GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

crimsonstag84 said:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rtx+2060super+strix

Man, I really hope you didn't actually drop that much cash on it 😁

Yep, this is the one.
I'm dead set on Nvidia, and since I can't find a decent deal on a 2070super, I figured I'd grab a 2060super over just a standard 2070. It’s kind of like choosing a high-end mid-range model over a base-level premium one—sometimes you just know what fits your build better.

You really didn't need to go for the Strix. You could have just grabbed a ghost for $1067

Larry Ortiz5 said:I honestly have no idea where you got that from...

But then where does this opposite theory keep popping up from? I get my info from all sorts of tech videos and various online forums.🙂>

AMD drivers are feeling a bit hit-or-miss right now. Things seem to be improving overall, but it feels like fixing one thing just breaks something else.

For instance, certain games (atelier Ryza) that ran perfectly fine for me last year won't even launch on adrenalin 2020 drivers.

There are also some things I just can't wrap my head around. Right now, I'm playing Far Cry New Dawn. I've got a Sapphire nitro + 5700 XT. At 1440p resolution (using a mix of ultra/high settings), I'm averaging about 70fps, with dips below 50 in some... "demanding" areas. The ceiling is around 90-105fps.

On the other hand, a friend using a standard RTX2070 gets an average of 100fps at 1080p with everything on ultra; he sees brief dips to 60fps and hits a ceiling of 150+ fps. And look, I get it, 1080p isn't the same as 1440p. It shouldn't be. But for me, it is. No matter what resolution I set, the fps stays the same. Even at 720p scaled to 50%, I get the same fps as I do at 1440p, except the image looks grainy as hell. 😬

Maybe it's the CPU (2600X) or just poor optimization, but still. It's bizarre.

Who can truly say for certain? In this day and age, everything seems to unfold with such unpredictable suddenness. While I recognize it might not be the most prudent course of action to invest in brand-new architectures right at their launch, I have always felt it is wiser to wait a little while and see how things settle.

Honestly, buying a new GPU wasn't even part of my plan. My old 7970 just died on me, and since I was already forced into buying something, I figured there was no point in wasting money on something mediocre just for the sake of having it.

Timothy Kim60 said:You didn't necessarily need to go for the Strix model. You could have grabbed a Ghost card for $1067

He can't find anything for a 2070 Super since he dropped the cash on an Asus Strix RTX 2060 Super $1400 while a Gigabyte Windforce OC 2070 Super is sitting at $4400😵

Oh, please, they just want the Strix version at any cost.

Does the RTX 3070 windforce oc have that feature where the fans stay totally quiet until it hits about 50-60 degrees?

And nah, I only dropped $380 on the ROG Strix 3060 Ti, but the 3070 is sitting at over $450 because I'm using my credit card instead of paying cash.

silentcobra3 said:Does the RTX 3070 windforce oc feature that tech where the fans don't actually kick in until it hits 50-60°C?

Straight from their official site:

Quote : 3 d ACTIVE fan The 3 d

The 3D Active Fan provides semi-passive cooling, and the fans will remain off when the GPU is in a low load or low power game.

Honestly, you could've just thrown in an extra $267 🙂
while you were at it.

GeForce RTX 2070 - $1067

Admittedly, the cooler is a bit underwhelming, but it still comes with a 2-year warranty.

Ugh, honestly? I would never touch those off-brand graphics cards with a ten-foot pole.
I’m strictly looking at Dell, ASUS, or maybe even a Gigabyte if the deal is right.
I might just grab the GeForce RTX 2070 super because when you break it down over a six-month payment plan, it works out to about $33 a month, which is totally doable for my budget.

What are you still waiting for?

silentcobra3 said:Ugh, I honestly wouldn't touch those custom card variants if they were free.

In my humble opinion, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that particular card. If one takes a moment to consider the technical details, the primary focus should always be on the actual GPU architecture and the price point; once those factors are satisfied, only then should one bother worrying about the specific brand or the exact model name.

Not trying to clutter things up by starting a whole new thread, since this is specifically about GPUs 😁and
.
So, I've got a GeForce GTX 1060 paired with a monitor that supports G-Sync, but whenever I have G-Sync enabled, the refresh rate just sits at 72 Hz.

Could someone give me a bit of a reality check and explain what the ideal setup is to actually get the most out of this gear?

G-Sync On
Adaptive Sync On or OFF?
Should I cap my frames at 72? Yes or no?

I’ve been Googling it, but honestly, I'm not quite tech-savvy enough to wrap my head around all this stuff. People are throwing around pros and cons regarding frame rates, and then there's all that talk about conflicts between Adaptive Sync and V-sync... blah blah 🙄

Anyone got any tips?

thanks!

If you have G-Sync on, then set Adaptive Sync to OFF. 🧐

I don't personally use a frame cap, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try; maybe it might take a little pressure off your GPU.

As for the G-Sync issue, I'm playing COD: Infinite Warfare right now and it seems to stutter slightly whenever I turn my view. I'm not sure if it's an issue with the game itself or just the drivers. My FPS stays between 90 and 130 on a 165Hz monitor. I don't really get it. 🤔

I spent quite some time tinkering with these settings, running various tests and comparing performance across several different games. Ultimately, I found that the most effective solution was to utilize a combination of G-Sync and MSI Afterburner, capping the frame rate at 70 fps, while simultaneously lowering my monitor's refresh rate from its native 75Hz down to 72Hz. By doing this, I managed to effectively eliminate those minor frustrations, specifically the stuttering and screen tearing that had been bothering me.

Exactly. If you want to stay within the G-Sync range, just tweak your in-game settings so your FPS never dips below the minimum threshold. I’d recommend capping the frame rate about 1 or 2 FPS below your maximum refresh rate (say, at 70 if you're on a 72Hz screen). Since limiters can struggle to hit an exact integer and refresh rates are rounded numbers, leaving that 2 FPS buffer is much safer.

My second approach—and honestly, how I’d play it—is to skip the FPS cap entirely. Just let G-Sync do its thing when the frames are low, and when the FPS climbs above the refresh rate, you actually get better frame timing. That’s definitely the sweet spot for competitive multiplayer shooters, since G-Sync is really there to save you when the performance dips.

Then there's the whole Radeon Chill combo to consider, but we can dive into that later.

BTW

Here’s what I’ve got
CPU: i5 4460
MBO: H81K
PSU: CX430 430W
GPU: GTX 750 Ti 2GB

I have some random monitor lying around—honestly, I don't even know the specs. Mostly just aiming for 1080p. I'm looking to swap out the GPU. My main issue is the weak power supply, but if anyone has recommendations on what I can actually cram into this rig... my goal is to be able to run recent titles on low or medium settings. As for older games, I guess I don't care as much.