Best videocard under 300$

GabcenZ

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Hi guys i'm from Perú ( sorry for my english xD ) and i'm planning to buy a new videocard. The thing is that my uncle lives in Los Angeles and he will come to Perú in about 3 weeks.
I have a budget of 300$ to spend on a videocard. My last videocard was a 560Ti MSi Hawk @ 950mhz core ( nearly GTX570 stock performance ) but it was too hot and noisy so i sold it.
I saw a Gigabyte GTX570 OC at Amazon, looks at a good price, 275$, what do you think , should i buy it ? or instead of that GTX570 should i go for a HD7850 and Oc it ?
And my last question, does it worth to pay like 80-90$ more ( from GTX570 gigabyte priced at 275$) and buy a HD7870 ?? I mean .. if you tell me that it worth go for a HD7870 i think i could make an effort and buy a HD7870 but only if you recommend it xD.
Oh and i've also heared about BSOD with HD78XX :S, is that true ?
Please help me i'm confused :(

Thanks for your help
 
The 7870 is definitely NOT worth the extra 80-90, unless heat and noise are the deciding factors. 7850 is a better deal, but still a bit expensive for its performance compared to the 570.

What do you play? If it's nothing intense, you can even squeak by with getting the 560 ti 448 (same VRAM as 570), unless this will be your one purchase for a long time
 
Hi thanks for your repply :). Well i mostly play Battlefield 3 multiplayer ( nvidia cards perform better at this game i guess) , Crysis ( 1 , warhead, and 2 ) , Dirt 3, Metro 2033, and The Witcher 2.
I'm planning to sell the GTX570 in about 3-4 months ( GTX570 here in peru is very valuated, it costs like 450$ new) and pay the difference to buy another card, but a 28nm one, maybe the GTX670 or GTX670Ti. So if i buy a GTX570 it wont be for a long time.., if a buy a HD7850 probably i'll keep it and maybe Crossfire later.
That GTX570 gigabyte windforce 3x OC is at a good price, 275$ at amazon, whats why im deciding to buy it and in 3-4 months later i could easily sell it for 300-330$. In that case should i go for that Gigabyte GTX570 ?
 
The $300 space is kind of weird right now and I'm not sure you'd get the best bang for your buck getting a new card in that range. The 570 is in your price range so if you really feel the need to go for it that's what I would get, but if you hold off a while I'm sure you'll find better deals unless this is a time based deal as I'm guessing from your OP.
 
The Gigabyte I would guess is a very good card.

Have my Gigabyte GTX 580 (same cooler design) overclocked from the stock 772mhz to 975mhz on the core and 2200mhz on the RAM.

Cooler does an excellent job! Max I hit is like 75C under load...love it.

With all that being said the GTX 570 I would think would be just as impressive with its overclocking and cooling abilities!
 
Thank for your repplies:). And yeah... i can't holf off too much because my uncle is coming in one month and i guess he will buy the videocard in about 3 weeks . I want to buy a videocard anyway because here in Peru all pc components and videocards are quite expensive.( 30% more $)
So.. until now.. think im going with Gigabyte GTX570 Oc, i guess if i OC it to around 850-900mhz i'll have GTX580 stock performance right ?
I've also been looking at Sapphire HD7870 at 349$, looks tempting and i like the design. Let's say if i OC that HD7870 to about 1200mhz core performance will be considerably more than a GTX570 even oced ? Thanks.
 
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Best deal for pure performance is GTX 560 ti 448 for around $240
Second best deal are the 570s for $260

But they hot and you don't want that.

Best deal then is Radeon 7850 for $259. It's about same speed as GTX 560 ti 448 and 5% slower than GTX 570 but uses 100W less power. Power means heat and noise.

7870 is a rip off by $50. It's only a little faster than GTX 570 and costs $100 more money. I can't deal with that kind of poor value no matter how power miser it is.
 
Thank for your repplies:). And yeah... i can't holf off too much because my uncle is coming in one month and i guess he will buy the videocard in about 3 weeks . I want to buy a videocard anyway because here in Peru all pc components and videocards are quite expensive.( 30% more $)
So.. until now.. think im going with Gigabyte GTX570 Oc, i guess if i OC it to around 850-900mhz i'll have GTX580 stock performance right ?
I've also been looking at Sapphire HD7870 at 349$, looks tempting and i like the design. Let's say if i OC that HD7870 to about 1200mhz core performance will be considerably more than a GTX570 even oced ? Thanks.

Yes. 7870 1200mhz core beats GTX 580 and 7950. It's about same as stock 7970.

But it's $359.
 
Best deal for pure performance is GTX 560 ti 448 for around $240
Second best deal are the 570s for $260

But they hot and you don't want that.

Best deal then is Radeon 7850 for $259. It's about same speed as GTX 560 ti 448 and 5% slower than GTX 570 but uses 100W less power. Power means heat and noise.

7870 is a rip off by $50. It's only a little faster than GTX 570 and costs $100 more money. I can't deal with that kind of poor value no matter how power miser it is.


I can only buy from Amazon, and with no rebates:( .
Anyway.. there is something wierd, at Amazon the Gigabyte GTX560Ti 448 is priced at 377$ :S and the GIgabyte GTX570 OC is 275$ , why is that ? both use the same Windforce 3x cooler and the GTX570 is supossed to be a tad better :/.
Im still between the Gigabyte GTX570 or a good HD7850. About the hot temps of GTX570 well i've read reviews and they say that GTX570 Windforce 3x is very cool. What i'm afraid about HD78xx's is drivers, i've heard people saying about BSOD problems :/ , know if that's true ?
 
Someone is crazy at amazon. They allow anyone to sell there, many stores in amazon.

Anyway with no rebates - I'd get a 7850 because it has no rebates available and overclock it sky high. Look for one with dual power connector like XFX and others which will help unlock it's full potential.
 
If only the HD7870's were at 300$.... :(

No kidding. nV wouldnt sell cards other than highest end GTX 680. Everyone would buy 7870. It's a fantastic card just a little overpriced.

The problem is we were spoiled last generation with cheap 6950 which we could make into 6970 for $240 and cheap 448's and 570s. So $359 is just not a value to most of us. High end price for mid range card.:(
 
It looks like your main concern was temps and noise? I don't know if the 448 core or 570 would address that. A 7850 might be better then if that's the case.
 
I just can't believe the OP can turn around and flip a $275 570 for $300 4 months later. I'd jump on that just for the hell of it.

Still, if we're not looking at rebates, then 7850(s) sound more solid. They should overclock pretty decent too
 
Ok guys thanks for your replies again :). Hmm i have like 2 more weeks to decide which card i'm gonna buy x) ahhhh deciding which card is the one to go is so difficult x) ( GTX570 or HD7850 ).
One other question, if i go with HD7850. Will my Corsair TX650V2 be able to handle a future HD7850 Crossfire ? I know that my PSU is fine for a single GTX570 but it can't handle a SLI of these ones.
Oh and about AMD cards, i'll be appreciate if some HD7800's users could tell their experiences and opinions about these new cards to finally make a decision xd...
 
I kept going back and forth on what to do (i.e. expensive or budget).

The GTX 560ti 448 going on sale for $190 at Amazon made up my mind. The price for performance is pretty insane.
 
Yes, that PSU can handle 7850 crossfire with no problem (based upon the other items in your sig)
 
Ok. And what about a MSI Twin Frozr III GTX560Ti 448 and overclock the hell out of it ? xD i've heard it performs almost like a GTX570. Which one would win when overclocked to max settings ? GTX560Ti448 / 570 or HD7850 ?
 
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/549?vs=518

The 570 most surely.

Just remember those 100 extra watts it consumes, and the fact that you already thought that the 560ti was too hot, a 570 would consume 60watts more than the 560ti at load, so all in all you would have to deal with quite a bit of a heat issue in your room.

I'm from Venezuela so i know how annoying these power hungry cards can get in the tropics, same as you, so i could only recommend you such a power hungry card if you also have a fan or air conditioner in your room. Remember, more power = more heat, and it all goes into the room.
 
I bought a used GTX570 from a member on this forums and I absolutely love it. I bought it for 150 + shipping which is obviously a ridic. good price. I would have paid 300 for this card its so awesome.

BF3 get a good 55-60 fps and i have low FXAA and 2xMSAA on and everything on ultra.

skyrim runs brilliantly even with the HD texutres on I've checked the FPS in fraps it never dips below 50.


I play at 1920x1200 too.



I was worried that the card wasnt good enough to max BF3 because of sudden drops in FPS from 55-60 to 1 or 2 fps however I found that nvidia HD audio drivers were conflicting with the game and causing it to trip the shit out. That and I make sure that my physical memory isn't being used a crazy amount ( I only have 4gb so I just run BF3 and Precision X and basically nothing else).


So to summarize buy the 570, I've seen them go for as low as 260 which is insanely good.
 
I would just buy a used unlocked 6950 from the FS/FT section for $200 shipped. Alternatively, you could buy a real 6970 for $210 shipped.

On the other hand, I've also seen a few GTX 580's going for $300ish.
 
One thing on the side to look at is a monitor upgrade. Your sig shows a Samsung BX2050N 1600x900 monitor. I would recommend a higher resolution like 1920 x 1080 or higher to justify the video card upgrade.
 
I kept going back and forth on what to do (i.e. expensive or budget).

The GTX 560ti 448 going on sale for $190 at Amazon made up my mind. The price for performance is pretty insane.
I jumped on that as well. The 560 really is the best midrange card right now.
 
GTX580 at 300$ ? Where ? :( i'm looking at amazon but can't find any GTX580 at that price.
About HD6950 and HD6970 no thanks i'll pass, i would prefer a GTX570 or if HD78XX prices drop in 2-3 weeks ( i've read about that ) i think i will go with HD7850 or HD7870.
About my monitor., yeah i know 1600x900 is not the best. I'm planning to upgrade the monitor with a decent 22" 1920x1080 , don't need more because i don't have too much space in my desk. Anyway don't worry about my monitor hehe i'll buy a better one down the road. About the videocard , as i said my uncle will buy it for me and then i'll have the card in my hands when he arrives Peru:) (in about 1 month).
So , now talking about HD78xx's , would you recommend buying a HD7870 if prices drop to around 300-320$ ? Or is still expensive for the performance it has ? I have faith that in 3 weeks or so, HD7000 prices will drop like 20-50$ , i've heard a lot of rumors saying that. Gonna wait 3 weeks and then make my final decision:). Thanks again.
 
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GTX580 at 300$ ? Where ? :( i'm looking at amazon but can't find any GTX580 at that price.
About HD6950 and HD6970 no thanks i'll pass, i would prefer a GTX570 or if HD78XX prices drop in 2-3 weeks ( i've read about that ) i think i will go with HD7850 or HD7870.
About my monitor., yeah i know 1600x900 is not the best. I'm planning to upgrade the monitor with a decent 22" 1920x1080 , don't need more because i don't have too much space in my desk. Anyway don't worry about my monitor hehe i can't bring one from the USa xD, but the videocard yes.. i can, my uncle will buy it for me and then i'll have the card in my hands when he arrives Peru:) (in about 1 month).
So , now talking about HD78xx's , would you recommend buying a HD7870 if prices drop to around 300-320$ ? Or is still expensive for the performance it has ? I have faith that in 3 weeks or so, HD7000 prices will drop like 20-50$ , i've heard a lot of rumors saying that. Gonna wait 3 weeks and then make my final decision:). Thanks again.

Look here.

http://hardforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=17

There have been a number of 580's selling for $300 shipped. Get one of those.
 
Another recommendation for a decent 448 TI with good cooling instead of a hot&loud 580.
 
Thanks. Well i'm not sure about buying a used card :/ , also given the fact that i'm from Peru and if card fails i'm dead xd.
About the GTX580 i know is a good card but yeah.. is hot and loud and i don't like hot and loud cards -.- that's the reason i sold my GTX560Ti Hawk. So no more hot and louds cards please xD.
That's the reason a put my eye on the GTX570 Gigabyte with no reference cooler. But as a said i'll be waiting 2-3 more weeks to buy and hope the rumor that in 2 weeks all HD7000 are going to be around 20-50$ cheaper is true :).
 
There is no $300 price point anymore. You're looking at $260 and $360 for anything with an OC, stock is $10 less.

I just nabbed a 7870 because I needed (well, OK, WANTED) DirectX 11.1 and cool/quiet operation without spending a fortune. I was tempted to get a 7850 until I realized its not much better than my 4870x2 in terms of performance.
 
There is no $300 price point anymore. You're looking at $260 and $360 for anything with an OC, stock is $10 less.

I just nabbed a 7870 because I needed (well, OK, WANTED) DirectX 11.1 and cool/quiet operation without spending a fortune. I was tempted to get a 7850 until I realized its not much better than my 4870x2 in terms of performance.

D: You've got a HD7870, which one ? Can you tell me how do you feel it's performance compared to your HD4870x2 ( it has almost HD5870 / GTX560Ti performance i guess )? Many thanks.
 
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