Need new GFX card (hardcore gaming)

[Guest]

Hello,

I have around 150 - 225 dollars to spend on a new card tomorrow, but don't know much of the new technologies and am having trouble picking a card. Using the AMD websites "help me choose a card" feature, it returned 3 cards, but I have no idea if they are any good, what's the difference etc etc.

http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/graphics/help-me-choose/Pages/help-me-choose.aspx?F1=1&F2=3&F3=1

Also open to Nvidia card suggestions, the current card I own is Nvidia geforce 9600GT. What's the best for hardcore gaming at my price range atm? Thanks for any help.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

A GTX 460 1GB model would be hard to beat at that price. This one is hard to beat for the price/overclocking ability/free game.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127510&cm_sp=DailyDeal-_-14-127-510-_-Product

 

[jay2tall]

I'd go for a GTX460 or 6850. What Power Supply do you have?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121399&cm_re=6850-_-14-121-399-_-Product

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121389&cm_re=gtx_460_1gb-_-14-121-389-_-Product

 

[benski]

Don't get the 5830, 6850 and 6870 are both good at there respective price ranges, but I don't think you will be able to find a 6870 for $225 or less.

This 5850 is an unbelievable bargain after MIR and is competetive in performance to the 6870:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127500&cm_re=5850-_-14-127-500-_-Product

This 470 is in your range after promo code and MIR.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127501&cm_re=gtx_470-_-14-127-501-_-Product

There's also a wide selection of 460's available for around $200 that come with Hawx 2 if you are interested in that game they are a good deal.

Personally I would go with the 470, or the 5850 if you want to save some cash (assuming you trust MSI's mail in rebate program). Just make sure your power supply can handle whatever you buy.

 

[maxwellwa]

As someone that just went through the same exercise, I can tell you prices are very fluid right now in that price range. You have three to five very competitively priced products roughly tiered as such (high to low):

HD6870/GTX 470
HD 5850
GTX 460 1GB/HD6850

Depending on where and when you purchase your card, newegg.com being usually the cheapest by a buck or two, you can find the all of these cards hovering in some point of that price range. For example, last week I picked up an HD 5850 for (with rebates and discounts) $189 while the HD 6850's were pricing between $190 and $210. I have seen the HD6870 as low as $239 and as high as $300, and the same for a GTX 470.

Apologies if this is confusing, but the market in that price range is really competitive right now. If you can stand to have a few days patience to grab the right deal a lot of great options are out there.