GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Is that 7850 actually decent? Because if it works fine, I don't see the point in picking up this 460. 🤔

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/di...460-4gb-review

According to this, it's only about 5 fps faster on average than what I'm running now. No sense swapping a functional 7850 for a 460.

I wouldn't do it. It makes way more sense to grab an RX 580 instead. If you're upgrading for better performance, you should actually feel the difference.

Yeah, she's right. He thought he was going to make a killing with it, but honestly, I'm not an expert on this stuff, so I figured I'd just ask. I think the RX 580 is asking way too much cash, and the processor is definitely going to bottleneck it.

He actually needs a CPU upgrade, not a new graphics card....

The PC build is perfectly balanced and actually holds its own at 1080p.
If he’s going to swap anything, he should probably just overhaul the whole thing or at least grab a better OC CPU paired with an RX 570.

darkowl72 said:Actually, he’s right. He was just hoping to make a quick buck off it, but since I’m no expert in this field, I figured I'd ask for some advice. Personally, I think $480 is pushing it a bit too high, and the processor will definitely struggle to keep up with it.

He could also look at an RX 470 4GB (there's a Nitro model in the link at a decent price), or check out the XFX and Nitro models on HGSpot (which are available in OS again), or even an RTX 3060. Either of those would be a noticeable upgrade, and the CPU should be able to handle them fine—unless we're talking about single-core intensive games, though there aren't many AAA titles quite like that nowadays.

Thanks again, everyone.

Overclocking isn't even on the table here, so there's really no point questioning the motherboard, the PSU, or the cooler... it's just too much unnecessary noise.

Looks like I'll be sticking with a GTX 1060 for now, then eventually swapping out the whole platform and upgrading the CPU down the road.

So, a few days back I was asking around about which way to go—grabbing an RX 470 with either 4 or 8 gigs, or just going for the RX 480 with 4 gigs.
Well, I’m checking in today feeling pretty proud because I scraped together a little extra cash and finally pulled the trigger on this beauty.
It should be arriving tomorrow. Man, I really hope I didn't totally screw myself over here.

Do you think making the jump from a GTX 970 to a GTX 1060 6GB is actually worth it? I’m noticing quite a few titles are starting to demand more than 4GB of VRAM—titles like Doom on Nightmare settings or Rise of Tomb Raider, for instance. It feels like the trend is heading toward needing even more than 4GB soon. Should I pull the trigger now, or just hold out until a GTX 1070 becomes a more realistic, budget-friendly option?🕺

I mean, I guess it all just comes down to what you personally think is worth it. 😁

People are offloading their GTX 970s right now while they can still snag a decent price and actually have a warranty attached. If your goal is to cash out while they still hold some value—maybe because you need the extra cash or just want to upgrade to something newer with a full warranty—then sure, it makes sense. But if you're expecting some massive, life-changing leap in performance, I probably wouldn't bother.

That feels more like a sidegrade to me. In my opinion, if you actually want a meaningful upgrade, you should be looking at a GTX 1070 (or maybe a used 980 Ti)
You really should have moved that GTX 970 while it still had value before the next generation hit; back then they were going for $667—and honestly, you could have even asked for more than what you call "pocket change"—but now you're lucky if you can find them for $500

What do you guys think about this one?

I haven't seen it listed for this cheap anywhere else—honestly, it's a bit of a steal. My main concern, though, is with Protis—how's their warranty situation? Is it actually reliable if things go south?
If anyone has a different (hopefully better) recommendation under $833, I'm all ears. Just... please, let it be Nvidia.
My current setup is running an i5-3570K with a CX 500 power supply, and I'm just looking to drive a 1920x1200 monitor.

Jonathan Mendoza17 said:What do you guys think about this?

https://www.protis.com/products/detail/hdmi-dp/115109

I haven't seen it this cheap anywhere else. Is Protis any good when it comes to warranty and stuff?
Any other (better) recommendations under $833. Just Nvidia please.
CPU is a 3570K, PSU is a CX 500, looking for 1920x1200

There's an entire thread on the subforum about how much trouble they cause with returns. Look it up yourself. In this price range, you're basically stuck with the GTX 1060 mentioned or an RX 480, and since you're dead set on Nvidia, that's your only move.

( For $230, you could grab an RX 480 from the XFX GTR series, which is easily the best card in the RX lineup for cooling, noise, and overall build quality. )

Jonathan Mendoza17 said:What do you guys think about this?

I haven't seen it anywhere else at this price point. Is that Protis deal actually legit when it comes to the warranty and stuff?
Looking for any other solid recommendations under $833. Just please, let it be Nvidia.
Running an i5-3570K with a CX 500 power supply, looking for 1920x1200 resolution.

I picked up a case from them recently. It arrived super fast, was packed perfectly, and was brand new. I haven't had any reason to return anything yet, so I can't speak to their service if things go wrong, but so far, so good.

That’s not quite the card I was looking at. I’m actually eyeing this one with the G1 branding—though, honestly, maybe those cheaper options would do the trick too; the performance gap isn't massive.

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=5958#kf
And what on earth is an "iPone"? Is that some kind of warranty courier that just shows up at your house to pick up products for repair? WTF?

I'm currently torn between the Gigabyte model and the MSI Armor. I haven't quite decided which is superior yet—definitely need to do a bit more digging into the specs.

Regarding Flatron TNX—I had a pretty rough experience with them in the past, so there is absolutely no way I'm jumping back into the AMD camp right now. Maybe I was a bit too impulsive before, but I'd much rather opt for a slightly weaker card or just shell out a bit extra for peace of mind. I'm just really disappointed by how long their stuff seems to last. Perhaps once I've moved past that frustration, I'll reconsider.

The MSI Armor is just a pale shadow of the Gaming series. I’ve got an MSI Armor myself and it’s a decent enough card, but honestly? The Gaming series is built way, way better.

The differences between the MSI Armor and the Gaming series are mostly cosmetic. You’re essentially looking at a model without LEDs, lacking a backplate, and apparently using one generation older Twin Frozr fans (I think it was 5 instead of 6), which is why it hits a lower price point. The PCB is identical; you just get a smaller cooler.

Jonathan Mendoza17 said:That’s not the card I’m looking at. I’m interested in this one with the G1 label. Then again, maybe those cheaper ones would work fine too. There isn't a massive difference.

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=5958#kf
I have absolutely no clue what this iPun thing is. A warranty courier who comes to your house to pick up the product? WTF?

I'm torn between this Gigabyte model and the MSI Armor. I haven't decided which is better yet. I need to do some more digging.

Regarding Flatron TNX—I had a bad experience with them, so there is zero chance I'm going with AMD right now. Maybe I was too hasty, but I'd rather just grab a weaker card or pay a premium. Their product longevity really let me down. Maybe I'll give them another shot someday.

How about this?

Sorry, meant this:

It's from a great shop, but it's pretty pricey. It might actually be smarter to just buy it from Protis.

Hey, I'm looking to upgrade my rig... just want to swap out the GPU for something better. Would love some advice on what actually makes sense given my current specs. 🙂

https://www.msi.com/Graphics-Card/MSI-GeForce-GTX-1060-Gaming-X--GDDR5

Comparison:
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1778?vs=1777

swiftridge29 said:Hey, looking to upgrade my rig. Just want to grab a better GPU. Any advice on what makes sense given my current specs? 🙂

Depends on what resolution you're aiming for—sticking with 1080p or planning a jump later on—and how much cash you've got to burn. The guy above posted a solid deal. If you think an upgrade to a higher resolution is in your future, maybe look into a GTX 1070

BTW, how did you end up with 16GB of single-channel DDR3? Did you seat it wrong in the motherboard?