Buying a new graphics card - (read first post)

So, I’ve finally decided it’s time to upgrade my old rig. I need it "for school," if you know what I mean. Since my complete lack of hardware knowledge is basically a curse, I can't even enjoy my other favorite pastime—online shopping 🙂

- PCI-E
- Needs to handle CAD and some gaming
- Budget: up to $500
- Resolution: 1440x900
- Motherboard: ASRock 775i91SPL-SATA 2
- Processor: Intel Pentium 4 630
- Package: Socket 775LGA
- Core speed: 2997.0 MHz
- Memory size: 2048 MB
- Power supply: 350W
- Ideally looking for something at Best Buy (it's the closest option)

I was wondering if it would be worth my while to pick up a used PCI-E NVIDIA GTX 760 $83? I'm not entirely certain if it's the GT or GS version at this point, but I do know it has 256 MB of DDR3 memory...

Thanks so much!

PCI-E NVIDIA GTX 760 is basically an 8500GT (new $73)
The 7600GT? Slightly weaker than the 8600GT (new $110)

So, no. (Assuming we're talking PCIe)

Thanks so much!!

I'm looking to pick up a new graphics card from Silicon Valley for roughly $250-$100. I mostly want to play some lighter games... What would you say is the absolute best bang-for-your-buck option for a build featuring an Intel Core i7 black edition, an ASUS ROG Maximus motherboard (which I'll be giving to my brother, while I'm sticking with my Ma-770-DS3 😁), and 2 GB of DDR2 RAM? My power supply is a 400 w EVGA.

Thanks again!

Nathan Reed24 said:So, it’s finally come to this. I need to upgrade my bucket. "For school," obviously. Given my typical female lack of hardware knowledge, I can't even enjoy my other favorite pastime—shopping🙂

- PCI-E
- for AutoCAD and gaming
- budget: up to $500
- resolution: 1440x900
- motherboard: ASRock 775i91SPL-SATA 2
- processor: Intel Pentium 4 630
- socket: Socket 775LGA
- clock speed: 2997.0 MHz
- memory: 2048 MB
- PSU: 350W
- preferably Intel (it's what's closest to me)

HD2600PRO plus Quadro drivers if the priority is AutoCAD (roughly $133)
(though gaming performance will take a hit)
Otherwise, put the rest of the cash toward a new CPU, motherboard, and PSU (like an MA770-DS3 + Intel Core i7 + 2GB RAM, maybe around $367
--------------------------------------------------------------
@Taylor Brooks3/">@@Taylor Brooks3
HD3650 for $110 at Intel... nothing else is in stock... and with the 4350, don't expect any actual gaming

Thanks so much for all the help!!!

I’d probably lean toward the
since it actually has DDR3, which makes it worth paying $3.25 a bit
more.
EDIT: Plus, according to this, it runs faster than the 3650 with DDR2 or DDR3:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...rd,2033-7.html

That 9500GT is basically just an 8600GTS with faster memory. Probably a decent buy for the price, I guess.

tiki's list, but it’s unavailable

Silicon Valley really should add an option to hide unavailable hardware... (especially those Microsoft spots)

Kyle Sanchez4 said:the list from fadedorca66, though it isn't currently available

I honestly think Intel should just implement an option to hide hardware that's out of stock... (especially regarding those Microsoft spots)

But then again, about 60% of the hardware listed would vanish... which might make things look a little too sparse at first glance😁

I'm trying to figure out which of these two cards I should actually go for... basically, which one is "stronger" if you can even call it that...

ECS GEFORCE RTX 4090

or maybe

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti

wiredmarlin5 said:Given the constant flood of GPU-related posts, I'm starting this thread to keep things organized and ensure all info stays in one place.

There are a few rules you need to follow:

• Do you need an AGP or PCI-E card?
• What’s your current or planned setup, and what PSU are you running?
• What resolution are you gaming at?
• What's your budget?
• Which retailers are you looking at?
• List any other specific requirements here.

☕

The 4850 is clearly the superior card.☕

So, I'm looking at some PCI-E graphics cards and I'm torn between two options:
1. EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 1024 MB, tv-out, dual HDMI
2. Gainward BLISS 9800GT Golden Sample, GF 9800GT, 1GB DDR3, PCI-E, TV-out, dual HDMI
these two are hovering around $500, and honestly, this is for a gaming rig—so, which one of these is actually going to hold its own when running Call of Duty?

Or should I just throw in some extra cash $167 for: *EVGA GeForce GTX 1GB DDR5, PCIE, TVout, DVI??

What are the actual differences between these cards, and is any of this even worth the money?

Thanks

Walter Morales3 said:So, I'm looking at PCI-E graphics cards and I'm torn between these two:
1. EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 1024 MB, tv-out, dual HDMI
2. Gainward BLISS 9800GT Golden Sample, GF 9800GT, 1GB DDR3, PCI-E, TV-out, dual HDMI
They're both around $500, but this is for a gaming rig. Which one is going to handle Call of Duty better?

Or should I add $167 to the mix: *EVGA GeForce GTX 1GB DDR5, PCIE, TVout, DVI??

What are the actual differences here? Is any of this even worth the cash?

Thanks

That's an interesting dilemma, but obviously go with the 980 Ti. You definitely shouldn't be looking at a 9800 GT. Check out the 4850 x2 instead.

You should have checked the rules first.🙄

# What is your current or upcoming build, and what PSU are you using?
# What resolution are you gaming at?
# What is your budget?
# Which stores are you looking at?
# If you have any other specific requirements, let us know.

I would probably aim for an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti with some decent cooling👍. While the 980 Ti is technically more powerful, if you go that route, you're going to need a beefy power supply, a well-ventilated case, and a high-end system overall to support it. You can find a 9800gt for much less than $500...

@swiftridge40/">@@swiftridge40, what are you talking about with a 4850x2? That card is way out of your budget.

You’ve got a point there. I honestly thought the 4850 x2 was sitting around $20, maybe even $25 if you were lucky. If that's the case, just grab the 3870 x2 instead.

The case is
and the power supply is

The rest of the specs look solid enough—an Intel Core i9 2.33 GHz, an Intel motherboard, DDR2, SATA RAID, Gigabit LAN, VGA, and PCI-E, all on a 775 socket.
It’s got 4GB of RAM and a 22" monitor.

So, that's the build. I don't really care about the retailer—as long as the price stays under $700.

Wait, so you're saying the 9800GT 1GB $393 isn't even in the same league as the 980 Ti 1GB?
And is the HD4870 1GB actually better than the 980 Ti 1GB?

Also, which brand should I trust more—EVGA or ASUS???

It doesn't really matter ☕

Walter Morales3 said:The case is
and the PSU is

The rest of the specs look solid: an Intel Core i7 2.33 GHz, an Intel G45 motherboard, DDR2, SATA RAID, Gigabit LAN, VGA, PCI-E, LGA 775,
4GB RAM, and a 22" monitor.

That’s the build. Honestly, I don't care about the store, as long as the price is $700 cheap enough.

So, is the 9800GT 1GB $393 actually nothing compared to the HD3870 x2 1GB?
And is the HD4870 1GB better than the 3870 x2 1GB?

Also, which brand is better, AMD or ASUS???

Look, just grab a Corsair 550W or 650W power supply. Why would you even bother with that junk from $300 just to save a few bucks? And obviously the x2 is faster since there are two of them, even if they're a year old. Just Google the benchmarks yourself.

Hey everyone!

So, my PC is basically on life support right now—total coma status—so I figured I’d at least swap out the graphics card in the slim hope that I might actually be able to play something for once. 🙂

Here’s the current breakdown:

CPU: Pentium 4 3200
Motherboard: Asrock intel-via series IV21b (AGP 3.0 interface version)
RAM: 1GB
GPU: Radeon 9250

Hopefully that's enough info to go on...

What are you guys thinking for a replacement? It doesn't need to be some cutting-edge, top-of-the-line beast or anything crazy expensive—just something that won't choke the second I try to launch a game.

Thanks!