What graphics card should I get?

Wichalo · Jul 11, 2014

CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM i5-4570 CPU @ 3.20GHz
Motherboard: H81H3-WM
RAM: 8GB DDR3
Power Supply: XFX PRO550W Core Edition Full Wired 80+ Bronze Power Supply
Graphics Card: Intel (R) HD Graphics 4600
Operating System: Windows 7 64 Bit

Not really sure what graphics card to get. I was thinking about this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487028&cm_re=gtx_750_Ti-_-14-487-028-_-Product
The thing is, I'm reading into it, and I'm really not sure if I can maintain most of my games at a good frame rate. I want to play games like Payday 2, Metro Last Light, Bioshock, Watchdogs, and Dark Souls 2, at maxed out settings w/ 60 FPS. My card budget is 200 bucks sharp.

IInuyasha74 · Jul 11, 2014

R7 290X is what I would go with:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161442

Way faster than the one you linked. However, don't expect to max out all of those games with it. Bioshock and some others you should be able to max out on 1080p with 60FPS. You should be able to do high settings or maxed out settings with everything. Watch Dogs is really hard on the CPU though and probably won't run 60FPS solid still yet.

stickmansam · Jul 11, 2014

for that price you can get a R9 270 or 270x

Wichalo · Jul 11, 2014

IInuyasha74 :

You linked me to my graphics card.

rhysiam · Jul 11, 2014

You can just squeeze an R9 280 with some of the specials going at the moment, if you count MIR: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127789&cm_re=r9_280-_-14-127-789-_-Product
That's actually a pretty decent card. It would destroy a 750ti.
If you're not happy with MIRs, use the "Best Graphics Cards for the Money" section and go as high as you can afford: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107.html

Wichalo · Jul 11, 2014

rhysiam :

Isn't Nvidia better than AMD?

firo40 · Jul 11, 2014

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202059&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID= best card for 200$ sharp, AMD and nvidia make great cards each have cards better then each other. A sapphire vaporx 270x will way out preform the 750ti and its over clocking potentional is a lot higher

IInuyasha74 · Jul 11, 2014

Oops had both open, picked the wrong one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161442

This is the one I meant to link.
As for which is better, if anyone tells you right out that Nvidia is better than AMD or AMD is better than Nvidia then you have been lead wrong and should not listen to them. Both have graphics cards going from very cheap to extremely expensive and trade places as to which is better at different price points. I think AMD has better prices usually for $100-$200 priced cards, but under $100 Nvidia seems best and over that price is extremely competitive until you get past $800.

P.S. AMD does have a little advantage at the moment from Mantle which has games optimized for their cards a lot more, but how much that helps or how long that will last is currently debatable. Seems to help a fair bit though.

stickmansam · Jul 11, 2014

AMD generally has slightly better price/perf through the product stack till you hit the 780ti

IInuyasha74 · Jul 11, 2014

stickmansam :

Yea I got the general feeling that was the way of things, but I never personally look at spending more than $200 so I wasn't sure about those. Thought I would give Nvidia benefit of the doubt

Though under $100 they have some good ones too. I think every time I have gone looking the ultra cheap cards like around $50 Nvidia typically has the win. That area is super competative though.

stickmansam · Jul 11, 2014

with under $50 cards, i tend to go APU unless you got beefy cpu needs

but Nvidia does has the undisputed top single GPU card in the 780ti/Titan Black but those are $600+
but then you can get a R9 290 that gets you 85-90+% of the way there for only $350

IInuyasha74 · Jul 11, 2014

Haha with some of them even Intel's integrated graphics will beat several offerings under $50 but for giving a little power to an already bought older machine they have some good choices.

Yea AMD does wonders for that price/performance ratio though. I mean why buy a 780ti when you could buy two R9 290s for similar price? Then those poor fools who bought the $3000 Nvidia card with two Titan chips in it. There are few legitimately bad cards, but at that price that really seems to be one of them.

Anyways OP, R9 270x seems to be your best choice. If you get a little more then an R9 280 or280x but if not the R9 270x will do wonders for you. I have an AMD Radeon 7850, which is pretty much an R7 265 with slightly slower RAM, and it plays a ton of games maxed out. After the overclock more so, though on occasions I turn off AA, just cause I feel it doesn't add much. Not I can see anyways, so the R9 270x should have lots of performance for you, it has a good 30% performance boost about.

stickmansam · Jul 11, 2014

I loved my 7580 back when I had mine

Wichalo · Jul 13, 2014

Hmm. Would the R9 280 get me gameplay like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVrlwnYkRMI with most games? If not, what kind of graphics card would I need to get?

IInuyasha74 · Jul 13, 2014

Yes, no idea what graphics card they are using to play, but I looked up what you need for playing Dark Souls 2 and they said with an AMD Radeon 6870 you should manage ultra settings. The R9 280 is probably twice as powerful as that. You won't have any issues playing it with max settings.

Wichalo · Jul 13, 2014

Another question, how long will that R9 280 be on sale for? Anyone know?

IInuyasha74 · Jul 13, 2014

No way to know for sure. Prices change daily sometimes.

Wichalo · Jul 14, 2014

I found this same one but for cheaper, think I should get it? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131570&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

That one is like 20 bucks cheaper than this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127789&cm_re=r9_280-_-14-127-789-_-Product

They are both R9 280s, but why is one cheaper then the other?

Vamure · Jul 14, 2014

My build is basically identical to yours other than the graphic card.
I currently have the GTX 760, it works flawless and gives my 60+ FPS on all big market games today at decently high settings.

Edit: sorry, did not see the $200 budget. But I'll just leave it here for reference

Watch Dogs is very demanding when it comes to FPS, you will not be getting 60 FPS with maxed out settings in the game. Most likely 30.

IInuyasha74 · Jul 14, 2014

Wichalo: The R9 290 you linked from Powercolor is fine. Its made by a different company. The only thing to watch with that is the design of the cooler on the card if it works or is cheap, this one looks like it should work well so you can go ahead and get it and save an extra $20.

As for the idea of getting an Nvidia 760, it would be a very bad idea to switch. Not only is the card more expensive, but the Nvidia GTX 760 is slightly weaker than the AMD R9 280.
http://hexus.net/tech/reviews/graphics/67581-sapphire-radeon-r9-280-dual-x/?page=4

Wichalo · Jul 14, 2014

Awesome. Thanks a lot.

Wichalo · Jul 17, 2014

Update: I just got the R9 280, it was too big, length wise. It thing was 2 inches longer. for the graphics card to fit normally, it has to be 9 inches long at most. Anyone can help me out?

IInuyasha74 · Jul 17, 2014

When you say it was 2 inches longer, did it bump into the side of your case?

If not and it was just longer than the PCI-E connection, then that is normal. You can still plug it in.

What graphics card should I get?

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