GPU Buying Guide - (Read first post)

Susan Anderson said:I’m not worried about the power supply; I'm more concerned about whether the CPU can actually keep up with the GPU.

The GTX 750 ti 2 is definitely a step up. Honestly, the Radeon 5850 used to be incredible, but lately, it's been tanking to like 20-30 fps when it used to hit 100.
I'm open to suggestions for a new card up to about $433. A Radeonko would work too.

Your PSU has barely been working at half capacity this whole time, and it'll probably stay that way even with a new card. 😉

Are you using a stock CPU cooler? If so, maybe grab this as well:

You might even get a little overclock out of that processor.

feralrider92 said:I'm planning to dive into some 4K gaming soon—I really want to pick up something that'll last me at least four years while still running everything smoothly.

The whole idea of "future proofing" is usually a bit of a flawed concept—mostly because nobody really knows what the landscape will look like four years from now. At most, you might be able to secure yourself for the next two years, I guess.

Like Timothy60 said, it's your money—do whatever you want with it.

Susan Anderson - You might want to consider upgrading your processor as well. An AMD Phenom x4 945 is basically hitting the bare minimum for modern titles, which means you'll likely run into a bottleneck with a GPU like the R9 270 (though, of course, there will always be those specific games that remain purely GPU bound)

There’s this awesome YT channel I recommend for you click - this guy does deep dives testing all the big hits using an identical setup: the same CPU, 8GB of RAM, and an HD7850 (roughly equivalent to an R7 265, which sits just above a GTX 750 ti 2). It should give you a perfect idea of what kind of performance to expect

crimsonstag84 said:Your power supply has been running at barely half capacity until now—and it’ll stay that way even with the new card. 😉

Are you using a stock CPU cooler? If so, grab this too:

You might get some decent overclocking out of that processor.

Man, this GPU is an absolute steal for that price! 🙏 Thanks for digging it up for me!
Honestly, I had no clue you could even afford something like this, lol.

I'm using a Katana cooler because my stock one was screaming at 8000rpm—it was basically a jet engine in my ears. With an AMD chip, you really need to invest in a better cooler.

As for the PSU, I know it's overkill... long story. Anyway, I'm not worried about the power; I just want to make sure the CPU can actually keep up with the GPU.

Timothy Kim60 said:Susan Anderson—you might want to consider upgrading the CPU as well. That Phenom is becoming a minimum requirement for modern games, which means it'll likely bottleneck a GPU like the R9 270 (though, of course, some titles will remain purely GPU-bound).

There's a great YT channel you should check out: click here—this guy does detailed tests on all the big hits using the same CPU, 8GB of RAM, and an HD7850 (roughly equivalent to an R7 265, slightly better than a 750Ti), so you can see exactly how it performs.

Yeah, I've thought about swapping the CPU, but my motherboard only supports AM3 (not AM3+), so a new processor would mean a new motherboard too.
That's the plan for this winter. I can't afford a completely new rig right now, so I'm just upgrading bit by bit.

Thanks for the link, dear. I don't care about fancy high settings; I just need high enough FPS so I don't get shredded in-game. xD

I really like what crimsonstag84 suggested—the price-to-performance ratio is solid. Thank you all so much for finding this; I knew asking here was the right move. You guys always find something great for a reasonable price.^^

If you’re planning on switching platforms this winter, go ahead and pull the trigger on the most powerful GPU you can afford (up to $433 the R9 270).

Hey experts.

I'm looking to put together a new PC this fall. I feel like I've pretty much figured out everything else, but I'm still a bit lost when it comes to graphics cards. What would you say is the best value pick in the $500 range?

For $500 nothing 😛 For $433 R9 270/R7 370, for $567 R9 280/GTX 960

crimsonstag84 said:It's fine for $500 anything 😛. For $433 R9 270/R7 370, or for $567 R9 280/GTX 960

Is it actually worth stretching those $133 this far?

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1080?vs=1332

It really just depends on how much those extra 10-15 fps actually matter to you. If you're trying to squeeze every last bit of life out of your current card, maybe it's worth it. But if you’re planning to upgrade again in a year or two, then IMO, probably not.

CLICK If you ask me, this is a killer deal. I don't think there are many left at this price point. It's about $20 over my budget, but honestly, it's a massive jump from that R9 270

Hey there!

Intel Pentium E2200 @ 2.20 GHz 2 processor
2GB RAM
400W MS power supply

Old 8500GT graphics card.

I could really use some suggestions for something new to upgrade $200...

Are you looking to get into gaming? If you're living in a major city, you might be able to score a used bundle—CPU, GPU, and power supply—for around $600-$233.

Otherwise, check this out:

The processor might be a bit too weak for it, and while the power supply isn't great, it should probably be fine.

crimsonstag84 said:Are you looking to play games? If you live in a big city, you could probably score a used CPU, GPU, and power supply combo in person for maybe $600...$233.

Otherwise, check this out:

The processor might be a bit too weak for it, though the power supply should be fine even if it's not great.

It's definitely for gaming, and I know the rest of the build is pretty weak. Plus, this card is basically at the bottom end of the budget for actual gaming. I just want to get the most bang for my buck!

I don't live near a major metro area, so I don't have many options for used gear... and honestly, I'd rather not deal with buying electronics from strangers online without any guarantees.

The real issue is that modern GPUs at this specific price point just aren't worth it—the price-to-performance ratio is honestly abysmal. I’d go as far as saying you can often find a massive jump in power, like 300% more performance for only about 50% more cash. Sure, you might run into a bottleneck with your CPU in certain games, or maybe your power supply won't cut it, but you catch my drift.

It would be ideal if the shipping could stretch out to this range (maybe a 30-$13 day window). If you absolutely need it by $200 and it has to be brand new, then perhaps this might work (assuming it shows up in the link), but honestly, you'd get much better value if you just specified your local area so we could hunt for used cards. Look for an HD5670, HD6670, GT 640, HD7730, HD7750, or a gtx 650 (make sure they are all DDR5 versions). Every single one of those outperforms what you're looking at right now, they sip power, and they support DX11 (with some offering DX12 support too). If you're lucky, you could probably snag one for anywhere from $250-$100.

Timothy Kim60 said:The thing is, buying new GPUs at those prices just isn't worth it—the price-to-performance ratio is honestly tragic. I'm exaggerating, but you could get way more bang for your buck elsewhere. Sure, your CPU might bottleneck certain games with a better card, and you'd have to worry about your power supply, but you get my drift...

It’d be awesome if shipping could reach at least this area (maybe 30-$13 days delivery). If it absolutely has to be new and arrive by $200, then maybe this one (if it shows up in the link), but honestly? You'd probably be better off telling us which county you're in so we can hunt for used stuff like an HD5670, 6670, gt 640, HD7730, HD7750, or a gtx 650 (all DDR5 versions). They're all stronger than what you listed, they sip power, and they support DX11 (some even DX12!). You might even snag one for $250-$100 if you're lucky...

Miami, Florida. Used is fine as long as there's still some kind of warranty left!

I’ve spotted three interesting options here—all of them outperform the R7 250 ddr5.

Make sure to ask about the warranty for those last two listings. Generally speaking, if you go with the first two, you'll need to upgrade your power supply. The third option comes with that list we discussed earlier; while it could technically run on a cheap, off-brand PSU, it wouldn't be worth the risk, so they should really drop the price. Ultimately, the HD7770 offers the best value and the most raw power.

You could probably pick up a decent power supply for around $100$50 locally in
Miami.

Timothy Kim60 said:I found 3 interesting options (all of them are beefier than an R7 250 ddr5)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-16097799
http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-15645620
http://www.ebay.com/itm/graphics-card-listing-15564187

Definitely check on the warranty for those last two. For the first two, you'll probably need to swap out the power supply too. That third one from the list above would work even on a cheap no-name PSU, but it might not be worth it... they really should drop the price. Honestly, the HD7770 is the best deal and definitely the strongest...

As for a power supply you could grab for around 100 bucks right here in Split County$50...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/computer-case-listing-13756616

Check these out: 1. ATI Sapphire HD 6850 1GB DDR5 256 bit - $167
2. ATI HD 6870 1GB DDR5 - $167
3. Vapor X Radeon HD 4870 1GB DDR5 256 bit - $133

Ryan Thomas60 said:What about these: 1. ATI Sapphire HD 6850 1GB DDR5 256 bit - $167
2. ATI HD 6870 1GB DDR5 - $167
3. Vapor X Radeon HD 4870 1GB DDR5 256 bit - $133

Your CPU is going to bottleneck all of those, plus you're gonna need a much beefier power supply.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:That CPU is definitely going to bottleneck you, plus you'll need a way beefier power supply.

In that case, maybe I should just grab this one:

I'd really prefer buying from a shop in Miami just to make the warranty stuff easier...

The R7 250 is probably the first decent option you'll find, but whatever you do, stay away from the DDR3 version. I guess you should look for the GDDR5 model instead—even if it has less VRAM, it’s just way faster.