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GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Started by Kimberly Gomez34 · · 👁 218 views · 5.7K replies

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Participants Kimberly Gomez34Michael King7Gerald Campbell65crimsonstag84Robert Rodriguez2Scott Mendoza88Ryan Wilson7Jesse Lopez83David Sanders4Taylor BrownAdam Moore3Benjamin King2Larry Ortiz5Amy Vaughn12Adam Williams2swiftscout21fadedorca66driftingwalker19William Hughes16swiftstag66mistymason18Jonathan Reed50hiddenpilot4Jamie Patel2 …
Kimberly Gomez34 Kimberly Gomez34 RegularOP
686 messages
joined Jul 2009
#1221 ·
Let's be real—the G3220 and G3258 aren't even going to budge. They simply won't boot. This is it.I ran into some total garbage issues—specifically constant black screens—while playing Far Cry 4, but everything finally stabilized once a patch was released to fix it.

Regarding these builds—look, it’s the truth, plain and simple. Why? Because hardware and game developers design everything primarily for the Western market. Let’s be real: the US and Canada are the epicenters here. A "budget" build in America isn't the same thing as one here. In the States, even their entry-level components can be up to 30% cheaper, yet they come with much higher performance standards. For an average worker making minimum wage over there, buying a decent PC is a total breeze. What we consider a budget setup is just what you listed, but they barely even touch that tier. To them, something like an FX 6300 + R9 270X is considered a budget rig, while an Intel Core i5-4670K + GTX 970 is just a standard, everyday PC. Good grief, people over there have been mass-buying i7s, 16GB of RAM, and 700-1000W power supplies for gaming for years.
Let's be honest, most people only buy high-end gear because they don't actually know any better. They think they need the top-of-the-line stuff, but nobody ever complains about having too much power. Trust me, you won't hear anyone crying because their PC was actually too fast.
Adam Moore3 Adam Moore3 Regular
322 messages
joined Jun 2014
#1222 ·
mellowtiger83 said:Exactly, you're right. But honestly, every game should run on a roughly $300 gaming rig—something like an Pentium G3220, 4GB of RAM, and a Radeon R7 260. It’s just basic common sense. What I listed isn't even weak🙂. If they can't optimize code for that, then they're just incompetent as hell.

I don't have any issues running a powerhouse build, but for some people, it's a real struggle. Plenty of folks who actually want to play won't be able to, even if they have decent setups like the one I mentioned above.

An AMD 750k and a Radeon R7 260X? According to them, those shouldn't even launch the game?? Of course they should! People will scrape together every last cent to buy a PC like that, only to hit a brick wall immediately.

My specs 😍

Timothy Kim60 said:Take a G3220 or a G3258, for instance—they can't even get this to run. Plus, there were all those glitches, like the black screen issue with Far Cry 4, until they finally pushed a fix or patch.

Regarding these builds—man, it sucks, but it's just the reality of things. Why? Because hardware and games are primarily designed for the mainstream markets out there. Let's say Canada and the USA are the peak targets; a "budget" build here in America isn't the same thing as a budget build there. Their components might be up to 30% cheaper at worst, but their standard for what's considered "normal" is way higher. For an average worker making minimum wage over there, buying a decent PC is a breeze. For us, a budget build is exactly what I described, but they almost never buy stuff like that. For them, something like an FX 6300 + R9 270X is a budget setup, while an Intel Core i5-4690K + GTX 970 is just a regular PC. My god, for years, people over there have been mass-buying i7s, 16GB of RAM, and 700-1000W power supplies just for gaming...
It's true, mostly because people think they need it, but they don't really care once they have the cash. Nobody ever complained about having a PC that was too powerful.

A fix came out—not official, though; it's more like an injector that lets people run Dragon Age: Inquisition perfectly fine on Haswell dual-core CPUs. That proves it's not actually impossible to run the game on a dual-core CPU; it's purely an optimization issue. And honestly, it doesn't seem that far-fetched that they want to push people away from budget rigs and toward high-end, more expensive SKUs, which obviously lines the pockets of AMD, Intel, and the rest of the gang.
analogtiger19 analogtiger19 Active Member
134 messages
joined Dec 2016
#1223 ·
Let's bring this back down to earth for a second...

1 x Intel Core i5-4690K Processor (3.50GHz,1MB,6MB,88 W,1150) Box
1 x ASRock Z97 EXTREME4, s1150, Intel® Z97
1 x DDR3 8GB (2x4GB) Kingston, 1866MHz, CL10, HyperX Fury
1 x TOSHIBA 1TB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA100
1 x Intel 120GB SSD 530, 2.5", SATA III-600, R/W:540/480MB/s
1 x ASUS STRIX-GTX970-DC2OC-4GD5, Nvidia GeForce, GTX 970, PCIe 3.0
1 x Fractal Design Define R4 Titanium Grey - Window, Mid Tower 1
1 x Seasonic S12G-550 Gold, 550 W, active PFC
1 x LG GH24NS, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo,2011,1366/1156/775/AM3/ 626g,13-32dB

$3225

The build above was put together using parts I pulled from PCPartPicker just to compare things fairly. Here, a setup like this costs an absolute fortune—it's highway robbery. In the USA, this totals about $1,167.54 $2533.

If you factor in that price plus the sheer level of service and standards they have over there... honestly, what can I say? If you're smart, you'll know better.😛
Brian Campbell36 Brian Campbell36 Active Member
159 messages
joined Apr 2013
#1224 ·
Seeking a GPU recommendation with a budget of approximately $667 🍿

Power Supply: Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 1000
Processor: Intel Core i5-2320
Current Graphics: 2x AMD Radeon HD 7770 Vapor X (1 GB GDDR5)
RAM: 16 GB Corsair
crimsonstag84 crimsonstag84 Regular
518 messages
joined Jun 2010
#1225 ·
Just make sure it actually fits in your case; it's about 12 inches long.
silentcobra3 silentcobra3 Member
24 messages
joined Feb 2012
#1226 ·
Hey there,

I was wondering if you guys could point me toward an NVIDIA card that sits in the same ballpark as my current R9 280 Windforce 3X?

I'm looking to spend somewhere around $140-$$533.

Ideally, I’d love to grab a GTX model if possible, provided it actually holds its own against the R9 280 Windforce 3X (which honestly seems like a fair deal, but I'm not totally sure if you guys would recommend sticking with it).
I've always been more of an NVIDIA fan, so if you wouldn't mind throwing out a few names of cards in that price range that perform similarly to the R9 280 Windforce 3X, I'd really appreciate it.
Kimberly Gomez34 Kimberly Gomez34 RegularOP
686 messages
joined Jul 2009
#1227 ·
GTX 760 - slightly underpowered compared to the R9 280
GTX 770 - it offers more punch, but you either can't find one right now or they're overpriced—honestly, they cost about the same as the entry-level GTX 970 models, which are a significant step up in performance
crimsonstag84 crimsonstag84 Regular
518 messages
joined Jun 2010
#1228 ·
http://www.amazon.com/graphics-cards/price&order=ASC

Then again, I’d probably just go with the R9 280.
silentcobra3 silentcobra3 Member
24 messages
joined Feb 2012
#1229 ·
Alright,
I think I'm going to pull the trigger on the Gigabyte R9 280 Windforce 3X OC.
The only thing tripping me up is that whenever I search online, there's a mountain of info about the R9 280X, but almost nothing on this specific model.
Is there actually a massive performance gap between the R9 280X and the R9 280, or am I just chasing ghosts? Is it even worth shelling out $167 extra for the R9 280X?
Kimberly Gomez34 Kimberly Gomez34 RegularOP
686 messages
joined Jul 2009
#1230 ·
silentcobra3 said:My only real concern is that there’s way more info online regarding the R9 280X compared to this specific model.

What kind of problem is that? 😬

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/657...iew/index.html

There is plenty of content on the R9 280 out there, including on YouTube.
silentcobra3 silentcobra3 Member
24 messages
joined Feb 2012
#1231 ·
Alright then 🙂
I think I'll grab the FX 8350 to go along with everything else.
Do you think a 500W power supply will be enough to handle that?
crimsonstag84 crimsonstag84 Regular
518 messages
joined Jun 2010
#1232 ·
I’d probably go with the Boeing 737 instead; it has the same processor just with a lower clock speed that you can always overclock later, $83 plus it's cheaper. What kind of 500W power supply are we talking about here?
silentcobra3 silentcobra3 Member
24 messages
joined Feb 2012
#1233 ·
Alright, let's go with the 8320.

If I were picking something up down the road, I’d grab an EVGA SuperNOVA 550 G5 with that 80+ Silver rating.
I reckon that should do the trick just fine.
Kimberly Gomez34 Kimberly Gomez34 RegularOP
686 messages
joined Jul 2009
#1234 ·
Hi. For $3.25 you've got the EVGA SuperNOVA 550 G5 instead.
silentcobra3 silentcobra3 Member
24 messages
joined Feb 2012
#1235 ·
I’d grab it, but I noticed there's no power cord included. (Quick side note: Is the power cord standard for all PSUs? If it is, then we're golden—plus, honestly, those cables on the XFX unit look way cleaner. Any other recommendations for future power supply buys, or would this XFX be a step up from the EVGA one?)

I know this is totally off-topic, but does this build look solid to you guys?
View on imgur

Thanks in advance and cheers! 😉
Kimberly Gomez34 Kimberly Gomez34 RegularOP
686 messages
joined Jul 2009
#1236 ·
Cables are cables—they're essentially identical (10-$5.00)

The build is solid, though you could swap things out for this, that, or even this

You’ll also need an aftermarket cooler for that CPU: if you aren't on a tight budget, at least grab this. Ideally, you should go for something more heavy-duty like:
Joseph Palmer16 Joseph Palmer16 Newcomer
1 message
joined Aug 2012
#1237 ·
Hey there.

I'm planning on ordering a custom build from CNET tomorrow. My main condition was being able to use an American Express card for 12 monthly installments, up to $1667, excluding the monitor.

Here’s what I’ve put together:

CPU - Intel Core i7-2600K

$331

CPU COOLER - Corsair

$30

MOBO - ASUS ROG Maximus

$194

RAM - PC-12800, 8 GB

$205

HDD - Seagate ST1000DM003 1TB

$153

PSU - 500W ENERMAX NAXN

$114

Thermaltake Commander MS-II Case

$111

SHARKOON Skiller Keyboard

$35

ARCTIC M551-D Gaming Mouse

$33
------------------------------
$1205

Originally, I was going to grab this ASUS card, but they marked it as out of stock yesterday.

PCI-E ASUS ROG Radeon RX 580, 2GB

$460

So now my only options if I want to stay within budget are something similar from XFX or PowerColor.
The catch is they only come with a 24-month warranty, whereas the ASUS one had 36.

PCI-E PowerColor Radeon RX 580 Dual-X OC Boost, 2GB DDR5, DualDVI, HDMI, DP

$458

or

PCI-E XFX AMD RADEON R9 270 DD Edition, 2GB DDR5, DualDVI, HDMI, DP

$460

There's also the option to go for a slightly more expensive ASUS model, which is this one:

PCI-E ASUS AMD RADEON R9 270X OC, 2GB DDR5, GV-R927XOC-2GD, DVI, HDMI, DP

$547

That would push me over budget, bringing the total to...$1752 but if I could get a little more out of it, I’d definitely be down.

It’s not like I need to be cranking games at ultra settings or anything, plus I'll be hooked up to my TV instead of a monitor for a while (at least until I pick something up this spring).
I'm working with a 32" Sony (B32FC122BK) at 1366/768 res.

What do you guys suggest? I'm planning to pull the trigger on an order tomorrow.
crimsonstag84 crimsonstag84 Regular
518 messages
joined Jun 2010
#1238 ·
That power supply looks like cheap generic junk, and honestly, you could find much better cases out there...

ASUS ROG Maximus motherboard
8 GB G.SKILL RipjawsX series DDR3 1600MHz PC-12800 memory
Corsair cooler, compatible with socket 775 /1155 /1156 /AM2 /AM3
1000.0 GB Western Digital HDD Caviar Blue, WD10EZEX, SATA3, 64MB cache, 7200rpm desktop drive
COOLERMASTER K280 MIDI tower, black, USB 3.0, no PSU included
Intel Core i7-2600K box, 3.5GHz, 14MB cache, Six Core
PCI-E PowerColor Radeon RX 580, 2GB DDR5, DualDVI, HDMI, DP
460W power supply, Corsair Silent Giant GREEN POWER LC6460GP3 V2.3, 140mm fan

Total: $1625

Plus, I'm throwing in this keyboard and mouse.
Joseph Palmer16 Joseph Palmer16 Newcomer
1 message
joined Aug 2012
#1239 ·
@ crimsonstag84 - thanks for getting back to me.

just had a few more things on my mind...

is that 460W power supply actually going to cut it for the GPU? I noticed the specs say it needs at least 500W.

Is a Western Digital HDD a better bet than a Seagate? They’re priced the same, so I'm assuming you think the WD drive is higher quality?

And maybe a bit of a dumb question here... I didn't bother installing a DVD/CD drive because I can't even remember the last time I used one, but I might need it if the drivers come on a disc. How do I handle that? Just dump the files from the CD onto a USB?
I feel a little silly asking this, but since I haven't kept up with all this lately... better to ask a stupid question now than regret it later. 😵
Adam Moore3 Adam Moore3 Regular
322 messages
joined Jun 2014
#1240 ·
Joseph Palmer16 said:@ crimsonstag84 - thanks for the reply.

Just a few more questions...

Will that 460W power supply be enough for the graphics card, since it says it needs at least 500W?

Is a Western Digital HDD a better pick than a Seagate? I see they're the same price, so I assume you think it's a higher quality drive?

And one maybe stupid question... I didn't install a DVD/CD drive because I can't remember the last time I actually used one, but will I need it for installing drivers that come on a CD? How do I handle that? Transfer the contents from the CD to a USB?
I'm a little embarrassed asking this, but since I haven't been keeping up with things lately... it's better to ask something silly now than to regret it later.😵

It'll be plenty. Just because a power supply says "500W" doesn't mean it actually delivers 500W or that it's any better than a 450W unit. That's why you see 600W options from $67 and $233. You can safely assume there's a huge difference there. 🙂 It's not a stupid question; honestly, people hardly even use optical drives anymore because, like you said, nobody really needs them. You'll install Windows from a USB and just download the drivers from the internet directly onto the computer. The drivers included on a CD with hardware are often outdated anyway, so it's best to grab them from the official website—that way you can't go wrong.😉

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