Best Graphics Card for a Decent Price for Casual Gaming

[jon gerges]

I'm a casual gamer and not someone who wants to play every single game that's out there. I have a pretty decent computer that I bought and it runs most things fine, except it has Intel Integrated Graphics... So as said before I don't play a whole lot of games but I do enjoy them so I want a good experience. I need a better graphics card for my computer, but I don't want to invest a whole bunch of money into just one thing. I was looking on NewEgg and saw some decent looking graphics cards for under $30, but I'm not really sure what is considered "good".
this is what I found

The games I play are:
Space Engineers
SWTOR
Occasionally Minecraft
And a few others

My PC Specs:
Processor:Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3330 CPU @ 3.00GHz
Number of Cores: 4
Video Card:Intel(R) HD Graphics
Dedicated Memory:32 MB
Total Memory:1.8 GB
RAM:8.1 GB
Operating System:Microsoft Windows 8.1 (build 9200), 64-bit
DirectX: 11
Drive
Size:923.5 GB
Free:748.4 GB

My budget is a little tight so anything that is good but reasonably priced I'll take. Any suggestions or advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[tvi016]

How much $ are you going to be using on it?

 

[reedo_43]

What is your psu? There are some gtx 750ti's out there that do not require any supplemental power connectors, only a quality 300 watt unit

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=-1&IsNodeId=1&Description=gtx%20750ti&bop=And&Order=RATING&PageSize=90

 

[jon gerges]

How much $ are you going to be using on it?

I'm not really sure how much I want to spend I was thinking max $80.

What is your psu? There are some gtx 750ti's out there that do not require any supplemental power connectors, only a quality 300 watt unit

I have no idea what my power supply even is, I still have yet to open it up.

 

[hotter-than-Vishera]

You should be buying probably a GTX 960 or a GTX 970, given your CPU.
If your graphics card is too weak, then it'll drag your CPU down. A 970 would definitely keep from doing that, a 960 would also be a good budget-oriented choice. They are $330 and $200, respectively.

For gaming you need a good graphics card. Many gamers would argue that the graphics card is more important than the CPU.

Pricing guide based on budget:

$90-110: R7 250
$110-130: R7 260X
$130-160: R7 265, GTX 750 Ti
$160-200: R9 270X
$200-240: GTX 960
$240-260: R9 280X
$260-300: R9 290
$300-320: R9 290X
$320-390: GTX 970
$500-650: GTX 980
$650+: GTX 980 Ti

 

[jon gerges]

You should be buying probably a GTX 960 or a GTX 970, given your CPU.
If your graphics card is too weak, then it'll drag your CPU down. A 970 would definitely keep from doing that, a 960 would also be a good budget-oriented choice. They are $330 and $200, respectively.

For gaming you need a good graphics card. Many gamers would argue that the graphics card is more important than the CPU.

Pricing guide based on budget:

$90-110: R7 250
$110-130: R7 260X
$130-160: R7 265, GTX 750 Ti
$160-200: R9 270X
$200-240: GTX 960
$240-260: R9 280X
$260-300: R9 290
$300-320: R9 290X
$320-390: GTX 970
$500-650: GTX 980
$650+: GTX 980 Ti

Oh wow, that's pretty pricey. I might as well put that money towards building my own PC. Would the R7 250 work fine? For the games I play which is only about 4-5, I didn't think that I would need such a high quality graphics card, especially since everything works great except for space engineers. Thanks for the help though.

 

[Wisecracker]

Sapphire Radeon R7 260X 2GB: $105 before $20 rebate

You will need at least a 300w power supply ... 350w should work easy-peazzy

 

[jon gerges]

Sapphire Radeon R7 260X 2GB: $105 before $20 rebate

You will need at least a 300w power supply ... 350w should work easy-peazzy

Thanks for the help I'll probably go with this then, unless there's something better. But, it does say that it need at least a 500W power supply though, and just for confirmation, since I'm not really tech savvy, does it need an external power connector?

 

[reedo_43]

It comes with a molex to 6 pin pcie power adapter. So if your power supply does not have one, it is provided. Do not get a crap psu.

 

[jon gerges]

It comes with a molex to 6 pin pcie power adapter. So if your power supply does not have one, it is provided. Do not get a crap psu.

Thanks for the info. I was looking at the reviews and some people said that it constantly crashed and there was a whole ton of issues with the drivers?

 

[hotter-than-Vishera]

If it needs an external power connector I would not use a 300w power supply, as the card has the potential to use 75W via the PCIE socket and another 150 via the PCIE connector. That will push a 300W PSU dangerously close to, if not over, the power capacity, and if the PSU is a cheap one, bad things can happen. Sometimes it can explode. 400W will do it but that's also kind of close. They recommend the 500W because it's most efficient at 50% load, and you have plenty of margin for safety.

 

[Wisecracker]

The R7 260X will pull a typical 90- to 95w at gaming loads.

It is highly unlikely your system -with the video card included- will pull more that 250w at load.

However, if you have a 'budget' model power supply, it is certainly the weak link in the chain. The wattage of the power supply should be listed on a sticker attached to the unit.

 

[jon gerges]

The R7 260X will pull a typical 90- to 95w at gaming loads.

It is highly unlikely your system -with the video card included- will pull more that 250w at load.

However, if you have a 'budget' model power supply, it is certainly the weak link in the chain. The wattage of the power supply should be listed on a sticker attached to the unit.

So I was looking at the GTX 750/GTX 750 TI and I was thinking about going with that, because it's a little less expensive and it doesn't need an external power connector, because it need less watts. Because I'm not doing hardcore gaming, this seems like the better choice, but for only about 15 dollars more, I could get something quite better. What's your opinion? BTW, I'm slightly flustered on what to choose.

 

[hotter-than-Vishera]

The R7 260X will pull a typical 90- to 95w at gaming loads.

It is highly unlikely your system -with the video card included- will pull more that 250w at load.

However, if you have a 'budget' model power supply, it is certainly the weak link in the chain. The wattage of the power supply should be listed on a sticker attached to the unit.

So I was looking at the GTX 750/GTX 750 TI and I was thinking about going with that, because it's a little less expensive and it doesn't need an external power connector, because it need less watts. Because I'm not doing hardcore gaming, this seems like the better choice, but for only about 15 dollars more, I could get something quite better. What's your opinion? BTW, I'm slightly flustered on what to choose.

If you won't upgrade your power supply then yes the GTX 750 Ti is your best bet. By "quite better" I think you are referring to the R9 270X? Those cards will definitely use quite a bit of power, strong though they may be, which will be dangerous with the cheap OEM power supply you already have.

I think you should upgrade your power supply to give yourself a margin of safety and to save a bit on your electricity bill (because a power supply draws less energy from the wall when it works at about half capacity, and also you can get a quality PSU with an 80 Plus efficiency certification which will also not only directly save even more energy, but also is a sign that the PSU is a quality piece of work and will be a solid, reliable device to safely feed and protect all your internal components. The power supply is never something you want to cheap out on.

 

[jon gerges]

The R7 260X will pull a typical 90- to 95w at gaming loads.

It is highly unlikely your system -with the video card included- will pull more that 250w at load.

However, if you have a 'budget' model power supply, it is certainly the weak link in the chain. The wattage of the power supply should be listed on a sticker attached to the unit.

So I was looking at the GTX 750/GTX 750 TI and I was thinking about going with that, because it's a little less expensive and it doesn't need an external power connector, because it need less watts. Because I'm not doing hardcore gaming, this seems like the better choice, but for only about 15 dollars more, I could get something quite better. What's your opinion? BTW, I'm slightly flustered on what to choose.

If you won't upgrade your power supply then yes the GTX 750 Ti is your best bet. By "quite better" I think you are referring to the R9 270X? Those cards will definitely use quite a bit of power, strong though they may be, which will be dangerous with the cheap OEM power supply you already have.

I think you should upgrade your power supply to give yourself a margin of safety and to save a bit on your electricity bill (because a power supply draws less energy from the wall when it works at about half capacity, and also you can get a quality PSU with an 80 Plus efficiency certification which will also not only directly save even more energy, but also is a sign that the PSU is a quality piece of work and will be a solid, reliable device to safely feed and protect all your internal components. The power supply is never something you want to cheap out on.

Thanks alot for the information, I'll probably end up upgrading my power supply along with my GPU.
Would any of these power supplies be good for the R7 and the GTX:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA24G28N1805

 

[NeuroFryk]

I was using an Nvidia 650 gtx to drive 1080p before I recently upgraded to 4k setup with 970 SLI. Was a worthy little card, quite surprised at how well it performed for the price I paid. Of course I wasn't trying to ultra on latest games but my older favorites maxed out just fine. It goes for $100 for an MSI version on Amazon; $165 for the EVGA, which is the one I have and even more expensive than when I got it over a year ago. Now it's sitting in a box, collecting dust.

 

[hotter-than-Vishera]

Thanks alot for the information, I'll probably end up upgrading my power supply along with my GPU.
Would any of these power supplies be good for the R7 and the GTX:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA24G28N1805

I would definitely go for the EVGA. Although it is slightly less efficient than the Corsair CX500, being merely 80 Plus certified compared to 80 Plus Bronze, it also is more solidly built. For example, the EVGA model will provide its 500W capacity steadily, not at a peak, at 50 C, compared to the Corsair supply's rating of 500W at 30 C. The EVGA model is built to withstand higher temperatures. Also, the EVGA model has more protections built in than the Corsair model. Both models come with over/under-voltage protection, over-power protection, and short circuit protection. However, the EVGA model goes a step further and includes over temperature protection and over current protection. I would take the greater protections of the EVGA supply over the slightly better efficiency of the Corsair. Generally, I prefer Rosewill and EVGA power supplies, although I also consider Corsair and Cooler Master power supplies too.
Both the Corsair CX500 and EVGA 500W models will do fine. The Corsair CX430 will also probably work but there's a lesser margin of safety as it is lower capacity.

 

[toughtrasher]

GTX 960, to me, is one of the better values on the market for casual gaming and up. I would just give up the extra $120 or so to get the card over one of the lower ones

 

[NeuroFryk]

GTX 960, to me, is one of the better values on the market for casual gaming and up. I would just give up the extra $120 or so to get the card over one of the lower ones

I'd give that a thumbs up , that $200 card provides a lot of bang for the buck. Just depends on what kind of games he wants to run, to determine whether it makes sense or not. I have friends who are heavy gamers but still only run 9800 GT in SLI. They mostly run games that are 3 to 15+ years old. If all you're going to play is minecraft, and other casual /light weight games on occasion, you don't really need much. For that matter, the on board intel iris "4000+" is sufficient for most. $100 to $150 could purchase enough power to easily drive the games the OP mentioned.

 

[jon gerges]

Thanks alot for the information, I'll probably end up upgrading my power supply along with my GPU.
Would any of these power supplies be good for the R7 and the GTX:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA24G28N1805

I would definitely go for the EVGA. Although it is slightly less efficient than the Corsair CX500, being merely 80 Plus certified compared to 80 Plus Bronze, it also is more solidly built. For example, the EVGA model will provide its 500W capacity steadily, not at a peak, at 50 C, compared to the Corsair supply's rating of 500W at 30 C. The EVGA model is built to withstand higher temperatures. Also, the EVGA model has more protections built in than the Corsair model. Both models come with over/under-voltage protection, over-power protection, and short circuit protection. However, the EVGA model goes a step further and includes over temperature protection and over current protection. I would take the greater protections of the EVGA supply over the slightly better efficiency of the Corsair. Generally, I prefer Rosewill and EVGA power supplies, although I also consider Corsair and Cooler Master power supplies too.
Both the Corsair CX500 and EVGA 500W models will do fine. The Corsair CX430 will also probably work but there's a lesser margin of safety as it is lower capacity.

So I finally checked and I have a 300W PSU with an input voltage of 100-127 VAC/200-240 VAC, and an Input frequency of 50/60 Hz. Even though this won't work with the 260x, it should work with the GTX 750 so I might even go with that instead.