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Help with a new GPU
I am currently/was using a Gigabyte GTX 560 Ti graphics card. The one fan went out ages ago but I was able to keep my temps under 70c under heavy load. Yesterday the second fan went out. It is idling at 50c here right now. Gets a bit too hot for me while playing games and I hate constantly worrying about it and checking the temp all the time when it just had one fan out, two is time for a new one. So my question...
I would like to get a new video card. I don't usually run high-end games. I mainly use it for things like Marvel Heroes and recently Wildstar. The 560 has been enough for me for ages. I don't need cutting edge graphics. Also, I would like to keep it under $200 and I would prefer Nvidia. What would you guys suggest?
System specs:
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2500K CPU @ 3.30GHz (4 CPUs), ~3.3GHz
Memory: 8192MB RAM
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor -- Native Mode: 1920 x 1080(p) (60.000Hz)
Antec Earthwatts 750W PSU
Any help is appreciated. Thank you.
Comments
For under $200 your options will be limited.
Here is a GTX 660 for just at $190 with a promo code. Plus you get a $20 mail in rebate. Promo code ends 6/11 tho.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121660
Here is a gigabyte GTX 660 for $179 plus a free copy of watchdogs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125508
If your willing to spend around $230-$240 you can get a GTX 760
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127745&cm_re=gtx_760-_-14-127-745-_-Product
$230 after rebate card. Plus a free copy of watchdogs.
IMO spend the extra $30-$40 bucks and get the GTX 760. Might as well get a better GPU for $30 more.
Currently Playing: ESO and FFXIV
Have played: You name it
If you mention rose tinted glasses, you better be referring to Mitch Hedberg.
Agreed.
If you must stick to $200 or below then a 660 is a solid choice. If you have wiggle room and can go up to $230 -$240 then a 760 is a better option. A newer, better GPU for roughly $50 more is not a bad idea if you can afford it.
I took the fan off of my old card when it went bad, then mounted a standard case fan to the card's shroud. It was quieter than the old fan, and kept the card cooler too.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
Why not replacing fans or GPU cooler?
While I like new NVidias, AMD performance/cost is so much better currently.
I would not recommend buying an AMD/ATI card. The driver support is horrid, I had nothing but problems from them for years before I ugpraded to the 660. Ever since then I have not had a single driver crash, frame rate issues, or any other problems. Games are usually far more optimized for nVidia card as well.
I used to use exclusively AMD/ATI, and I have made the change over the years because of lackluster support and performance. I'm glad I did.
Currently Playing: ESO and FFXIV
Have played: You name it
If you mention rose tinted glasses, you better be referring to Mitch Hedberg.
In past, ATI drivers could be sometimes a pain but they are pretty ok these days. I always prefer value for money so I often end up with ATI/AMD card and never had issues with any of the card.
AMD currently delivers about same performance for about 20-30% lower price so despite I would prefer Nvidia myself, it is not worth the money, imo.
That's a low end card that will lose to some integrated graphics--and will sometimes lose badly, at that. That's not what you want for gaming, especially when you can get something much faster for about the same price:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161451
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But that's not what the original poster wants. If you need a new card, a GeForce GTX 660 is the best Nvidia card under $200. But it's not far under $200, nor is it all that much of an upgrade over a GeForce GTX 560 Ti. You may be better off looking at a replacement heatsink and fan. I did that when the fan on my Radeon HD 5850 was having trouble and got a very nice cooler for it for about $50--much cheaper than buying a new video card.
If you do replace the card and the old one is still under warranty, you may want to send it in for warranty service and see what they send you back. If nothing else, having a working video card that you can sell for $100+ to defray the cost of your new card is nice, even if it takes a few weeks to get it back. If it's off warranty by now, then that's not an option for you.
Here comes the FUD, I see. That you have to mention ATI says how dated your information is; ATI hasn't existed as a company since 2006, nor even as a brand name since 2010.
The biggest driver problem I had was with the only Nvidia card I've ever had. But it was immediately fixed with a driver update that I just hadn't previously downloaded. I've had a little trouble with AMD's OpenGL drivers, but I'm not entirely certain that it's a bug in the drivers as opposed to my code--nor is it clear that Nvidia drivers would be any better there. Realistically, both AMD and Nvidia have good video drivers; Intel is the one that you need to be wary of.
You shouldnt have to pay tax unless you live in a state that Newegg has a warehouse. And its free shipping unless you just must have overnight. So $240 unless the previous sentences apply.
The 760 would be a better upgrade than the 660, maybe not a large one, but a generally better gpu.
as you can see here.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1039?vs=1038
For me thats a $50 upgrade well spent if you can. If not the 660 will do you well i am sure.
Comparison of a 560ti to a GTX 760
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/858?vs=854
Edit: NM, I see you live in Indiana. I live in TN so have to pay them as well. When I lived a state over I didnt. Oh well.
I used to use exclusively AMD/ATI, and I have made the change over the years because of lackluster support and performance. I'm glad I did.
Here we go again. Every time I see this post, I wonder how much nVidia paid.
Or he can buy R270x for the price of GTX660 and performance of GTX760... :-P
GTX760 is a decent card if you insisnt on Nvidia brand and you can find a good deal for no more than 240 USD.
Agreed - I use both brands depending on what I can get the best bang for the buck and right now it is the 7950 I have that overclocks like a beast; BUT I have used Nvidia in the past. Simple fact though is ATI drivers have been very stable for me lately and Nvidia is the ONLY one of the 2 who released a faulty driver that burned up my card and many other people's....
So I LOL at people still saying ATI drivers are so bad and yet they have never burnt up their own cards with such faulty drivers...
I'm slooowly putting together my new gaming machine. Next month I'm going to buy this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127782
I only use one monitor and it's a 22" standard Samsung ... nothing more powerful is needed for a display like mine.
Having said that, replacing the fans is always and option. If I were you I'd look into that first.
Probably just experience rather than being paid, there was a time when they were after all, something of a problem to use, particularly when it came to drivers. Its the kind of thing that can put people off of using them ever again, regardless of how many improvements they made - they wouldn't have used them in the latest consoles after all if they were still unreliable, its the same kind of thing with people who have had issues with Nvidia cards, it can create a bias, that there was a time when the AMD cards needed you to be some kind of technical wizard to get them to work properly, didn't help.
I seriously cant stress enough that you should safe up a littlebit more to get so much more power for your money.
GPU is like the beating heart that empowers your whole gaming expirience.
I always tought the diffrence would be meh at best, but once i bought my 1st real gpu card with power and turned on the graphcis to max / ultra with smooth fps i knew this was the best choice i ever made when it comes to gaming.
safe up a little extra money and spend it on a good card !
That's way overpriced for what you get, as you can readily get something else both substantially faster and much cheaper:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131564
The only real reason to go for a GTX 750 or 750 Ti is if you put a huge premium on energy efficiency, and even there, the Bonaire card I linked isn't bad.
GTX 760 2gb 256bit dual fan cooled
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Dual-Link-Graphics-02G-P4-2763-KR/dp/B00DHW4HS4/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1402399126&sr=1-4
Amazon free shipping and no taxes most states. soo save up a little and go with a choice youll stick to for a few years.
He said he would prefer Nvidia.
I gave him the advice he asked for. I am not here to convert him to AMD, his money his choice. If he prefers to spend more money on Nvidia then its his choice.
Personally I use AMD GPUs and have for years, so I agree with you. I just figured on giving the guy some options for Nvidia, I knew there would be no lack of posters championing AMD. =D
I always enjoy reading your comments on hardware. Have used your suggestions on my last 2 builds.
Keep on posting
http://www.entropiapartners.com/?r=22415
Have fun finding one on a $200 budget.
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I'm generally inclined to defer to brand preferences when they're both competitive in a given price bracket, but argue against brand loyalty when one brand simply isn't competitive at all. For example, if someone wants to buy a $2000 gaming rig with an AMD CPU or a $500 system with an Intel CPU, I'd try to convince him that he's doing it wrong.
At the moment, one could make a good case for a GeForce GTX 660 and GTX 760 as being competitive with AMD's offerings in their price bracket, and maybe a GTX 770. One could also make a case for someone who isn't price-sensitive buying a GeForce GTX 780 Ti on the basis that it's the fastest single-GPU card you can get. Outside of that, it's hard to recommend Nvidia cards, though.
For the original poster, that's not a problem; the GTX 660 fits the stated budget, and the GTX 760 is a natural upgrade if he wants to go somewhat over it. But in particular, Nvidia doesn't have anything competitive below the GTX 660 for $180, while AMD has good value cards in lower price ranges: the R7 240, R7 250X, R7 260X, and R7 265. For whatever reason, Nvidia has been able to make some nice higher end cards, but simply isn't good at making efficient, smaller die GPU chips; I can't think of a time that Nvidia has been competitive below about $150 in the DirectX 11 era going all the way back to 2009.
Yeah. OP didn't say he does not want AMD, he prefers Nvidia(so do I) but then, he has to think whether he wants a card for 240 USD or card with the same performance for 190 USD.
He should be provided all viable options so he can make a decision whether brand preference is worth the money.