GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

darkowl72 said:click here ---> 😁

Man, how did I manage to forget about such a solid site? Thanks for the heads-up... 😁 lmgtfy

I can only say it’s not worth it for a while longer.

It might actually become profitable once this graph drops or if the usage differences end up being twice as large as they are now, I guess.

So, what kind of PSU should I actually grab for an HD 5770? Not sure if a 400W Codegen is even gonna pull enough juice to keep it running...

If it’s a newer model, maybe. Where are you even shopping?

You can grab a Fortron for an HD5770 on Amazon (though I wouldn't bother putting anything beefier in there), or check Linksys for some cheap Chief units...

It’s about three years old. I’m out in Chicago, so I usually just grab my gear from Micro Center or Best Buy.

Regarding that Chief unit mentioned earlier—if I were in your shoes, I’d personally go with this one.

Is that 420W ATX2 unit actually any better than the Codegen 400W one?

Which ones?

casualsurfer92 said:Is an ATX 2 power supply rated at 420W actually better than a Codegen 400W unit??

Where from? What specific model and manufacturer are we talking about here?

Spira ATX 2, 420 W

Well, I wouldn't say that's quite right... Spira is still hanging around somewhere in the mix with Codegen.

Will this thing actually put out enough juice for an HD 5770? My CPU is an AMD Athlon 64 X2 running at 2.13GHz... wonder if that'll be enough to keep up with the HD 5770...

casualsurfer92 said:Will this power supply provide enough juice for an HD 5770? My processor is an AMD Athlon 64 X2 running at 2.13GHz; will that be sufficient for the HD 5770?

This is exactly what happens when you try to cut corners on a power supply: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTVEtr14FEA

I would strongly suggest thinking twice before tossing your hard-earned money away on bottom-tier, junk power supplies.
In my experience, it is far better to invest a bit more upfront in a quality unit and have peace of mind for years, rather than repeatedly spending small amounts on cheap components that inevitably fail.

Pick one of these two options, and you will certainly be set for that graphics card and the rest of your rig, all while keeping your budget somewhat intact:

http://www.bestbuy.com/index.php?item=...kl=052.740.034

http://www.bestbuy.com/index.php?item=...kl=052.740.033

casualsurfer92 said:Will this be able to provide enough juice for an HD 5770? My CPU is an AMD Athlon 64 X2 running at 2.13GHz—will that be sufficient to handle an HD 5770??

It’s the same old story... we suggest one thing, and then everyone starts hunting for the cheapest option possible. Look, if Spira were actually a high-quality brand, we'd be recommending it in a heartbeat...

Casey Long2 said:It’s the same old story... we provide solid recommendations, and they just come back looking for the cheapest possible alternative. If Spira were actually reliable, we wouldn't be having this conversation in the first place...

Stubbornness is such an exhausting trait, isn't it?

I find myself wondering why these people even bother coming to an online community seeking advice if they have every intention of ignoring it just to stick to their own flawed logic. 🤷
Looking at the way he described his build, it’s painfully obvious he hasn't the slightest clue what he's talking about...

In my experience, people who refuse to listen to seasoned advice eventually need to learn the hard way. I sometimes think we should just step back and let them follow their own misguided instincts; perhaps when they face a significant hardware failure or a total system crash, they might finally realize where they went wrong. It seems there's no other way to teach them.

Spira power supplies are hands down the best on the market...

It’s not even about which power supply is superior, it's just about the money. I'll probably just grab a 600W unit from an LC POWER ATX 2... THANKS🙂

Look, money aside, nobody tells you to go out and drop a fortune on a high-end PSU unless you actually get it—it's common sense. Buying one of those 600W units from LC Power is a total disaster because that hardware is complete garbage... and that "600W" rating? It exists only in their wildest dreams. Honestly, the only decent stuff from LC Power is the Greenpower series, but even then, you have to be careful. Only the ones specifically labeled GP3—the third generation of Greenpower—are actually worth anything.

As far as budget-friendly options that actually work go, these are some solid choices, so take a look and see if you can pick something out...

People aren't giving you the green light on these cheap power supplies because they don't want to deal with you coming back in two weeks, pissed off and blaming us all because you fried your graphics card with some "good" PSU we supposedly recommended.

darkowl72 As darkowl72 once remarked:
Money is such a trivial distraction, isn't it? No one ever bothers to mention that you really ought to invest in a high-quality power supply unit, though I suppose most people lack the foresight to understand why. Buying an LC Power 600W unit is a particularly poor decision—it’s essentially a ticking time bomb waiting to happen. That 600W rating exists purely in the realm of wishful thinking rather than actual performance. If you absolutely insist on going that route, the only units worth considering from their lineup are found within the Greenpower series, and even then, I wouldn't trust just any of them. You have to be specific; only the models carrying the GP3 designation—the third iteration of their Greenpower line—are actually reliable.

And honestly, looking at that specific build, even that LC nonsense should be more than enough to get the job done, regardless of which way you decide to approach it. 🙄

I see they’re looking to cut back on costs, so I figured I’d just let them proceed with their frugality.
In any given scenario, I suppose it is far better that he avoided that Spira model altogether. $50 Which one would probably give up the ghost the moment I finished plugging everything back together?

Honestly, I feel this entire discussion would be much better suited for the Power Supplies subforum rather than being buried here under graphics cards.

Hey there, my graphics card just died on me. It works without drivers, but the second I try to install them, the whole system freezes.
My current card is an Nvidia GeForce 6600 (PCI-E), and I'm looking for a solid replacement for under $100.
The setup is an Abit AA8 (Intel 925 x-ICH6R) with an Intel Pentium 4 630 at 3.00GHz, 2.5 GB of RAM, and an MS 400 W. e power supply.
What would be the best move here? I don't need anything fancy; maybe just enough to run games at 1024x768 (like CoD 4), but that isn't a dealbreaker since I have a laptop for gaming. My main priority is just getting things running smoothly again.