Best card for the money?

[2timer]

I have approximately $220 to spend, and I'm looking for a GPU to play some modern single player games. The two main games I'd like to play are Bioshock Infinite and Dishonored. My screen resolution is 1900x1250. My CPU is an i3-3220.

I'm looking at getting a GTX 650 Ti or GTX 660, but I can also buy used if it's a better value. What do you guys think?

 

[Silverforce11]

If you go to the $250 mark, you can get a nice custom cooled 7950 for around there. Its been the best bang for $ card this generation and still is.

Otherwise, a gtx660 is fine if you cannot spend a bit extra.

 

[3DVagabond]

660 or 7870. THESE are a couple with good coolers at good prices.

 

[frozentundra123456]

660 or 7870. THESE are a couple with good coolers at good prices.

Those look good. With the 7870 you get a fantastic bundle of games, while with the 660 you get I believe Metro Last Light, which is the game I would prefer, but you get a much better bundle with the 7870.

 

[guskline]

I agree that the game bundle is better with the 7870. I have owned both a 7870 and now the GTX 660 (have 2 in SLI in a FX 8320 rig). They perform nearly the same. I prefer the GTX 660 and am amazed at the performance for a single 6 pin video card.

 

[RussianSensation]

If you are already spending $220, I would seriously skip a couple going out lunches and get a GTX760 or HD7950 V2 for $250. Well worth it. I mean GTX650Ti especially shouldn't even be a consideration given your budget.

 

[Silverforce11]

If you are already spending $220, I would seriously skip a couple going out lunches and get a GTX760 or HD7950 V2 for $250. Well worth it. I mean GTX650Ti especially shouldn't even be a consideration given your budget.

Second this, I had forgotten about the 760, but its amazingly well priced. It does the OC for you out of the box as well, for similar price around $250, go with the 760.

 

[yacoub]

If you are already spending $220, I would seriously skip a couple going out lunches and get a GTX760 or HD7950 V2 for $250. Well worth it. I mean GTX650Ti especially shouldn't even be a consideration given your budget.

This.

 

[ocre]

buy next week where you can throw in another 30 bucks. Your so close to that 250 mark, the gtx 760 territory. the 760 blows all those lesser cards away.
If you can find a 7950 on sale for 250 then this would be another option.

 

[tweakboy]

Grab a 660 Ti for 200 or less.

 

[aldamon]

Those look good. With the 7870 you get a fantastic bundle of games, while with the 660 you get I believe Metro Last Light, which is the game I would prefer, but you get a much better bundle with the 7870.

I agree that the game bundle is better with the 7870.

Never Settle seems to have been quietly discontinued. I managed slip in under the wire with my 7950 and got the bundle but this seems to change the value proposition a bit.

 

[Eureka]

I've been seeing GTX 660s in the $170 range every month or so in the deals section, not a bad value at those prices. A 7870 in the same price range would be just as good too.

Very good performance for price values, especially for a non-competitive 1080p gaming rig.

 

[hackerballs]

why buy "old"?

gtx760

 

[Essence_of_War]

If you can stretch your budget by $30 or so (sell the old GPU?) the 760 is great performance for the dollar at your res.

If not, the 660 is a dandy choice too, and you'll probs even have a few bucks left over. There's an Asus dual-fan and an EVGA "blower" for $195 shipped after rebate.

 

[guskline]

RussianSensation makes an excellent point.

 

[2timer]

So the performance of the GTX 760 would be worth an extra $50, you guys think? Will it make a difference if I'm playing Bioshock Infinite and I get 35 FPS avg vs 45 FPS?

 

[tweakboy]

That i3 is going to hinder your gaming experience.

 

[guskline]

2timer: Here is the link from Anandtech's bench section comparing the GTX 660 to the GTX 760. You be the judge.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/783?vs=854

 

[Eureka]

So the performance of the GTX 760 would be worth an extra $50, you guys think? Will it make a difference if I'm playing Bioshock Infinite and I get 35 FPS avg vs 45 FPS?

If you can spare it, yes. What average framerates don't show (and most reviews for that matter), are the minimum framerates, which is the main killer in playability. The 760 is just faster overall and has a higher bus rate (IIRC), so it will be able to keep up frames better than a 660.

The 760 is priced well for it's performance. If you can spare the money, do it.

 

[UNhooked]

If you are already spending $220, I would seriously skip a couple going out lunches and get a GTX760 or HD7950 V2 for $250. Well worth it. I mean GTX650Ti especially shouldn't even be a consideration given your budget.

What he said

 

[sublime420ec]

So the performance of the GTX 760 would be worth an extra $50, you guys think? Will it make a difference if I'm playing Bioshock Infinite and I get 35 FPS avg vs 45 FPS?

my 7950 plays bioshock at 1080p ultra everything maxed....and i avg 134fps...... i only seen it dip to 80fps maybe a few times....bioshock is very well made...i just finished it last night....great game...

 

[thilanliyan]

I'd get a GTX760 or 7950 if you can swing the extra cash.

 

[sublime420ec]

HD7950 is the best choice for the money really....the others are nice too...but meh

 

[CraigRT]

HD7950 is the best choice for the money really....the others are nice too...but meh

Depends on what you play... In Battlefield 3 the 760 eats the 7950 no problem. In other games, its pretty close.

 

[raghu78]

Depends on what you play... In Battlefield 3 the 760 eats the 7950 no problem. In other games, its pretty close.

not true. GTX 760 is slightly ahead of HD 7950 boost at stock. when oerclocked HD 7950(1100 - 1150 mhz) beats a GTX 760 OC (1250 Mhz) easily.

http://www.hardware.fr/articles/900-10/benchmark-battlefield-3.html

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphi...ce-GTX-760-2GB-Review-GK104-250/Battlefield-3

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/graphics/display/nvidia-geforce-gtx-760_7.html#sect0

"The resulting clock rates of the overclocked Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 were 1095/1148/7128 MHz:"

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-760-review-gk104,3542-9.html

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2013/06/25/nvidia-geforce-gtx-760-2gb-review/3

in the best cases in games like crysis 3, farcry 3, metro last light a GTX 760 at 1.3 ghz will match a HD 7950 at 1.1 ghz . but in other games like tombraider, hitman absolution, sleeping dogs, COH 2, dirt showdown, GRID 2 HD 7950 OC(1100 - 1150 mhz) will decimate the GTX 760 OC(1.3 ghz)

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2013/07/02/msi_n760_tf_2gd5oc_gtx_760_overclocking_review/5