GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Hey guys, can someone let me know if I’ll actually be able to max out Call of Duty: Black Ops II on this setup? Or am I looking at dropping the resolution to something like 1650x1050 just to stay afloat?
GPU Intel Core i7-2600K NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570-->fps

ATI Radeon HD6970-->fps

I haven't pulled the trigger on the PC yet... still weighing these two options. My main goal is hitting high settings on Call of Duty: Black Ops II. If the 6950 can handle everything on high, I'll stick with that, otherwise, I might have to go for the 6970...

Was that actually tough? http://www.overclockersclub.com/revi...0_review/9.htm
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4061/a...eon-hd-6950/13

With current prices for the 5850 and 6870 looking like this, buying an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 is just plain stupid. 🙂

Bryan Evans77, what do you think about me grabbing that power supply and the Radeon 5770 from you? I've been reading up and it seems solid. It's listed at $217 on Craigslist, whereas a brand new one goes for $1,400.

The price for a new 4850 is $167 while the 5770 goes for $47...based on those numbers, the 5770 ought to be twice as good. This 4850 is pretty outdated, though.

My power supply is gone... sold it.
If you're looking for the Bluestorm 2, then fine.🙂
I can make that happen for you.🙂

Look, I'm telling you again, where on earth did you read that an HD5770 goes for $1,400? I know where people get those numbers from, but anyone can list a phone for $167 more than its actual value—that doesn't mean the phone is suddenly twice as good just because I'm selling it at that price. Anyway, I already told you they're available for $890...
http://www.google.com/search?q=hd5770&x=0&y=0
And it’s not even that much better; it's basically in the same league as the HD4850, just slightly better since it supports DX11.

Here’s the deal... I’d honestly rather pick up a 5770 with a full warranty from a big retailer than buy one from you when there's no telling how old it actually is for $500. That's a lot of cash to risk if it dies on me in two months. I just want some peace of mind. Still, I definitely need that power supply since I'm leaning towards getting the 5770.

Look...
whatever works for you...

I can try to hunt down a GPU with a warranty if you really want one, but if not, I don't care either way. Same goes for the power supply—I can sort that out too (though most of those won't come with a warranty anyway)...
You just gotta tell me what you're thinking.🙂

Could you recommend a power supply that can handle a 5770 for $50?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/power-supply-listing-example
I mean... who knows what kind of junk you'll actually end up with on Craigslist?

And honestly, I don't get this whole "saving money" thing on a power supply. If you grab some cheap, off-brand unit, isn't it just asking for everything to fry?

I’m completely tapped out... honestly. Unless you'd be willing to part with yours for $150??? Pleaseeee, I still have to cover the shipping costs too... which is about $17...

Which card should I grab out of these 5550/5570 options:
http://www.yoyotech.co.uk/listing-pr...s&category=567

And is it even worth looking at a 5670? My power supply is just some random 400W Codegen unit that came bundled with my case (so yeah, basically junk)
http://www.yoyotech.co.uk/listing-pr...s&category=562

Oh, and here's the motherboard I'm running:
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/pro...?pid=2611&dl=1

Does the difference between PCIe 2.0 and 2.1 actually matter, besides just how fast the card runs?

Roger Phillips82 said:Can you find me a power supply that can handle a 5770 for $50?

I picked up a Seasonic 520w for $190 back when I could still use the installment plans at Best Buy—easy life... Later, I just slapped in an Nvidia 9800gt and called it a day. Now I just need a quad-core CPU for maybe 800-$333 before finally upgrading the GPU and being done with it. Don't skimp on the power supply... trust me, you'll regret it later.

Tyler Howard46 said:which card should I grab from these 5550/5570 options:
http://www.yoyotech.co.uk/listing-pr...s&category=567

and is a 5670 even worth it—my PSU is just some cheap Codegen 400W that came with the case (basically junk)
http://www.yoyotech.co.uk/listing-pr...s&category=562

oh yeah, this is the motherboard:
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/pro...?pid=2611&dl=1

does the PCIe 2.0 vs 2.1 thing matter, other than the actual speed the card runs at?

Best cooling is http://www.yoyotech.co.uk/item-detai...cts_id=3727481 and honestly, best performance too... That Codegen might hold up, I guess... Motherboard is fine, doesn't matter if it's 2.0 or 2.1 for this...

It’s going to be a breeze with the Sapphire HD 5670. Honestly, you don't even need to overthink the cooling situation—this card runs pretty cool naturally—so even a basic single-slot cooler should handle things just fine.

I'm with you on this—but look, the Ice Q is only about 4 bucks more... and honestly, it’s still the best one out there, so it's worth the extra change...

So, here's the deal. I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on an Asus Nvidia gt 240 with 512MB of memory sometime in the next few days. Just weighing it up.
Since gaming is pretty much my whole reason for being online right now, that's where I need to put most of my money. Everything else is secondary. GeForce "8500" It’s way too weak for any of the newer games, but honestly, whatever. I don't really care.
So, what I'm really wondering here is... will this gt 240 actually play nice with the processor? Like, is it going to work normally or what? Intel Core duo E4500 2,20... just sitting there. Thinking about how much things change. One minute you think you've got a decent setup, and then you realize you're basically running on fumes. It’s funny, really. You spend all this time tinkering, thinking you're some kind of tech wizard, and then you're staring at an Intel Core duo E4500 2,20 wondering where it all went wrong. Not that I'm complaining, per se. It gets the job done when you aren't trying to run anything remotely modern. Just a thought. Or maybe just a rant. Whatever.Yeah, sure, the native resolution is 1680x1050, but if your GPU is total garbage, you're obviously gonna have to drop that down just to get anything playable. Is there anything else I need to worry about, or do I literally just pop a new card into the slot and call it a day?
Yeah, that's the plan. I'm looking at grabbing it through Newegg. $206 Does anyone actually know if ordering stuff online is legit? I’ve never bought anything over the internet before, so I'm a bit skeptical. Is the pricing usually fair, or am I just getting ripped off? If someone knows a site that’s 100% safe and won't screw me over, let me know.

So, my rig is strictly for gaming—I'm talking full-on hardcore mode—but this current card is just straight-up pathetic. It’s way too weak for what I need, so yeah, I'm hunting for a new one. The problem is, I have zero clue which power supply I actually need to run it, and honestly? I don't even know how to check what I've got under the hood right now.

I'm open to any and all suggestions. Lay them on me.

Timothy Thompson8 said:So, I'm planning on ordering an "Asus Nvidia gt 240, 512MB"
since I mainly need it for gaming, and my current GeForce "8500" is way too weak for any modern titles. Whatever.
What I want to know is if this gt 240 will run properly with my "Intel Core duo E4500 2,20" processor. Also, my native resolution is 1680x1050, but if the card can't handle games at that setting, I'll just lower it. Do I need to do anything else besides plugging the new card into the slot?
I'm thinking about getting it from Best Buy $206—does anyone know if they're reliable for online orders? I've never bought anything online before. Is the price decent, or can someone recommend a site that's 100% legit?

Anyway, this PC is strictly for gaming—I'm a hardcore gamer—so since my current card is trash, I'm upgrading. I have no idea what my power supply is right now, though. No clue how to check.

Any advice is welcome.

Bad choice... stay away from that if you actually want to game.

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

For the same amount of money you'd spend on a gt240, check out these options. Just make sure to verify the warranty first.

http://www.craigslist.com/graphics-card-listing

A much better pick. It's newer, runs cooler, uses less power, and you can see the warranty info.

If you absolutely have to go with something brand new, look at the hd5750... http://www.newegg.com/hd5750-listing it's new in the box.

By the way, what kind of power supply are you running?

The GT 240 is honestly pretty weak—especially if you're looking to actually play games. It isn't going to cut it for anything modern.👎

If I were in your shoes, I might suggest looking at either a GAINWARD GT440 or maybe a Sapphire HD 5670(they're in a similar price bracket, but offer much better performance) from Newegg.

What kind of power supply are you running, and what's your budget looking like?

Nathan Reyes59 said:Terrible choice... if you want to actually game, run the other way.

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

For the same amount of cash you're looking at for a gt 240, just check the warranty first, obviously.

http://www.craigslist.org/graphics-card-listing-example

Even better option here—it's newer, runs cooler, pulls less power, and you can see the warranty status too.

If you absolutely have to go with something brand new, look for an HD5750 again... http://www.bestbuy.com/item/hd5750-listing brand new price tag.

BTW, what kind of power supply are you running?

And uh, how do people even buy new stuff through Craigslist? I don't know, nobody's really told me how it works, I guess.🤷,,and as for the power supply, I honestly have no clue how to figure that out. I grabbed that CPU and under the core voltage section it says 1.265 and it keeps jumping up and down constantly... is that it? I don't know. I'm pretty clueless when it comes to hardware.