Suggest a low end graphics card for an upgrade

[kbparker]

Would you suggest a graphics card for my old system?

I want to add a graphics card to my old desktop and I have a very limited budget. I'm thinking around $100. I haven't played any new games in at least 5 years and haven't played much of anything in the last few years, so I am not looking to play the new titles at 4k at 100 fps. I just would like to have the option to play an older game from time to time if I have any free time.

My specs are

Gigabyte GA-Z77M-D3H motherboard
2x 4gb ddr3 Corsair vengeance lp (I think at 1600MHz)
i7 3770k (not over clocked)
Corsair cx650m PSU

I was thinking gt 1030 or gtx 1050 if I can wait for a decent price, but not sure if they will be bottlenecked by my current hardware anyways. Then after some quick research, it seems maybe a GTX 960 or 970 with some searching might be similar price but better performance. I am open to old cards, since everything else is old anyways.

I am open to AMD too if a RX 560 or something is comparable piece/performance.

Thanks guys!

 

[Barty1884]

The i7-3770K at stock speeds would pair well with pretty much any GPU available today - at the higher end (1080/1080TI) it would probably limit the GPU some, without an overclock.... but it's still a relatively strong CPU for gaming.

At the pricepoint, your options (new) are going to be pretty much a 1030 or RX550. Anything greater is going to be a decent margin north of $100.

The used market would be a solid option, but depends on what you can get for the money.
For example, a GTX1050 is currently ~$140 new, with a 1050TI being ~$180.

So, for the used market to make sense.... you'd need to find a comparable or stronger GPU for less money.
A 660TI or 760 would be in the same general ballpark as a 1050 (albeit a little weaker).... and can be found for $80-$90
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=gtx+760&_sacat=0&LH_Sold=1&LH_Complete=1

GTX960's would give you roughly 1050TI performance, with less VRAM unless you can find a 4GB variant - but those typically command a higher price.
~$100 is achievable..... but be careful, as there are many fakes out there purporting to be 960's.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313.TR12.TRC2.A0.H0.Xgtx+960.TRS0&_nkw=gtx+960&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=gtx+760&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1

Value-wise, I think the 770's can be pretty viable options today.
~$100 is achievable, with a bit of luck... and you'll net performance between 1050TI and 1060 performance.... although closer to 1050TI.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313.TR12.TRC2.A0.H0.Xgtx+770.TRS0&_nkw=gtx+770&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=gtx+680&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1

With a bit of luck, you may even be able to score a 780 or 780TI..... might be a little above the budget, but you're looking at ~3GB 1060 performance for <$150 (again, with some luck).
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313.TR12.TRC2.A0.H0.Xgtx+780+ti.TRS0&_nkw=gtx+780+ti&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=gtx+780&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1

 

[WildCard999]

The 1050 would be fine for that system and while it's older it's still quite good. At higher resolutions (4K) it would easily handle newer titles when paired with a 1080 or 1080 ti especially if the CPU was overclocked. You might be able to find a good used GPU but I'm always hesitant about them as you don't know if they were heavily mined with. Even a GT 1030, while not exactly a gaming GPU does handle some games fairly well at 1080P or less.

 

[SkyBill40]

It depends on what kind of games you're wanting to play and at what resolution so as to get a decent amount of playable frames. As for newer games, having 4GB (or more) of VRAM is best; however, that's not to say that it's a requirement. What Barty has mentioned is full of good points given your price point. If you were closer, I've still got an MSI 660Ti 2GB OC Power Edition I might be willing to part with.

 

[kbparker]

A 780 is still that good? I thought Pascal supposedly had a huge performance jump. If I could swing a 1050 or maybe a TI, any advantage to buying an older card? Shouldn't it be easier for me to make this decision?! I understand that the top tier of a previous architecture is likely to beat out the entry level of its predecessor, but really a 700 series performing as well as midrange 10 series. That's like 3+ years isn't it?

As for my uses, I don't even know that my old monitor supports 1080p...
Unless I got into some new games, I can't see myself playing anything other than some Blizzard games or Path of Exile. Which, I assume, would run decent on even a low end 700 series, since they are so old.

 

[kbparker]

Gigabyte windforce gtx 970, doesn't say how much memory.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gigabyte-Windforce-GTX-970/163043703142?hash=item25f6297966:g:HRsAAOSw1t9a9gKy

Might be a hard question to answer, but with my budget and components in mind, what would you guys buy?

 

[SkyBill40]

Personally, I'm not a fan of used electronics but that's just me. Your opinion or that of others may vary. As for what I'd buy, I'd go with the most recent gen if it's affordable as it's going to be more efficient power wise and also since it's use would be known from day one.

Here's the manufacturer info for that card:

https://www.gigabyte.com/us/Graphics-Card/GV-N970G1-GAMING-4GD-rev-10-11#ov

 

[kbparker]

I would say that I am typically not a fan of used electronics either, but I have tried a few times recently, because I had such a limited budget, and I figured the risk might be worth it on a few killer deals I got. I built this computer for about $150, or less. We will see if it is still a good deal in 6 months...

Either way. I am super hesitant about buying a used gpu. Because of the possible heat damage. So if there is no significant benefit to a gtx 970 over say, maybe a 1030 or 1050. I think I'm leaning that way.

My brother is trying to encourage me to start playing WoW again... It's been over 5 years... Would a 1030 perform well at 1080p? I know it's a really old game, so I would imagine so.

 

[kbparker]

Otherwise, it is for my website management and office work, so I don't need much , but do like having the option to play a quick game on a slow work day. And I need 2 monitors, which I would think the gpu will help for