GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Running a Corsair CX600, an Intel Core i5-2500K, and 8 gigs of Patriot RAM.

As long as you have enough clearance in your case,

or

alternatively, you could just wait a few weeks for some new GPU hardware—maybe a rebranded version with 4GB will show up by $667—but honestly, nobody can say for sure.

Honestly, I can't even wait to see which week my GPU finally gives up the ghost—it’s constant driver crashes, weird artifacts all over the screen, or just straight-up Blue Screens of Death.
My only real dilemma is whether I should grab a card with 2GB of VRAM, since I definitely won't be swapping it out for at least three years. I don't play games that often, so I have no clue what kind of hardware demands upcoming titles will actually throw at me two years down the line.

If I were in your shoes, I’d personally aim for the 3GB VRAM option.

Andrew Murphy5 said:I can't really afford to sit around waiting to see which week my GPU finally gives up the ghost. It's constant driver crashes, artifacts all over the screen, or just straight-up Blue Screens of Death.
My only real question is if I should settle for a card with 2GB of VRAM since I definitely won't be upgrading for at least three years. I don't play much, so I have no clue what kind of specs major titles will demand two years from now.

If you've got the cash, grab something with 3GB of VRAM, like an R9 280.
A GTX 960 might beat it in some spots and lose in others, but having that extra 3GB of VRAM is basically your insurance policy.

To be honest, from what I've observed, the GTX 960 actually performs better in these recent titles compared to the R9 280 or HD 7950. It might be due to how many games favor NVIDIA GameWorks, or perhaps just more frequent driver optimizations for specific releases, but it's certainly not true that 2GB is insufficient—especially if you aren't a hardcore gamer.

Here is a comparison between the GTX 960 2GB and the 4GB version:




There isn't a massive difference between them, except maybe in Assassin's Creed Unity if I recall correctly. Regardless, that 4GB model is a terrible value given its price tag of around $2,200-$2,300.

This is one of those rare reviews where they actually test both GPUs side-by-side:

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/gra...ew-feat-asus/5

Timothy Kim60 said:From what I've observed, the GTX 960 actually holds its own quite well against the R9 280 or HD 7950 in several recent releases. Is it perhaps because so many titles lean heavily on Nvidia GameWorks features, or maybe just because we see more frequent driver updates tailored to specific games? Regardless, it isn't as if 2GB is some insurmountable barrier, especially if you aren't a hardcore enthusiast.

Well, it’s likely the GameWorks factor at play here; take, for instance, the Hairworks tech in The Witcher or those specific graphical flourishes in Project Cars—they technically run on Radeon cards, but you'll suffer a massive performance hit because there is virtually zero optimization or support for them. Isn't that exactly why Radeon users get so frustrated? Unlike the tools available to everyone in the AMD / ATI ecosystem, Nvidia seems to love keeping their proprietary GameWorks tech all to themselves.

I was planning on picking up a GIGABYTE GTX 960 or maybe a GAINWARD GTX 960, but now I see people suggesting the R9 280 instead.

I'm running an Intel Core i5-760 and I'm only upgrading because my old GTX 460 finally died. I mainly need it for lighter titles like Heroes of the Storm, World of Warcraft, and Hearthstone for some living room gaming. This means noise levels matter, and I need something roughly the same physical size as the GTX 460.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance. 😉

What kind of power supply are you running—brand, model, wattage? I’m guessing it isn't some bottom-of-the-barrel junk since you're already rocking a GTX 460, but let's double-check just to be safe.

With that CPU, an R9 270 would probably be your sweet spot—anything beefier than that might require a bit more overclocking headroom.

You could also go with the Gigabyte GTX 960 ITX

R9 390/X


https://www1.sapphiretech.com/produc...72AEC&lang=eng

XFX:

Ended up grabbing a Gigabyte AMD Radeon R9 270—it's a 2GB model with the windforce cooler, halfway through its warranty period—but honestly, it does the job for what I need.

I’m running the exact same card. It’s an absolute beast.
It doesn't cost much, yet it handles everything perfectly fine.

Best Buy

Will an NVIDIA GeForce GTX fit inside a Cooler Master case?

Andrew Murphy5

Had to hack away at the drive bay area just to squeeze this card in 😁

Guys,
what should I grab..

I’ve been totally out of the loop on hardware lately (honestly, I've just been living that integrated graphics life for the last 4 years).. 😁

Got an i5 4670 without a cooler and an ASUS motherboard heading my way...
Thinking about picking up some Ripjaw DDR3 1866 8GB sticks..

Now, the GPU... checking Newegg, looking at maybe 800-900 dollars.. $333.
That's just my ballpark..
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu_list.php

Should I go NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti,
or maybe the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 ..
etc..

But this NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 Phantom on Linksys is staring me in the face for $467 just because I could pay it off in installments (though it's pricey once you factor in the RAM)...

What do you all think?
I'm pretty sure AMD is out since nothing decent (like an AMD Radeon R9 270) is under a few hundred bucks.. and it performs similarly to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660..

Forgot to mention the most important part..
Battlefield 3-4, GTA IV-V, COD, and that kind of stuff 🙂

HD 7870 = AMD Radeon R9 270

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 is just a tiny bit slower than the HD 7870, and if you compare it to the AMD Radeon R9 270, the gap is actually wider since the drivers have improved so much. Still, $267 seems like a pretty decent deal for a GTX 660. From what I can tell, Best Buy doesn't have any NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760s left in stock... you can grab a GTX 960 for around $1650-$583.

By the way, didn't you already have an i5? 😁

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 is perfectly fine for $267. Where exactly are you finding an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 for $467? Honestly, even that would be a fantastic upgrade for a new
.
EDIT

Ah, okay—it's a used Phantom card with one year of warranty left. To be fair, considering it's secondhand, that price isn't actually crazy.

Missing the forest for the trees here 😁 - second hand 👍
Like I said... it’s not about being cheap, but if it were, I’d just put it on a credit card. Of course, I could shell out 1000-$400 easily, but why drop that kind of cash on gear with zero warranty?

Now I'm just spinning my wheels on these prices. My issue is that my ancient, crappy NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti still runs everything on high settings, and you can grab one for $167 (no warranty, obviously, but is it $167 worth a risk?) 😁
Plus, everyone overprices AMD cards way beyond their value, and finding someone in a major US city like Chicago who actually has a receipt is rare..

I saw this listed on eBay for 700 (just a Linksys to follow the rules

crimsonstag84..
Nope... running a Phenom II 550 from back in the day when I used to spam hardware forums 😁