Question Need advice on choosing RX 580 vs GTX 1060 vs RX 480 for an OC'd i5-760 CPU

[midzata]

Hello,

before I post here I've read the forum rules, searched through various threads on the forum (and outside the forum) but since new GPUs have been released and my CPU is quite old I've decided it's best to ask a new question since the existing information is a bit obsolete. This is part of an upgrade where besides GPU I'm also buying: SSD, HDD, RAM and display device. This will be the last upgrade on this platform. Let’s start.

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: this month BUDGET RANGE: 100-150USD

USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: The system will run games like: doom, witcher 3, cyberpunk 2077 so mostly first person shooters and story driven games. I'm not playing competitively so I'm not worried about high FPS. I would like 1080p @ 60FPS. Will watch movies with it. Other types of games I might play are racing simulations which aren't that hard on the CPU. And I want to use the GPU for processing calculations with larger number of computations on small amounts of data. A lot of small files. Basically I want to utilize the GPU's ALUs for SIMD, FMA, etc.

CURRENT GPU AND POWER SUPPLY: MSI GTX 460 CYCLONE 1GD5OC and Corsair TX650W

OTHER RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS: CPU Intel i5-760, MB Gigabyte GA-P55-UD4P, TOTAL RAM = 12GB DDR3 1333Mhz G.skill Ripjaws = 4GB F3-10666CL7D-4GBRH + 8GB F3-10666CL7D-8GBRH (2x2GB modules + 2x4GB modules), case/cooling setup (On the picture I draw a line for reference as well as directions of air currents and components placements. The only change I would make here is moving the HDD location upwards in case I get a GPU that has its fan outlet blowing hot air directly into the drive. I would keep the fans blowing in the same directions because I keep the lid off and this way it blows out the hot air in different directions towards more open areas.)

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Currently I plan on buying the GPU locally but it's pointless to post links since most of the ads are written in cyrillic. I've narrowed down my choice of GPUs considering the price and availability in the local market. If I can't find one locally I'll look on ebay but this is less desirable since I won't be able to test it and I'll have to pay shipping and custom fees. I’ll post the GPU list in the additional comments section below.

PARTS PREFERENCES: I would steer clear of brands with bad cooling and ones that are prone to malfunctions. I would keep an eye on ones which are durable and have good performance/price value.

OVERCLOCKING: No / Maybe (later) SLI OR CROSSFIRE: No

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 4k for movies and 1080p @ 60FPS for gaming

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
* Currently these are the top 3 picks: RX 580 8GB, GTX 1060 6GB and RX 480 8GB. I took other GPUs into consideration but I wanted to know how each of these would fare in my configuration so that I can make a better decision when I'm buying one. Mostly I want to know if the OC'd 760 would severely bottleneck the GPU. If the above GPUs are an overkill and you have a better suggestion, please let me know.

Viable alternatives to the top three pick from above would be: GTX 980, R9 290x, R9 390, GTX 970, R9 290, RX 570, GTX 780, RX 470 and GTX 770. Here the priority is to get the most optimal GPU which will work in synergy with the OC'd CPU but if it's severely bottlenecked and isn't being utilized efficiently I might go for a weaker GPU in order not to waste money. It's OK if it's a bit bottlenecked like ~10%. I would go for the version with more RAM so I can have more wiggle space for future games.

* I do plan to OC the CPU within reasonable safe speeds without having to increase stock core voltage too much and avoid risking higher temperatures. I have a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus fan (which I've read is a decent solution for overclocking), which I don't plan to upgrade. I plan to implement safe OC ~3.6 GHz @ 1.2V so that it doesn't pass the 70C mark when tested with Prime95 for ~8 hours. Here I want to point out I would rather have slightly bottlenecked GPU and OC'd CPU within safe limits rather than having to push the limits of the CPU for extra FPS. Concerning the CPU overclocking, heat dissipation and thermal solutions I'll open a new thread in the overclocking section once I get all the components.

* Besides upgrading the GPU I will also get a new display device. Currently I'm inclined towards a LED TV with 4k, HDR, refresh rate 60Hz, full array local dimming, IPS/PLS and hdmi 2.0 for true 4k. IMO, investing in a gaming monitor will be a waste of money since g-sync/freesync and the high refresh rate won't be utilized when the CPU/GPU can't deliver FPS. Like said before I’m satisfied with 60FPS…

* Currently the system I'm running is Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (SP1 Build 7601). Once I get the parts I'll do a fresh install but I intend to keep the same OS since it is pretty stable and has wide spread support. However I was wondering, does Windows 10 offers something extra for gaming? Also I want to try using the system for database query calculations targeting large numbers of computations on small amounts of data. I've read Oracle has introduced new 12c columnar format that uses SIMD instructions. So as an off topic question here, I was wondering is there a Linux/UNIX distro which offers more tools for GPU intensive data processing?

FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS
Concerning the topic of GPU use for cryptocurrency I have few follow-up questions if a GPU from a second hand market has been used for mining.
Q1. Does it affect the GPU reliability?
Q2. Will it run on higher temps?
Q3. Will it be more power hungry?
Q3. How can I test it and evaluate it before I commit?
Q4. Can I use a graphite thermal pad to improve GPU cooling?
Q5. Perhaps long term it would be better to use a graphite thermal pad on the CPU as well?
These issues are not so important but it is an info that would be nice to know.

Thanks
EDIT #1: fixed some grammar errors and added few follow-up questions
EDIT #2: added additional info and fixed some wording

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

That i5 760 is too weak for all those GPU's.

 

[midzata]

That i5 760 is too weak for all those GPU's.

Here I found a guy who's been running an OC'd i5-750 with GTX 1080. The i5-760 is almost the same as the i5-760 and @ 02:40 you can see the configurations he is comparing, @ 08:00 results for DOOM, @ 09:15 results for Witcher 3 and @ 11:05 results for GTA V.

Also, this person is happy with his i5-760 and R9 290x build while here you can see there isn't a lot of difference between OC'd i5-760 and i5-4670K. I realize I'm not comparing with the newest CPUs but Intel hasn't made a lot of progress in its last 2-3 generations when core speeds are being considered.

Thanks for your input. Forgot to ask, what is your suggested GPU? What do you think will work best with an OC'd i5-760 @ 3.6GHz?

 

[dudeman509]

I'd pick the 1060 6 GB personally.

I'd also probably look into acquiring an i7 from that generation or upgrading the entire platform in the near future, as many modern games will run out of CPU power on that old i5...my 3770k is beginning to show its age as well.

Sandy Bridge (2000 series) made huge leaps in performance compared to the older Nehalem chips, and Ivy/Haswell improved on that. You are right that there hasn't been a whole lot of IPC improvement since then.

 

[midzata]

I'd pick the 1060 6 GB personally.

I'd also probably look into acquiring an i7 from that generation or upgrading the entire platform in the near future, as many modern games will run out of CPU power on that old i5...my 3770k is beginning to show its age as well.

Sandy Bridge (2000 series) made huge leaps in performance compared to the older Nehalem chips, and Ivy/Haswell improved on that. You are right that there hasn't been a whole lot of IPC improvement since then.

This will be the last upgrade on this platform, and I'll migrate to a new platform once I start having problems with the newer games. I haven't played games for awhile and I've made a list of older games I want to complete, so I have a lot to catch up to. So, the upgraded system will in fact play older games, more recent games and I'll be happy if it can run the upcoming new games (1-2 years from now) on 1080p @ 60FPS.

IMO it's not worth investing 50USD+ in a faster CPU for LGA1156 socket. There are little gains in performance (10-15%) with i7-8XX or Xeon x34XX processors, and I would rather spend the extra money on getting a better display device.

Just curious, why would you go with the GTX 1060 6GB? I know it it is a bit faster than the RX 580 8GB, but the used GTX 1060 goes for 200USD, while I can find an RX 580 for 130-150USD around here. For example just today an ad was published for MSI RX 580 8GB Armor OC for 130USD. Also there are a lot of the RX 580 around here which were used in mining rigs and I can find some GPUs which are still under warranty. Thanks.
EDIT #1: fixed CPU suffixes

 

[midzata]

Here are some of the options which I can purchase locally:

1. ASUS Dual Radeon RX 580 OC 4GB GDDR5 >> 130USD >> warranty till 2020.11.18
2. XFX RX 580 8GB XXX Edition >> 140USD
3. Asus Dual GTX 1060 3GB OC >> 155USD >> warranty till 2021.05.28
4. MSI RX 580 8GB Armor OC >> 130USD
5. Sapphire RX 580 8GB Nitro+ >> 140USD
6. Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1060 6GB WindForce 2X OC >> 165USD
7. ASUS GTX 1060 6GB TURBO >> 160USD
8. PNY GTX 1060 3GB Dual >> 140USD
9. ASUS Ati Radeon R9 280 >> 90USD
10. ASUS RX 470 4GB >> 105

From the aforementioned list I'm inclined towards choice: 4, 2, 1, and then 3. Here I am preferring the 8GB version of the RX 580 over the 4GB version (even thou the 4GB still has a warranty) because like previously stated, I want to have more RAM for future video games. However if my system won't utilize the extra 4GB of RAM then I would rather go for the 4GB card with valid warranty. Your feedback on this topic is much appreciated.

The way I see things (in a simplified manner), the CPU core(s) clock determines the rate in which the GPU is fed with data for processing and deals with physics, collusion detection and general instruction processing. The GPU core(s) clock determines the speed with which the data that it received from the CPU is being rendered while the GPU's RAM (vRAM) determines the amount of data it can store for the object's textures, cache and such.

There are a lot of rigs which were used for mining and most of them use RX 580 cards (still under warranties) but there are others that use RX 470, GTX 1060/1070 etc. I can call the owners individially and ask them whether they will be prepared to sell me only one graphic card, but before I do that I would like to determine which GPU I should buy before I start calling each one of them.

 

[dudeman509]

This will be the last upgrade on this platform, and I'll migrate to a new platform once I start having problems with the newer games. I haven't played games for awhile and I've made a list of older games I want to complete, so I have a lot to catch up to. So, the upgraded system will in fact play older games, more recent games and I'll be happy if it can run the upcoming new games (1-2 years from now) on 1080p @ 60FPS.

IMO it's not worth investing 50USD+ in a faster CPU for LGA1156 socket. There are little gains in performance (10-15%) with i7-8XX or Xeon x34XX processors, and I would rather spend the extra money on getting a better display device.

Just curious, why would you go with the GTX 1060 6GB? I know it it is a bit faster than the RX 580 8GB, but the used GTX 1060 goes for 200USD, while I can find an RX 580 for 130-150USD around here. For example just today an ad was published for MSI RX 580 8GB Armor OC for 130USD. Also there are a lot of the RX 580 around here which were used in mining rigs and I can find some GPUs which are still under warranty. Thanks.
EDIT #1: fixed CPU suffixes

I have found that Nvidia's driver support, as well as card reliability, tends to be better. They are also more power efficient.

Then again, I haven't owned AMD/ATI since my HD 6850, but it was pretty common in those days for the cards to have issues after a couple hundred thermal cycles. Every single dedicated ATI graphics chipset I've had in a laptop has failed on me.

 

[Eximo]

I pretty much agree with everyone here.

1st gen i5 is a bit long in the tooth. All of these GPUs won't be able to run their full potential, but if you don't mind that, pick the one you like the looks of. Throwing an ebay bid at an i7-860 or something won't hurt your pocket much.

I also second GTX1060 only because of the lower power consumption. Though the 8GB cards might have a little more longevity in them performance wise they might burn out faster than the cooler running Nvidia cards.

 

[Aeacus]

Got a PM from OP and now i'm here.

+1 for very detailed explanation in initial post (if only everyone would be so in-depth as you are).

For 1080p gaming with 60 FPS, GPUs are classified as such:
GTX 1050 Ti - medium settings
GTX 1060 3/6G, RX 480/580/590 - high/ultra settings
GTX 1660 Ti - ultra settings (equal to GTX 1070)

Also, GPU VRAM isn't the only factor when it comes to the gaming. I have MSI GTX 1060 Gaming X 3G GPU and i can play latest games @ 1080p with ultra settings and 60+ FPS problem free, despite my GPU has only 3GB VRAM. Then again, i also have good CPU in my Skylake build: i5-6600K (full specs with pics in my sig).

But since you're planning to use your GPU outside the gaming as well, 8GB Radeon GPU can be beneficial, especially when you need lots of VRAM for your production work. Though, do note that Radeon GPU drivers aren't so well compatible with most games as Nvidia GPU drivers are. So, you may face some driver issues when gaming on Radeon GPU.
Another thing where Radeon GPUs fall behind Nvidia GPUs is their power consumption. E.g RX 580 is 185W GPU (that's 5W more than GTX 1080), while GTX 1060 is 120W GPU. But since you have good build quality Corsair TX650 PSU, GPU power consumption isn't an issue for your PC.

As far as brands go; PNY, XFX, Sapphire and Zotac GPUs are usually cheaper than Asus, MSI, Gigabyte and EVGA GPUs since they are lesser known brands in GPU world. Due to the cheaper price, build quality is ususally lower than with well known brands. I, personally, would look towards Asus or MSI GPU and not the entry level but mid-range. E.g MSI Gaming series or Asus ROG series. Since with that, i'd get solid build quality, good cooling and low noise.

Long story shot: if you need 8GB of VRAM for your production work, go with RX 580/590. But if you need better compatibility with games and lower temps/noise, go with GTX 1060 6GB. GTX 1060 3GB may not be enough for your production work due to the low amount of VRAM.

I believe that i don't need to point out your CPU performance level with new GPU since many people in this topic have already done that.

And for OS, i too am using Win 7 in my PCs. In my eyes, Win 10 has way too many issues, including security issues, which doesn't make it a good OS. Gaming wise, i have 0 issues with my Win 7. Though, new games coming out may not support Win 7 anymore. E.g Sea of Thieves works only on Win 10.

Q&A
Q1. Does it affect the GPU reliability?
Yes. Mining GPUs have been used very hard and many mining GPUs sold, are at the end of their life.

Q2. Will it run on higher temps?
It might. If the cooler has degraded due to 24/7 use, you'll see higher temps.

Q3. Will it be more power hungry?
No. GPUs use the same amount of power throughout of their life.

Q3. How can I test it and evaluate it before I commit?
Best way is when you have portable (mini-ITX) system that you can bring and meet the seller some public place (e.g caffee). Before buying GPU, plug the GPU into your test rig and run few benches to validate GPU performance level.

Q4. Can I use a graphite thermal pad to improve GPU cooling?
You can use that very hyped product if you like but does that improve GPU cooling, well, it's hard to say. Most thermal pads perform far worse than thermal paste. Though, there are some thermal pads that perform mediocrely. If you want to improve the cooling over stock thermal paste, use the tried, tested and proven to work liquid metal.

Q5. Perhaps long term it would be better to use a graphite thermal pad on the CPU as well?
Read above answer. Also, GamersNexus made a good point about graphite thermal pad,
start watching at 03:44:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVSMJHFU_Pg#t=3m44s

 

[Obakasama]

Seems like most of the conventional knowledge and opinions have been covered. Just a few additional things to consider as well.

1. The naming of the GTX 1060 6GB and GTX 1060 3GB hides more than just the VRAM difference for the cards; the GTX 1060 3GB has less CUDA cores and effectively a 'weaker' GPU.

2. The GTX 1060 and RX 580 are approximately the same; they trade places depending on the game.

3. Cards used for mining would likely have been used extensively on a continuous basis and may well be partially worn out. The counter argument is that miners would have wanted efficiency and likely have underclocked it and kept the graphics card cool, thus it shouldn't be as worn out as thought.

4. The i5-760 is getting old, so it will unlikely to get the best out of those graphics cards.

 

[jankerson]

I would say a GTX 1060 6 GB would be the best bet.

Also ideally upgrade to an i7 870 CPU, can find them on EBAY at really good prices now.

 

[AMDynamic]

The rx 480 8gb will be your best bet. You will have excellent performance for all tasks plus paying the lowest price. Tbh I see it as level with 1060 with some games in 1060 favour and some in 480 favour

 

[midzata]

Got a PM from OP and now i'm here.

+1 for very detailed explanation in initial post (if only everyone would be so in-depth as you are).

For 1080p gaming with 60 FPS, GPUs are classified as such:
GTX 1050 Ti - medium settings
GTX 1060 3/6G, RX 480/580/590 - high/ultra settings
GTX 1660 Ti - ultra settings (equal to GTX 1070)

Also, GPU VRAM isn't the only factor when it comes to the gaming. I have MSI GTX 1060 Gaming X 3G GPU and i can play latest games @ 1080p with ultra settings and 60+ FPS problem free, despite my GPU has only 3GB VRAM. Then again, i also have good CPU in my Skylake build: i5-6600K (full specs with pics in my sig).

But since you're planning to use your GPU outside the gaming as well, 8GB Radeon GPU can be beneficial, especially when you need lots of VRAM for your production work. Though, do note that Radeon GPU drivers aren't so well compatible with most games as Nvidia GPU drivers are. So, you may face some driver issues when gaming on Radeon GPU.
Another thing where Radeon GPUs fall behind Nvidia GPUs is their power consumption. E.g RX 580 is 185W GPU (that's 5W more than GTX 1080), while GTX 1060 is 120W GPU. But since you have good build quality Corsair TX650 PSU, GPU power consumption isn't an issue for your PC.

As far as brands go; PNY, XFX, Sapphire and Zotac GPUs are usually cheaper than Asus, MSI, Gigabyte and EVGA GPUs since they are lesser known brands in GPU world. Due to the cheaper price, build quality is ususally lower than with well known brands. I, personally, would look towards Asus or MSI GPU and not the entry level but mid-range. E.g MSI Gaming series or Asus ROG series. Since with that, i'd get solid build quality, good cooling and low noise.

Long story shot: if you need 8GB of VRAM for your production work, go with RX 580/590. But if you need better compatibility with games and lower temps/noise, go with GTX 1060 6GB. GTX 1060 3GB may not be enough for your production work due to the low amount of VRAM.

I believe that i don't need to point out your CPU performance level with new GPU since many people in this topic have already done that.

And for OS, i too am using Win 7 in my PCs. In my eyes, Win 10 has way too many issues, including security issues, which doesn't make it a good OS. Gaming wise, i have 0 issues with my Win 7. Though, new games coming out may not support Win 7 anymore. E.g Sea of Thieves works only on Win 10.

Q&A
Q1. Does it affect the GPU reliability?
Yes. Mining GPUs have been used very hard and many mining GPUs sold, are at the end of their life.

Q2. Will it run on higher temps?
It might. If the cooler has degraded due to 24/7 use, you'll see higher temps.

Q3. Will it be more power hungry?
No. GPUs use the same amount of power throughout of their life.

Q3. How can I test it and evaluate it before I commit?
Best way is when you have portable (mini-ITX) system that you can bring and meet the seller some public place (e.g caffee). Before buying GPU, plug the GPU into your test rig and run few benches to validate GPU performance level.

Q4. Can I use a graphite thermal pad to improve GPU cooling?
You can use that very hyped product if you like but does that improve GPU cooling, well, it's hard to say. Most thermal pads perform far worse than thermal paste. Though, there are some thermal pads that perform mediocrely. If you want to improve the cooling over stock thermal paste, use the tried, tested and proven to work liquid metal.

Q5. Perhaps long term it would be better to use a graphite thermal pad on the CPU as well?
Read above answer. Also, GamersNexus made a good point about graphite thermal pad,
start watching at 03:44:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVSMJHFU_Pg#t=3m44s

This time I'm planning to try linux manjago since I understood there has been improvements in the driver update process as you can access the newest drivers in the developer's repository. There have also been developments with WINE and Vulkan. Windows gaming is slowly dying and Linux is the future for PC gaming as well as console gaming. DOOM uses vulkan and that is also one of the reasons I am inclined towards AMD's chips.

From this thread's replies I see that nvidia's chips are more durable from AMD's but the things that bring me back to the RX 580 8GB is the larger amount of RAM memory for the db processing and its price. They are a lot cheaper than nvidia's chips. e.g. a GTX 1060 6GB usually goes for 170USD, while a RX 580 8G goes for 130USD. They are also more available in the market with 1:3 ration compared to nvidia's chips in the mid-range group.

Most rigs are usually made from Saphire RX 580 Nitro+ 8GB or XFX 580 8GB but from your suggestions I'll look for a more renowned brand like MSI, Gigabyte or ASUS. All of the cards I've used so far have been nvidia and I haven't had issues with them but this time I'll go with AMD chips since I think they have made some good progress lately. Also I'm curious as I've never used an AMD product before.

After having considered all of your valuable feedback I set myself on the RX580 8GB. MSI/ASUS/Gigabyte cards will have priority and the ones which weren't used in rigs. If I can't find that, and I have a good deal for a Saphire Nitro+ card used in a mining rig that hasn't had its bios flashed for mining, and that doesn't work in high temps I will go for it. Now I want to turn the attention towards the heat dissipation topic.

What if I make sure that the temperatures are at an optimal level all the time? e.g. devolt the GPU's cores a little bit, apply thermal solution, put oil in the fans and turn them up so its more cool. Will it be more durable then? It's fine if the GPU is noisy and heats up a bit as long as it doesn't burns up the chip. Liquid metal is a bit risky for me, as I'm clumsy and I'll more than likely mess up and short circuit the MB or PCB.

What thermal paste do you recommend to be applied on the GPU as well as on the CPU? Nothing electro conductive please. On the video you've sent me there were a lot of positive comments concerning the thermal pad's consistency and reusability. You know what, I'll buy paste and graphic pad as well and will test them. Also I'll log the benchmarks with before/after results for paste/pad and I'll let you know the results.

The CPU stays the same, as the i7s for LGA1156 are 50-100USD on ebay. If it bottlenecks the GPU a bit I'm fine with it, at least it won't overload it with work and it won't heat up as much. After the GPU I'll buy SSD to be used as a boot and software drive. On my old HDD I'll store the data but I'll install the games that I'll play 1-2 at a time on my SSD for faster loading times. Crucial MX500 250GB - 55USD - ebay. What do you think?

Tomorrow I'll call some of the sellers, and will update you when there's something new. Thank you. WIl keep you reported.

 

[Aeacus]

With equal performing GPUs, Radeon vs Nvidia, it comes down to the preference. Overall, Radeon GPUs do better in mining rig while Nvidia GPUs do better in a gaming rig. This of course doesn't mean that you can't game on Radeon GPU or use Nvidia GPU for mining.

I've used Radeon GPUs in the past. My old AMD build, that i keep around for retro gaming (again, full specs with pics in my sig), had Radeon HD 5450 GPU in it when i bought it. Since then, i've upgraded GPU to Radeon HD 7770 Ghz Edition and i can game old Win XP era games on it without issues.

As far as GPU temps go, as long as you don't see over 80°C from your GPU you're fine. If you see over 80°C, you can start worrying and over 90°C you'll get GPU die thermal throttle. E.g my MSI GTX 1060 Gaming X 3G GPU idles around 58°C. This may seem much but my GPU has Zero Frozr feature where GPU fans doesn't spin at all when GPU temp is below 60°C. That also means GPU noise is effectively 0 dB(A). Highest temp i've seen out of my GPU was 66°C during Unigine Superposition benchmark (i love the superb cooling of MSI Gaming X series GPUs).

For you and when you get your new GPU, i suggest that you first plug it in the system "as is" and look how the stock cooler performs. When temps are within reason, i wouldn't start messing with GPU cooling to get temps lower. Unless you OCD over low GPU temps. Then, it's a different story.

Oh, it seems that you're willing to buy an used GPU. Do note that most GPU brands do not offer transferable warranty. E.g those 2x Asus GPUs you listed above with warranty dates behind them. Since the original purchaser is selling his/hers GPU, the GPU warranty would last that long for him/her but not for you.

Also, non-transferable warranty is written in black and white at the Asus Warranty Policy page:

Limitations of Liability

ALL ASUS WARRANTY TERMS AND AGREEMENTS ARE NON-TRANSFERABLE AND ONLY APPLY TO THE ORIGINAL UNIT AND ORIGINAL PURCHASER. ASUS IS NOT LIABLE FOR A CLAIM MADE BY A THIRD PARTY OR MADE BY YOU FOR A THIRD PARTY.

source: https://www.asus.com/us/support/article/677/

The thermal paste which i'm using with my systems is Arctic MX-4,
specs: https://www.arctic.ac/eu_en/mx-4.html

MX-4 is non-conductive and it's a bit of the thick side. For more fluid thermal paste (easier to apply), you can look towards Arctic MX-2 (also non-conductive),
specs: https://www.arctic.ac/eu_en/mx-2.html
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/HBXfrH,3wLypg/

For other options, Tom's Hardware did a roundup and review of 39 thermal pastes,
link: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermal-paste-performance-benchmark,3616.html

Crucial MX500 series SSD is one of the best (if not the best) SSD when it comes to the price to performance ratio and it's a really good choice. Samsung, the king in SSD market, has same performing 860 Evo series SSD but it usually costs more than MX500 series SSDs,
comparison: https://ssd.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Crucial-MX500-250GB-vs-Samsung-860-Evo-250GB/3951vs3949

Due to the reason of MX500 being value king in SSD market, i'm using Crucial MX500 1TB SSD as a storage drive in my Skylake build.

 

[nick_v15]

Get an RX 580.Iam sick of Nvidia and their scams.

 

[midzata]

With equal performing GPUs, Radeon vs Nvidia, it comes down to the preference. Overall, Radeon GPUs do better in mining rig while Nvidia GPUs do better in a gaming rig. This of course doesn't mean that you can't game on Radeon GPU or use Nvidia GPU for mining.

I've used Radeon GPUs in the past. My old AMD build, that i keep around for retro gaming (again, full specs with pics in my sig), had Radeon HD 5450 GPU in it when i bought it. Since then, i've upgraded GPU to Radeon HD 7770 Ghz Edition and i can game old Win XP era games on it without issues.

As far as GPU temps go, as long as you don't see over 80°C from your GPU you're fine. If you see over 80°C, you can start worrying and over 90°C you'll get GPU die thermal throttle. E.g my MSI GTX 1060 Gaming X 3G GPU idles around 58°C. This may seem much but my GPU has Zero Frozr feature where GPU fans doesn't spin at all when GPU temp is below 60°C. That also means GPU noise is effectively 0 dB(A). Highest temp i've seen out of my GPU was 66°C during Unigine Superposition benchmark (i love the superb cooling of MSI Gaming X series GPUs).

For you and when you get your new GPU, i suggest that you first plug it in the system "as is" and look how the stock cooler performs. When temps are within reason, i wouldn't start messing with GPU cooling to get temps lower. Unless you OCD over low GPU temps. Then, it's a different story.

Oh, it seems that you're willing to buy an used GPU. Do note that most GPU brands do not offer transferable warranty. E.g those 2x Asus GPUs you listed above with warranty dates behind them. Since the original purchaser is selling his/hers GPU, the GPU warranty would last that long for him/her but not for you.

Also, non-transferable warranty is written in black and white at the Asus Warranty Policy page:

source: https://www.asus.com/us/support/article/677/

The thermal paste which i'm using with my systems is Arctic MX-4,
specs: https://www.arctic.ac/eu_en/mx-4.html

MX-4 is non-conductive and it's a bit of the thick side. For more fluid thermal paste (easier to apply), you can look towards Arctic MX-2 (also non-conductive),
specs: https://www.arctic.ac/eu_en/mx-2.html
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/HBXfrH,3wLypg/

For other options, Tom's Hardware did a roundup and review of 39 thermal pastes,
link: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermal-paste-performance-benchmark,3616.html

Crucial MX500 series SSD is one of the best (if not the best) SSD when it comes to the price to performance ratio and it's a really good choice. Samsung, the king in SSD market, has same performing 860 Evo series SSD but it usually costs more than MX500 series SSDs,
comparison: https://ssd.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Crucial-MX500-250GB-vs-Samsung-860-Evo-250GB/3951vs3949

Due to the reason of MX500 being value king in SSD market, i'm using Crucial MX500 1TB SSD as a storage drive in my Skylake build.

Do the temp marks you've mentioned (80 for worrying and 90-thermal throtle) apply to all electronic componets in general? I've noticed Intel CPU thermal temperature has been set aroun 72C. Thanks for the advice, I also currently have MSI nvidia Cyclone GPU and it behaves just like you described so I'll try to keep my eye on for this brand.

I've read that graphic thermal pads conduct the heat a bit slower compared to paste, but are a good solution for dissipating a constant stream of less volatile temperature, like the ones the GPUs have. But I was wondering how a graphite pad would rate against a dried thermal paste. My eye is set to test these chinese graphite pads. I'll get a larger area and if someone wants to try it they can message me and I'll send them one piece.

The specs are: Heat conduction coefficient plane conduction 300-1200W/m.k, Vertical conduction 20-30 W/m, Temperature resistance at 400 C, thermal resistance is 40% lower than aluminum and 20% lower than copper, weight 25% lighter than aluminum 75% lighter than copper, thermal conductivity 150 ~ 1200W/m.k (better than the heat conduction of metal, at least this is what they claim) and Max Temperature 120 C.

If that is the case with the warranty I'll ask the owner if he'll be willing to take the GPU to the service center if I'm having an issue with it. Thanks for sharing the thermal paste comparison review, I haven't seen it so far but I'll check it. It is almost morning here and I'll go to bed now but I'll make sure to read the sections from the article concerning the mounting pressure and the airflow.

 

[Aeacus]

In general, yes, you can apply the 80°C/90°C temp mark to CPUs as well.

As far as that Chinese graphite pad goes, it's specs are all over the place. For example, the IC Graphite Thermal Pad has vertical thermal conductivity of 35W/m.K and plane conduction of about 800W/m.K, which is reasonable,
specs: https://www.innovationcooling.com/products/ic-graphite-thermal-pad/

Chinese graphite thermal pad has vertical conduction of 20-30W/m.K and plane conduction of 300-1200W/m.K. While vertical conduction is more-or-less reasonable, the plane conduction range is way too huge. Difference is up to 4 times.
Also, thermal conductivity range of 150 ~ 1200W/m.K doesn't make sense since no material on earth has that great of a range of thermal conductivity. E.g gold has 327W/m.K @ -73°C and 262W/m.K @ 927°C, which makes the range of 65W/m.K. And gold is one of the best metals when it comes to the thermal conductivity.
And what's with the "Max Temperature 120 C"? Does it mean that this Chinese thermal pad can't do more than 120°C? If so, then why state in the specs that temperature resistance begins at 400°C?
Oh, throwing out the 40% less thermal resistance than aluminum and 20% less than copper doesn't give any solid info. Thermal resistance directly depends of the thickness of material. E.g 30cm thick aluminum block has far greater thermal resistance than 0.1mm thick aluminum film.
In the end, i don't think that Chinese graphite thermal pad can do what it's claimed to be capable of.

With warranty, do note that even if the original owner returns the dead Asus GPU on your behalf, it still isn't covered by Asus warranty. Since that too is written in Asus warranty policy: "ASUS IS NOT LIABLE FOR A CLAIM MADE BY YOU FOR A THIRD PARTY.".