GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

My budget is $1100. Which graphics card would you recommend? I'm looking at the GTX 970—is it actually any good, and how much peace of mind can I expect from it?

What about the rest of the setup (specifically the PSU and CPU)? And what resolution are we talking about?

Your best bets are either the R9 290($800 or better) or the GTX 970($933 or better)—there isn't really anything else in that tier.

It’s tough to say how well it'll hold up, though, since we're hitting that turning point where a ton of demanding next-gen games are starting to drop.

Jose Ward9 said:I'm on a budget $1100. What GPU would you recommend? I'm looking at a GTX 970—is that any good, and how long will it actually last me?

First, tell us the rest of your build; nobody can just throw out a recommendation blindly. We need to know your power supply and CPU specifically. Otherwise, yeah, in that price bracket, you're basically looking at this type of thing or something like this...

crimsonstag84 said:What's the rest of the setup (PSU and CPU are vital)? And what resolution are you playing at?

Your choices are really just the R9 290 ($800 or higher) or the GTX 970 ($933 or higher); there isn't much else in that tier.

It’s hard to say how long you'll be "set" because we've hit that turning point where a lot of demanding next-gen games are starting to drop.

Whoa, where are you seeing those prices? 😕

Intel Core i5 CPU paired with a 550W power supply. I have no practical need for anything beyond 1080p resolution.

What kind of power supply are we talking about here? Like, what's the specific brand and model? I guess there's a difference between those cheap "550W" units meant for $33 and actual 550W supplies built for $133.

fadedorca66 said:What kind of power supply are we talking about? There’s a massive difference between a cheap 550W unit meant for $33 and a real 550W unit built for $133.

Plus there are those fake 550W units made specifically for $200 🍿

Adam Moore3 said:Whoa, where are you seeing those prices? 😕

Centro / Protis Quote

Jose Ward9 said:Intel Core i5 2500K with a 550W PSU. I don't really need anything beyond 1080p.

Which 550W power supply? 😬

The GTX 970 is a bit more efficient and slightly faster, but I guess it depends on if that ~$167 difference matters to you. If you're running a low-quality PSU, you might be better off grabbing the GTX 970 or R9 290 along with a decent new power supply for about the same price.

fadedorca66 said:What kind of power supply are we talking about (brand and specific model)? There is a massive difference between a "550W" unit designed for $33 and a legitimate 550W unit built for $133.

It's a Chieftec. As for the exact model, I haven't a clue. Regardless, I previously used an asus gtx 660 ti, which I believe requires more power than a GTX 970.

If I were in your shoes, I’d probably just hold out for the new AMD cards coming in a couple of months. Moving from a 660 Ti to a GTX 970 / R9 290 doesn't feel like a massive leap forward, I guess.

It’s definitely worth being patient, but if we aren't talking about a massive leap forward, I wouldn't be so sure. Even if you're seeing a 2X boost in FPSa, there's a limit to that; if you don't want to wait forever, the GTX 970 / R9 290 aren't actually bad calls. That said, I'd personally double-check the exact power supply first, because dropping an R9 290 into some low-end Chieftec would be a recipe for disaster.

I could really use some help here,
I'm putting together a PC build with a budget of roughly $500—give or take $45.
Here’s what I’m weighing up:
Which of these graphics cards should I go with? I'll list the lowest prices I found on Newegg for each specific model.
EVGA AMD Radeon R9 270 2 GB GDDR5- $424;
EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 2 GB GDDR5 (the Gigabyte version isn't the cheapest option—Palit is actually the best deal right now $412)- $445;
EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 2 GB GDDR5- $323;
EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2 GB GDDR5 (again, Gigabyte isn't the budget pick here—Gainward is the cheapest $383)- $415.

They're all hovering around similar price points, and I've been checking out the performance gaps on Geekbench.
Beyond just playing some lighter games—not looking for maxed-out settings, mind you—I also need this machine to handle CAD-CAM software. That’s a pretty big factor for me!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on which one to grab... and if you know of any other cards that might fit the bill, please don't hesitate to suggest them.
This budget covers the entire tower itself, so everything should fit within that $1167 range (just to be clear, I'm not including a monitor, mouse, or keyboard).

Patrick Harris8 said:I need some help,
building a PC for about $500 (give or take).
Here’s the deal:
Which of these GPUs should I pick? I'll list the lowest price for each brand from Newegg next to them.
EVGA AMD Radeon R9 270 2 GB GDDR5- $424;
EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 2 GB GDDR5 (Gigabyte isn't the cheapest, Palit is the best deal $412)- $445;
EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 2 GB GDDR5- $323;
EVGA Nvidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2 GB GDDR5 (again, Gigabyte isn't the cheapest, Gainward is the budget option $383)- $415.

They’re all priced similarly, and I checked the performance gaps on Geekbench.
Aside from playing light games—doesn't need to be on high settings—I'll also use it for CAD-CAM software. That's a big factor!!!
Let me know which one to grab, and if you have any other card suggestions, throw them out there.
The build includes the core components, so everything should fit within my $1167 budget (not including a monitor, mouse, or keyboard).

then you might as well buy everything from one shop; you get free shipping and assembly if you spend over $667...
1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x AMD FX-Series X6 6100 Processor 3.3GHz,14MB,95W,AM3+
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Crucial, 1600MHz CL11
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x FORTRON 400W Power Supply, EVGA 400 W1, 12cm fan
1 x MS PHOENIX Case without PSU, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 Cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm ,92mm
1 x ASUS GTX750TI-PH-2GD5, Nvidia GeForce, GTX750Ti,2GB D5

$1273

General question

Has the performance-to-price ratio hit a bit of a plateau over the last year?
Back at the start of 2013, I picked up an AMD Radeon HD 7850 for about $500 if my memory serves me right (I actually snagged a deal on mine)

Now, these AMD Radeon R9 270 or Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 cards—which are supposed to be in that sweet spot of being "best value"—are sitting around $400 or so.
And honestly, they aren't a massive leap over the AMD Radeon HD 7850

Is it just me misreading the market, or has this generation really stalled out? I remember the jump from 2012 to 2013 felt way more worth the cash.

Are we expecting a new generation to actually fix this?

edit: I get that newer CPU generations aren't seeing huge performance leaps either, but that isn't quite as critical.

AMD Radeon R9 270 = AMD Radeon HD 7850

Before they completely sold out, the 7870s were $433 at Micro Center. You can see the price hasn't actually shifted much; it’s just that the dollar has spiked so aggressively (though their pricing was roughly in this ballpark even before the exchange rate went crazy).

The Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 prices took a hit too, all because of the dollar. Honestly, you have to factor in that Nvidia has already released two newer generations since the 6xx series launched.

As for the upcoming models—who knows what's coming, or where the exchange rates are headed.

Timothy Kim60 said:As for the upcoming models—who knows what’ll happen, and who knows where the exchange rate is headed

Yeah, true. The dollar jumped about 25%

Still, I feel like we used to see much faster performance jumps right in that specific price bracket (like the AMD Radeon HD 7850). I mean, newer cards in the same class used to offer way better gains. (Though maybe that's a bit messy since the 5850, 6850, and 7850 weren't exactly in the same tier.) Now I'm kicking myself for not grabbing the 7870; it would've been perfect for me

A friend is asking

GTX 970 or R9 290X?
He's running a 600W EVGA 400 W1 power supply and wants to play GTA V, The Witcher 2/3, and Far Cry 4 at max settings at 1080p.

Is it worth holding out for the new R9 3xx series?

I guess waiting on the IMO might be worth it, maybe another month or so...

I’m just hoping the AMD Radeon R9 380X doesn't turn out to be nothing more than a rebranded R9 290X. What are your thoughts on how much those models with High Bandwidth Memory will actually cost?

They’ll probably be pricey. There’s been talk that the AMD Radeon R9 380X might just be a rebrand of the AMD Radeon R9 290, and rumors are flying about all these new GPUs being nothing more than rebranded old tech, so who knows? Honestly, if the 380X ends up significantly cheaper than the current AMD Radeon R9 290—similar to how the 280X compared to the 7970—then it’s a win. The only thing we can be certain of is that those high-end cards utilizing High Bandwidth Memory will definitely be entirely new architectures.

I see they recommend an i7-3770 for The Witcher 3. I'm running an i5-4460—do you think I'll run into any significant bottlenecking issues? What are your thoughts?