Good Graphics Cards for under $150?

warhammer3025 · Apr 10, 2014

So my current motherboard is going bad (as detailed in this thread).

I need a new computer, but have a budget of ~$500. I'm keeping the PSU, Case, and Hard Drive, so all I need is a new mainboard, CPU, RAM, and video card.

Here's my current shopping list

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3peRZ
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3peRZ/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3peRZ/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($204.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($48.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: A-Data XPG V1.0 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($129.99 @ TigerDirect)
Total: $383.96
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-10 02:07 EDT-0400)

I'm having trouble determining what video card to get. I've got a sturdy old MSI 6870 Hawk right now.

coolcole01 · Apr 10, 2014

this is literally the best card i can find for a 150 bucks after rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131562
hahahahahahha this just updated and its only 120 after rebate now

Guest · Apr 10, 2014

You can compare the ATI/Nvidia cards range of performance and matching cards here
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

Here you can find your budget card..
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-3.html

Both were from Tom's Hardware..!

ekagori · Apr 10, 2014

Here you go, changed to an h87 board that will give you more sata3 and usb3 ports, 8gb of ram which is plenty for gaming and a R9 270X that will handle 1080p gaming well.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($204.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI H87M-E35 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($70.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 270X 2GB Video Card ($189.00 @ Newegg)
Total: $529.96
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-10 02:27 EDT-0400)

ekagori · Apr 10, 2014

Alternatively, if you want to overclock, $25 gets you a 4670k

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Pro4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 270X 2GB Video Card ($189.00 @ Newegg)
Total: $553.97
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-10 02:43 EDT-0400)

St0rm_KILL3r · Apr 10, 2014

What do you need this pc for? is it gaming or some other work stuff. If it's also gaming then you are spending a lot more on cpu and so less on gpu. At that budget if you wan't to afford a nice gpu, you will have to get an amd cpu or 3570k, 3570k is very similar to 4670k at performance.

warhammer3025 · Apr 10, 2014

Wow, a whole batch of quick responses.

The computer is mostly for gaming, as that's my primary hobby. Skyrim, Fallout: New Vegas, Battlefield, Metro: Last Light, etc.

The monitor is sub-1080 (an old 24" 1680x1050 monitor).

Overclocking isn't high on my list of things to do. Above all else, I'd like to finally (just once in my life!) put everything in and have it just *work*, so stability is the name of my game.

coolcole01 · Apr 10, 2014

at that resolution a 7850 up to r9 270x is about as rock solid as you need to be

St0rm_KILL3r · Apr 10, 2014

warhammer3025 :

Well if it's for gaming then hd 7850 and 4670 isn't really a great pair, the cpu is too strong and the gpu is not that strong.
Here : this build will be lot better.
cpu (fx 8320):http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113285
mobo(ga-970a):http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128627
ram(2x4):http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231544
gpu(msi r9 270x): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127761

I am not really good at finding the best and chapest ram, but you can search on your own for a ram around $65, maybe you will find a better one.

PCGameFan2 · Apr 10, 2014

The best $150 range GPU is the EVGA GTX 750Ti SC http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IDG3IDO. Great performance and very low power usage also.

warhammer3025 · Apr 10, 2014

A 500-watt PSU should hold up to a single-card setup for any of these cards, correct?

ekagori · Apr 10, 2014

warhammer3025 :

A good quality 500W unit should have no problem with any of those cards.

warhammer3025 · Apr 11, 2014

This might be a better question for the Memory section of the forum, but: is it generally better to get a single large stick of RAM, or two smaller sticks to take advantage of dual/triple channel memory?

coolcole01 · Apr 11, 2014

Much better to get 2x4 for dual channel instead of 1x8

warhammer3025 · Apr 11, 2014

Here's the two setups I'm looking at. The only differences are the use of St0rm_KILL3r's suggested AMD CPU, or the more "conventional" Intel. And $50.

The various "compare these parts" sites like CPUBoss and CPU World say that the i5 4670 is a better part, but I'm not sure that it's worth the extra cash right at this moment. On the other hand, these are parts that will be with me for the foreseeable future; I might pick up a RAM upgrade in a couple years, and a new video card after that, but aside from those it'll be a very long time until any of the other parts are replaced.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($129.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-D3P ATX AM3+/AM3 Motherboard ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X 2GB Video Card ($209.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $489.96
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-11 08:06 EDT-0400)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($204.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI H87M-E35 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($70.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X 2GB Video Card ($209.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $550.95
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-11 08:08 EDT-0400)

ekagori · Apr 11, 2014

warhammer3025 :

Two sticks, dual channel bandwidth is more bemeficial.

coolcole01 · Apr 11, 2014

warhammer3025 :

this would be more accurate and this would stomp all over the other one

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3q3DC
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3q3DC/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3q3DC/benchmarks/

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-D3P ATX AM3+/AM3 Motherboard ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($249.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $549.96
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-11 16:42 EDT-0400)

ekagori · Apr 11, 2014

For $25 more you can get a r9 280X

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($59.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card ($299.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $574.96
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-11 17:27 EDT-0400)

coolcole01 · Apr 11, 2014

ekagori :

This guy should be a salesman

ekagori · Apr 11, 2014

coolcole01 :

ekagori :

This guy should be a salesman

LOL!!! Maybe I am? :lol:

coolcole01 · Apr 11, 2014

ekagori :

coolcole01 :

LOL!!! Maybe I am? :lol:

well you sold me

ekagori · Apr 11, 2014

coolcole01 :

I was looking at your last build (which I liked a lot btw) and figured I'd see if I could squeeze something better in there. I just happened to see that 280X for $299 and I had to try to fit it in there somehow. I tried to get it to $550 but I couldn't do it unless I dropped to an FX 6300, but a 280X deserves an FX 83XX or i5 to let it stretch its legs. It was the best I could do without dropping to mATX or an ECS, Biostar or Foxconn mobo.

warhammer3025 · Apr 12, 2014

Unfortunately, that just breaks the bank too hard. With sales tax, a $550 purchase is breaking $600 - a pill I can just *barely* swallow. Anything higher is simply too much.

I've never looked at AMD parts very much - reviews I've read consistently say they lose out in performance battles to their Intel equivalents. Maybe I'm a victim of effective marketing, but I'd be more comfortable with a i-series CPU than an FX-series. The price difference between the two recommended parts (i5 4670/FX-8320 and associated mainboard) is a compelling argument, however.

ekagori · Apr 12, 2014

warhammer3025 :

I fully understand that, if you look at the print at the bottom of each build you will notice that pcpartpicker states the following:

"(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)"

So it means that if the build comes to $550 or $575 it should only cost you $550 or $575.

okcnaline · Apr 12, 2014

Never mind, didn't read the post

My original answer was on the title.

Good Graphics Cards for under $150?

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