Buying a new graphics card - (read first post)

It looks like we're finally getting the ASUS EAH 4770 formula after all... this is supposedly the latest iteration of the 4770 series. They claim it features improved cooling and runs quieter, which I guess would be nice. As for performance, they're saying it's basically the same as the old one—maybe even slightly better in some cases, though I suspect it's just equal—while potentially offering a bit lower power consumption at best.😁

In my humble opinion, grabbing an HD4770 just isn't worth the cash when you could be looking at the HD4870 512/1024 or even that 250GTS instead... 🙂

And honestly, I won't even get started on the upcoming generation of ATI cards, because once those much faster models hit the market, the prices on these older ones are bound to plummet...

wiredmarlin5 said:In my opinion, grabbing an HD4770 just isn't worth the money when you could get an HD4870 512/1024 or even a 250GTS instead. 🙂

And don't even get me started on the next generation of ATI cards; much faster hardware is right around the corner, which means prices for these current models are bound to tank.

Look, I get that those other options might be better, but they’re also way more expensive. Personally, I think the 4770 offers the best bang for your buck. As for the pricing, I'm banking on the price of the 4770 dropping soon, so I'd probably pick up a second one once it gets cheaper. Running two 4770s together is honestly kind of a mess—they're basically identical, if not maybe slightly better than a 4890 or a 250GTS. 😁

Can someone suggest a gaming GPU that will hold its own for the next 2-3 years across all titles? My rig is currently undergoing repairs, so I can't verify my PSU or other components right now...

Nicholas Collins8 said:Can someone please recommend a gaming GPU that will handle all games for the next 2-3 years? (My PC is currently being repaired, so I can't check things like the power supply right now...)

Handle everything for 2-3 years!?...you need to define what you mean by "handle."😁

Personally, I don't think such a thing exists. Graphics cards come out so fast these days; I seriously doubt any single card is going to keep you satisfied for three whole years... but if you really want to go for it, maybe an ATI 4890 or an Nvidia GeForce GTX 275 would work. Those are basically the top tier right now. Or, if you just have an unlimited budget, you could look at those dual-core beasts like the ATI Radeon 4870 X2 (which is probably the fastest card on the planet), but that's going to run you about $2500$1000...so, you decide.🙂

You make a fair point. A single graphics card—even a single-core one, if you want to call it that—is unlikely to run upcoming games smoothly three years down the line. It’ll handle most titles just fine, but eventually, some massive release will come along and bring even the top-tier rigs to their knees, much like how Crysis did two years ago. I still remember those old YouTube videos with titles like "Crysis Very high on GeForce 8800 Ultra Tri-SLI"... I can only imagine what kind of rig you'd need to pull that off. 😁 Just look at this—two years later, and a high-end card is running Crysis smoothly, even though three of them could barely handle it back then. 😁
Those three 8800 Ultraces cost about $1,400, maybe a little less. For that kind of money, you could have picked up a new mainstream graphics card every few months over the last two years for solid performance, and you probably would have had plenty of cash left over too.
To get straight to the point: if you don't go with CF/SLI, you're probably going to struggle to hit a smooth 40+ FPS in about three years. On the other hand, if you do decide to run CF/SLI, you’ll need to upgrade to a better power supply. That ends up driving the total cost way up, which might be money better spent elsewhere.
Maybe you should just convert that to dollars and save it for a rainy day. Things are looking pretty uncertain right now... 😁

James Morris4 said:He’s got a point. A single card—single core, if you want to call it that—isn't going to handle new games smoothly three years from now. It’ll run most of them, sure, but then some title drops that puts even top-tier rigs on their knees, just like 😁 Crysis did two years ago. I remember those 😁 YouTube videos with titles like "Crysis Very high on GeForce 8800 Ultra Tri-SLI"... I used to dream about having a rig like that
And look at us now. Two years later, one high-end card is running Crysis just fine, while three cards were barely managing it back then
Back then, those three 8800 Ultras cost maybe $1,500 or so. For that kind of money over the next two years, you could have picked up a new mainstream card every time there was a decent sale and still had plenty left over.
To make a long story short, if you aren't doing CF/SLI, you're going to struggle to hit 40+ fps in three years. If you do go the CF/SLI route, you'll need a better power supply... which means more $$$$. That adds up fast, and that money might be better spent elsewhere.😁 Better to take that cash, convert it to USD, and save it for a rainy day. Times are tough...

Look, I'm 12. My grandpa sold his ranch and is giving each grandkid $1,000, so I'm trying to figure out what to buy 😁 is it possible to add another card alongside my geForce 8600 gts?

Nicholas Collins8 said:Look, I'm 12 years old, my grandpa just passed away and he left every grandkid 1000 bucks, so I'm looking at what to buy 😁 is it actually possible to put another card right next to a geForce 8600 gts?

Well, you can do it via SLI, obviously you need a motherboard that actually supports SLI... though personally, I've always leaned toward ATI cards. If I actually had that kind of cash and really wanted dual cards, I'd go with Crossfire. You'd need a board that supports Crossfire and then grab two ATI cards—say, two 4890s. Those two in Crossfire are probably about as powerful as anything on the market right now. Or you could go the Nvidia route with two GeForce GTX 275 cards in SLI (meaning an SLI board, not Crossfire; those two don't play together). That would be top-tier stuff, I guess, but the real question is whether it's even worth it. I mean, unless you have some insane 30" monitor or something similar to play at crazy resolutions, you could probably get by with something much weaker than that... My suggestion? Just pick up a new motherboard that has SLI or Crossfire support (depending on which brand you prefer), buy one 4890 or a GeForce GTX 275, and then maybe in 6 months or a year, grab the second one and link them up. Right now, it doesn't make much sense to run two cards that powerful at once...

It seems a bit unwise to buy him another one just to use for six months, especially since the next generation from ATI and Nvidia is dropping in just a few months. For the same price, he could probably get both technologies in a single card later on.
Well, twelve years? I assume you're only playing games then. Maybe just keep the 8600gt as a backup and pick up a new GTX275. Just make sure your power supply can actually handle it. If it can't, grab a new one; if it can, I guess you should just save the rest of the cash (tuck it away in a sock 😁).
Or even better, maybe just stick with the 8600 for a while longer. Once those new generations finally hit the market, you could just build an entirely new PC, complete with an i5 processor. $1,000 is a pretty solid budget for a new setup.

James Morris4 said:It’s a waste of money to buy him a card now when it's only good for six months. The next generation from ATI and Nvidia is dropping in just a few months anyway. For the same price, he could just get one single card that packs both...
Twelve years... I assume you're just playing games at this point. Keep that 8600gt as a backup and just buy a new GTX 275. Just make sure your power supply can actually handle it. If not, buy a new one. If you already have enough juice, save the rest of the cash... put it in a sock or something... 😁).
Or better yet, just limp along with the 8600 for a while longer. Once those next-gen cards actually hit the market, you can just pull the trigger on an entirely new rig, including an i5 processor. $1,000 is a fair price for a whole new setup...

I wouldn't drop a grand on a build like that. Honestly... I don't even just play games. It's all torrents, music, Facebook, and stuff like that...

Gaming is easily the most demanding task you'll run on a PC, which is why you really need a dedicated gaming rig 😁
I'd suggest spending a portion of your budget on a solid GPU now, then saving the rest for a full new build in a year or so.

James Morris4 said:Gaming is easily the most demanding task you can run on a PC. That's why you need a machine built specifically for gaming. 😁
Just drop some cash on a GPU now, then save the rest for a full new build in a year or two...

My rig is only two years old. I'll probably just buy a whole new setup in a year or two. Seems like the smartest move...

Nah.
Two years? That's nothing... honestly. You can always swap out the motherboard, the hard drive, or the DVD/RW drive for newer parts whenever you feel like it...

Brandon Cruz81 said:Look, I'm not an American, so I don't really get all your slang and lingo here😁
so I'd probably drop about $30 or $40...
I saw over on some tech site that the GeForce 6200 goes for roughly $25-$30.
And checking other forums, people aren't really raving about the 7600GT—it’s way too pricey for a used card, let alone buying one brand new.
It’s obviously not going to struggle to run Diablo 2, but still, I just want a decent GPU—like I said before—just something that actually does its job.

Recently picked up a Gainward 6600GT for about $15. It's a pretty solid little card—has a DVI port which I'm using to hook it up to my LCD TV.👍

I guess it’s either $33 or 62 miles 😁. If it turns out to be 62 miles, then 🎉 😬
.

Should you pick up an Nvidia GeForce 8600 gt?🤷

Daniel Rivera13 said:The Nvidia GeForce 8600 gt—to buy it or not? That is the question, I suppose. It’s hard to say for certain without knowing what you intend to do with it, but there are certainly things to consider.🤷

It really depends on how much cash you’re willing to part with—and more importantly, what you actually plan to do with it. Otherwise, I wouldn't exactly call it a standout card... maybe.

Well, I suppose there isn't much else to be done then... I think I've finally decided to pull the trigger on the NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GX2. I’m leaning toward picking that one up, but I find myself feeling a bit uncertain. What are your actual thoughts on that specific graphics card? I would truly value your perspective on whether this is a wise move or if I might be making a mistake. 🤷 I am hoping to find a setup that can reliably run any game released up until about 2012. I suppose my main goal is to ensure smooth performance for that specific era of gaming titles.

Daniel Rivera13 said:Well, I suppose there's no other way... I'm going to pick up an NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GX2... What’s the consensus on that card??? 🤷 My goal is to have everything running smoothly through 2012, I guess...

What kind of CPU and power supply are we talking about here?

Daniel Rivera13 said:Well, I guess there's nothing left to do then... I think I'm just going to go ahead and pick up an NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GX2... What do you guys honestly think about that card??? 🤷 My big goal is to make sure I can run pretty much every game released up until 2012...

Is that because the world is ending or something? 😁