GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Most of this is just empty hype that rarely holds up in the real world. We’ve run several tests over on the hardware forums using various setups—pairing equivalent AMD and Intel CPUs, each matched with an Nvidia or AMD GPU of a similar tier—and nothing out of the ordinary turned up. Every single configuration performed exactly as expected; there was absolutely no evidence that an AMD CPU works any better with an Nvidia card.

Timothy Kim60 said:Honestly, it’s mostly just empty hype or stuff you rarely see in the real world. People have been testing all sorts of setups on US tech forums—you know, pairing various AMD and Intel CPUs with Nvidia or AMD cards in the same performance bracket—and nothing weird ever really pops up. Everything just runs normally, so I guess there isn't any actual proof that an AMD CPU somehow works better with an Nvidia card or anything like that.

Wait, hold on, we're talking about DirectX 12 here... maybe there's actually some kind of change happening with that?

Exactly. To put it in plain terms, the way the CPU and GPU communicate under DirectX 11 is fundamentally different from how they handle things in DirectX 12 (which, given current hardware, gives AMD a bit of an edge.)

Timothy Kim60 said:Yeah. I mean, if we’re just talking common sense here, the way the CPU and GPU communicate in DirectX 11 is totally different from how they handle things in DirectX 12, which I guess gives AMD a bit of a leg up given how current hardware is set up.

So basically, it doesn't even matter for all those old, beat-up rigs? Fine by me... because I just went ahead and picked up an AMD processor and an Nvidia card anyway...

Old hardware might actually see a boost in performance—assuming the graphics cards support DirectX 12—because it should help alleviate CPU bottlenecks.
For instance, there were rumors regarding Nvidia GPUs suggesting that even entry-level cards from the GTX 400 series and 500 series would support DirectX 12, but we haven't seen any official word on that yet click. Besides, most Fermi-based cards (unless they're the high-end models) will likely be far too underpowered to handle AAA games running on DirectX 12 anyway.

electricharbor30 said:Honestly, I have no clue—I avoid eBay like the plague... A buddy of mine once ordered a 16GB USB drive for about fifteen bucks, sent the money straight to the guy's account, and the seller just vanished. That was back before the laws changed around $167, and now that things have shifted regarding legal filings up to $667... basically, if it's under $667, someone can easily screw you over without any real consequences. Honestly, your best bet is meeting up in person—if you can manage that—or maybe using a dedicated enthusiast forum where there are verified seller lists and you need a premium membership just to see the listings. If we're talking more than $667, maybe it's worth the risk on a marketplace, but if it's less than that?

Next time, just meet them face to face so there aren't any issues. 🙂

ruggedwolf8 said:Hey everyone. I'm looking to swap out my GPU, and I wanted to see if these cards would actually work with my current setup...

Gigabyte GA-MA78LMT-US2H motherboard
AMD Athlon II X3 450 CPU @ 3.2GHz, 1.5MB total cache
Real Power 500W 80 Plus Bronze PSU
Current GPU: HD 5670 1GB DDR3

I mostly just play online stuff—World of Tanks, Lord of the Rings—and occasionally some FIFA 16 with friends. I'm thinking about picking up an XFX R7 250 1GB DDR5, an XFX R7 360 2GB DDR5, or maybe an Nvidia GTX 750 Ti 2GB DDR5... or anything else within a budget of $400.....
Thanks for the help!!

Thanks to Smatric and Fl@tron for the quick response. Just one more question: would both the XFX R7 250 and the XFX R7 360 perform roughly the same here?

electricharbor30 said:Honestly, I have no clue. I stay far away from Craigslist like the plague... A friend once ordered a 16GB USB drive for about fifteen bucks, sent the money via Zelle, and the guy just vanished. That was back before the laws changed around $167, and now the rules regarding reporting are different up to $667... Basically, if you're dealing with anything under $667, someone can easily screw you over without any real consequences. My advice? Buy in person, if possible. Or maybe check out some specialized forums where they maintain lists of vetted sellers—though you usually need a premium membership just to see the listings. If the item costs more than $667, I might consider the risk on an auction site, but if it’s cheap...

I'm definitely going to inspect things in person. I never buy used gear blindly!

Larry Ortiz5 said:Next time you see him, you should just settle this face to face so there isn't any more of this bullshit 🙂

Man, I’d love to, but most of these sellers are based out in NYC and I’m stuck way out here in rural Montana... back in the day, a 16GB flash drive was like $83 at the local CVS... I mean, okay, it wasn't a huge deal, $33 my neighbor blew through his cash, but nowadays people are dropping $2,000 on stuff like this without blinking... I honestly have no clue why they even passed laws like this in the first place?

ruggedwolf8 said:Thanks to Smith and Robert Rodriguez2 for the quick help. One more thing—would these two, the AMD Radeon R7 250 and the AMD Radeon R7 360, perform about the same?

They'd work fine, no real difference there. But if you actually have the cash, just go grab the best card you can find in that price range.

darkowl72 said:Honestly, I think they should just appoint you as the CEO here—that way, whenever we want something, we can just come to you first for advice. 😬

Look, truth be told, I don't know about specific eras because you clearly don't remember when Corsair power supplies were actually highly regarded—one of the few branded units you could find alongside Fortron back in the day. But that was ages ago, back when their units were built by CWT and Seasonic. They really messed things up when they switched manufacturers just to cut costs (I'm talking about that infamous first run of CX series units), though finding hard data on that is tough since nobody wants to talk about it. Later, they went back to CWT, but not Seasonic. Again—to be clear—Corsair is essentially just a "design group" for PSUs, whereas Cooler Master has never actually manufactured anything; they just slap their stickers on existing hardware. And honestly, 😬 it happens all the time where they put different labels on the exact same unit—just like Corsair does—and sell them off as entirely different models.

However, there is this thing called a UL number that every PSU has to carry. You can use that to figure out who actually built a high-end CM unit—whether it’s AC Bell, Enhance, Hipro, or someone else... As for Fractal Design, there's no mystery there; everything they have is made by ATNG.

But hey, I'm sure you'll dig up some more reasons or explanations for why you claimed those companies were the actual manufacturers in your last post—probably just to pull something new out of thin air (I mean, did anyone even ask you about AIOs or fans?) just so you can act like the smartest guy in the room... You're drifting further and further into off-topic territory...

Just make up your mind: is the Hyper 500W any good or not? First, you trash it relentlessly, and then:

🤣 boring....

Well, I mentioned that Seasonic used to make Corsair units specifically to point out that Corsair still carries some of that old prestige—that's it. I know most vendors today don't manufacture their own power supplies, which is why I listed a few examples earlier; I was just trying to show that you can get much better quality for less money.
As for the AIO fans, I brought that up because my point was broader—I don't respect Corsair as a brand in general, not just regarding their PSUs.

I never said the Hyper 500W was bad. I just said you need to understand component tiers and what they are actually capable of handling. That's why I told the guy it's perfectly fine for an AMD Radeon R9 380, but it's absolutely not enough for an AMD Radeon R9 390. Honestly, if you had posted that on any serious forum, the community would have roasted you so hard you wouldn't want to give recommendations ever again.

electricharbor30 said:I’d love to, honestly, but most of the shops are based in NYC and I’m all the way out in San Diego... back in the day, a 16GB stick would cost about $83 at the local grocery store... I mean, it's not huge, $33 was just some neighbor blowing cash, but nowadays people will drop $2,000 without blinking. I really don't get why they passed laws like this in the first place?

I'd gladly give you an answer if I actually knew why the laws are set up this way here in America, but I guess that's heading straight into off-topic territory.

It would be an absolute waste of taxpayer money and a massive drain on the federal budget if we tried to prosecute every single petty misdemeanor officially. I agree that $667 the amount is a bit steep, but honestly, for just a few hundred bucks, it's totally unrealistic

Timothy Kim60 said:Prosecuting every single petty crime officially would be an absolute nightmare and a massive drain on taxpayer money. I agree that $667 it’s a bit high, but at a few hundred bucks, it’s just unrealistic

Yeah, but the issue is when thieves just rack up a bunch of tiny thefts. There should be some kind of system where the police can go after repeat offenders if they hit a certain threshold of reports (I knew this guy who’d pull up to the gas station, fill up less than $167 and just drive off without paying) 😵

On topic:
I tried overclocking my Club3D King HD7850 (stock 910MHz) to 1000 MHz without touching the voltage, just using the max power slider, and my PC froze on me a couple of times (running a Corsair TX750, everything else works perfectly fine)
Am I doing something wrong or is the card just refusing to cooperate?

Hey everyone!
I could use a little help here... I've got an older PC that still gets the job done, but my graphics card just died. I need a replacement, but I'm totally lost on which one to pick.
Here’s what I'm running right now: an Intel Core 2 Duo E6600, an Asus P5B-E motherboard, 8GB of DDR2 RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce 8800.

What kind of card would you recommend to replace this one? I'm looking for something roughly in the same performance tier or maybe just a tiny bit better. One big thing: it absolutely needs to have HDMI.

I've been browsing Best Buy and Micro Center online, but I get completely overwhelmed by all the technical specs.

Honestly, you're better off going used... especially if you can pick it up in person with a warranty included:

http://www.craigslist.org/vi/graphics-cards/listing-17705610

Buying anything weaker just isn't worth the money, and I guess this one is a perfect match for your CPU.

Alexander Parker10, what's the end goal here? Are you planning on gaming? What kind of budget are we looking at? And are you open to buying used parts?

I play games occasionally, nothing too heavy... I was thinking about getting something new just to ensure I actually have some kind of warranty. If I go the used route, the thing could die on me in a month. What crimsonstag84 suggested is a solid move since it comes with a receipt and a guarantee.

Budget's at 300 - $167

Newer graphics cards up to $167 aren't actually an upgrade over what you have—in fact, they’re even weaker for gaming. That’s why I was asking if you actually play games, just so you don't end up stepping backward. You could follow the link crimsonstag84 shared to find more powerful cards for less money, but keep in mind those are older models and come without a warranty, whereas yours still has more than two-thirds of its coverage left.