Introduction
I am looking at upgrading my graphics card for my gaming desktop. Since I got my desktop computer with an average-ish graphics card a year ago, I've had the intent to eventually upgrade it, but I was going to wait a year or so and see what I could get. However, now is the time, so here comes the hard part of choosing a card and a budget.
My Questions:
I am trying to budget at around <~$300
I currently have an overclocked EVGA Geforce 650 Ti. I am a big fan of Nvida cards over AMD cards
I was looking at the GeForce 770 (~$280-300), or the GeForce 760 (~$230-250) - which one is the better deal?
Is the 770 worth the extra ~$50+ to shell out for the 770 over the 760?
Or is getting a 760 with 4gb SuperClocked (SC) version a better deal than the 770 itself? I realize the extra ram doesn't do much for it, but might be nice for modded games and other big memory loading games.
Or should I forget the two of those and just shell out ~$350 for the new GeForce gtx 970
Also, is getting a used/secondhand or refurbished card worth the cheaper price for higher end cards? or is it too risky?
Any and all answers to any question is greatly appreciated!
Full System Specs:
Processor: AMD FX-8350 CPU (8x 4.72GHz[overclocked number]/8MB L2 Cache)
Current Graphics Processor: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti - 2GB [currently overclocked]
Memory: 8 GB [4 GB X2] DDR3-1600 Memory Module - Corsair
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 -- AMD 970
Cooling: Liquid CPU Cooling System [AMD] - Standard 120mm Fan
Power Supply: 500 Watt
Monitor: BenQ Gaming Monitor RL2455HM (24-Inch LED) - 1920x1080
Games I play that I want higher settings on:
EDIT 1 - Thanks for the quick responses. I guess I hadn't heavily enough considered an AMD card since I prefer Nvidia, but I'll definitely check out the R9. Is getting a used card too risky, or is it worth getting a cheaper price?
I am looking at upgrading my graphics card for my gaming desktop. Since I got my desktop computer with an average-ish graphics card a year ago, I've had the intent to eventually upgrade it, but I was going to wait a year or so and see what I could get. However, now is the time, so here comes the hard part of choosing a card and a budget.
My Questions:
I am trying to budget at around <~$300
I currently have an overclocked EVGA Geforce 650 Ti. I am a big fan of Nvida cards over AMD cards
I was looking at the GeForce 770 (~$280-300), or the GeForce 760 (~$230-250) - which one is the better deal?
Is the 770 worth the extra ~$50+ to shell out for the 770 over the 760?
Or is getting a 760 with 4gb SuperClocked (SC) version a better deal than the 770 itself? I realize the extra ram doesn't do much for it, but might be nice for modded games and other big memory loading games.
Or should I forget the two of those and just shell out ~$350 for the new GeForce gtx 970
Also, is getting a used/secondhand or refurbished card worth the cheaper price for higher end cards? or is it too risky?
Any and all answers to any question is greatly appreciated!

Full System Specs:
Processor: AMD FX-8350 CPU (8x 4.72GHz[overclocked number]/8MB L2 Cache)
Current Graphics Processor: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti - 2GB [currently overclocked]
Memory: 8 GB [4 GB X2] DDR3-1600 Memory Module - Corsair
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3 -- AMD 970
Cooling: Liquid CPU Cooling System [AMD] - Standard 120mm Fan
Power Supply: 500 Watt
Monitor: BenQ Gaming Monitor RL2455HM (24-Inch LED) - 1920x1080
Games I play that I want higher settings on:
Dragon Age Inquisition
Bioshock Infinite
Battlefield 4
Far Cry 3
Guild Wars 2
Total War Rome 2
Titanfall
Assassins Creed Black Flag
Skyrim (w/mods)
Dota 2 (not a big issue as far as graphics goes)
Counter Strike: Global Offensive (not a big issue as far as graphics goes)
Evolve (not yet released, but was graphically demanding during Alpha)
EDIT 1 - Thanks for the quick responses. I guess I hadn't heavily enough considered an AMD card since I prefer Nvidia, but I'll definitely check out the R9. Is getting a used card too risky, or is it worth getting a cheaper price?