GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Not really $233 worth it, since when you pay $17 you might as well get something newer:

http://www.amazon.com/s?k=nvidia+geforce+gt+630

For 600 bucks, you can probably find something better.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 630 is barely an upgrade over the HD 4890, except it pulls about 120W less power... which, in other words, means it probably isn't worth the money.

Look, I only made this account just to ask a few things 🙂
so, I'm running an Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 overclocked to 2.84GHz—which is decent enough, I guess—but my GPU is absolute garbage and definitely not built for gaming, some NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT with 512MB. I’m thinking about picking up an EVGA Radeon R7 250 1GB DDR5, but I have zero clue how it'll play with my current CPU, so I need your takes. Also, one more thing: will that card even fit on my M4N78-SE motherboard? Thanks in advance

That graphics card should fit your motherboard just fine... And honestly, I don't think your processor will be much of a bottleneck—you should be able to really get some good use out of that GPU.

If you're planning on running any modern games with that processor, it probably won't cut it. It's a bit weak and pretty outdated, I guess.

The good news is you should be able to throw AM3 processors in there once you
update BIOS:
https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/M4N78_SE/#support

For instance, you could grab something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/processor-listing-example

And honestly, he’s not even going to be able to play any of the newer titles with that GPU—it just won't happen—so there's really no point in him picking up anything less than a $250 card.

Maybe that Core i7-920 with a little bit of an OC and a GTX 750 Ti would be enough $297 to get through some decent gaming.

I could use some advice here. I’m stuck choosing between two lesser evils. Would you go with the GTX 760 from eDigital or Vemil? Or does it make more sense to just grab a brand new GTX 660 for $117 less (especially since the price actually climbed compared to the last depressing market dip)? Both come with a 36-month warranty.

Which one will leave me with a smaller dent in my wallet when I decide to sell it in two years? I saw both the GTX 660 and the $333 listed before, but now, as luck would have it, they're completely wiped out.

Why compare those two specific models? The gap was much wider $200. It’s a bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison since they aren't even in the same league; the GTX 760 delivers nearly 50% more performance, so I suspect its value will drop faster.

http://www.diskont24.com/product.php?productid=127953

EDIT

By the way, there's an American review for the sapphire GTX 970 tri-x
That card is incredible. It's noticeably quieter than the reference model (and even beats the MSI GTX 770 Lightning), runs about 4% stronger, stays roughly 20°C cooler, and actually draws slightly less power—all without being much more expensive.

because it's available at
edigital : EVGA GTX 760 gaming OC $570 + $10 shipping $580
vemil : EVGA GTX 760 gaming OC$586
as for the other one, I'd probably pick it up at Best Buy
ASUS GeForce GTX 660 OC $472 including shipping
or maybe a used
EVGA GTX 660 for $383 with shipping included

I wouldn't touch those Palit or POV cards; they just don't sit right with me. I much prefer the dual-fan models.
And if I go NVIDIA, it would be strictly for PhysX, since my current setup—between the motherboard and the power supply—doesn't really leave me any room for a hybrid setup, like say an R9 270x paired with an 8800GTS 640MB (though I'm not entirely sure how stable that would even be)🤷

Now, that R9 290 TriX is an absolute beast, but it’s way out of my budget (just like the GTX 770 or the GTX 780)

Hey everyone. Here’s the situation. I see people mention checking the power supply, but I'm not really sure how to go about that. As for the budget, maybe around $333? I suppose it depends on whether buying a new GPU actually makes sense, or if I should just wait and save up for a whole new rig. If it is worth it, though, I'd appreciate some suggestions.

Motherboard:

Processor: Core 2 Quad Q8300, 2500 MHz (7.5 x 333)

Motherboard Model: ASUS P43 Motherboard (2 PCI, 4 PCI-E x1, 1 PCI-
E x16, 4 DDR2 DIMM, Audio, Gigabit LAN)

Motherboard Chipset: Intel Eaglelake P43

System Memory: 4096 MB (DDR2-800 DDR2 SDRAM)

DIMM1: Nanya M2Y2G64TU8HD5B-AC 2 GB DDR2-800 DDR2 SDRAM (5-5-5-18 @ 400 MHz) (4-4-4-12 @ 266 MHz) (3-3-3-9 @ 200 MHz)

DIMM3: Nanya M2Y2G64TU8HD5B-AC 2 GB DDR2-800 DDR2 SDRAM (5-5-5-18 @ 400 MHz) (4-4-4-12 @ 266 MHz) (3-3-3-9 @ 200 MHz)

BIOS Type: Award Modular (08/15/08)

Serial port: Serial port (COM1)

Parallel port: Parallel port (LPT1)

Graphics
Video Card: NVIDIA Radeon HD 5700 Series (1024 MB)
Video Card: NVIDIA Radeon HD 5700 Series (1024 MB)
Video Card: NVIDIA Radeon HD 5700 Series (1024 MB)
3D Accelerator Chip: NVIDIA Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper)

@David Sanders4/">@@David Sanders4
If you're looking to buy used on eBay, just hang tight; something will pop up eventually.
(EDIT: I missed some of the earlier posts here, but since I see you found this GTX 660, if you can talk them down by about $33, I truly believe it would be a solid purchase)

Regarding the concern about losing money on resale value—take it this way: if you buy a used card from a newer generation (like a GTX 760, an R7, or a 9 series), you could likely sell it for about half its price in two years. However, if you buy brand new from a retail store, you’d probably only get a third of your money back. That's just my estimate, but I think it's pretty accurate.

If depreciation is your main worry, I would personally look at something like a GTX 560 Ti or an HD 7850. There are several listed on eBay right now that are still plenty powerful without being overpriced $267. Alternatively, if you want something high-end with a warranty, there's a GTX 680 Lightning on eBay for $767 that still has a year and a half of coverage left; I suspect you could probably negotiate that price down by a couple hundred bucks.

By the way, if I were buying a new card, I'd definitely go through Newegg.

@Douglas Martinez28/">@@Douglas Martinez28
I'm not sure how wise it is to invest $333 in that specific build. You could easily pick up a Dell 400W power supply and a GTX 750 Ti for that amount instead. Honestly, I don't think the upgrade from a 5770 to a GTX 750 Ti justifies that level of spending.

This one is my true heartbreak; the guy posted the listing just ten days ago, and it was gone by the very next day...

ASUS GeForce GTX 660

There were a few others floating around last month for about $1,000, but they all vanished too...
If I'm being honest, I'm holding out hope that one might drop to $900 eventually...

One will pop up for $333, you should grab it immediately, and just a few days later, a batch of five will be available for 900 😬

David Sanders4 said:Because at
Best Buy: EVGA GTX 760 gaming OC $570 + $10 shipping >$580
Micro Center: EVGA GTX 760 gaming OC>$586
And I’d pick up this other one at Best Buy
ASUS GeForce GTX 660 OC $472 including shipping
or maybe a used
EVGA GTX 660 for >$383 with shipping

I wouldn't touch those Palit or POV cards; they just don't feel right to me. I much prefer the dual-fan models.
As for Nvidia, I'd go exclusively with them for PhysX support, since my current setup—between the motherboard and the power supply—doesn't give me the option to run a hybrid setup, like say an R9 270x paired with an 8800GTS 640MB (and honestly, I'm not even sure how that would perform).🤷

Now, that R9 290 TriX is an absolute beast, but it is way out of my budget (just like the GTX 770 or the GTX 780).

David Sanders4, that card at Micro Center isn't a full-blown gaming model; it's just the reference design.
Regarding the Best Buy option—either the site didn't show me the availability, or I just instinctively skipped over them 😬 —but the price is solid. Just reach out to them to make sure you aren't accidentally grabbing the reference version.

Regarding a used GTX 660—if you wait for it, something even cheaper will eventually pop up.
And I only included that 290 TriX in the thread for informational purposes.

Upgrading this ancient rig... here's the situation: about two years ago, I was getting a solid 250 FPS lock in Call of Duty 2 and a 125 FPS lock in Call of Duty 4, but now both games are crawling at a pathetic 50-60 FPS.
-My current setup includes an NVIDIA Radeon HD 3450 PCI-e card, 1 GB of DDR2 800MHz RAM😢, an Intel Celeron E3300 2.5 GHz dual-core on a LGA 775 socket, a 65W power supply (assuming 65W TDP is accurate), and an ASrock G31M-GS motherboard.
-By the way, I’m running everything at 1024x768 resolution.
-I'm prepared to shell out up to $167
. -I don't really care which retailer I use; I don't follow market prices closely and I'm honestly clueless about which stores offer the best deals.
-Right now, I'm considering picking up 2 GB of RAM; I already found some on eBay for $47 http://www.ebay.com/itm/ram-memory/...listing-10451171
. -I also need a new graphics card, though I'm wary of buying from eBay because there's always a risk of receiving something burnt out or just plain junk. That said, I'm a bit lost when it comes to motherboard and processor compatibility. It would be helpful if someone could recommend a card priced around $350-$133 that can actually handle Call of Duty 4, Far Cry 3, and GTA 4 without constant, unbearable lag or dropping to 50 FPS.
Thanks.

You should probably check the power supply; the label should list the model, and that 65W is just the processor's TDP.

On a tighter budget:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/processors/example-link-10435590
http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-cards/example-link-10482481

+those 2 GB of RAM

Everything else would be brand new... though I guess you should probably budget at least $4k if you want to play new games without any lag.

loneraven15 said:Upgrading an old rig... basically, back before Call of Duty 2, I was hitting 250 FPS in cod2 and 125 FPS in cod4, but now both games are stuck at 50-60 FPS..
-I'm running an ATI Radeon HD 3450 PCI-e card, 1 GB of DDR2 800MHz RAM 😢, and an Intel Celeron E3300 2.5 GHz dual core on a 775 LGA socket with a 65W power supply (max TDP 65W, if that's right) and an ASRock G31M-GS motherboard
-I play at 1024x768 resolution
-I'm willing to set aside up to $167
-Store doesn't matter; honestly, I don't really track prices or know which retailers are actually the best deals
-Right now I'm thinking about picking up 2 gigs of RAM; I already found some on Craigslist for $47 http://www.craigslist.org/ram-memory/...listing-10451171
and I also need a new GPU because buying from Craigslist carries the risk of getting sent a burnt-out piece of junk. But I don't really get how motherboards and processors work together—what should I be looking out for? Can someone recommend something for under 350-$133 that can actually run cod4, Far Cry 3, and GTA IV without terrible lag or being stuck at 50 FPS
thanks!

Hmm, that's a pretty ancient machine.

For what it's worth, I have the processor they suggested to you and I'm perfectly happy with it, considering it's over 5 years old. I just upgraded my graphics card and now everything runs smoothly.

If you're looking for a GPU, I might be willing to part with my old 4650 for a symbolic amount... I'm not sure if it's enough for GTA IV since I haven't played it, but I know I ran Far Cry 3 on medium settings at full resolution just fine, and cod4 worked without any issues at all.

No one bothered to mention what I actually need to look out for when picking up a GPU. Specifically, does any graphics card just work with any motherboard? And is it the same deal with the CPU? Any advice on where to hunt for used parts would be appreciated. I’m looking to pick up something decent for about $300-$133. To be honest, I'm a bit of a cheapskate—I never play on maxed-out settings. For me, raw performance matters way more than visual fidelity, if you catch my drift. 🙂
So, please suggest a good GPU within the $133 range and maybe a reliable shop to buy from.