Graphics Card

[MistaChang 2023]

So, I've been on the internet trying to figure out what kind of graphics card would suit me for better for gaming, not really me so much as but to my processor as I don't want to get a graphics card that out preforms my CPU for gaming and would bottleneck games solely based on my processor.  My processor is an AMD A6 6310 and my graphics card is a GT 730, which is not powerful at all.  I've been looking at the GTX 750 TI but I wasn't sure if i should go in that direction or not.

[nothing_but_fail 484]

What games do you play? 

What's your budget?

Does your motherboard allow PCIex16?

Is it possible to OC your processor? 

What is your PSU wattage?

[Swed 2651]

 

Graphics Card (GPU)

 

 

What is it?

The graphics card (also known as the ‘video card’) is a piece of hardware containing the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), which builds pictures and then displays them on your screen.

Brands:

Almost all graphics cards use “reference designs,” meaning they were designed by the GPU maker (AMD or NVIDIA), and then manufactured by a third party, such as ASUS or EVGA. ASUS, EVGA, Gigabyte, MSI, Sapphire, XFX, and Zotac are all good brands.

The main differences between these brands comes down to the quality of heatsink, warranty, and customer support. If you plan to use the card for more than a year, read the fine print of the warranty. If your warranty says three years, but the fine print says you have to pay for labor after one year, then it's basically a one-year warranty.

Tiers:

A general guide:

• Sub $100 is low tier. Play old (pre-2008) games easily, and modern games on low or not at all.
• $100-$200 is mid tier. Play modern games at medium settings.
• $200-$350 is high tier. Play modern games on high or max settings at 1080p.
• Above $350 is very-high/flagship tier. "Flagship tier" is ideal for multi-monitor gaming systems or gaming at resolutions above 1080p.

Resolution:

Your resolution typically has the greatest impact on your GPU's performance. 1920x1080, also known as 1080p, is the standard resolution for modern gaming, but a mid-tier/low-tier GPU may play modern games more easily at reduced resolutions. Higher-end GPUs are capable of playing some games at resolutions above 1080p, such as 2560x1440 (1440p) or 3840x2160 (4K).

Multi-GPU Systems:

A single powerful card is usually enough to play most games on a 1080p screen at 60 frames per second (FPS), but some gamers want to play games at higher resolutions (1440p or 4K) and/or higher framerates (120-144FPS). Many PC enthusiasts build computers containing more than one graphics card in order to gain additional graphical performance that allows gaming at higher resolutions/framerates. The technology that links graphics cards together is called SLI with NVIDIA and CrossFire with AMD.

The amount of additional performance gained from additional GPUs will vary depending on the game, but it will always be less than 100% increase. Having two GPUs will generally get you between 60-80 percent performance improvement over one GPU. A third GPU will often add at least another 20 percent to your performance compared to two GPUs, which is generally not very efficient. A fourth GPU usually doesn’t help much at all, and in many cases the framerate decreases when compared to three GPUs.

Note that multi-GPU setups may have issues with temperature, noise, power draw, game compatibility, and future upgrades. The fewer GPUs, the less chance you have of running into these issues.

Warning:

We only recommend graphics cards at the prices listed on our parts guide. If a recommendation is only available at a higher price, or an alternative is cheaper than usual, these recommendations may no longer apply.

Alternatives:

Some cards get rebranded (brand new name, same old card), with the "old brand" cards getting discounted. Some cards from an older generation still have good performance, but are discounted due to age. Consider switching to these "great-but-not-new" cards if you can find them with good discounts/combos:

From AMD:

• R7 260 (or 260X)
• R7 270 (or 270X)
• R9 280 (or 280X)
• R9 290 (or 290X)

 

 

From NVIDIA:

• GTX 760
• GTX 770
• GTX 780
• GTX 780 Ti

 

 

Heatsink + Fan (HSF):

Most graphic cards with reference designs have similar or identical performance, noise, and temperatures, since the internals and HSF are similar. Only the sticker outside is different.

Cards with custom HSFs cost more money, but may have superior cooling, better overclockability or lower noise. Examples: MSI's Twin Frozr, Gigabyte's Windforce, ASUS' STRIX, EVGAs ACX. However, especially on lower-tier cards, custom HSFs may be used to lower costs for the manufacturer, and may perform worse than the reference model. Also, non-reference HSFs usually exhaust the hot air back into the case rather than out the back, which can make them perform worse if your case has poor airflow.

Tips:

• When comparing GPU benchmarks, you’ll best be able to judge performance by comparing real game performance at your preferred resolutions. Place less emphasis on GPU performance in synthetic benchmarks.
• The best performance for your money is usually in the mid-tier cards. The higher-end the card, the larger the price increment. The priciest cards usually cost significantly more for comparatively smaller improvements in performance.
• A general rule: NVIDIA has better driver support, especially under Linux.
• A general rule: NVIDIA's SLI has less microstutter, but lower average FPS, compared to AMD's CrossFire. With new drivers, microstutter isn't really an issue anymore.
• Remember to make sure your power supply can power your cards (and has enough PCIe cables if SLI/Crossfire), and that your case can fit them and provide adequate cooling.

 

[MistaChang 2023]

4 hours ago, nothing_but_fail said:

What games do you play? 

What's your budget?

Does your motherboard allow PCIex16?

Is it possible to OC your processor? 

What is your PSU wattage?

Im only playing CSGO but I've been trying to play other games but my frames are too low.

Budget $200 Canadian money(I can wait abit and save up more but I doubt my processor will keep up with a high end GPU)

Yes I have pciex16 slot(I have a graphics card currently)

I can over clock my processor I just don't know how..

My PSU is 500 watt silver rating, lmao my original power supply had 200 W!

[Koriko 79]

14 hours ago, MistaChang said:

Budget $200 Canadian money

RIP.