GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Robert Rodriguez2 said:VGA is just the video input port on a graphics card.

PCI-E 3.0 is the slot on the motherboard where you plug in your GPU...

☕

Fine, but then why does it specify VGA on some models if they all have VGA ports? It seems a bit redundant, I guess.

As for why I'm asking here separately—well, it's because I've had to tweak my specs about four or five times now as my budget shifts and I pick up new info along the way. To be clear, I haven't actually built a PC in ten years...😁I've mostly just been stuck working on laptops.

silvermoose14 said:I'm grabbing an R9 390 8GB.

1. Which version has the best cooling, assuming I can find one for under $1000?

From what I've gathered, everyone keeps raving about that ASUS ROG equivalent as a solid pick ($996 @adm.us).

2. Is there actually any difference between the VGA and PCI-E 3.0 versions of the exact same card model?

$1029 one of the few that actually features active VRM cooling...

crimsonstag84 said:Comcast has the EVGA GeForce GTX equivalent for $530 (cash), though they'll probably tack on an extra 10% if you try to pay in installments.

The 4GB version is $80 pricier.

So, I finally pulled the trigger on the 4GB version 😁 😵

Quick question: what’s the verdict on the EVGA GeForce GTX equivalent? I’ve never actually owned an AMD card before, and while I used to hear nothing but good things about them, lately my feed has been flooded with horror stories—stuff about excessive noise, overheating issues, and cards just dying out of nowhere. It’s got me second-guessing this purchase. I’d love to hear from anyone here who actually owns or has used this specific model. Thanks.

My brother's AMD card just kicked the bucket recently, so... I always heard AMD was a solid bet, but now I'm starting to have my doubts.

I think it’s a fair deal at that price point.

Either the Ghost doesn't have the same cooling setup, or that 270 draws just as much power and runs as hot as a 7950. Besides, any card can fail—even a high-end flagship from a premium vendor. It’s basically a roll of the dice, so comparing them isn't really an apples-to-apples situation.

Problem solved... I'm just going to pick up a used one instead.
Thanks again for the quick advice, everyone.

crimsonstag84 said:Honestly, I think you're better off looking at the used market. I assume you're trying to get a bit more performance out of your games, right?
Given your current setup, the only new card in that ballpark is an R7 250 DDR5, and even then, your processor is far too weak to handle that GPU properly. Unfortunately, you won't be able to drop in a Ryzen chip either since your motherboard doesn't support them.

What’s actually the smartest buy for a GPU under $567? Should I grab the MSI GeForce GTX equivalent or look at something else entirely?

swiftfalcon89 said:what's the better pick under $567? That MSI GeForce GTX equivalent or something else?

maybe the GTX 960 if I can find one with 4GB VRAM, Best Buy has them for around $180

I’ve gotta say, that 128-bit bus on those GTX cards is a real sticking point for me...

swiftfalcon89 said:I'm not a fan of that 128-bit bus on those GTX cards...

Comparing it to an R9 380? You're basically splitting hairs. One card wins in certain titles, the other takes them. It’s like saying a truck is better than a sedan—it depends on what you're hauling. Honestly, you shouldn't even notice the gap between a 128-bit and a 256-bit bus anyway; it's all about the architecture itself.

Just go check out some reviews comparing the AMD Radeon R9 380 against the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960—honestly, just make up your own mind since YouTube is absolutely flooded with them—and obviously, the higher aggregate score for the AMD Radeon R9 380 will probably skew the results.

Is 2GB of VRAM actually enough for 1080p gaming (both right now and down the road)?

2GB is really the bare minimum here... if you don't mind turning off a few filters, you probably won't run into much trouble, though maybe you'll hit some snags in certain games if you're aiming for high or ultra settings.

crimsonstag84 said:2GB is really the bare minimum... if you turn off a few filters, you shouldn't run into much trouble, except maybe in a handful of games if you're trying to push high or ultra settings.

Fair enough. It doesn't all have to be set to ultra, and I don't need a constant 60FPS either—I'm not that picky. 👍 Thanks for the help.

Hey there. I’ve been looking to pick up this NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950, but no matter how much I scour the internet, I just can't seem to find a single retailer actually stocking it... Does anyone happen to know where I might be able to track one down? I'm based out in Cleveland, so I'd love to just grab it from an online shop, though I wouldn't mind driving out to pick it up if I really had to. Thanks in advance.

Also, I had a quick follow-up question. Should I just shell out a few extra bucks and go for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 OC, 4GB GDDR5 128bit, GV-N960OC-4GD instead, or are they pretty much identical so it wouldn't really be worth the extra cash...

What kind of CPU and power supply are you running?

In that price range, I guess an AMD Radeon R9 380 would probably be your best bet for $633.

crimsonstag84 said:What kind of CPU and power supply are you running right now?

In that price range, honestly, you probably can't beat an AMD Radeon R9 380 for $633.

I'm looking to just buy everything brand new since my current setup feels practically prehistoric (I mostly just play on PS3 or PS4 anyway)...
I was thinking about this processor: Intel Core i5-6400
And this power supply: EVGA Hyper 500W, 12cm fan
Motherboard: ASRock B150M-PRO4, 1151
RAM: PC-19200, 16 GB, G.SKILL Ripjaws 4 series, F4-2400C15D-16GRR, DDR4 2400MHz, kit 2x8GB
Case: Cooler Master Z11 Plus
And a Patriot Blast 240GB SSD

Are you planning on buying all this stuff right now, or do you already have some of it?

If you're buying everything from scratch—honestly—just skip the Cooler Master Z11 Plus. Cheaper options like the BMW Z3, Z1 neo, or even the R1 are actually much better picks, I guess. You definitely don't need 16GB of RAM either. For an SSD, if you want to save some cash, look into the Patriot Ignite—it’s probably a bit better than that Blast thing, too.

Matthew Alvarez said:Are you planning on buying all of this fresh, or do you already have some of it on hand?

If you're looking to buy everything new, honestly, I'd skip the Cooler Master Z11 Plus... there are much better budget-friendly options out there like the BMW Z3, the Z1 neo, or even the R1, which would probably serve you better... also, you really don't need 16GB of RAM for this build, and if you're hunting for an SSD on a budget, maybe check out a Patriot Ignite instead, since it'll be a bit of an upgrade over that Blast option...

That was actually my plan, so I'll definitely spend some more time looking into those different cases and picking out an SSD... thanks for the tip. Oh, and between those two graphics cards, which one do you think is the better pick?