GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Hey, my buddy's graphics card just kicked the bucket. He’s a bit strapped for cash right now, so he asked if I could find him something up to $500, specifically looking for a budget-friendly power supply too:
He's running an i3 4170
Ripjawse 8gb ddr3
Not sure about the motherboard, think it was an Asus A85 (~$167)
Mainly uses the rig for gaming.

Do $500 given what kind of processor he's running, he should just grab the MSI GTX 1050 Ti 4GT OC, 4GB (see $0.43 below). The RX 470 is technically better, but right now it's sitting at about $533, and since prices for the RX 480 are already starting at $0.60, the RX 470 is a total waste of money.

For the power supply, tell him to pick up an EVGA SuperNova 500W (around $140). He could get the 400W version, but it's smarter to have some breathing room in case he decides to swap out the CPU later on.

Yeah, finding a GTX 1050 Ti for under $150 might be a bit of a stretch right now, but here's one I found:

Definitely a better pick than the 1050 Ti if you can swing it within your budget.
Plus, the GTX 1060 series is dropping soon, which should push prices down to around this level—or maybe even lower once those hit the shelves.

I might drop a few extra bucks to grab that GTX 1050 Ti, but is the EVGA SuperNova 500W actually decent? My current setup is running a GT 1030 on some sketchy, bottom-of-the-barrel power supply that just kicked the bucket.

Or, if the rumors are true, maybe I should just grab a new PSU at the same time so I don't have to waste gas driving all over town.

That Sapphire card only comes with a two-year warranty, which I guess makes it a non-starter for me.
I feel like a graphics card really ought to have at least three years of coverage.

Yeah, but it’s the cheapest option. Right now, prices for the GTX 1050 Ti are just ridiculous

Ideally, he'd stretch the budget for a GTX 1060
$604

https://www.amazon.com/gigabyte-video...m_medium=click

That one’s over budget, and honestly, the CPU will probably bottleneck the card in most games anyway, but it’s a better long-term play.

No matter what he picks, he isn't getting a steal at these prices; it's really just down to how much cash he's willing to burn.

https://www.alzashop.com/asus-dual-r...b-d4422512.htm

Word is $517 is having some issues with the shipping company
.
But switching gears to GPUs, I heard Futura is already talking about the GTX 1060
.
http://forum.pcekspert.com/showthrea...95#post3047295

Greetings, everyone. I am planning to overhaul my entire computer setup quite soon, likely ordering everything through Best Buy.

In all likelihood, I will be moving toward a Core i7-7700K, though I find myself somewhat undecided between choosing an EVGA GTX 1060 6GB or perhaps an RX 480 8GB.

GeForce or maybe RX

Assuming my graphics card needs to handle gaming just as much as it handles rendering tasks within Adobe Premiere, I suppose I might lean toward whichever of those two options proves slightly more efficient for rendering purposes.

I don't know much about rendering, but honestly, you’re better off just buying it from us locally. The price difference isn't even worth the hassle.

These aren't the absolute latest benchmarks, but it looks like Adobe Premiere just plays better with AMD GPUs than others.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU14/846
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU13/588
https://www.studio1productions.com/blog/?p=391
https://www.studio1productions.com/A...VideoCards.htm

I know even that YouTuber Joker mentioned he avoids using GPU acceleration with his GeForce GTX 1080 in Adobe Premiere because of the issues he runs into.

BTW guys, it looks like there was an MSI gaming GTX 1060 4GB at Best Buy for $467 on sale. Good grief! 😲
Of course, they only had a few units left before they sold out instantly.

Roger Walker85

Keep your eyes peeled and try to snag a Radeon on sale, or just wait for their rebranded GTX 1060 series.

I need some help here.

How can I tell if my graphics card has finally kicked the bucket? I'm seeing several colored lines on my monitor—they're about a centimeter thick and look sort of translucent—so I'm really not sure how to confirm if the GPU is actually the culprit.

My current card is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti, 1GB DDR5, featuring DualDVI, DP, and HDMI.

If it turns out the card is dead, I’m planning to replace it.

Here are my system specs:

Motherboard: ASUS Motherboard, Intel B75 chipset, DDR3
Processor: Intel Core i7-2600K, s.LGA1155, 3.2GHz, 8MB cache, Quad-core
Memory: PC-10666, 4GB, G.SKILL Ripjaws series, F3-10666CL9S-4GBRL, DDR3 1333MHz
Power Supply: 500W EVGA / SuperNova 500W, 140mm fan, modular
Hard Drive: 1000GB Seagate Barracuda, SATA, 32MB cache, 7200 rpm, desktop grade
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti, 1GB DDR5, DualDVI, DP, HDMI

I found this card that's about three years old for $233:
https://www.amazon.com/graphics-card-example-link

Do you think it's worth getting, and will it work properly with my current setup??

Well, from what I can see, you have integrated graphics on that motherboard. Try plugging your monitor directly into the motherboard video outputs, but make sure to check your BIOS first to ensure the onboard GPU is actually enabled. That said, if the image looks glitched out even before you reach the macOS desktop, you're likely looking at a faulty GPU.

If the GPU is indeed the culprit, you can go ahead with the parts you mentioned. Everything should be compatible.

If you plan on gaming, I’d also suggest adding another 4GB of RAM and picking up an aftermarket CPU cooler if you don't already have one.

Timothy Kim60 said:From what I can see, that motherboard has integrated graphics. Try plugging your monitor directly into the motherboard video outputs, but just to be safe, check your BIOS first to make sure the onboard GPU is actually enabled. That said, if you're seeing visual glitches even before the OS loads, it’s almost certainly a faulty GPU.

If the GPU is indeed the problem, you can definitely go with the setup you mentioned. Everything should be compatible.

If you plan on gaming, I'd also recommend adding another 4GB of RAM and picking up an aftermarket CPU cooler if you haven't already.

I'm going to try switching over to the integrated graphics now.
The graphics card I was talking about earlier was a hand-me-down...
Now this guy is offering me a 6770 for $133. What do you think?
I actually already upgraded the cooler because the old one was way too loud—it sounded like a helicopter was idling in my room.
As for the extra RAM, I'm not sure if I'll really need it since I mostly just play Dota 2.

Thanks for the help.

$133 for an HD 6770? 😬 It’s probably worth about $83.

It isn't worth much, honestly—you'd basically be downgrading from what you have now. Do you have a specific budget in mind? Also, whereabouts in the States are you located?

I’m looking at a budget of roughly $600 to $233. I'm based out of San Diego.

Thanks for the help!

http://www.craigslist.com/vi/graphics-cards/listing-22151963

Ask him if there’s any warranty left on it. If not, these two are your best bets:

http://www.craigslist.com/vi/graphics-cards/listing-22044273
http://www.craigslist.com/vi/graphics-cards/listing-22044273

Just try to haggle with everyone and get those prices down a bit.

Hey, I'm looking at picking up a new graphics card. A couple of months back, I was checking prices and saw the GTX 1050 Ti was $500. Now that I actually have the cash, I want to grab the cheapest dual-fan version available, just nothing from EVGA—$570. On the other hand, there's the EVGA GTX 1060 $627. Do you think the price on the 1050 Ti is gonna drop since those new 5xx cards are out, or should I just pull the trigger on the 1060? The GTX 1060 isn't an option for me because of my power supply.

Is that GTX 1060 the 3GB or the 6GB version?
If it’s the 6GB model, it’s a solid buy. But if it’s just the 3GB one, you're better off grabbing an RX 570 or 580 instead.
https://www.newegg.com/p/sapphire-graphics-card

3 gigs. Those 6GB ones are pushing $2100+. Honestly, even a GTX 1050 Ti does the job for what I need, but since the price gap was tiny, I figured why not just grab the GTX 1060? According to the reviews, the 3GB 1060 totally crushes both the GTX 1050 Ti and the 4GB versions of other cards.