GPU for around $175?

Dooms101 · Mar 22, 2011

Looking for a good GPU for around $175, candidates include: 5830, 6850, 550Ti, 460 (1GB). I don't plan on running Sli/Cf so that's not an issue. I don't really game or do much GPU intensive stuff, I just want a decent DX11 card I can hold on to for a few years.

X@nder36 · Mar 22, 2011

I'd skip over the 5830 and the 550ti. The 550 ti is very similar to a 5770, and, IMO is overpriced. Which kind of eliminates the 5830 as well. 5830 is too large, consumes too much power, and generates too much heat, for its (lack of) performance. The 6850 would do you better if you wanted to go to the red team. That leaves the 6850 or the GTX 460, which are both STRONG cards, and the jury is still out on them, but my gut is telling me GTX 460.

hUMANbEATbOX · Mar 22, 2011

gtx460 has cuda, which helps tremendously with Adobe Premier and somewhat with Photoshop work. the 6850 is a strong card as well, but no cuda.

Dooms101 · Mar 22, 2011

I've been looking at the 460 since it came out, the prices are damn low for it now too. I am a green guy usually, but AMD chipsets only run CF without modding... I think if I can find a good 460 1GB for around $150 I'll jump on it, the 6850 seems to be staying around $190 shipped.

Edit: I just noticed that I can get a GTX 470 for about $210 on the Egg, would it be worth it? I hear they're loud and hot though... what other good cards are right at $200?

Theocnoob · Mar 22, 2011

Watch out for that 460 SE. It blows. The 768 MB standard > the 1024 MB SE. I think Nvidia and AMD enjoy confusing people.
In a similar price/performance range to the 470 is the AMD 6870. It's not bad. I had one, sold it got a 580 but it runs quite cool. Not loud. Decent performer. Faster than a 460.
There were newegg shellshockers (they're brief sales) on 460 (non crapp) for like 115+tax the other day. Odds are it'll happen again. That's a wicked deal.

Dooms101 · Mar 22, 2011

Theocnoob said:
Watch out for that 460 SE. It blows. The 768 MB standard > the 1024 MB SE. I think Nvidia and AMD enjoy confusing people.
In a similar price/performance range to the 470 is the AMD 6870. It's not bad. I had one, sold it got a 580 but it runs quite cool. Not loud. Decent performer. Faster than a 460.
There were newegg shellshockers (they're brief sales) on 460 (non crapp) for like 115+tax the other day. Odds are it'll happen again. That's a wicked deal.

I am going to wait a day or two in case there is a good deal that pops up. I have a feeling I am going to want CF in the future, so if no deals come up I am gonna get the XFX reference 6850 for $187 shipped.

Theocnoob · Mar 22, 2011

Dooms101 said:
I am going to wait a day or two in case there is a good deal that pops up. I have a feeling I am going to want CF in the future, so if no deals come up I am gonna get the XFX reference 6850 for $187 shipped.

I've seen 6870s for 198. It's worth the $9. Shop around. :santa:

I mean, your six core CPU deserves a decent friend, right?

Dooms101 · Mar 23, 2011

Well Newegg is having a 10% sale on select cards and a HIS 6870 happens to be in there at $192 shipped... I feel like I should buy it ASAP so I don't miss out, but I am not sure...

Edit: I caved and bought the HIS 6870, too good of a deal to pass up. xD

hUMANbEATbOX · Mar 23, 2011

Dooms101 said:
Well Newegg is having a 10% sale on select cards and a HIS 6870 happens to be in there at $192 shipped... I feel like I should buy it ASAP so I don't miss out, but I am not sure...

don't know that i've ever seen a post like this ^^

that wasn't followed up with an edit/post like this \/ \/ :chair:

Edit: I caved and bought the HIS 6870, too good of a deal to pass up. xD

Dooms101 · Mar 23, 2011

Hahahah not the first time this has happened to me xD now I can stop using the crappy iGPU and get back to playing a few games.

Dammit I haven't even got the card yet and I am already looking at water blocks! Baahhhhh somebody stop me! :comp:

nightelph · Mar 26, 2011

Gotta vote for GTX460 1gb. Overclocking beast, mines at 925mhz core, stock cooling. I'm about to buy another one for SLI.

Dooms101 · Mar 26, 2011

Well actually the 6870 came in the mail today and I've had a few hours to play with it and install it after I got home from work. This thing is huge! Barely fit in my temporary case. I haven't got OC'ing it yet, but from the looks of it the stock cooling is somewhat lacking... I am tempted to buy a cooler for it...

kommanderkodiak · Mar 28, 2011

If you dont mind raising your budget a tad this is an awesome one and you dont have to worry about it overheating or the noise

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814187123

Dooms101 · Mar 28, 2011

I took the 6870 apart today to see what kind of reference cooler AMD had designed for these guys and I can say I am not too impressed. My 4830 has a more impressive cooler... Anyways, the card runs cool as it came but I want better. The GPU die had about 10 times too much thermal paste then needed so I knew right away I'd be wiping that crap off and putting on Arctic Silver 5. After wiping it off though, I noticed how rough the cooler base was, it was like it was polished with a jagged rock... So I lapped it quick using some 3M wet or dry sand paper, going from 320 to 400 to 1000 grits and now its perfectly flat and nearly a mirror finish. I then applied the TIM and it's running 5C cooler right off the bat, a huge improvement. I expect it to cool down another 3 or 4 degrees as the TIM cures.

kommanderkodiak · Mar 28, 2011

DAng im sorry doom i missed your posts about ordering it and receiving it, my bad. However if your looking for a good cooler ill link you up.

this is the long version: http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/cooling/vga/18/accelero-xtreme-plus.html?c=2182

normal sized version:
http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/cooling/vga/22/accelero-twin-turbo-pro.html?c=2182

GPU for around $175?

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