GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Model Name: iMac
Model Identifier: iMac14,1
Processor Name: Intel Core i5
Processor Speed: 2.7 GHz
Number of Processors: 1
Total Number of Cores: 4
L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB
L3 Cache: 4 MB
Memory: 8 GB
Chipset Model: Intel Iris Pro
Type: GPU
Bus: Built-In
VRAM (Dynamic, Max): 1536 MB

It’s an all-in-one. Honestly? Don't bother. Sell it to some hipster while it still has value and go buy yourself a real desktop 😬

Timothy Kim60 said:It's an all-in-one. None of this matters. Just sell it to some hipster while it still has value and go buy yourself a real desktop 😬

😬 🙏

Putting Sal aside, those Iris integrated graphics shouldn't be that weak; you should at least be able to tinker with something on them.

It’s doable, but I guess you won't be hitting 1080p on medium settings if we're talking about any pretty demanding games 🙂

Sure, he didn't specify his exact gaming expectations, but I’m pretty sure this setup holds its own against any AMD APU combo out there KLIK

His CPU is an Intel Core I5 Processor speed, which means he's running on that mobile FCBGA1364 platform, and his graphics are Iris (check out the gaming benchmarks below). Honestly, if you're looking to game, spending 10K on this would be a massive waste of money. At 768p, you can get quite a few newer titles to run at a playable 30 FPS on medium settings. However, some heavier titles won't even budge on low settings, even if you drop the resolution

Timothy Kim60 said:He's running an i5-4570R, which means he's on a mobile FCBGA1364 platform, and his graphics are this (gaming benchmarks are below). Honestly, $10k would be a total waste if he actually wants to play games. At 768p, you can get through some newer titles at medium settings with about 30 fps. Some heavier games won't even run on low, even at a lower resolution.

Of course it's bad, good grief—it's not like I'm recommending a Mac for gaming. It's basically 😬. What I mean is, given his current situation where he can't upgrade the GPU, this should suffice for casual gaming. If an Athlon x4 7600 can handle it, then so can this.🙂

That’s exactly why I’m saying you should sell it while it actually still holds some value. Let's be real: in a year or two, it'll be worth next to nothing—nobody is going to drop serious cash on it then. You're only really in trouble once something actually breaks. I assume it still carries that standard one-year Apple warranty, plus those two years of consumer protection laws we have here in the US regarding merchant liability for defects

Hey everyone, I could really use some advice on picking out a new graphics card.
My power supply is a Seasonic 430 w procesor AMD Athlon 2 x4 640 4
Running an AMD Athlon 2 x4 640
Got 4 GB of RAM
Motherboard is a Gigabyte 870 A-UD3

I was running an Nvidia 9800 gt in this rig until a lightning strike fried the damn thing, so now I'm looking for a replacement.
I mostly use this PC for Photoshop, watching movies, and just browsing the web—I don't play any games. I've got about $333 set aside for this.
Thanks in advance!

If you aren't gaming, there is absolutely no reason to drop cash on a high-end graphics card like an $333. Just grab the most budget-friendly option available and call it a day.

For instance, check out something like this: https://www.newegg.com/p/amd-ati-gpu/1...es-hd5450.html

If you're looking to boost Photoshop, you might want to grab some extra RAM too:

I guess it depends, though—what kind of RAM are you currently running? (Like, what's the MHz, or is it just 2x2GB?)

You might want to pick up an SSD as well, regardless of being stuck on SATA 2—it’ll make a world of difference, I promise. Take this one, for example. You can load your Windows installation and all your essential programs onto it
.

Thanks for getting back to me so fast on the RAM situation. I’ve been mulling it over, but since I'm running a 32-bit OS right now, there's really no point in upgrading yet.
Even though I'm not much of a gamer, I still want a solid graphics card. I usually have two monitors running at once, and every now and then, I'll jump into some CAD work on AutoCAD.
If you guys could throw some recommendations my way for a better card, I'd appreciate it. What's the verdict—should I go with Nvidia or Radeon?

Timothy Kim60 said:Honestly, you might want to grab an SSD regardless of being on SATA 2. Just pick up a budget model and call it a day. Maybe something like this one. You could load Windows and all your essential programs onto it
.

It's having 6 xSATA3 😉

A decent GPU will only really help with CAD if you're doing heavy 3D work; maybe look into a GT 740 DDR5. Pair that with a 120GB SSD and you're looking at roughly $383.

I’ve been chewing on the idea of getting an SSD for ages, I gotta admit. The only catch is I'd have to reinstall everything from scratch, and since I really need to make the jump to 64-bit, I'll probably have to wipe the whole system anyway—which is honestly the worst part of the whole process. Does it even make sense to just grab that GPU mentioned above without the SSD? Also, I'm assuming if they're both coming out on the graphics card, I could actually run both at once?

You could just swap out the GPU, but you’ll see the biggest jump in performance by adding an SSD and more RAM—you should definitely do a fresh install while you're at it.

As for AutoCAD, when you're working in 2D, your graphics card won't make much of a difference at all; performance stays pretty much flat regardless of what you're running.

https://d2fn9540hpidsu.cloudfront.ne...800&height=800

(For example, an Intel integrated chip is basically the same as a low-end GT 610 $100, even though some high-end cards cost thousands of dollars), so in this case, it's all the same.

Which of these would be the superior choice for gaming:
1) XFX AMD R9 270A 2GB DDR5
2) Radeon HD6990

I have both options available at roughly the same price point, yet I find myself undecided on which one holds more weight in today's landscape.
The various comparisons I've come across online seem to be split right down the middle, with conflicting arguments favoring one or the other. 🤔

First off, that second heater is basically a museum piece at this point...

Daniel Jackson29 said:Which card is better for gaming:
1) XFX AMD R9 270A 2GB DDR5
2) Radeon HD6990

They're available at about the same price, but I'm no expert on which one holds up better right now.
Online comparisons seem split, with one favoring one card and the other favoring the second. 🤔

Well, looking strictly at raw power, the 6990 is stronger. Mind you, it's much older, so if it’s using a stock cooler—the reference version—it's going to run as hot as a jet engine. Even if it isn't, it’ll still run pretty hot, just maybe a little less so. It really depends on how old and how heavily used they are, but that 6990 is roughly on par with an R9 280, provided you don't count the usual headaches that come with dual GPU setups.

Hey everyone, I could really use some help if anyone knows the deal here.
So, I just picked up a new PC equipped with a Radeon R9 390. The snag is—I can't actually get my monitor to connect to it! It’s an LG model, maybe 5 or 6 years old, and it uses a VGA cable, but the card only has digital inputs (that 24+1 pin setup, I think?). At least, that's how it was explained to me. Everything would be totally fine if there were just a simple adapter available, but I can't seem to find one. I remember when I bought my last graphics card last year, an adapter was tucked right in the box, but this one didn't come with anything.
Does anyone know a fix for this? I’d really love to avoid buying a whole new monitor if possible, because this one still works perfectly fine for me. Maybe there's a specific adapter or something similar out there that doesn't require a massive headache with cables or anything?