GPU recommendations?

Could someone please explain the differences between various graphics cards? Specifically, I am curious about the significance of the MHz speeds and the bit rate. A friend of mine keeps insisting that for gaming, the bit width is the most critical factor—for instance, suggesting that 256-bit is superior to 128-bit, or 384-bit beats 256-bit. I suppose I am also wondering if there is a similar logic regarding VRAM, such as whether 2 GB of RAM is significantly better than 1 GB DDR. My plan is to purchase a card with a budget of up to $367. I am currently undecided on which would be the best choice for gaming, or if it might be wiser to look for a used card on eBay that offers more power for the same price. Thank you very much.

It’s impossible to wrap this whole thing up in just five sentences. You really have to dive deep into the actual reviews for every new card that hits the market; you just can't judge performance based on a spec sheet alone.
For instance, an HD 6950 2GB might boast a better memory bandwidth and more VRAM—it was practically $667 when it first launched—yet it performs on par with a Radeon RX 260 which has less memory and a narrower bus, but higher clock speeds. I guess the architecture and the efficiency of the processing units are just fundamentally different.

If you want a solid starting point, check this out:

http://anandtech.com/bench/GPU14/815

So, what’s left on your current build? Honestly, if that's your budget, you'd be much better off hunting down a used Radeon RX 270 or maybe even a Radeon RX 280. Just make sure you've got a solid CPU and a decent power supply—something at least 500W, obviously.

I’ve got my doubts about those Radeon RX 280 cards listed on Craigslist. I’ve scrolled through their ads a dozen times now, and they just won't sell 🤷.

If that's the case, there's a high probability they were used for heavy crypto mining the entire time.

Timothy Kim60 said:If that's actually the case, there's a high probability some of those were being used for constant mining

Yeah, mostly that...
But if you can snag one for around $200, it's probably worth it. You could always flip it for a decent profit a few months before the warranty expires, or just pray to God that it doesn't die on you 😁

That said, they really only make sense to buy if they're more than 40% cheaper than buying them brand new.

A buddy of mine actually lucked out big time with his HD6790. About a month and a half before the warranty was set to expire, the card finally kicked the bucket. He sent it in for service through the manufacturer, and instead of getting his old card back, they shipped him an HD7850 😁 ... Anyway, like my colleague mentioned, you can pick these up for basically a buck $0.00. My strategy? Use them until the warranty runs out, then grab a couple more about two or three months before the coverage ends. You can always find someone willing to take it off your hands 👍 if it dies on you, and since you've got the warranty, you just send it off and call it a win.

Well, that’s just how the math works... if you snagged a top-tier CPU at launch, you can usually squeeze another five years out of it, whereas a GPU tops out at maybe three.
You really have to look at the long-term continuity over a fifteen-year span...
When a modern graphics card finally kicks the bucket, you aren't exactly taking it down to the local repair shop to get fixed up.

My HD6790 gave up the ghost just two days before the warranty expired, so I'm picking up a Radeon RX 265 dual-x instead.😁

swiftfalcon89 said:What are the rest of your specs? For that kind of budget, I suppose you might want to look for a used Radeon RX 270 or maybe a Radeon RX 280. That is, provided you already have a decent processor and a reliable power supply of at least 500W, of course.

My processor is a Ryzen 7 3700X, and the motherboard is a Samsung 970 Pro. As for the power supply, I am using a 550W Chieftec.