Looking for newer Budget Card to match with older Phenom II 940

[wizmander]

I need a current graphics card, at most $100 (the lower the better) to pair with my old AMD Phenom II x4 940. I'd like the cheapest modern card I can find that won't bottleneck the 940. I can buy cheap and overclock to match the CPU if I need to.
My current PC is having issues so I'm looking to revive an older build with a new video card and PSU. PSU isn't an issue as will I select which one to buy after deciding on the GPU. I'm planning on overclocking the 940 to 3400-3600 mhz. The mobo I'm using is PCI-E 2 compatible.
I have Amazon Prime, so I prefer to use that if possible. Thanks for any help!

TL;DR - Need suggestions for cheapest GPU that won't bottleneck a Phenom II 940

 

[Rationale]

Well, the 940 isn't that different from my Phenom II 955. Yours is only 5-10% weaker and may actually be stronger than mine once you OC.
I use a GTX 660 GC, and my CPU bottlenecks in some games. Most of the bottlenecks are still higher than 40 fps, but it's enough that you'd probably be well off with a GTX 650 TI, GTX 750, or a GTX 750 TI if you really wanted to match your CPU closely without spending much extra.

Faster:
http://www.amazon.com/Asus-GTX750TI-OC-2GD5-ASUS-Graphics-Cards/dp/B00IB9P1KG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1397086549&sr=8-3&keywords=gtx+750+TI

Lower cost:
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Superclocked-Dual-Link-Graphics-01G-P4-2753-KR/dp/B00IDG3LUO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1397086859&sr=8-2&keywords=gtx+750

 

[wizmander]

I generally shy away from pre-overclocked cards, but I've loved every Asus card I've owned, so I like your suggestions. It sounds as though my hopeful expectations of finding a card under $100 were a bit unresearched.
I was looking at the newer Radeon R7 series as well, but I'm not sure how their performance matches up with the cards I'm more used to seeing.

 

[Rationale]

The problem isn't so much that decent cards are expensive, but rather that your CPU is probably stronger than you think it is. Having 4 cores really gives the older AMD CPUs a boost right now in many games.

AMD cards hold up pretty well. I like PhysX a bit too much to use them, but they're good options for often less money. An R7 250 performs a bit better than a GTX 650, meaning it's the lowest I'd go for your CPU without a large risk of your CPU outperforming your GPU in most games.

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-R7250-1GD5-Graphics-Cards/dp/B00FW53IDY/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1397089468&sr=8-6&keywords=r7+250

 

[wizmander]

If you're ok with me taking up a bit more of your time, what sort of difference do you notice in games with/without PhysX? Also, I'm new to the Tom'sHardware forums (been using the reviews for years), what's the best way to give positive feedback to other users on the forums?

 

[Rationale]

This is the most extreme example I've seen of PhysX.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rokcD0nh4I

It's worth noting that most PhysX effects can be run on the CPU on AMD cards, but that absolutely kills the framerate if it's a complex or widely used effect.

You might know more about the site than me, I just started using it a week or two ago.

 

[wizmander]

Gives me something to think about before buying, that's for sure. Thanks for all your help.