Help GTX750 Ti comparison to GTX260 Core 216

[Headfoot]

Perhaps condsider a used 7950-7970/280-280X. If you are willing to buy used, you may find one of these great cards in your price range.

100% agreed.

Used 7950 is going to be miles better than a 750 ti and you can find it for $100.

 

[jacktesterson]

People on here often fail to remember that most Gamers don't need max settings or 60 FPS.... Medium settings on modern games is basically PS4 level.

It's a small percentage that do and most are found on PC forums

 

[Headfoot]

I dont know why you'd buy something thats slower for the same money because its "basically PS4 level." If I wanted PS4 level I'd buy a PS4.

 

[RussianSensation]

People on here often fail to remember that most Gamers don't need max settings or 60 FPS.... Medium settings on modern games is basically PS4 level.

It's a small percentage that do and most are found on PC forums

Yes, but the context matters too. So what is the point of spending $100 on PS4 level graphics when for $150 you get much better performance, a safer choice in DX12, 50% more VRAM, lifetime warranty?

Even a budget PC with a decent i5 and a GTX760 will provide a much better performance than a PS4.

Alternatively, if someone wants to save $, used 7970/7970Ghz or even a 7950 V2/GTX670 are again way better than the 750Ti. 750Ti's only legitimate calling card was its power usage, not its price/performance nor its gaming performance. If someone has a decent PSU and a CPU, the 750Ti isn't that great. If we look at the total cost of ownership, assuming $0 resale value, if someone keeps a GPU for 3 years:

750Ti $100 = $33 US per year
R9 280 $150 = $50 US per year

Look at the performance difference in the latest games between a 750Ti and what would be a used $120 7970/7970Ghz = 280X. It's night and day:

And honestly, serious question, if someone can only afford a an $80-100 PC gaming graphics card, how is this gamer buying games? Are they pirating games or buying 1-2 games a year?

 

[Fardringle]

All of the discussion about better cards in the price range is ignoring this important point from the OP:

I'm trying to run my system with less power and noise.

Sure, there are better cards available at a similar price to the 750ti, but none remotely close to it in power usage.

 

[Kenmitch]

All of the discussion about better cards in the price range is ignoring this important point from the OP:

Sure, there are better cards available at a similar price to the 750ti, but none remotely close to it in power usage.

Pretty much the only thing it has going for it. You get what you pay for....Not only in money but watts!

I'll gladly trade watts for performance in the same price range.

There are better ways to save watts in the real world than sacrificing gpu performance.

 

[Headfoot]

Noise can be helped by picking one with a quality aftermarket cooler.

 

[sm625]

A 750ti would absolutely crush a GTX260. It should be more than twice as fast. A GTX260 is basically a HD4870, if that helps any.

 

[Mondozei]

Buying a 2 GB VRAM card for 1080p is a sketchy move if you plan to keep your GPU 2-3 years. We've seen a steady build-up in VRAM useage the last few years and there's no sign that this is abating any time just yet.

This isn't an attack on the 750 Ti specifically, I wouldn't consider any AMD GPU with a similar amount of VRAM(like the R7 260X) for the same exact reason.

For this reason, AMD currently enjoys a significant advantage in the budget segment in my view. It's not hard to find a 3 GB GPU from AMD in the ~150 to 200 dollar bracket. It's why Nvidia is reportedly phasing out their 2 GB VRAM versions of the GTX 960 in favor of the 4 GB model.

OP, your point about noise is well-taken. Just like I have to concede to AMD on VRAM, I have to concede to NV on noise. Their Maxwell cards are just a lot more quiet/efficient than AMD cards, who in turn are not loud per se but there is a difference.

Honestly, I would wait a little and see if the prices on the 4 GB 960 start to come down to where the 2 GB is today when/if there is a phaseout of the 2 GB model. And if it does, that's probably your card. It's over budget but it is much more futureproof than a 2 GB 750 Ti and it's more quiet than a 280X.

As for those trashing the idea of saving watt usage... understand that this isn't about power consumption per se in terms of cost. It's about heat and noise. The more watt a GPU consumes, the harder the fan has to cool it and the warmer the case/room becomes.

If you won't be able to find a 4 GB 960 for the same prices as today's 2 GB(around 160 dollars after rebate) by late november, then I'd recommend going AMD and probably a used 7950 would be a good starting option and possibly going up to 7970/280X if your budget allows for it.

 

[Headfoot]

OP, your point about noise is well-taken. Just like I have to concede to AMD on VRAM, I have to concede to NV on noise. Their Maxwell cards are just a lot more quiet/efficient than AMD cards, who in turn are not loud per se but there is a difference.

Except no not really... Noise is almost 100% due to what kind of cooler the OEM decides to put on it. Tri-X 290x's were quieter than even low end GPUs that used 200 less watts. The Fury X has super low load noise levels because they put an AIO on it. Don't conflate power use with noise. They are distinct while being related. You should recall that the 5800 Ultra had a horrible dust buster of a fan, very loud, while using significantly less power than any recent video card. For example, the 6800 Ultra used 80 watts. 5800 Ultra was likely in the same ballpark, 50-80 watts. http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/geforce-radeon-power,review-31495-6.html. If watts used = noise, then how was the 5800 Ultra so loud?

The Sapphire Fury is the single quietest actively cooled video card ever released. Using hundreds more watts than a 5800 Ultra.

Look at the bottom 5 quietest entries. I cant see how you can say with a straight face "Maxwell is quieter." Maxwell is not quieter. Quieter coolers are quieter.

Obviously no one here is recommending a reference 290/x...

Bottom line: dont buy crappy coolers and you wont have a loud card