GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

The Ryzen 5 3600 is going to bottleneck a GTX 1070 in quite a few modern titles. However, you can snag an MSI Gaming version of the GTX 1070 on Amazon for about $600 (shipping and US sales tax included)

Alternatively, you could check out the MSI Armor GTX 1060 locally for $500

So, I heard some rumor floating around that the real kicker between gaming and Armorica comes down to the fans—apparently one uses Twin Frozr 5 while the other’s rocking Twin Frozr 6. Honestly, though, who knows how much truth there actually is to that...

crimsonstag84 said:Grab an NVIDIA GTX 1060 4GB and maybe a 120/128GB SSD if you don't have one already.

An SSD is definitely not something I need right now...
So, I guess I'll just go with the 470 then. Should I bother going for the 8GB version, or would it be smarter to save some cash and just stick with the 4GB model?
Basically, I'm wondering if that weaker card will actually be enough to run games on High settings for the next 3 or 4 years.

mistypilot9 said:I definitely don't need an SSD...
So I'm looking at the 470. Should I go for the 8GB version or save some cash and just grab the 4GB one?
Basically, will the weaker card actually hold up for playing on High settings for the next 3 or 4 years?

If you're actually planning to play on High in three or four years—assuming that's even a realistic goal—just grab the NVIDIA GTX 1060. It fits your budget anyway, and you can probably swing the 8GB model.

When I really sit down and think about it, I’ll probably have to swap out my processor in three or four years regardless. So, I suppose it makes more sense to just grab a beefier graphics card right now. That way, I won't be stuck in a position where I'm forced to upgrade both the CPU and the GPU at the exact same time later on...

https://www.amazon.com/graphics-cards/b?node=16330211

It’s just about the shipping costs... do you already have a dedicated CPU cooler? If not, you might want to grab one just to make the shipping fee worth it:$15

https://www.newegg.com/p/cpu-coolers

Or, I guess you could just pick up two case fans instead.

crimsonstag84 said:https://www.newegg.com/p/graphics-cards/8...80-rs-8gb.html

My only concern is shipping... do you actually have a dedicated CPU cooler? If not, I suppose you might want to grab one just to save on $15 delivery costs:

https://www.amazon.com/cpu-coolers-cool-120/html

Or maybe just pick up two case fans.

Well, I'm buying a case too, so I guess I don't need to worry about the shipping fees.

Man, that’s a solid price for a GPU. Plus, if you're registered on our PCI Express boards, you can snag an extra 3% off ($19)

Just a heads-up: since January 1st, 2017, the only requirement to grab those member discounts is being an active part of the community for at least three months.

So, my NVIDIA GeForce GT 640 just kicked the bucket—fan died on me—and now I’m stuck looking for a replacement. I'm hoping someone can point me toward something decent without breaking the bank (ideally under $333), but obviously something beefier than what I had. I really need at least 2GB of DDR5 VRAM so I can actually play some newer titles on low or medium settings, provided it actually works with my current setup...

Here’s what I’m running right now:

CPU: Intel Core i3-2100 quad core @ 2.8 GHz
RAM: 8 GB
PSU: Cooler Master 460W PCAP 13
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-A75
I usually play at 1440x900 resolution

frozenfox10 said:I've got a Radeon 6770 HD 1GB DDR5, but the fan just died on me. I need to pick up a replacement, so if anyone has recommendations—nothing too pricey (under $333) but definitely an upgrade over my current one... ideally at least 2GB VRAM DDR5 so I can run newer titles on low or medium settings while staying compatible with my build...

here's my setup:

CPU: AMD ATHLON ii x4 641 quad core @ 2.8 GHz
RAM: 8 GB
PSU: Cooler Master RS 460W PCAP 13
Motherboard: Asus F1A75-M Le FM1
Resolution: 1440x900

That's actually a bit overkill for your resolution; you'll definitely be able to play everything smoothly at that res. You could probably even bump it up to high settings 🙂 CLICK

If your monitor only supports VGA, you're going to run into some serious compatibility issues with modern GPUs. You'll need to hunt down a proper DVI-to-VGA converter—and I mean a real active converter that actually handles the signal conversion, not one of those cheap passive adapters that won't do anything. Otherwise, it's time to upgrade the monitor.

Hey, I'm looking at picking up a new GPU specifically to play Battlefield 1, and I'm torn between an RX 460 or a GTX 1050. Some sites I've been digging through claim the RX 460 should actually pull ahead when running on DirectX 12, but honestly, I have no clue if that's legit or just hype.

AMD Phenom II x4 955 @ 3.2GHz
ASRock N68-VGS3 UCC
8GB RAM
400W PSU

Nobody plays Battlefield 1 using DirectX 12 because it’s completely broken; you end up with worse minimum FPS and constant stuttering.

Now, looking at the hardware, the GTX 1050 still holds a slight edge in average performance. However, if you look at models backed by a 3-year warranty, the RX 460 is about 20% cheaper—and even the 4GB versions of the 460 are slightly more affordable overall.

https://www.newegg.com/msi-video-card...mi-dvi-d.aspx?

http://www.bestbuy.com/product&product_id=54827?

http://www.microcenter.com/graficka-kartica-m...35ADM/product/

alright, thanks!

I’ve been looking into some incremental upgrades for my current rig, mostly because I've noticed things starting to stutter a bit when I try to run Tomb Raider or Ubisoft on ultra settings with my GTX 970 🤔

I'm currently torn between picking up an RX 480 8 GB or a GTX 1060 6 GB, though if I'm being honest, I'm leaning slightly toward the AMD side of things at the moment.

Here is what else is under the hood:
FX8350
8 GB DDR3
GA-990FX-UD3 rev 1.1
Corsair PSU 650W
Running at 1080p

I found the 480 for about $667 online, and I figure I could probably offset part of that cost by selling off my old 970.

The RX 480 and GTX 1060 perform about the same as a GTX 980, so I guess it’s a pretty weak upgrade—maybe not even a 20% boost.

Have you tried overclocking your CPU, and do you have a decent cooler for it?

Just hang tight for a bit so we can see what Vega brings to the table (plus those Polaris rebrands)...

Honestly, that’s basically just a sidegrade. It doesn't make any sense to burn through your cash selling off a GTX 970 just to pick up a new GPU that performs nearly the same. You really need a meaningful jump—something like a GTX 1070 (and if you wait a few months, that performance tier should be much more affordable). On the flip side, your CPU is going to act as a bottleneck for cards like that in a lot of scenarios. You might want to start thinking about a platform upgrade or even picking up a 1440p monitor, which would actually take some of the pressure off your processor.

http://forum.pcekspert.com/showpost....&postcount=587

Zachary Barrett4 said:Checking out some incremental upgrades for my rig. I've noticed Tomb Raider and Ubisoft titles starting to chug on ultra settings using my GTX 970 🤔

I'm torn between an RX 480 8 GB and a GTX 1060 6 GB, though I'm leaning toward AMD right now.

Rest of the build:
FX8350
8 GB DDR3
GA-990FX-UD3 rev 1.1
Corsair PSU 650W
1080p

Found the 480 for about $667 locally; selling the 970 should cover part of the cost.

Just drop the settings to high. You won't notice much difference in visuals, but you'll definitely grab some extra FPS.

They’re playing this on ultra settings, while I just run League of Legends on low. 😁