Video Card around 200 Advise please

[Sprockets2000]

Grrrr,

I have been researching cards that run from 150 to 200 dollars even a BIT higher like 215 or something and I just cannot make a decision.

SO I know most of you are probably like me and constantly drooling over hardware on the interwebz. If you have seen a card that you felt wow that is a GREAT FING DEAL around 200 bucks can you please leave a comment below with where you seen it.

After my research it looked like for the money an R9 series card I was looking at was beating out Nvidia but I havent been gaming for quite some time and my co-worker at work (we are both IT so I assume he knows what he is talking about) told me that Nvidia is where its at and that even without the benchmarks that Nvidia is optimized for so many more games etc etc... So if you would please respond, I understand if you dont want to as I imagine this question is asked alot, but prices change so quickly that if the thread is more than a week old I feel I may be making a purchasing mistake.

 

[KaRLiToS]

At this price, I would get an AMD R9 280x, or if you prefer Nvidia, maybe the GTX 770 but the R9 280x will be much better for cheaper.


SAPPHIRE 100363-4L Radeon R9 280X 3GB 384-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 CrossFireX Support Video Card Tri-X OC version

Was $269.99
$214.99
Save: $55.00 (20%)
$199.99 after $15.00 rebate card

 

[SteveGrabowski]

I'd have to go suggest the 280x, and that's one of the best AMD coolers out there if you have the room for it in your case. Here's a comparison of the R9 280x and GTX 770:

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1037?vs=1041

I'd personally rather have the 280x for the 3GB VRAM vs the 770's 2GB. Plus the 770's are $250 and up. AMD is going to pretty much own the midlevel market until Nvidia brings out the GTX 960. Can't understand what the hell they're waiting for.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Actually, I take it back. Here's an R9 290 you can get for $222 after rebate. It's one of the hotter R9 290's so you probably won't get too great of overclocks out of it, but the R9 290's are way more powerful than the 280x's.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2408890

Today is the last day though. You might consider waiting to see if an R9 290 Vapor-X or Tri-X goes really cheap. The R9 290 Tri-X is $250 right now at newegg and I picked up an awesome MSI Gaming R9 290 for $230 after rebate a couple of weeks back. Who knows? Maybe you see them even lower on Black Friday / Cyber Monday.

 

[Sprockets2000]

These are the same conclusions I came to after reading the benchmarking data. I still cant understand why my co-worker is insiting that an Nvidia with about a 5-10% less benchmark result is "better" cause of "optimizations".

Pretty sure I am going with the AMD Radeon R9 290 cause for 222 that sounds pretty damn tempting.

Thanks a lot guys, like I said I know these threads are probably annoying, but I feel the market is just SATURATED with mid level cards and quite the rift in who thinks what and why.

 

[Sprockets2000]

Actually I take that back, that Radeon 280X is right on the money, thank you kindly

 

[tential]

These are the same conclusions I came to after reading the benchmarking data. I still cant understand why my co-worker is insiting that an Nvidia with about a 5-10% less benchmark result is "better" cause of "optimizations".

Pretty sure I am going with the AMD Radeon R9 290 cause for 222 that sounds pretty damn tempting.

Thanks a lot guys, like I said I know these threads are probably annoying, but I feel the market is just SATURATED with mid level cards and quite the rift in who thinks what and why.

I read other forums that aren't as educated as anandtech. Nvidia gets recommended at every price bracket no matter the performance, benchmarks, etc.

Nvidia has the better brand recognition so they will get recommended by those who don't know much no matter the performance. Nvidia has some great cards, doesn't mean they win every price bracket.
That's why you release cards like the GTX Titan, Titan Z, etc. Get your name associated with "Best" so that no matter what price bracket, people will consider you to be the best choice.

For $22 more though you really should take the R9 290... it's definitely worth.

Edit: It's more than worth it.

Take the 1080p performance of the STOCK R9 290 at 95%. Take the stock performance of the R9 290x at .76
.95/.76 = 1.25

Stock R9 290 is 25% faster than Stock R9 290x. For that 25% increase you're paying $22 dollars or ($222/$200= 111%) 11% more. That's the definition of a deal buddy.

 

[KaRLiToS]

I read other forums that aren't as educated as anandtech. Nvidia gets recommended at every price bracket no matter the performance, benchmarks, etc.

Nvidia has the better brand recognition so they will get recommended by those who don't know much no matter the performance. Nvidia has some great cards, doesn't mean they win every price bracket.
That's why you release cards like the GTX Titan, Titan Z, etc. Get your name associated with "Best" so that no matter what price bracket, people will consider you to be the best choice.

For $22 more though you really should take the R9 290... it's definitely worth.

1000$ Price = better

No?

 

[tential]

1000$ Price = better

No?

Thanks? You and I both know that read the context of the post.
I was talking about users who DONT POST HERE which I made painfully clear. No one I know in real life is a "hard core gamer" or reads reviews yet when I've helped people pick their parts out they consistently ask "Why are you telling me I should pay less? Isn't this part that costs more better?"

To a person who knows NOTHING about the things we know, paying more = better.

 

[KaRLiToS]

Thanks? You and I both know that read the context of the post.
I was talking about users who DONT POST HERE which I made painfully clear. No one I know in real life is a "hard core gamer" or reads reviews yet when I've helped people pick their parts out they consistently ask "Why are you telling me I should pay less? Isn't this part that costs more better?"

To a person who knows NOTHING about the things we know, paying more = better.

Actually I was agreeing with you. (My post was a little sarcastic, that is all, sorry)

If I come in front of two chainsaws that I don't know crap about them, I would tend to believe the most expensive one is better. -- FACT

 

[tential]

Actually I was agreeing with you. (My post was a little sarcastic, that is all, sorry)

If I come in front of two chainsaws that I don't know crap about them, I would tend to believe the most expensive one is better. -- FACT

I should have known lol....

 

[ronbo613]

I've been shopping around for a video card in the ~$200 price range as well. If you are looking for a cheap, basic video card to do anything but gaming, not a problem. If price is no object, plenty of choices for bleeding edge graphics performance. Somewhere in between is the toughest place to be. Radeon cards may have the benchmark performance edge but nVidia has great products and companies like EVGA are tough to beat when it comes to customer service. Tough call.

 

[tential]

I've been shopping around for a video card in the ~$200 price range as well. If you are looking for a cheap, basic video card to do anything but gaming, not a problem. If price is no object, plenty of choices for bleeding edge graphics performance. Somewhere in between is the toughest place to be. Radeon cards may have the benchmark performance edge but nVidia has great products and companies like EVGA are tough to beat when it comes to customer service. Tough call.

The only other choice is the GTX 760.

GTX 760 is 88% of the performance of the R9 280x.
It's lowest priced model is $180 (quick newegg search.) 88% of $200 is $176. So you're paying a $4 premium for that GTX 760. Nothing really.

Depends on what level of performance you want and which games you're playing.

Edit: Personally, I wouldn't take anything from Nvidia other than Maxwell at this point in time.

 

[ronbo613]

The only other choice is the GTX 760.

GTX 760 is 88% of the performance of the R9 280x.
It's lowest priced model is $180 (quick newegg search.) 88% of $200 is $176. So you're paying a $4 premium for that GTX 760. Nothing really.

Depends on what level of performance you want and which games you're playing.

Edit: Personally, I wouldn't take anything from Nvidia other than Maxwell at this point in time.

Yes, as far as nVidia cards go, I'm stuck between the GTX 750Ti, which is a pretty decent card using Maxwell, that can be had for a little over $100, and the GTX 760 which costs more but has much better performance using a Kepler GPU, if I'm not mistaken. Maybe an overclocked 750Ti would be more logical fit for an older system where the 760 might be overkill. If new Maxwell cards are coming out soon, likely the 760 cards price would be reduced and a better buy with all the R9 cards having such attractive pricing.

 

[digitaldurandal]

Yes, as far as nVidia cards go, I'm stuck between the GTX 750Ti, which is a pretty decent card using Maxwell, that can be had for a little over $100, and the GTX 760 which costs more but has much better performance using a Kepler GPU, if I'm not mistaken. Maybe an overclocked 750Ti would be more logical fit for an older system where the 760 might be overkill. If new Maxwell cards are coming out soon, likely the 760 cards price would be reduced and a better buy with all the R9 cards having such attractive pricing.

Buy a used 670 on these forums or ebay for under $150. I have one up on ebay now.

I will also be selling a 570 once I replace my wife's card with my other 670. I could part with it cheap if someone wanted it here. It is faster than a 750ti but does require a beefier PSU. My best friend recently replaced his as well. I could sell two for the price of a 750ti. PM me if interested.

 

[kawi6rr]

I would go with the 280x or the 290. The 290 is a beast of a card I just picked one up for 250. Saphire has a great cooler on it and is a great card.

 

[RussianSensation]

The only other choice is the GTX 760.

GTX 760 is 88% of the performance of the R9 280x.

Not sure where you got that data from but it's too conservative or the reviewer must have used a ton of NV-favoured games/low AA. 280X is 26% faster than 760 at 1080P on average.

But it gets MUCH worse in modern games since NV stopped caring for Kepler, not to mention 760's 2GB of VRAM is a MAJOR bottleneck now in soooo many 2014 games. R9 285 is faster than GTX760, nevermind a 280X/290 for $200-225. In the latest games 280X walks all over 760 by way more than 12-15%.

NV has no videocard worth buying for gaming below $330. ~ TechSpot's review, Nov 12, 2014

"[In FC4] Given that we found the Radeon R9 280X to be faster than the GeForce GTX 780 at every resolution." TechSpot

760 gets destroyed 280X in 6+ months old games. Heck, 770 can barely keep up. I wouldn't touch a 2GB card at $200 now for keeping for 2 more years, no way. Plus, NV seems to have sent Kepler driver optimizations to the grave. Unless on gets a 970 or all they plan on playing only NV-optimized games like Unity for the next 2 years, NV is dead in the water in the sub-$330 GPU market.

Those 1-2 year old GTX680/770 vs. 7970/7970Ghz/280X reviews mean nothing right now when in the latest games AMD is optimizing for GCN and NV is focusing on Maxwell. I would personally get an after-market R9 290 for $225-250 over the $200 R9 280X but if the hard budget is $200, definitely Sapphire Tri-X 280X is the best card at $200.

 

[BlockheadBrown]

Right now, Amazon is selling an XFX Radeon R9 290 for $259 and it will come with free games. That said, you can get used ones from Amazon for less. Additionally, there's an offer on eBay for a Sapphire Tri-X for $219. 290s are an extreme deal right now - especially if you don't mind used ones. I want to see what's coming out in 2015, but a 290 will do for now. I should be able to resell it for a decent amount (I hope, at least) once the new stuff is released. Regardless, I'm back on the red team for a while.

 

[tential]

Yes, as far as nVidia cards go, I'm stuck between the GTX 750Ti, which is a pretty decent card using Maxwell, that can be had for a little over $100, and the GTX 760 which costs more but has much better performance using a Kepler GPU, if I'm not mistaken. Maybe an overclocked 750Ti would be more logical fit for an older system where the 760 might be overkill. If new Maxwell cards are coming out soon, likely the 760 cards price would be reduced and a better buy with all the R9 cards having such attractive pricing.

Are you even reading the thread or any reviews posted within the last 6 months?

The GTX 760 is NOT a good choice. It's not a discussion, it's a fact. 2GB of Vram is unacceptable in 2014, and it's unacceptable moving into 2015 for a person purchasing a a card at this time at THIS PRICE POINT.
There is a reason why Anandtech, Tomshardware, Techspot, PCGamer, etc. have ALL recommended R9 cards at this pricepoint. It's because 2GB of VRAM just won't hold up. Not to mention the performance deficit as well.

It won't be a good choice even if new maxwell cards come out and "push the price down" (You must not understand Nvidia as a company to know they aren't stupid. They have some GREAT minds working there to know they don't have to push prices down. They have brand name recognition and people purchase their products irregardless of performance).
If you want Nvidia pick up the GTX 970/980 are the cards to get. Otherwise, you pick up your R9 280x/290, etc. and be a happy camper.

If you simply just don't care about getting the best bang for your buck (or you want Nvidia Shield, Nvidia Grid, or some other proprietary Nvidia thing) THEN pick up NVidia.

 

[TheGoat Eater]

If you go AMD you can get a 285 for around that price as well and it will perform well. I just did a review of one and was thoroughly impressed by it. With the 285 you will get all of the recent AMD tech that was put in the 290s while being in the 280s price and performance range.

 

[Leyawiin]

NV has no videocard worth buying for gaming below $330.

The GTX 750 Ti does have a very specific use that it excels at - pre-built PCs with 300W power supplies for 1080p. Stuck one in a family member's PC because I didn't want to fart with buying and installing a power supply as well. It was $119.99 after a ten buck rebate (EVGA). He's happy - leaps and bounds better than the HD 4670 that was in the old thing.

 

[BlockheadBrown]

...or you want Nvidia Shield, Nvidia Grid, or some other proprietary Nvidia thing

I'm chiming in on my personal experiences. There's a number of reasons why I've tended to avoid AMD cards. In my younger years, I would stick with X for Y reasons and debate fervently about it. These days, things are better from both companies. I do like Nvidia things quite a bit, actually. I've left my 660 cold though. I want the performance a 290 gives now and don't care to spend the premium a 970 commands at this point. Additionally, I think it's overpriced. Maybe my head is stuck in prices 5 years ago. I dunno. There's good arguments to like Nvidia things. There may be other things going on that make him/her prefer going that route. Frankly I still don't trust AMD's driver team (for promising to and then not patching City of Heroes - and then denying there was ever an issue). But, that was years ago. I can resell the 290 I just got if I want. So, I'll ride with the red team for a bit. If I get annoyed by not having Nvidia things or if something better comes out, I'll go back to green.

I'm genuinely interested in seeing what 2015 brings from AMD. I hope it's as awesome and others think it'll be. I want something better than the current Maxwell releases from Nvidia at better price points. ... I think I'll be waiting a while.

NOTE: EGA was a big deal when I started. I don't want to derail the thread on my experiences, but Diamond Stealth, Rendition, 3Dfx, Matrox, Nvidia, ATi->AMD.... You get the picture.

 

[RussianSensation]

The GTX 750 Ti does have a very specific use that it excels at - pre-built PCs with 300W power supplies for 1080p. Stuck one in a family member's PC because I didn't want to fart with buying and installing a power supply as well. It was $119.99 after a ten buck rebate (EVGA). He's happy - leaps and bounds better than the HD 4670 that was in the old thing.

Still not that great of a choice for a 300W build. Here is why:

PowerColor R9 270 with 4 free games for $110 provides 31% more performance at 1080P.

Avg power usage of 111W and maximum of 138W. Even if you have a Core i7 4790K in there, paired with an R9 270, it will never come close to using 300W.

Also, besides the fact that there are plenty of cards that will work with a 300W PSU that will be much faster than the 750Ti, the PSU argument is moot for a couple more reasons:

1. There are always PSU deals around from sub-$30 for 550W to Seasonic X Gold 1050W for $110.

2. Since PSU is the most important component in any PC build long-term, one should just invest in a good PSU that will last 7-10 years instead of overpaying for slow underpowered efficient cards because they don't want to spend $50 on a solid 500W PSU that will last 10 years. You will end up overspending a LOT of money for inferior performance over the next 10 years if you keep limiting yourself to 75W GPUs. Usually the best deals on GPUs are last gen or older gen cards that are discontinued ($175 GTX480, $210 R9 290, $180 7970Ghz, $350 780Ti, etc.).

 

[toyota]

RussianSensation, you know darn well those 300 watt oem psus dont even typically come rated for any where near 300 watts on the 12v. most are lucky to make anywhere near 200 watts max in realistic conditions. I would not even use a 750 ti with most oem 300 watt psus.

 

[Craig234]

Amazon has a daily deal $220: XFX RADEON Double D R9 280X 1000MHz BOOST Ready 3GB DDR5 2XmDP HDMI 2XDVI Graphics Cards R9-280X-TDFD

http://www.amazon.com/XFX-RADEON-100...W5QNBXF301NDS8