GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

It's compatible

Regarding potential bottlenecks, click here

So, what’s the actual real-world difference if you're plugging a PCIe 3.0 x16 card into a motherboard slot that's only PCIe 1.0—assuming it doesn't specify 2.0?

H81 motherboards feature PCI express 2.0, whereas the 1.0 versions were found on boards from about 5 or 6 years ago.

There isn't any noticeable difference in actual performance, and everything remains fully compatible.

Hey guys, I'm not totally sure where this fits, so I'll just drop it here. This isn't really about buying a new card, more like just thinking out loud about which direction I should take for an upgrade.

When I first put my PC together (following the recommendations from that one PDF) and—let's be honest—how happy I am with it 😁, I wasn't thinking about upgrading at all.

But, I was playing Borderlands 3 recently and it kind of bugged me that I had to drop everything down to medium settings, mostly because on high I wasn't even averaging around 60 FPS.

Here's what I'm running:

Core i3 8100
RX 580 8gb
8 gb RAM
Motherboard is a B450 chipset
Playing at 1080p...

Looking at current GPU prices, some sites list my current card as a decent "bang for your buck" option, but if I want to actually make a serious jump, IMHO I should probably be looking at something like a $833 or better—obviously paired with a beefier CPU too. I'm guessing it doesn't make sense to go for a new card for another year or two. That seems like a pretty reasonable way to look at it right now, I guess..

Since newer games are getting so demanding on the CPU side of things, I'm kinda worried my current processor might be bottlenecking my graphics card.

Since I didn't pay much for it back then (maybe $500-$200), I bet I could probably get a couple hundred bucks for it, so I'm thinking about an upgrade sometime soon.

So, here's the deal.
Core i5 7600 - $267
Core i5 8600 - $333
Ryzen 7 2700 (X) - $1300-$500
Core i5 9600 - $533
Core i5 10th Gen - ???? supposed to be announced in March (or so I heard), maybe I should just wait for that???

You can find first-gen Ryzen 5 chips on Craigslist for like $60 or so, and with some haggling, you could probably snag them for even less...

What I haven't been able to find (maybe I'm just not looking hard enough) online is a solid performance comparison of my current card when paired with a Core i3 8100 versus a Core i5 9600.

I'm really wondering how much—or if—that RX 580 8gb will actually breathe easier with a stronger CPU, and if upgrading in that direction right now even makes any sense.
I'm definitely not gonna bother if it only nets me like 10 extra FPS.

Should I just pull the trigger now on a Ryzen 5? Does it make sense?
That would cover my CPU needs for the next 4 or 5 years, and then in maybe two years when prices drop, I could toss in something like a Radeon RX 5700 and squeeze another few years out of this socket.

What do you guys think?🍿

Lawrence Phillips said:Hey everyone, I'm not sure if this is the right spot for this, so I'll just drop it here. This isn't really about buying a new card, more like just thinking out loud about which direction to take my next upgrade.

I bought my PC based on the recommendations in this PDF, and I have to say, I'm really happy with it. 😁I wasn't even thinking about an upgrade.

I was playing Borderlands 3 recently and it was a bit frustrating. I had to drop the settings down to medium because I couldn't hit an average of 60 FPS on high.

I have:

Core i3 8100
RX 580 8GB.
8 GB of RAM.
It's a B450 chipset motherboard.
I'm playing at 1080p.

Looking at current GPU prices, some sites are calling my setup the ultimate bang-for-buck right now. To actually get a serious upgrade, I think you really need to look at cards from... $833It's all about pairing it with a better CPU, obviously. I’ve decided it doesn't make sense to invest in a new GPU for another year or two. Seems like a pretty logical move right now.

With newer games demanding so much more CPU power, I'm worried my current processor might actually bottleneck my graphics card.

Since I didn't pay much for it back then (around $500)—$200I think I could probably get a couple hundred bucks for it. I'm looking to upgrade sometime soon.

Alright, let's get into it.
Core i5 7600 - $267
Core i5 8600 - $333
Ryzen 7 2700 (X) - $1300-$500
Core i5 9600 - $533
Core i5 10th Gen is coming out around March. It might be worth waiting for that.

You can find a first-gen Core i5 on Craigslist for around $90. If you haggle, you could probably grab one for even less.

I can't seem to find—or maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places—a solid performance comparison between my GPU paired with a Core i3 8100 versus a Core i5 9600.

I'm wondering how much an RX 580 8GB can actually pull from a faster CPU, and if upgrading my processor right now even makes sense.
I'm definitely not going to mess around just for an average of 10 fps.

Should I upgrade to a Core i5 right now? Does it even make sense?
I've got my CPU situation sorted for the next four or five years. In about two years, once prices drop, I'll probably grab something like a Radeon RX 5700 and squeeze a few more years out of this motherboard.

What do you guys think?🍿

There isn't much of a difference between medium and high settings, especially in a game like Borderlands.
I’d just wait a year or two and see how things play out. It really depends on what kind of games you're planning to run.
You should probably pick up another 8GB of RAM. I'm not sure if you have an SSD yet, but your GPU is solid. If that gap between medium and high settings is really bothering you that much, just go grab a Core i5.

Zachary Nguyen2 said:Honestly, you aren't going to notice a massive difference between medium and high settings, especially in something like Borderlands.
I’d probably just hang in there for a year or two and see what happens—it really depends on what kind of games you're actually into.
You should also grab another 8GB of RAM, and I'm not sure if you have an SSD yet, but your GPU is actually pretty solid. If the gap between medium and high settings is seriously bugging you that much, then maybe look into getting a Core i5.

I've got an SSD, and upgrading the RAM is definitely on my to-do list👍.
As for the whole "visuals" thing... yeah, I know it's not a huge deal. I guess my main doubt is more about whether this upgrade—which feels relatively doable for my budget right now—will actually feel like a meaningful jump when I'm playing.

You can find one on Craigslist $333 with a Core i5 8600, a decent cooler, an SSD, and 16GB of RAM. I think you'll be all set for at least 2-3 years.

I get that you're watching your budget, totally understandable 😁

CLICK - comparison on a 9900K ranging from 2c/4t up to 8c/16t.
Looking at this, the jump from 4 to 6 cores seems to be about ~15% in this specific test. Just keep in mind this is moving from 4c/8t, whereas your current setup is just 4c/4t. So, you might actually see upwards of a 20% boost in FPS. It's hard to give an exact number, but based on these results, that's the takeaway.

Honestly, I think it's time to move past quad-core builds. Since prices are actually pretty reasonable right now (and since you're clearly trying to save some cash 😬), I wouldn't wait. Unless you're planning to go all out and grab a high-end Zen 3 chip when they drop, though those will probably be pricey at launch.

Adam Moore3, true, but they were testing with an RTX 2080 Ti in that benchmark...

Lawrence Phillips, first things first: upgrade your RAM. Second, you need a new CPU. If budget isn't an issue, go for the Core i5 9600; if things are tight, at least aim for a Core i5 7600. Your GPU will finally be able to breathe, though how much of a boost you actually see will depend entirely on which game you're playing.

Yeah, you're right. Best bet is to fire up Afterburner and keep an eye on the GPU and CPU usage to figure out the next move.

I’m kind of leaning towards the Core i5 9600 myself...😁
What’s the deal with the Core i5 10th Gen though? I keep reading that they might unveil it in maybe two or three months?

I was checking out some performance benchmarks... honestly, there wasn't much of a jump between the first and second generations, but moving from the second to the third? That was actually pretty noticeable.

One idea I have—and this is just a thought—is maybe waiting for the fourth gen to see how big that leap is compared to the third.

Also, where does the second-gen Ryzen 7 fit into all this? It seems like it might be cheaper than the third-gen Core i5...🤔

Lawrence Phillips said:Where does a second-gen Ryzen 7 fit into this story? Specifically, one that's cheaper than a third-gen Core i5...🤔

It's a solid all-around deal, but if you're strictly gaming, the third generation is still the way to go (better IPC = better single-thread performance) since most games still can't fully tap into all that multi-threaded power an R7 provides.🙂

I honestly don't think you can go wrong with any of these options (Core i5 7600, Core i5 8600, Ryzen 7 2700, Core i5 9600)—every single one is pretty much a best buy in its price bracket. They're spaced out quite evenly, too, so as you put more money down, you're realistically getting a better return on your investment.
The Core i5 7600 is likely still the best value here because 6c/12t for $267 is just unbeatable.

Lawrence Phillips said:What's the deal with the R5 4XXX series? I've been reading it might be unveiled in maybe two or three months?

Those are just mobile Zen2 chips meant for laptops, which use the same architecture as the desktop Ryzen 3000. As for desktop Ryzen 4000 with Zen3 architecture, I guess we'll probably see those toward the end of the year.

Personally, I'd go with this 😛

https://www.newegg.com/p/product...m_medium=click

And you definitely need an extra 8GB of RAM to hit 16GB for dual-channel performance, like I mentioned before.

Hey there,

I'm looking for some advice on a GPU upgrade. My main priorities are noise levels—I want something significantly quieter than what I have now—and, obviously, a noticeable jump in performance. If it isn't faster than my current 😁, I don't really see the point. I'm still debating whether upgrading this specific rig makes any sense at all, so I'll wait to hear what you guys think after wading through this wall of text (my bad).

It’s probably pretty standard by now, but I definitely need at least one HDMI port to hook up my TV (which is still just 1080p) and a second DVI or DP port for my monitor.

This would be the absolute final upgrade for this PC/case before I just pull the trigger on a completely new build. If I go the GPU route, I won't be touching this machine again for maybe three years; otherwise, I'd rather just save that cash for a total overhaul later on.

Budget-wise, I'm looking at roughly $500, but I'm mostly hunting for the best bang for my buck, so I could stretch it if the value is right. Of course, 😉 cheaper is always better.

Current Specs:

CPU: Intel Core i7 4790S @ 3.20GHz
GPU: MSI R9 270 Twin frozr 2 GB
RAM: 16.0GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 799MHz
MB: ASRock H81M-DGS
PSU: Be quiet! 500W Dell UltraSharp monitor

Monitor is a Dell U2311H running at 1920x1080.

Lately, the most demanding thing I've played is Kingdom Come: Deliverance, and even Disco Elysium has been stuttering a bit. Looking ahead, I'll definitely be picking up Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord and Cyberpunk 2077 once they're out—honestly, Cyberpunk is the big reason I'm even considering this upgrade.

I'm planning to buy the card in about two months. Because of some bad luck in the past, I'm strictly looking to buy new (since I'm based in Washington, D.C.). I do have the option to source gear from Germany if the prices there are significantly better.

Aside from gaming, I do some heavier lifting that my phone can't handle:

- I've started dabbling in Blender, and every once in a while, I'll do some video editing using Sony Vegas Pro 13 or Handbrake re-encoding.

If you guys need any more info, just let me know. Any extra tips are much appreciated.

Thanks a ton for the help! Cheers!

The RX 580 8GB is another option, though I guess it does pull twice the power and runs a bit louder. You do get that extra 8GB of VRAM and a slightly better price point, though.

https://www.nabava.net/search.php?q=rx+580+8gb

crimsonstag84 said:I was browsing through some hardware listings online and stumbled upon this Gigabyte card. It’s a decent enough find if you're looking to pick up a solid mid-range option without breaking the bank. Honestly, seeing these kinds of deals pop up makes me wonder why I haven't updated my own rig sooner. It’s one of those pieces of gear that just sits there—reliable, unpretentious, and does exactly what it says on the box. Nothing flashy, but hey, it gets the job done.

The RX 580 8GB is another way to go, though you’re basically trading efficiency for everything else—it pulls double the power and runs a bit louder. On the bright side, you get that 8GB of VRAM and a slightly lower price tag.

I was scouring the web looking for an RX 580 8GB, and honestly, the search results are a bit of a mess. It's one of those things where you think you know what you're getting into, but then you actually start clicking through the listings and realize how much noise there is out there. Just trying to find a decent deal without feeling like I'm being scammed by a bot or someone selling a paperweight.

Thanks a million!

You basically handed me everything I needed on a silver platter for that GTX 1650.

I've been doing a little digging online to see which RX 580 is actually the quietest, and I stumbled upon the Sapphire RX580 nitro +, 8GB. The thing is, it's looking pretty pricey compared to those links you sent over.

Does this actually make sense for what I need, in your opinion?

Thanks!

Alexander Moore67 said:If you know someone—or have a buddy who’s handy with hardware—who can strip the cooler off the card, apply some fresh thermal paste, and give the whole heatsink a deep clean, your GPU is going to run a lot quieter.

Honestly, my current R9 270 is still whisper-quiet; it’s just ancient at this point.

darkskipper5 said:Thanks so much!

You basically handed me everything I needed to know about the GTX 1650 on a silver platter.

I've been browsing around trying to figure out which RX 580 is the quietest, and I stumbled upon the Sapphire RX580 Nitro+, 8GB, but it's looking pretty pricey compared to the ones you linked.

Do you think it makes sense for my setup?

Thanks!

If you're set on getting a Nitro+ version, you might be better off looking at this RX 590:

The RX 590 uses essentially the same chip, but it's built on a slightly better 12nm process and has higher clock speeds. It’s maybe 8-10% faster than the 580 or the 1650 Super. Some people find the extra power draw a bit annoying, but honestly, you can probably just tweak the voltage in some software to fix that.

Basically, if you want something plug-and-play that stays cool, go with the 1650 Super.

I guess I'm not entirely sure which one I'd pick personally. 😬 If I were stuck in a tiny case with terrible airflow, I'd probably grab the 1650 Super; otherwise, I'd likely mess around with undervolting the RX 590.

crimsonstag84 said:Basically, if you just want to plug it in and go without worrying about temperatures, grab the 1650 Super.

To be honest, I’m torn on which one I’d pick if I were in your shoes. 😬 If you're stuck with some tiny, cramped case that has zero airflow, I’d definitely go with the 1650 Super. Otherwise, I'd probably have some fun tweaking the settings on an RX 590.

The reason I landed on that Nitro card is because it was the only quiet option I could find anywhere in the States.

You've laid everything out perfectly for me. Now I just have to decide if I want the "plug and play" life or if I actually want to spend my time messing with settings.

Thanks man, you've been a huge help!

It’s just a few clicks. Dial back the clocks slightly, drop the voltage significantly, and voilà.