really trying to figure out which graphics card would be the best fit for my current setup. I'm running an Intel Core 2 Duo dual-core processor with a 530W power supply, and I was thinking of spending somewhere around $0.83 on a card.

What else are you running in that rig? To be honest, even if you find a great deal, you probably won't be able to get the full performance out of a $400 card with those specs. You'll likely hit a wall before you can even push an Nvidia gtx 460 to its limits...

Here’s what I’m running right now:
Processor: Intel Pentium 4, 2000 MHz (10 x 200) 3200+
Gigabyte GA-M55S-S3 v2
Graphics Card: ATI Radeon X1300 Pro (256 MB)
RAM: 1024+ 512 MB DDR2-533 DDR2 SDRAM
450W Frontier power supply
I know this isn't exactly a powerhouse, but I could really use some advice on picking up a new graphics card. My kid has been trying to play some newer, more demanding games lately, and the current setup just can't handle them...
What should I look for if they're going to be gaming on this PC?
🙄🙄Any help would be appreciated!

You’re actually pretty lucky you have a decent motherboard that still has some upgrade potential. Your issue isn't just the graphics card; it's a whole chain reaction: the CPU, the RAM, the GPU, and the power supply all need attention.

Basically, if you want to plug in any modern graphics card that can actually run today's games, you're going to be forced to swap out your power supply because your current one is weak, and your processor isn't fast enough to keep up with a better GPU. Plus, your RAM is pretty much ancient by today's standards.

First, check your BIOS to see if there's a final update available. Then, let us know your budget and where you plan on shopping so we can give you a real recommendation...

To give you an idea of what things cost, here's a breakdown:

1 x Intel Core i3 Processor, socket AM3, BOX, 1.5MB, 3.1GHz
1 x DDR2 2048MB ( 2GB ) PC6400 Kingmax, 800MHz, CL5, KLDE88F-B8KB5
1 x Sapphire HD 5670, 512MB GDDR5 128bit, VGA+DL-DVI-I+HDMI, PCI-X
1 x FORTRON 400W Power Supply, FSP400-60APN, Super Silent, 12cm

total: $557 - this is basically the bare minimum for something somewhat playable... anything more than this would be even better...

Could someone break down what tessellation actually is—and is it even worth worrying about?

Scott Hall47 said:Can someone explain what Tessellation actually is—and if anyone even cares?

The latest Radeon driver release adds a new feature to the NVIDIA Control Panel for tweaking 3D settings: Ambient Occlusion.

Basically, Ambient Occlusion makes things look more realistic by dimming light where nearby objects block it. It just adds a bit of depth through these "subtle" shading effects based on where everything sits in the scene...

Standard lighting just calculates an object's color based on its textures and whatever light is hitting it at that moment. But when objects get in the way of the light path, they don't get full illumination—that's where the Ambient Occlusion tech kicks in.

^^Seems like a pretty obvious difference to me. Or maybe I'm just seeing things...

Ambient Occlusion mapping

It simulates shadows in unlit areas using existing maps. It’s pretty much the standard shading used in software like Autodesk Maya and 3D Studio Max.

Tutorials:
http://www.game-artist.net/forums/vbart ... ticleid=37 [3DSMax]
http://www.game-artist.net/forums/vbart ... ticleid=17 [Maya]

Tessellation

It's a tech that lets you "smooth out" objects so you don't see those jagged edges between surfaces...
Tessellation is also part of DirectX 10.

Just a few objects blended together using Tessellation technology.

Compute shaders
They're part of the Ambient Occlusion process—calculating where shadows should fall by checking if there are any obstacles in the light's path...

Hope that helps... if I got anything wrong, feel free to set me straight.

Hey guys, I'm stuck between these two cards and honestly can't decide which way to go...

Not sure about the power draw on either one. Thinking about just upgrading everything except the case, the PSU, and my peripherals...

wearystag16 said:Hey guys, I wanted to ask you about these two graphics cards. I honestly can't decide which one to grab. xD

http://www.bestbuy.com/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=9200

http://www.bestbuy.com/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=9199

I have no idea how much power these cards pull or anything else. Anyway, I'm planning on buying everything new, except for the case, the power supply, and my peripherals....

Ugh, not enough info again. Look, just go start a new thread to buy a new PC. Answer the questions in the rules and we'll actually be able to help you. List everything you currently own with full details, especially what kind of power supply you're using.

Honestly, I think for those $167 the performance gap between these two cards is pretty negligible—though if you overclock the 6850, you might squeeze out a little extra... or am I just dreaming?

Casey Long2 said:What else is left in this system? I mean, let me be blunt: you aren't going to get any real value out of a $200 graphics card here. Anything stronger than a GTS450, let alone a GTX460, is just going to be wasted on this setup...

Hardware:
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo dual core
Motherboard: ASUS Motherboard
PSU: Power Line 530W
Audio: Integrated
Drive: 160 GB
GPU: Radeon X1550 (absolute garbage)
RAM: 2x 1GB and 1x 2GB (totaling 3.25 GB on Windows XP SP3)

Software: Windows XP SP3

PS
Before this, I was running a GeForce 9800 GT Zotac—which was actually a great card, but I just wanted something more powerful.
As for the processor, I was planning on picking up an AMD chip later$333 this summer.

Scott Hall47 said:Can someone explain what Tessellation actually is and if it even matters?

If you want to know what Tessellation is, you can easily just look it up online. A quick Google search will give you plenty of results.
Is it important? Not really. 😁
With Tessellation enabled, I guess very few systems can maintain acceptable performance, so it's almost useless for most people today. In my opinion, it might be another 2 or 3 years before the average gamer actually needs it.

Yeah, looks interesting I guess. I'm mostly wondering which DirectX version they'll need to make it feel... what, 80% realistic? Is even that possible with today's tech?... Also saw some stuff about those Ultra HD resolutions and TVs—apparently, out of 10 people tested, 9 of them ended up feeling nauseous just looking at it 🙂

Processor - Intel Core i5, s. AM3, 3.0GHz, 2MB c.
Motherboard - ASROCK 870 Extreme3, AMD 870/SB850, DDR3
Memory - PC-10600,2x2 GB, KINGMAX, DDR3 1333 MHz
Power Supply - 550W, EVGA Power Supply, ATX v2.3, 120mm vent., PFC

I'm looking to drop a graphics card into this build from Best Buy—budget is capped at $517. I've narrowed it down to these two options:

Does anyone have a suggestion on which one to grab? Or maybe there's something else at Best Buy up to $517 that I'm overlooking?

EVGA GeForce GTX 460 OC👍