GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Roger Phillips82 said:-PCI-e graphics card
Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 Package
Socket 775 LGA
Clock speed: 1994.4 MHz
ConRoe 1333-D667
RAM: 4GB
Gaming at 1280x1240
The local shops don't care about anything except the model name on the box

What’s the price tag on that?

Though if you ask me, this should be more than sufficient for that specific rig and resolution:

And those 500, 600 ones too

I’ve been sitting here doing some research... but everyone keeps insisting that the Radeon HD 4770 is leagues ahead of what I have. I'm having a hard time deciding. Right now, I'm running a Radeon HD 4650, and honestly, games look perfectly fine on my 19-inch monitor. Even Dead Space 2 runs smoothly at max settings without any stuttering.

I'm just curious how much of an upgrade this actually is compared to what I'm running right now..

Roger Phillips82 said:I've been staring at these specs for ages... everyone keeps insisting that some dark horse like the Radeon HD 4770 is a hundred times better than what I have, so I'm stuck in this indecision. Right now, I'm running a Radeon HD 4650, and honestly, my games look perfectly fine on my 19-inch monitor. Even Dead Space 2 runs smoothly on my current settings without any stuttering whatsoever.

The performance gaps here are marginal, and frankly, you'll struggle to notice them in day-to-day use.
Besides, the Radeon HD 4770 isn't even available on the market anymore, and the Radeon HD 5670 is the newer choice—it runs quieter, stays cooler, and supports DirectX 11, though we both know DirectX 11 isn't exactly a game-changer right now...

Is the jump from a Radeon HD 4650 to a Radeon HD 5670 actually worth your money? In my estimation, yes, because the Radeon HD 5670 provides a significant boost in raw power.

For those interested in the data, here are some benchmarks: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/...omputer-handle

Thanks... I just really needed someone to clarify this because I can't find a straight answer online; everyone seems to say something different. My card supports DirectX 10.1, which is fine, but how big is the actual gap between that and DirectX 11? Thanks a million, you've made my life much easier 😁

What do you guys think—is this worth picking up?
http://www.craigslist.org/vi/graphics-cards-advertisement-2442388

Roger Phillips82 said:Do you think this is worth picking up?
http://www.craigslist.org/video-card-listing-example

It’s practically brand new $193, so I wouldn't bother. There isn't even any mention of a warranty, which makes me suspect there isn't one at all.

If they dropped the price down to $150, I might consider it just for the sake of having it, provided there's an actual warranty involved, of course. 😉

Don't go expecting much from DirectX 11 on a Radeon HD 5670; it's still far too weak a card for those kinds of tasks, and even the Radeon HD 577, which is significantly more capable, struggles quite a bit with it in certain games.

DirectX 11: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct3D#Direct3D_11

I see what you mean... I was actually thinking about this...
New stock arrived... I picked up my current one here too... they sell them at a great price...
http://www.google.com/search?q=DirectX+11

Roger Phillips82 said:I was being a bit dense there... this is what I actually meant...
new cash...that's where I picked up my current one too...they sell them incredibly cheap...
http://www.amazon.com/s?k=DirectX+11

Well, you could just grab it from there; it's the exact same thing.

Of course it makes more sense to go with that option if it turns out to be $33 cheaper, but I only mentioned Best Buy as an example because I wasn't exactly scouring the whole country for deals. 🙂

Alright..

Personally, 512 MB is plenty for me. I don't really need a full gig given my resolution settings.

Roger Phillips82 said:Honestly, I'm fine with 512 MB; I don't see why I'd need a full gigabyte for my resolution.

If you actually needed it, you would know it...

Do me a favor and just use the EDIT function instead of flooding the board with consecutive posts; if you keep this up, the moderators will inevitably step in to clean up the mess.

The Nvidia GTX 460 is noticeably more powerful than the Nvidia GT 430—there's about a 20% difference there🙂

It's actually giving the Nvidia 8800 GT a run for its money, whereas the Nvidia GT 430 is definitely a tier below😉

crimsonstag84 said:The Nvidia GTX 460 is noticeably more powerful than the Nvidia GT 430, there's about a 20% difference here. 🙂

It's almost catching up to the Nvidia 8800 GT; the Nvidia GT 430 is definitely a step down. 😉

Nobody even knows what kind of power supply he's running, and that Nvidia GTX 460 needs at least 20 amps on the +12v rail.

Alexander Moore67 said:Nobody actually knows what kind of power supply they're running, and that Nvidia GTX 460 really needs at least 20 amps on the +12v rail.

There is only one used unit available, as they aren't making new ones anymore: http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-example

But then we have to consider the power supply situation.
More importantly, one must question whether such an investment even makes sense; is it worth dropping $183 on an aging card with zero warranty, when you could simply pick up a new Nvidia GT 430 that features more modern architecture and a full 2-year manufacturer's warranty for almost $33 less?

In my estimation, opting for the Nvidia GT 430 is clearly the wiser path. 👍

Incidentally, I cannot fathom how he manages to score a 7.2 out of 7.9, considering that whenever I run my Nvidia GT 430 HD4850, I consistently see scores of 7.4/7.4. 🤣

If he's really after performance, the Nvidia GTX 460 might be the better call. It only has about 20W more TDP and stays around 70 C in 3DMark... plus, it's just one generation older but still built on that then-new 40nm tech 😉

The price is just a bit steep, though. Maybe he could try dropping it down to at least $167 🙂

Alex Harris32 said:The differences are pretty minor—hardly worth noticing...
Besides, you can't even find an Nvidia GTX 460 anymore, and the Nvidia GT 430 is newer, quieter, runs cooler, and has DirectX 11 (though DirectX 11 isn't exactly a game changer)...

Is upgrading from an HD4650 to an Nvidia GT 430 actually worth it? Honestly, yeah... the Nvidia GT 430 is significantly stronger.

Check out these benchmarks: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/...omputer-handle

4670 < 5670 < 4770 < 4830 < 4850 & 5750 < 4870 & 5770

Here’s a rough power scale—if I were you, I'd just grab a used Nvidia 8800 GT for about $167... it makes way more sense than the Nvidia GT 430. That DirectX 11 stuff is useless on a card like that when the rest of your rig is going to struggle to hit 10 fps anyway...

http://www.craigslist.org/forsale/graphics-cards...listing-12345

I used to run this one myself... it was decent enough...

James Castillo8 said:Nvidia GTX 460 < Nvidia GT 430 < Nvidia GTX 460 < 4830 < Nvidia 8800 GT & 5750 < 4870 & Nvidia GT 430 HD4850

Here is a rough hierarchy of performance; if you ask me, hunting down a used Nvidia 8800 GT for about $167 makes far more sense than picking up a Nvidia GT 430. That whole DirectX 11 thing on that specific card is absolute nonsense—what is the point of having it if, paired with the rest of his setup, he’ll just be struggling through games at a miserable 10 fps?

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

I actually owned the one listed above once, and it performed quite well.

I am fully aware of all that, believe me, but paying $183 for a used Nvidia GTX 460 with a questionable warranty feels like a poor investment to me, regardless of what anyone else thinks.
Without a guarantee, I wouldn't go over $150, because you can find an Nvidia 8800 GT for around $500 that will absolutely crush the Nvidia GTX 460 whenever it feels like it.

Besides, he hasn't even mentioned which power supply he is running yet, so it feels like we are just spinning our wheels here.😉

PCI-e card
intel core 2 duo E4400
Package: Socket 775 LGA
Core speed :1994.4 mhz
Core2Duo 1333-D667
RAM:4096 mb
gaming at 1280x1240
Stores don't care—it's just a label on the box

With a setup like this, you're probably looking at some cheap MSI 400W power supply... so honestly, I wouldn't even risk an Nvidia 8800 GT. You might get it to run, but what's the point? Playing a game for two or three hours on max settings just to fry your PSU... I doubt there's anything decent in there. Personally, I ran the one from the ad on Call of Duty—the 400W held up, but then it died shortly after🙂 so it's not worth the hassle. For a GTX 460, $167 it’s definitely not worth it; better to just grab an Nvidia 9800GT/X—better for gaming in my book, and I'm using one right now and loving it. As for the Nvidia 8800 GT, $167 it's worth it, though I guess it depends on how hard the previous owner pushed it... I got lucky once and scored a brand new Sapphire 3870 in exchange for a 250GB hard drive😁 complete with the box and everything, haha