GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Chris Robinson25 said:It’s high time you upgraded to a new rig. 😉

But absolutely not—I am still running modern titles with my /+GT 9800/ setup, excluding absolute garbage like The Witcher 3, though I can actually handle Crysis 3 thanks to that DX patch they released. Honestly, your parents must be made of money, and you lot are acting like spoiled brats being handed massive sums of cash just to buy fancy graphics cards.
Are you people even living in America? What kind of income levels are we talking about here? A "new computer"? Please. Why don't one of you self-proclaimed geniuses name two reasonable games that my current machine couldn't push through? It’s an old beast, sure, but it works, dammit! This isn't the 2000-2005 era when hardware specs were doubling every six months...

Haha, I still remember you from back in the day... Jesse Brown90

I honestly don't get where you're coming from. Like, just because you're tight on cash doesn't mean everyone else is, right? Why shouldn't someone else be able to drop a few hundred bucks on a decent graphics card or even a whole new rig? Just because you're stuck playing on an ancient PC at a tiny resolution doesn't mean the rest of us have to live like that—some people actually care about hitting 60 fps at 1080p. If they can afford it, why wouldn't they go for it? It makes them happy. Seriously, just take a breath...

Jesse Brown90 said:actually, no—I can still run just about anything new with my GT 9800 setup, excluding absolute junk like The Witcher 3, though I can manage Crysis 3 now that they finally released a DX patch. Honestly, your parents must be incredibly wealthy to be handing you such massive amounts of money for graphics cards, while you all act like spoiled brats who have never known a day of struggle in your lives.
Are you guys actually living in America? What kind of income are we talking about here, and what does a "new" PC even cost these days? I’d love for one of you geniuses to name just two decent games that my current rig wouldn't be able to push through. Sure, it’s an old machine, but it works, damn it! We aren't living in the early 2000s anymore when hardware specs were doubling every six months.

There are no parents involved here; I fund everything myself. For instance, I currently have 2x 4GB sticks, but I just ordered 3x 4GB modules, and I plan on selling these 2x 4GB ones for $67 to pick up some RAM with that cash, so what do you have to say to that, 😁 👍

Your computer won't even handle GTA 5 on high settings, let alone The Witcher 3, much less any of the new titles with cutting-edge graphics. Before you start complaining about GPUs, I should mention that I'm a bit old school myself; I find that games from the 2002-2005 era already look incredible to me, and anything older than that just looks even better ☕

If you can't afford a better rig, don't sit around whining about it; just go out there and earn 😠

Also, I pay for everything in my PC setup entirely on my own, even though I'm a full-time student. Everything listed in my signature was earned this way. 😁

Jesse Brown90 said:but no, I can run basically everything new with my /+GT 9800/ setup /except for garbage like The Witcher 3/, and I can even handle Crysis 3 since they finally dropped a DX patch/...your parents are seriously clueless and you kids are spoiled brats if you're getting funded with those kinds of massive amounts for GPUs..
Is this even how life works in America?.. what kind of income are we talking about here? A whole new rig? Someone please name two "serious" games that my machine won't be able to push. It’s an old beast, sure, but it works, damn it!.. this isn't 2000-2005 when hardware doubled in power every six months..

What are you even rambling about? 🤦 If you're a kid whose parents won't give you more than $100 or you're an adult who just can't afford a bigger amount, that's on you. No need to get salty at anyone else who can afford more than $100, whether they're a kid being funded by parents or an adult paying their own way 🙄

And just for my own curiosity, what exactly qualifies as a "serious game" in your book? ☕

crimsonstag84 said:On top of that, I pay for every single component of my PC setup entirely on my own, even though I'm a full-time college student. Everything listed in my signature was earned through hard work. 😁

I feel like I'd have to go to Jesse Brown90 to ask him to let me know when my mouse arrives $200, or if my $1,000 keyboard shows up, and so on. 😁

The reason I invest in this kind of gear is simply because I value comfort; ever since I upgraded my peripherals to higher-end models, I find I don't feel the urge to smash things against the desk like I used to. 😁

If I’m looking to build a rig specifically to run GTA 5 and The Witcher 3, honestly, I might be better off just keeping my money in my pocket. It feels like a total waste. Just give me one solid recommendation for a GPU that won't require me to drop $1,000 out of nowhere. Look, I’m writing this with a completely level head—I'm not even worked up about it—but xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, ...if you want that kind of performance, you can certainly finance it yourselves!

Basically, everyone has their own idea of what's worth it ☕

Just because you can't wrap your head around someone dropping $1000 on a GPU, doesn't mean they shouldn't.

George Sanders37 said:Basically, everyone has their own idea of what's worth spending money on. ☕

Just because you can't wrap your head around someone dropping $1000 on a GPU doesn't mean they shouldn't.

Exactly. Someone driving a beat-up Honda Civic will pay for new paint $200, while someone in a BMW 5 Series will just drop the cash $2.00 😬

Jesse Brown90 said:If I need a rig just to run GTA 5 and The Witcher 3, I might be better off skipping the purchase entirely. It seems like a waste of money. Can someone please name just one game actually worth dropping $500 on for a graphics card? I’m writing this with a completely level head and I'm not upset at all, but honestly, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx... you should fund your own hobbies!

Look, buddy, a close friend of mine recently dropped $800 on a designer bracelet just because he liked the look of it, and he paid for it himself. Why does it matter to you who can afford what or how they choose to spend their money? If I work hard and earn enough to treat myself to whatever I desire, it isn't really your business to judge my spending habits. As for whether a game is "worth it" or not, that's entirely a matter of personal taste. There are people out there who have happily spent $3,000 just to build a high-end flight simulator so they can enjoy some virtual aviation—basically turning on Boeing cruise mode 👍

Jesse Brown90 said:If I need a rig for Grand Theft Auto V and The Witcher 3, maybe I shouldn't bother buying one at all. It’s nonsense. Just tell me one card worth avoiding if I'm dropping $500 on it. Writing this with a cool head, not even upset, but seriously, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx... go ahead and fund it yourselves!..

Isn't $1.00 too much for a GPU?
-Yeah!
So you gonna buy it yourself then?
-I am!
When?
-Once I figure out whether the GTX 970 or the R9 390 performs better at 1080p with DX12. ☕
You must be some "rich jerk" or a government leech to drop that kind of cash on a graphics card!
-Jerk? Sure. Rich or living off taxes? No. I just "save up" a bit for myself since I don't spend more money going out than I do hanging out with my wife and kids at home (I've "grown old" 😬). I don't spend on summer vacations because we live by the coast, I don't go skiing because it's pointless, and most importantly: the kids are still "little," so they aren't demanding I blow money on their "nonsense" (expensive GPUs and stuff like that 🙂)...

analogtiger19 said:Isn't $1.00 overkill for a GPU?
-Yeah!
So, you gonna buy it for yourself and foot the bill?
-I am!
When?
-Once I figure out which performs better at 1080p with DX12, the GTX 970 or the R9 390. ☕
You must be some "rich jerk" or a government bureaucrat if you can drop that much cash on a graphics card!
-I'm a jerk, sure, but I'm neither rich nor on the taxpayer's dime. I just "save up" some money for myself because I don't spend more going out than I do staying home with my wife and kids (I've "grown old" 😬), I don't waste money on summer vacations since we live by the coast, I don't go skiing because it's not my thing, and most importantly: the kids are still "little," so they aren't demanding I blow money on their "nonsense" (expensive GPUs and stuff like that 🙂)...

I know how it goes. My family gave me the same crap when I bought a new bike that cost about $1,200 $0.00.....

mod, seriously, just delete this crap

folks, don't even bother arguing with tenkre

Are you looking for an AGP or a PCI-E graphics card? PCI

Could you please list your current or planned configuration along with your power supply wattage?

Motherboard: ASRock P55M Pro (CPUSocket)

CPU: Intel Core i5 750 @ 2.67GHz

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260

RAM: 4.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 665MHz

Power Supply: Lpower 650W

What screen resolution are you typically using?

1920:
1080
What is your intended budget for this upgrade?

$1000-$367

Which retailers are you considering?

Links, ADM

I am also considering adding at least another 2GB of RAM in the near future. My primary goal is to ensure I can run modern titles; they don't necessarily need to run at ultra settings immediately, but I would like to play Grand Theft Auto V or Far Cry 4 without experiencing any stuttering.

I’m a little confused about the power supply—LC Power? Which specific model are we talking about here?

Bottom line: if you're looking to buy something brand new at that price point, you should definitely go with this option. Otherwise, for that kind of cash, you won't even be able to pick up a basic 2GB version of the GTX 750.

LC POWER Silent Giant GREEN POWER LC6650GP3 V2.3 , 650W

http://www.amazon.com/example-link

Is this a solid choice?

It seems to me that AMD cards in this specific tier tend to be about $150 cheaper than their GeForce counterparts, though they do seem to draw significantly more power, wouldn't you agree?

That power supply is solid—honestly, it’s probably overkill for those specific graphics cards.

Generally speaking, that holds true for AMD cards in this price bracket, but the one I linked above is an exception. It's a killer deal (even if it is a mistake and actually a non-Ti version). Shoot them an email to see if they actually meant to list it as a Ti model or if the price is just a massive typo; their customer service at that shop is pretty decent, so you should get an answer quickly.

As for the one you personally linked, I wouldn't pull the trigger on it myself (that XFX card with the single fan isn't ideal). You should either grab the one mentioned above or stretch your budget a bit for this one. Both are reliable retailers, so you won't have to worry about the transaction itself.

Which specific model is the smartest move when picking up a graphics card: MSI, Sapphire, or Gigabyte—specifically regarding an ATI R9 280 x?

Gigabyte... though I guess the R9 280 x isn't really worth it right now. It’s just too close to the R9 290:

Thanks. I was actually thinking about a used card, something in the $400 range or so--$167 which would be cheaper than an R9 290... any suggestions up to $500 that might offer a bit more punch than the XFX 7870 OC?