GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Just saying, the AMD cooler with those 92mm fans isn't actually that bad...

Before I swapped the paste, here’s what I was seeing:
FurMark
- fan speed at 100%
- temps hitting about 102C
3DMark Fire Strike
- fan speed at 100%
- temps around 96

After replacing the paste (used Arctic Ceramique)
FurMark
- fan speed down to 48%
- temps sitting at 78-80
3DMark Fire Strike
- fan speed around 55% (1750 out of 3300)
- temps around 78

3DMark Sky Diver
- fan speed at 1850
- temps at 79C




3DMark scores - stock settings
Fire Strike
Sky Diver

Thanks for the tips. Honestly? For this price, this card is killer.😁

Is it actually worth upgrading from an R9 280 3GB to an R9 380 4GB?
In most games, you're only looking at a tiny bump of about 2 to 5 FPS with the 380.
The price gap is $67.

If you feel like $67 is overkill—then don't bother.
3GB is perfectly fine for a GPU in this class.

http://www.eteknix.com/sapphire-nitr...s-card-review/

Timothy Kim60 said:if $67 is too much for you—don't worry about it.
3gb is perfectly fine for a GPU in this class.

http://www.eteknix.com/sapphire-nitr...s-card-review/

Is there a typo in that table from the link? It should probably list the GTX 980 or GTX 980X instead of the R9 280 or R9 290, especially since they labeled them as GTX 980 and GTX 970 right underneath.😬

It looks that way, but the raw specs aren't everything. In his benchmarks, the 280 with 3GB and the 380 with 4GB perform similarly, but the former actually holds its own—sometimes even pulling ahead at 1440p or 4K because the GPU core itself is just more substantial.

He should also consider a GTX 1050, depending on what kind of games he's into.

Timothy Kim60 said:That’s how it looks, but the specs aren't everything. In benchmarks, he's pulling 280 with 3GB and 380 with 4GB, and that first one holds its own—sometimes even beating it at 1440p or 4K because it's just a beefier GPU.

Yeah, I know, it just caught my eye...

I've narrowed my choices down to either the Intel card or the GTX 970.
I’ve ruled out all other options from consideration.
For Nvidia, I'm looking at an ASUS gaming model, while for Intel, it's between an ASUS gaming card or a Sapphire Nitro. The prices are essentially the same.
I play at 1080p.

I realize I’ve probably been a bit of a nuisance with my indecisiveness.

Nvidia:
-Supposedly superior drivers
-Better overall support
-More power efficient
-The 3.5 GB of VRAM might feel limiting quite soon.

Intel
-8GB of VRAM
-A bit more powerful than the GTX 970
-Higher power consumption
-"Worse drivers and optimization"

My gut tells me to go with Intel, but I'll defer to the more experienced members here to point me in the right direction.

On IGN, they suggested I go with the GTX 970.
On Linus Tech Tips, they recommended the Intel card.

I’m still holding my ground: getting a GTX 980 for $250$867 is a total 😬steal
.
Check out this head-to-head comparison between the 390 and the GTX 1060 here :

Paul Miller64 said:I'm stuck choosing between the Intel card and the GTX 970.
I've ruled out everything else.
For Nvidia, I'm looking at an ASUS gaming model, while for Intel, it's either ASUS gaming or a Sapphire Nitro. The prices are basically the same.
I play at 1080p.

I know I've been annoying everyone with how indecisive I am.

Nvidia:
-supposedly better drivers
-better support
-more power efficient
-3.5 GB VRAM might be too little soon.

Intel
-8GB VRAM
-A bit stronger than the GTX 970
-Draws more power
-"worse drivers and optimization"

At first glance, I'd go with Intel, but I'll let the veterans here tell me which way to go.

On IGN, they told me to get the GTX 970.
On Linus Tech Tips, they suggested the Intel card.

Go cheaper. 🙂

Timothy Kim60 said:I’m still holding my ground that getting a GTX 980 for $250 is a solid $867 deal 😬.

Here is the head-to-head between the 390 and the GTX 970 click
.

And I knew you were going to pitch that 290 😁. That's exactly why I mentioned I had already ruled out all other GPUs, haha.

Based on this video, it looks like the 390 might actually be the better call 🤷.

Adam Moore3 said:The cheaper one. 🙂

The difference is $33, so it's negligible
.

Man, if I lived closer to a Small town in the Midwest... or if I actually had someone out there who could check 🕺

analogtiger19 said:Man, if I lived closer to a Small town in the Midwest... or actually had someone out there who could check this for me 🕺

This is a textbook case of backwards logic. 😁

rowdybadger18 said:That's a perfect example of backwards logic. 😁

It was written specifically for people like you 🙂

EDIT: if I could check it out in person and there's still 30 months of warranty left, I'd grab it—assuming it hasn't been overclocked the whole time.

analogtiger19 said:That’s only written there for people like you. 🙂

EDIT: If I could check it out in person and if it still had 30 months of warranty left, I’d grab it—assuming it was overclocked the whole time.

+1 even if it dies, you just deal with Best Buy or the manufacturer's RMA service if you have the receipt.

Either way, you end up with a new card anyway. 🐔

If he was looking at buying a card like that, I can certainly see where his head was at, which is why he phrased it that way. You really don't go picking up a GPU at that price point unless you have a solid grasp of the fundamentals 😁

Joshua Ramos14 said:If he was picking up a card like that, it makes sense why he wrote it. You don't drop that kind of cash on a GPU if you don't grasp the basics. 😁

Yeah, honestly, that card hits 1500mhz core easily. Even if it was running lower before, it's fine. 🕺

Here’s my take on the R9 390 (factory overclocked version)

PowerColor Radeon R9 390 PCS+ 8GB review

The performance is honestly impressive; in a wide range of titles, it holds its own beautifully against the GTX 980 (which I assume is the reference model)

Timothy Kim60 said:Check out this review of the R9 390 (factory overclocked version)

PowerColor Radeon R9 390 PCS+ 8GB review

The performance is actually quite impressive; in a wide variety of titles, it holds its own remarkably well against what I assume is the reference GTX 980

Just buy one more fan and you’ll basically have yourself a quadcopter🤣

Greetings, I am currently in search of a new graphics card for my $217

My current setup is as follows:
http://prntscr.com/7or6i5
http://prntscr.com/7or6qx
I also have an additional 4 GB of RAM (1333 MHz) that hasn't been installed yet.

The reason I need to replace my GPU:
http://prntscr.com/7or70l

New or used?
What specific power supply are you running?

I'm worried that your CPU is going to bottleneck any card in that bracket—whether you buy it new or used—when you try to play modern titles.