Looking for new GPU

[1823alex]

So I'm looking for a new GPU, looking for a new one as, my cureent 500ti isn't doing it for me at only 1gb of GDDR5, it's not good enough for me, so I was wondering do I stick with nVIDIA, or get one of the new amd cards, I was looking at a Gigabyte 760 windforce GDDR5 2gb, or one of the r9 cards, I'm just wondering would I have any issues switching over to AMDs' cards?

Specs:

i5 3570k Overclocked

nVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 ti Overclocked

SoundBlaster Fatal1ty Champion with a front 5.25 or 3.5 inch bay

x2 4gb Corsair Vengeance RAM

(Totalling 8gb of RAM)

Asus P8Z77-V LX (Motherboard)

Windows 7 Home Premium

Corsair Carbide Series 500R

Boot Drive: 1 Terabyte Western Digital <--- This hard drive vibrates D:

Secondary hard drive: 1.5 Terabyte Western Digital

Random Cooler Master 700 Watt PSU

So AMD or nVIDIA? are the cards I'm looking at good? Anyone able to recommend a card under around say $250 - $300? I'd like at least 2gb of GDDR5, I also need to know if AMDs' cards will be compatible with my system.

Any help is appreciated.

[Tall Gora]

budget? 760 is a fair bit different from an R9 card.

[Ryan Leech]

GTX 760

[1823alex]

budget? 760 is a fair bit different from an R9 card.

Budget is at the bottom of my post around $250 - $300 US

[NohbdyKnows]

280x.......Boom

[helping]

GTX 760

Why in gods name would you recommend that thing with AMD prices where they are now?

[TheSLSAMG]

Budget is at the bottom of my post around $250 - $300 US

 

For $250, I would buy a GTX 760 2GB or R9-270X 4GB. For $300, an R9 280X.

[TechFan@ic]

I would recommend the R9 280X, you'll get GTX 770 performance for $100 less and you get 3GB of memory, the 280X is significantly faster than the 760 and well worth the additional 50 dollars.
There aren't any issues with compatibility, just pop it right in, install the drivers and you're good to go.

[FatalWaffles]

You shouldn't have any issue with switching to AMD if that is the route you decide to go.

 

I would personally suggest the R9 280x which goes for $300. You get more performance than the 760 as well as a 3GB frame buffer compared to the 2GB frame buffer of the 760.

Here is an AnandTech link comparing the 7970GHz (essentially what a R9 280x is) and the GTX 760: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/768?vs=854

[Ryan Leech]

Why in gods name would you recommend that thing with AMD prices where they are now?

[D3MON]

XFX 7970 and overclock, $299, $269 after mir
http://us.ncix.com/products/?usaffiliateid=1000031504&sku=80254&vpn=FX797ATDJC&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1145

Done.

[helping]

XFX 7970 and overclock

http://us.ncix.com/products/?usaffiliateid=1000031504&sku=80254&vpn=FX797ATDJC&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1145

Done.

@OP I would consider looking into the the Power color 7970 instead, I'm not sure if the Power color one is locked, but a lot of the XFX cards have been shipped locked lately in addition to the Double D cooler being less than stellar.

[1823alex]

Anyone know which is better for running Starcraft 2, Minecraft, Team Fortress 2, and other games similiar to that?

[D3MON]

@OP I would consider looking into the the Power color 7970 instead, I'm not sure if the Power color one is locked, but a lot of the XFX cards have been shipped locked lately in addition to the Double D cooler being less than stellar.

theyre both the same 2x92mm fans.

also powercolor uses a reference design wheras i belevie xfx actually uses a custom pcb and puts thier own components on them.

[D3MON]

Anyone know which is better for running Starcraft 2, Minecraft, Team Fortress 2, and other games similiar to that?

you mean which one gets 2500 frames per second as opposed to 2200fps?

[Ryan Leech]

@OP I would consider looking into the the Power color 7970 instead, I'm not sure if the Power color one is locked, but a lot of the XFX cards have been shipped locked lately in addition to the Double D cooler being less than stellar.

[speciealpha]

if you are planning on going for the r9 280x, remember the 280x is literally the same thing as a 7970 so go with whatever is cheapest. 

[helping]

Anyone know which is better for running Starcraft 2, Minecraft, Team Fortress 2, and other games similiar to that?

SC2 is more CPU dependent, for minecraft (as long as you don't use that stupid resource hog setting w/e it is) and TF2, just about anything can run that.

[1823alex]

SC2 is more CPU dependent, for minecraft (as long as you don't use that stupid resource hog setting w/e it is) and TF2, just about anything can run that.

I've been having quiete a bit of lag and frame stuttering issues with Minecraft lately....

[TechFan@ic]

XFX 7970 and overclock, $299, $269 after mir

http://us.ncix.com/products/?usaffiliateid=1000031504&sku=80254&vpn=FX797ATDJC&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1145

Done.

I don't recommend the XFX 7970s & 280Xs, they're voltage locked & so overclocking is extremely limited.

An Asus, Sapphire, HIS or MSI 7970/280X card would be a much better option for both cooling & overclockability, the Gigabyte 7970 is also voltage locked, the Gigabyte R9 280X isn't however.

[helping]

You can post as many benchmarks (1080p minimum, nobody seriously plays at 900p) as you feel like, but I'm still going to sit here and tell you the 7970 is flat out better than it.

7970 competes with the 770, not 760.

if you want to factor overclocking in, that's going to be a complete bloodbath

[Sarcasm]

I can't take anyone recommending a 760 seriously. Not much reason to get it. Find a 670 on sale, and you can get it in your budget and at the same price as a 760. The 760Ti coming out is a rebrand 670, except without 7xx exclusive features, and the only thing I can think of is GPU Boost 2.0

[D3MON]

ok back call, in that case..
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-r9280xgaming3g

in case mantle and everything else becomes a thing...
 

[1823alex]

I need 2 regular DVI connectors, the same ones the 550ti I forgot if it's like DVI-I or DVI-X or whatever it is.... As I'm planning on running Dual or Triple monitors.

[DaftBehemoth]

I need 2 regular DVI connectors, the same ones the 500ti I forgot if it's like DVI-I or DVI-X or whatever it is.... As I'm planning on running Dual or Triple monitors.

If you're looking into Eyefinity/ Surround, AMD is the way to go. The Eyefinity software is simply better on the AMD side. That said, on the Nvidia side I do love me some PhysX, and G-Sync and Shadowplay are looking amazing.