So I've got a shitty nVIDIA GT 520. It's running all my games just fine, but some of the newer ones have to run on low settings. I'd gotten the card just to get games going and eventually save up for a nicer one, like GTX 570 which is currently selling for $270 and is honestly more than I'm willing to invest. So, are there any cards somewhere close-ish to the GTX 570 in performance, that cost about $200? This is my motherboard: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055QYKPK/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00 And this is my case and power supply: http://www.amazon.com/Raidmax-SMILO...d=1342716404&sr=1-2&keywords=raidmax smilodon
Hands are hurting, but here is a quick guide: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107.html It's updated month to month and should point you in the right direction.
I'm running a Radeon HD 6870, and that handles just about every game I play with ease, though if you ever plan on running a multi-monitor configuration for gaming (3+) I'd suggest getting one with 2GB of memory.
Any thoughts on the GTX 480? I'm really not comfortable getting ATI cards because even the good reviews include a line like "Took 2 hours to get the drivers working," or "The card crashed horribly," or something along those lines. Tons of driver issues and honestly I don't have the brains for that. I'm shit with computers. You see fewer complaints like that from nVIDIA, so I'd rather go that route if possible.
Older, hot and power hungry? http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-480,2585-15.html Good enough card, I'm sure, but a few generations old now. Are you dead set on Nvidia?
Not really any difference between Nvidia and AMD when it comes to plug and play. AMD (ATI) many, many years ago was known for driver issues, but that really isn't the case anymore. AMD tends to offer a better bang for the buck in the video card arena, IMO, but the two companies trade blows in that department as well. That article I linked above, showing the best bang for the buck, will really set most people on the best path to price to performance ratio. I am personally a little biased towards AMD GPUs, because I've had many less problems with them over the years than I've had with Nvidia. Especially when it came to TV-out and durability. But I wouldn't count either out when it comes to a new purchase, since they both improve from gen to gen. My current 6850 runs pretty much anything I've thrown at it, is quiet, cool and was a great price. Unfortunately, I hardly use it nowadays and have been thinking of handing it over to the kiddo.
Ok, looks like I can go for a 6850. Ecc, I didn't check the website you posted initially because it was down. It's back up now and I see what you mean, it's a great site!
