Upgrading From AMD R7 360 - Budget $150-$250

[Wolfy_]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: About a month or so away
BUDGET RANGE: USD $150-250

USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming( Rocket League, GTA 5, CS:GO, etc...) and Emulation a.k.a Dolphin specifically as my CPU( AMD FX-8320 ) hasn't needed an upgrade.

CURRENT GPU AND POWER SUPPLY:
Current GPU: AMD Radeon R7 360 2GB 16x GDDR5
PSU: EVGA 600 WATT 80 Plus Power Supply

OTHER RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS:
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970-Gaming SLI
CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz( Eight-Core)
Cooling: Coolermaster Storm Devastator
Cooling: ASETEK 550LC 120MM Watercooler

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: No experience with any so any trusted site is fine COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: (e.g.: Grand Fenwick) Eastern U.S.

PARTS PREFERENCES: None as long as they get the job done.

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe, I really don't care, except for the fact it would use more power and could degrade it quicker, but stock would be nice.
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Doesn't matter as I don't plan on using either as it wouldn't make much difference.

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080

 

[ryguybuddy]

RX 470 and RX 480 are great choices for your needs. I suggest RX 480 for its 8 gigabytes which will help future-proof it a little.

 

[AMMAARAZIZ360]

i would say if your budget is $150-$250 and want to do 1080p gaming you should get a RX 470 or a 460 which you can pick up for less than $200, I used to have a r7 360 and then I upgraded to a RX 480 and I can tell you that i'ts a MASSIVE improvement!!

 

[Wolfy_]

RX 470 and RX 480 are great choices for your needs. I suggest RX 480 for its 8 gigabytes which will help future-proof it a little.

Future-proof further if I ever decide to get a VR Headset since it's considered a good entry-level GPU for VR.

Can you recommend any sites for the U.S.?

 

[Chugalug_]

Get a GTX 1060, it will allow you to run VR very well, and is the best card in that price range.
Get this when you decide to upgrade: http://pcpartpicker.com/product/W9cMnQ/msi-geforce-gtx-1060-3gb-gaming-x-3g-video-card-gtx-1060-gaming-x-3g
8GB VRAM on the RX 480 won't futureproof you, as even though it has a lot, the card is unlikely to utilize more than 4GB in gaming use anyway. It will be quite a while into DX12 until we see proper VRAM utilization, and by then the RX 480 will be obsolete.

 

[Wolfy_]

Get a GTX 1060, it will allow you to run VR very well, and is the best card in that price range.
Get this when you decide to upgrade: http://pcpartpicker.com/product/W9cMnQ/msi-geforce-gtx-1060-3gb-gaming-x-3g-video-card-gtx-1060-gaming-x-3g
8GB VRAM on the RX 480 won't futureproof you, as even though it has a lot, the card is unlikely to utilize more than 4GB in gaming use anyway. It will be quite a while into DX12 until we see proper VRAM utilization, and by then the RX 480 will be obsolete.

Does it really have such an advantage with it's 3GB of GDDR5 while the RX 480 has 8GB?
Is it just that better a graphics card than the 480?

 

[Chugalug_]

It is.
Performs 10% faster, and the 3GB of VRAM is enough to run modern titles fine.
The RX 480 won't use more than 4GB max in gaming application (usually 2-3), and the 1060 is the same.
Obviously in the case of the 1060 6GB is optimal, but the goes over your budget, and the 3G is wonderfully positioned atm.