GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Grab this power supply... it's solid and built like a tank

So, listen, I’m looking to drop $233 on a new GPU. To be honest, my budget is pretty tight right now. What’s the best power supply I can grab to run an HD 5770 without blowing my budget? $50 I need something brand new—maybe a good deal on eBay or something similar. Thanks!
Also, just to clarify: if a card requires at least 450W, does that mean even the highest quality 350W unit won't cut it?

Don't bother buying anything new for $50. It's a waste of money... you're just gonna end up with junk no matter what. If you buy something new for less than $117, the power supply is basically garbage.

I actually have a used one, but someone already claimed it. If they flake out by tomorrow or the next day, I can sell it to you (but it's pretty much spoken for)... plus, I might be able to hook you up with a $67FSP BlueStorm 2 400W
. If that doesn't work out, grab this http://www.ebay.com/itm/pc-case-power-supply-listing
.
The reason they list such high wattage for that GPU is just corporate legal cover—they want to protect themselves from lawsuits, so they overpromise on the numbers.
In reality, that card pulls about 113W at full load. Add a 65W processor and maybe 10W for some hard drives, and you're looking at 200W total. Yet they tell you that you need 450W. You don't need that much raw power; you just need a quality unit that can actually deliver at least 250W whenever the system demands it. That's usually what the decent power supplies do. The cheap ones? They just pull a stunt like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTVEtr14FEA

There just isn't a decent power supply out there for the $50. Bryan Evans77 actually tracked down a Fortron Blue Storm for $67—honestly, you won't find anything better than that for the price you're looking to spend...

Bryan Evans77 said:Don't bother buying anything new for $50. You won't achieve anything. It's just garbage no matter how you look at it. If you buy something new under $117, you aren't getting a decent power supply...

I have a used one, but it's already spoken for. If the guy doesn't get back to me by tomorrow or the day after, I might sell it to you (though everything is pretty much settled)... also, I can help you track down a $67 Fortron Bluestorm 2 400W
. If my current deal falls through, pick up this http://www.ebay.com/itm/computer-cases-psu-listing

The reason they list such high wattage for that GPU is just corporate legal shielding. They want to protect themselves from lawsuits and nonsense, so they inflate those numbers...
However, that card actually draws about 113W at full load. If the CPU pulls 65W and the hard drives take 10W, that’s only 200W total. Yet, they claim you need 450W. So, you don't "need" that much; what you actually need is a high-quality unit capable of delivering at least 250W whenever the system demands it. That's usually what the premium power supplies provide. The cheap ones? When you actually stress them, they pull a stunt like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTVEtr14FEA

Why would anyone buy something ten months old when you can get a brand new one at Micro Center for the exact same price? 😕
http://www.microcenter.com/product_info.php?product_id=3798

Ugh... my bad, I linked the wrong thing. My computer just froze up on me... but looking at it now, what I actually meant to link isn't even what I'd suggest for him...

Thanks for catching that. 👍

Hold on a second... Does that mean my HD 5770 might actually work with this 400W power supply I've got?

Depends on the brand... 🙂
Give me the exact model and manufacturer listed on the power supply—you know, what's actually printed on that sticker.

James Fisher11 said:EVGA vs ASUS
which one's better?

It’s all the same—just different cooling setups... both are plenty good enough, so honestly, you can't really go wrong with either one...

I can try to snap a photo... but there isn't really anything written on it. I checked with Fixya regarding the power supply specs—the part mentioning a 305W max and a 400W peak—and they told me that while it handles 305W, hitting that 400W mark would probably fry it. If I just send over a picture, would you be able to tell what kind of power supply I actually have? There aren't any labels on this one. If it turns out mine isn't quite up to the task, I don't see much choice but to pick up that $200 one you mentioned, provided you think it's a solid bet.

Roger Phillips82 said:Hold on a second... So maybe a GTX 460 could work with this 400W power supply I have?

Look, a 400W unit might technically run it—it'll probably even boot—but theory and reality are two different things here. You could plug some cheap, no-name 400W unit into a low-end card and be fine because they don't need extra power cables, but this GTX 460 needs that 6-pin connector... I tried running an old high-end card on a similar setup back in my old gaming rig and it eventually just gave up on me. Same thing could happen to you, or worse, it takes something else down with it. Honestly, just grab a decent new power supply for $30-$$133 or listen to the guys here and pick up a used card instead... it's much smarter than dropping $333 on a brand new GTX 460 that might just fry your system. No point in risking it all...

I was actually just thinking about pulling the trigger on a build with that Cyclone card, but then I realized it’s out of stock 😢. So now I'm looking at the Toxic version instead. Apparently, the ASUS model has a slightly higher core clock—about 40MHz more—and better cooling too.
I'm stuck in this loop: do I wait a bit longer for the Cyclone to show up so my cousin can snag it for me over in Europe? It would definitely be $200-$100 cheaper there. Or should I just bite the bullet and grab this Toxic one right now? 🙂

James Castillo8, you're missing the point here...
he's got a GTX 460 for $233 which he already picked up.. plus he's got cash for the PSU, but only $50..
we're just trying to find any way to squeeze this into his budget 🙂

if there’s absolutely nothing labeled on the power supply, it's probably junk
like, seriously, no sticker, no brand name, nothing 👎

In that case, would it be better if I just went with the 5670?

Sorry Bryan Evans77, I missed that... Let me take another look right now because I’m really set on getting a GTX 460. It’s such a solid card, and considering the newer models are running around $1,400...$233

Let's hope for some luck http://www.ebay.com/itm/power-supply-listing-example he's looking for $67 maybe I'd offer him $50, and tell him to try dropping that card down to a 650...

The only thing written on it is
Dell... plus some warnings. I took a photo, but I'm not quite sure how to upload images to the forum since I'm using an Android

Roger Phillips82 said:My bad, Bryan Evans77, missed that... Let me take another look. I’m really gunning for that GTX 460 because it’s such a solid card for $233 and the new ones are sitting at $1400...

Check everything out first, then give me your take.....

The GTX 460 isn't actually *that* amazing (it was, but newer, faster stuff came out—I have one myself, so I know what I'm talking about 😁), and current prices are around $300.. (those $1400 ones? Just old stock they couldn't move, and since they paid full price to companies like Best Buy $333, they can't drop the price without taking a hit...) ...

Just upload your pics to a site like Flickr, you could even use Facebook and just link the image, or try www.imageshack.us or www.pohrani.com

@James Castillo8/">@@James Castillo8, well, you can always haggle, it just depends on how lucky you get 😁
I snagged an Antec TP3 650w for $33 👍

Look, if you ask me, I always try to haggle the price down—if it works, great, if not, you just check a few more listings online. But honestly, he’s being just as stubborn about that GTX 460 as Hillary Clinton was about the USA 😁... might be better to just hold off, save up a little more, and make a smarter move. If there isn't an emergency, why grab something mediocre now only to spend the next couple of months regretting it?

The price on that GTX 460 is solid right now, but honestly? It’ll probably just keep dropping the longer he waits. Some people are still out here acting like it's liquid gold—like that guy trying to flip a 5850 for $467 when you can grab a brand new 1100 for 😁... 👍

I could always just tune up a 4850 1GB for about $183... 🙂
with a warranty included. Think of the savings, haha
Or I could just slap a front panel on it and call it a day. That puts him at $250 and he can finally just relax 🙂