GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

New:

http://www.amazon.com/product_info.php?c...oducts_id=7728

Looking for something used, maybe an HD 4650, 7800GT, or an 8600GT...

So, I'm looking to pick up a GPU, but nothing crazy expensive—maybe under $267. Just want something so I can play games without a headache. Here’s my current rig:
CPU: AMD Athlon II X2 250
Motherboard:
Manufacturer: ASUSTeK Computer INC.
Model: ASUS M2N68-AM plus
Chipset: Nvidia GeForce 7025
Southbridge: Nvidia nForce 630a
RAM:
Type: DDR2 Channels#: Single
Size: 2048 Mbytes
NB Frequency 1607.3 MHz
That's basically it. Any suggestions would be appreciated. POZZZZ 🙂

Check this out:

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

Just let me know what kind of power supply you're running. I'd hate for it to be some cheap junk from an MS or Linkworld unit.🙂

I realize the GPU is probably overkill for your setup, but honestly, this looks like a killer deal.😁

Is there any way to check what power supply I've got... either through some software or by actually peeking inside the case? heheh 😁

ruggedmarlin43 said:Is there actually a way to check which power supply I have... either through some software or by actually peeking inside the case... haha 😁

Just unscrew two bolts on the chassis and take a look.

Don't worry, you aren't going to break anything by doing that 😉

Is this an ATX 450W unit?

Which specific brand are we talking about?

Is it a PDS ATX - 450? If that’s what the label says, is that actually any good, or just mediocre?

It’s certainly a possibility, though I find myself quite skeptical given that there isn't a single shred of information available online regarding this manufacturer; I highly doubt we're looking at anything remotely high-end...

If I were actually in the market for a GPU right now, where would you suggest I look so we can narrow down which retailers are worth our time?

I don't know, man. I'm just living out here in Imok, and most shops I can find are around San Francisco or down in Georgia (Pittsburgh, Boise). Anyone got a decent GPU recommendation?

ruggedmarlin43 said:I don't really know, I live in Imok, and the shops near San Francisco or Georgia (Pittsburgh, Boise) might have something. Any GPU recommendations?

You could check out Best Buy in San Francisco, though $267 it's just okay. Prices are sort of stuck around 900-$333 for something like a GTS250 or an HD 5750, while you can get an HD 5670 or a GT 240 (DDR5) for about $233... honestly, I’d probably still look for something used... plus, you should grab a new power supply for your future build. 🙂

Hey everyone, I could really use a little help here.
My Albatron GF 8600GTS graphics card finally kicked the bucket—it's got 256MB of PCIe memory—so now I'm on the hunt for a replacement. I've got about $500 set aside, though honestly, $333 the less I can spend, the better! It doesn't need to be the fastest card on the planet, right? I just love playing games on my computer, even if I'm not exactly obsessed with the latest AAA titles.

Processor: Intel Core 2 duo E6420 box 2 x2, 13 GHz 1066MHz 775-pin
Motherboard: Gigabyte 965P-DS3
RAM: 4 GB DDR2 PC6400 800MHz Kingmax
Power Supply: Chieftec 550W
Monitor: Samsung 20'' 205 BW, usually running at 1680x1050 resolution

I've been looking at these options:

Zotac Nvidia GeForce GTS 450, 1GB, DDR5
Sapphire Radeon HD5750, 1GB GDDR5, HDMI, VAPOR-X

But I'm a bit stuck—do you think these might be overkill for my setup, especially considering my monitor?🤷

Thanks so much for any advice you can give!

Honestly, I’d say you're already pushing it too far because of that CPU. You should probably grab a decent cooler for under $67, overclock the processor, and then pick up a gts 450 🙂.

stormywolf39 said:Personally, I’d say that setup is already overkill because of the processor, so wouldn't it be smarter to just grab a decent cooler for under $67, overclock the CPU, and then pair it with a single gts 450 🙂

Hmm, so are you trying to tell me I don't actually need such a powerhouse graphics card? Because honestly, I'm starting to think that might be way too much $333—but if we're scaling back, what kind of card would actually make sense to pair with this processor?
around $167

It really depends on what you’re planning to play. I wouldn't say you don't "need" one, but rather that your processor is just too weak to actually let anything better than the cards you mentioned reach its full potential—even if you overclocked it, which isn't exactly a miracle worker anyway. Regardless, if I were you, I'd grab either the 5750 or the 450. The next step up from those is a massive downgrade in performance compared to these two, especially when the price gap is pretty negligible.

Gainward PCI-E Nvidia GeForce GTS 250 with CUDA Green edition GDDR3 1024http://www.protis.hr/products/detail...mb256bit/33019

I’ve been staring at this card, and honestly, $283 doesn't it look way worse than those other two options?

P.S. Why on earth would they even bother putting a VGA port on a card like this when the resolution limit is so low? My old setup had dual DVI plus VGA, and if I recall correctly, I couldn't even hit 1680x1050 on it.

The gts 250 isn't actually all that much worse than those two. For the most part, it performs right up there with them, but it’s an older card that runs hotter, pulls more power, and lacks DX11 support.

I don't find it particularly reassuring.

Oops
I ended up grabbing an ATI Shappire HD5570 $200 though once I have a little more cash on hand, I'll definitely be upgrading to something much beefier, so thanks everyone for the great advice! (stormywolf39)

🤦 for $180 you got an hd5670 🤦