What is your logic on upgrading your video card?

[smjpl]

When it can no longer play games at:

 

800x600

lowest settings

dipping under 10FPS

You still on Voodoo then?

[_wky]

When I can afford it.

[Briggsy]

I tend to upgrade each generation, and pick between AMD and Nvidia based on who has the best bang for buck card. this gen its AMD, but next generation of cards is totally up in the air. Maxwell is basically GCN architecture but more granular, so I might skip next generation.

[Leonard]

Pseudocode answer

 

old GPU working....if yes.... then keep and use.....if no.....then tally finances.......if total is enough to buy a good-great GPU......then buy a new GPU for that price......else add more and buy good - great GPU. 

[aeterna789]

You mean the 970?

So nvidia really is going to skip the 800 name?

[Jey R.]

So nvidia really is going to skip the 800 name?

Yup.

[i_build_nanosuits]

When my GPU won't max out the latest battlefield game @60FPS for me it means it's time to upgrade!

[mooseducks86]

I went over budget cause I got a great deal. I bought 2 cards at once. I hope they can handle games and rendering for a good few years, and bring them into my next build. Ive bought a few $150 budget cards and found they need to be replaced sooner than later. When my last budget card (think it was a gigabyte 4gb 610 or something) crapped out, I used onboard intel 3000 graphics... didnt notice the difference as much as I thought. So my mindset is go big or go home.

[mooseducks86]

You still on Voodoo then?

awww. I got a voodoo3 pci for christmas... like 2 weeks after they shut their doors. I was 13 and it was the saddest christmas ever. Luckily I found some drivers created by an awesome team of voodoo enthusiasts.

[cnapier39428]

Primary Consideration is Money.

But if money is not an issue, I usually upgrade every 2 generations. GTX8800GT -> GTX275 -> GTX470 -> GTX670 -> planning on getting the 870 if benchmarks and reviews are good.

The 4xx was the generation after the 2xx

[raultherabbit]

i just upgrade them when my previous gfx card doesn't seem to cut it for me at high details.

 

i've gone from voodoo 2, to voodoo 2 SLI to ati 9800 to ti 4200 to 8800 gt to gtx 460 to gtx 560 to gtx 760.

 

i'm either going 760x2 or grabbing a 780 when the 9xx comes out, depending on my cash saved for upgrades.

 

i actually think i'm missing a card or two in there but i can't remember for sure.

[n3krO]

When i can sell my GPU for the price of the moment (maybe a bit lower) so i can buy a newer one. I only buy nvidia's 70 gpus (570, 770) as they are good enough for 60 fps in 1080p ultra in every game that gets released the same year it gets released and since they are cheaper they are also easier to sell in 2nd hand.

[connorpiper]

Money + Noticeable Frame lag = New stuffs.

 or, Money = New stuffs.

[I/O]

When i can sell my GPU for the price of the moment (maybe a bit lower) so i can buy a newer one. I only buy nvidia's 70 gpus (570, 770) as they are good enough for 60 fps in 1080p ultra in every game that gets released the same year it gets released and since they are cheaper they are also easier to sell in 2nd hand.

Don't work that way. A 670/770 will not get 60fps min in Metro LL or Crysis3 etc.

[n3krO]

Don't work that way. A 670/770 will not get 60fps min in Metro LL or Crysis3 etc.

 

I just ended Metro Last Light Redux today and my fps didn't go below 60fps (they did during 30 sec one of the times i got to the surface) . On Last Light (no redux) it was at 40 fps tho, but i don't care for poorly optimized games.

[Janne]

There is no rational thought in it. I just buy shit when i feel like it.

[Akolyte]

When my graphics card can't play over 30fps medium settings 1080p.  Then I'll upgrade, but most times I'll save up for an entirely new pc so I can go all out on it. 

[Texhnlyze]

Buy the most expensive card. 

 

jk

[I/O]

I just ended Metro Last Light Redux today and my fps didn't go below 60fps (they did during 30 sec one of the times i got to the surface) . On Last Light (no redux) it was at 40 fps tho, but i don't care for poorly optimized games.

Well 55fps avg is a far cry from 60fps on the min. http://www.legitreviews.com/gigabyte-geforce-gtx-770-windforce-3x-2gb-video-card-review_2218/8 in fact the 770 cant maintain 60fps in any modern heavy game at max settings nor could a 670 or 570 etc.

[alphabeta]

Whenever my GPU can't handle solid 30 Frame on low-medium 

[A.D.A.M]

If i want to upgrade it will go like this

1. Do I have Money? Yes/No

2. Is the performance i'm currently having satisfactory (for now that would be 1080p 60fps at a medium/high at least)? Yes/No

3. Is the performance increase and features in the new card worth the money im going to spend? Yes/No

 

If i get a yes on 1 and 3 ill buy a new GPU

[maizenblue]

My last two purchases were motivated largely by the desire to play one or two games at settings my current card was unable to handle.

 

I got my r9 280x because I wanted to play bf4 at 1080p on ultra with decent frame rates, and that was the cheapest card available that could achieve that. I would have gotten a better card but my old pc was stolen and my laptop died so I suddenly needed something relatively cheap ASAP.

[totjup5]

This is how it works for me:

I can't Maintain 60fps on at least high/ medium high mix, time to upgrade.

How much money do I have? what's the best thing I can buy with that? What's the upgrade path? Good. Card purchased

[Thorium19]

Well when I eventually get to the point where I need to upgrade, the logic/argument behind it would be: If I can't play games at reasonable framerates (30+) at medium settings at 1080p, then an upgrade is needed. Or if the GPU I have does not support the latest DirectX or other software that is advantageous to me, then I need to upgrade.

However, at the moment my need to "upgrade" (finish my PC build) is down to being unable to play LoL, let alone anything else.