Need an entry / budget card? Under $150 preferable.

[alexruiz]

Borrow the difference, get the Radeon R9 380 4GB.
It is faster than the GTX960 by a decent chunk.
If you really want to stay below the budget, get an R9 270 2GB.
Anything in the middle of them is wasted.

 

[RussianSensation]

It's a "professional series" PSU from 10 years ago.

That 40A is on all 12V rails combined, not 40A one 12V rail (which would indeed be plenty).

What's your point? The age of this PSU doesn't diminish its quality of ability to handle a GTX980Ti/Fury X.

You typed all that ignoring the key data with reviews already showing it's a beastly PSU, and my personal point that I own this PSU and tested it with high-end GPUs such as GTX470/6950/7970. I personally ran Core i7 860 @ 3.9Ghz + GTX470 @ 760mhz overclocked on this PSU, then HD6950 unlocked and then HD7970 OC. Do you know how much power a Core i7 860 @ 3.9Ghz + GTX470 @ 760mhz / HD7970 @ 1175mhz draw together?

A LOT more than a Core i5 2500K OC + R9 380.

-- This PSU is Professional series made by SeaSonic. Have you ever owned a SeaSonic PSU? When you buy a SeaSonic PSU, that means it can handle at least the amount of load it's rated at. As I said, this PSU is rated at 480W on 12V rail:

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/corsair_hx520w/4.htm

A stock frequencies GTX 970 (TDP 145W) draws less power from one rail than a R9 380 (TDP 190W). So just because GTX 970 is better than R9 380, it does not mean that it also draws more power.

This has nothing to do with my post and this PSU's ability to handle 400-480W on 12V rail. What is the point of discussing 970 vs. 380? Have you ran a Core i7 860 @ 3.9ghz + GTX470 @ 760mhz on the Corsair HX-520? No, then why are you trying to argue against me and all the reviews that I already linked that prove that this PSU can easily handle 250W+ GPUs?

There are just a few games were 4GB instead of 2GB on GTX 960 makes any difference. In a lot more games, it does not matter.

Wolfenstein NWO
TitanFall
Assassin's Creed Unity / Syndicate
Some stuttering in Watch Dogs and Far Cry 4
Dead Rising 3
Shadow of Mordor

I am sure there are others I am missing off the top of my head. You are also not taking into account future games over 2-3 years the OP will keep his card. From that perspective, it makes no sense to save $10-20 and go with a 960 2GB when R9 380 4GB is faster and has double the VRAM and has OpenCL photoshop acceleration for photo editing.

If money is a concern, then why overspend on a $130 950 when R9 270 is $90?

And you say that GTX 950 has worst price/performance?

Yes, it's overpriced against the $90 R9 270 or the $160 R9 380 4GB.

R9 380 4GB costs $160 and is 35% faster than GTX950 2GB at 1080P
http://tpucdn.com/reviews/ASUS/R9_380X_Strix/images/perfrel_1920_1080.png

You also didn't take any points off for 2GB penalty.

$130 950 makes no sense because it's barely as fast as a $90 R9 270 but costs 44% more.
http://www.computerbase.de/thema/grafikkarte/rangliste/

R9 270 > R9 370

Yeah, if the 480W max on 12V is true, then that means a total of 40 amps on 12V, right?

Please read the reviews I linked on your PSU. It can handle 400W on 12V rail with 3.3+5V rails loaded concurrently too. This means there is no single 250W GPU that it won't work with as long as you have 2x(6+2-pin connectors). You don't need to worry about replacing this PSU in the context of all the GPUs you are looking at. If you wanted to, you can hypothetically add an R9 290X/Fury X and it'll still work.

Also, fwiw, I mentioned my 2500k is OC'd. And it is. But if it matters, I used offset mode and I ended up with a negative offset. During testing, the max vcore I saw while 1.304 but for most tests (using ASUS RoG Realbench) vcore was in the 1.256-1.264 range. So it is OC'd, but no crazy high vcores. So I would presume that that is good as far as how it affects power draw.

That's not that much power. I've used your PSU for years on a CPU+GPU combo far more power hungry.

I had a Core i7 860 @ 3.9ghz.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/power-consumption-overclocking_10.html

And then I paired it with a GTX470 max overclocked and overvolted @ 1.087V

Keep in mind I ran distributed computing programs on that system that stressed my CPU+GPU to 99% simultaneously. This would be akin to you getting a Core i7 5820K @ 4.4Ghz + a GTX980Ti on this PSU today.

Borrow the difference, get the Radeon R9 380 4GB.
It is faster than the GTX960 by a decent chunk.
If you really want to stay below the budget, get an R9 270 2GB.
Anything in the middle of them is wasted.

This.

As long as there are sales on R9 380 4GB for $160, it's a better gaming card than 950/960 2GB/960 4GB. If the OP just needs a basic card, a $90 R9 270 could be more than he needs. On a budget, there is nothing faster than the $90 PowerColor R9 270 -> an underclocked R9 270X.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7503/the-amd-radeon-r9-270x-270-review-feat-asus-his

R9 270 was already 31% faster than GTX750Ti back in January 2015.

R9 270 is very close 950 for just $90. $130 950 is much closer to the R9 270 than it is to the R9 380/960.

 

[Seba]

What is the point of discussing 970 vs. 380?

You were the one that brought up the GTX 970 SLI (presumably as an example of an increased load compared to R9 380).

Wolfenstein NWO
TitanFall
Assassin's Creed Unity
Some stuttering in Watch Dogs and Far Cry 4
Dead Rising 3
Shadow of Mordor

A few games, like I said.

And more than that, even in some of those games the difference between GTX 960 2GB vs GTX 960 4GB is at settings close to unplayable anyway.

Or in case of Shadow of Mordor, you have to use HD textures pack, that do not even really increase the image quality, according to some sources.

 

[RussianSensation]

Edit - The PowerColor 380 will use about 80W more than the 960 during gaming, if that is a concern for you.

This depends on the game though.

 

[Seba]

As I said, this PSU is rated at 480W on 12V rail:

http://www.overclockersclub.com/revi...r_hx520w/4.htm

The 12V0(1) was measured and loaded using the eight conductor EPX12V connector (four for the 12V and four for the 0V), the 12V0(3) using a three conductor PCI-E (three for the 12V and three for the 0V) and the 12V0(2) using a four conductor Molex cable (one for the 12V, one for the 5V and two for the 0v).

Even then, I did not said that the combined load on 12V was the problem. But that the load on a single 12V rail could be a problem. But it seems that the manufacturer falsely labeled the PSU and in fact it is a single 12V rail.

This depends on the game though.

So what do you suggest, that he should avoid playing certain games?

 

[RussianSensation]

You were the one that brought up the GTX 970 SLI (presumably as an example of an increased load compared to R9 380).

Ya, the point being that OP's PSU is a non-issue. A point you debated for a while until I posted up evidence to the contrary.

A few games, like I said.

Yes, and future games in 2-3 years from now? Let's ignore all of those. I am guessing you are a new PC gamer and weren't around 8800GT 256MB vs. 512MB, HD4870 512MB vs. 1GB or 8800GTS 320MB vs. 640MB. If you were gaming during those eras, no way you'd be defending 2GB vs. 4GB right now, especially when the 4GB card is faster and offers better price/performance.

And more than that, even in some of those games the difference between GTX 960 2GB vs GTX 960 4GB is at settings close to unplayable anyway.

Way to ignore R9 380 4GB from the beginning. If I didn't come into this thread, it's be stuck on 950/960 2GB and how those are great cards.

Or in case of Shadow of Mordor, you have to use HD textures pack, that do not even really increase the image quality,

Again, way to ignore the obvious -- price/performance, and extra performance:

$90 R9 270 > $130 950 2GB
$160 R9 380 4GB > $150 960 2/4GB

You keep insisting how 4GB vs. 2GB doesn't matter and it's already been proven since January 2015 that it does matter. If someone is paying $150 for a new GPU, it makes no sense to not pay $10 more for more performance and double the VRAM. If budget gaming is key, then why pay $130 for a 950 2GB over $90 R9 270.

Thus far you provided no solid rebuttal to any of these points.

Even then, I did not said that the combined load on 12V was the problem. But that the load on a single 12V rail could be a problem. But it seems that the manufacturer falsely labeled the PSU and in fact it is a single 12V rail.

Ok so you never owned this PSU, never read any reviews on it, and then you posted this as post #12:

R9 380 4GB at $180 ($160 after $20 MIR) would be better, but your power supply has maximum 18A on each 12V rail so that means maximum 216W per each 12V rail. Too close for comfort with a ~180W card.

Just admit you made a wrong assumption and made grossly inaccurate statements on this PSU by doing 0 research on this unit.

Look at your recommendations in this thread:
-> Wrong assumptions on the PSU and its ability to handle max load on 12V rail. Ignoring hard evidence of this PSU being proven to handle GTX470, 6950, HD7970, all MAX OCed, each of these cards uses > 200W on 12V rail alone, that's not even discussing an overclocked Lynnfield i7 powered by the same PSU. Still trying to discuss 3x12V rails vs. reality of how this PSU operates:

Here:

q6600@3.5, Hyper X 4GB (2x2GB) PC2-8500 1066MHz, 4870X2, Asus Maximus formula x38, 64gb M4, 2X1tb WD Green, Corsair HX520, Filco Ninja (Cherry Browns) kb, Razer Mamba 2012 4G, dell 30".
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=23539033&postcount=32

vs.

-> Wrong on 2GB vs. 4GB VRAM for $150-160 level GPUs, defending 950/960 2GB for some reason...but yet...
-> ....Ignoring price/performance entirely with the cheaper R9 270 vs. 950. So in one case, you don't want the OP to spend extra $10-20 for 35% more performance over the 950 and get double the VRAM and yet you ignore how R9 270 demolishes the 950 in price/performance. Is that a logical recommendation?
-> Ignoring future games that will benefit from > 2GB of VRAM.
-> Ignoring DX12 for R9 380 vs. 950/960.
-> Ignoring OpenCL benefits of GCN in Adobe Photoshop

 

[Seba]

Yes, and future games in 2-3 years from now? Let's ignore all of those.

Then he would upgrade, if it will be necessary.

Way to ignore R9 380 4GB from the beginning. If I didn't come into this thread, it's be stuck on 950/960 2GB and how those are great cards.

Not really. Techhog suggested R9 380 in post #2.

Again, way to ignore the obvious -- price/performance, and extra performance:

Again, you change the topic.

 

[xorbe]

The age of this PSU doesn't diminish its quality of ability

[H] had some data on the degradation of a quality PSU. It was about a 20% capacity loss over some years, iirc. If the PSU was rightly used for 10 years, that could be a well worn PSU.

Or maybe we're talking about a new PSU but 10 year old design ... then never mind, heh.

 

[Zodiark1593]

One could argue the 960 lacks horsepower to make 2 GB vs 4 GB matter, though really, below the GTX 970, Nvidia has nothing at all compelling unless you really need something like CUDA. I'd have gone AMD myself if I didn't need CUDA.

 

[texasnightowl]

[H] had some data on the degradation of a quality PSU. It was about a 20% capacity loss over some years, iirc. If the PSU was rightly used for 10 years, that could be a well worn PSU.

OP here. As far as I can recall it is about 7 to almost 8 yrs old. I used it on a previous build with a core 2 duo (6750) and then re-used it for my i5 build. That said, for the last 4 years I have not had a dedicated gpu...only the integrated. And I didn't actually even bother overclocking my cpu until a few months ago. So the PSU is not new...but it has hardly been overly stressed either. As to diminished capacity over time? Well, that would be interesting.

 

[iiiankiii]

Yo. Stay the heck away from 2GB cards. pay the extra $30 for 4GB vs 2GB. Those console ports will thank you. Those console ports require lots of VRAM even at 1080p. If you really want a great deal and don't mind buying used, a 280x is the way to go. They're dirt cheap and is WAY better than the 950/960/380.

As for the PSU, don't let anybody tell you it can't run those cards. You have a freaking HX520. That thing is a beast. They're high quality PSUs made to run at those load continuously. It'll be good enough to run the highest tier GPUs without a problem. People these days tend to over estimate power usage without having a clue what's going on. I suggest grabbing a kill-a-watt and check for yourself. You'll be surprise how low the wattage usage will be.

 

[RussianSensation]

Then he would upgrade, if it will be necessary.

What a terrible advice. So you'd recommend someone save $20-30 and lose 20-30% of performance and get half the VRAM?

Let me guess, do you own a GTX960 and soon in 12-18 months go out and buy a card 70-80% faster when R9 290 for $250-260 offered 70%+ of the performance of a GTX960 for the last 11 months.

Let's recap your post:

Hard to say at that price difference. At $130 I would say that GTX 950 2GB is the better deal. But when GTX 950 2GB is $140 and GTX 950 2GB is $160, there is no clear choice if the criterion is price/performance.

You pretty much recommended the worst cards for the $ right there. R9 380 2GB, R9 280X, R9 380 4GB and R9 380X offer superior performance and price/performance.

$100 R7 265 <--- 5% slower than R7 370 vs. $110 GTX750Ti 2GB
$110 R9 370 vs. $130 GTX950 2GB
$150 R9 380 2GB vs. $165 GTX960 2GB
$170 R9 280X or $190 R9 380 4GB or $200 R9 380X vs. $195 GTX960 4GB

In every single price category from $100 to $200 U.S., at current Newegg prices, there is an AMD card that offers superior price/performance to any NV card.

If the OP can get better deals such as stacking coupons with VISA Checkout Freedom 10% off on Amazon or some Jet.com deals, then things can change but he'd have to give us that info.

Again, you change the topic.

I am not the one who led the OP in a completely wrong direction with PSU recommendations and ignoring the major issues that 2GB cards have in modern AAA games. On this very forum we just had a couple guys who were able to buy $60-65 GTX670/760 2GB cards. In that case, the OP is better off going for such a used card instead of buying a GTX950/960 2GB and paying more than double for more or less similar performance.

This is why used after-market cards such as HD7970/HD7970Ghz are such a great deal too if the OP's budget can't stretch him to a $180 R9 280X card or a $200 R9 380X.

Yo. Stay the heck away from 2GB cards. pay the extra $30 for 4GB vs 2GB. Those console ports will thank you. Those console ports require lots of VRAM even at 1080p. If you really want a great deal and don't mind buying used, a 280x is the way to go. They're dirt cheap and is WAY better than the 950/960/380.

As for the PSU, don't let anybody tell you it can't run those cards. You have a freaking HX520. That thing is a beast. They're high quality PSUs made to run at those load continuously. It'll be good enough to run the highest tier GPUs without a problem. People these days tend to over estimate power usage without having a clue what's going on. I suggest grabbing a kill-a-watt and check for yourself. You'll be surprise how low the wattage usage will be.

This post sums it up nicely and now we even have more evidence performed by a pro site that shows 2GB cards tanking in frame times and suffer from stuttering:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2457597

If the OP intends to play modern AAA games and wants to keep this card for 2-3 years, I suggest looking at R9 380 4GB, R9 280X 3GB, R9 380X or GTX960 4GB, but the last one only if it's cheaper than the R9 380 4GB.

Usage...light photo editing. Some screen recording (OBS) and light video editing. Light gaming.

If you are really into light gaming or non-GPU demanding titles like Dota 2, League of Legends, CS: GO, Team Fortress 2, Rocket League, all you need is a $110 R7 370 2GB or if you prefer NV then the $130 950 2GB. At $150 or above, it's R9 380/280X/380X.

 

[Seba]

What a terrible advice. So you'd recommend someone save $20-30 and lose 20-30% of performance and get half the VRAM?

R9 380 would also be outdated for games released 2-3 years for now, so he would have to upgrade anyway if he would want to play them at high settings.

Let me guess, do you own a GTX960

Not yet. I just ordered a GTX 960 4GB that it is on sale here (so the price is close to 2GB versions of GTX 960). Card is on the way right now.

In that case, the OP is better off going for such a used card

I did not see any mention that used cards are an option.

You pretty much recommended the worst cards for the $ right there. R9 380 2GB, R9 280X, R9 380 4GB and R9 380X offer superior performance and price/performance.

Again, you ignore what the question was:

If the choice comes down to a 2gb 950 for $140 and a 2gb 960 for $160, is it worth the extra $20 for the 960?

My answer was to that question, which I quoted.

If you are really into light gaming or non-GPU demanding titles like Dota 2, League of Legends, CS: GO, Team Fortress 2, Rocket League, all you need is a $110 R7 370 2GB or if you prefer NV then the $130 950 2GB. At $150 or above, it's R9 380/280X/380X.

Ha, ha.

So after all those lengthy posts, you end up recommending the same GTX 950 2GB for $130.

At that price and for his usage, it is a valid choice. It should not be excluded just because there are better cards (but also more expensive).

 

[texasnightowl]

Interesting timing for another reply as I am still price watching

If the OP can get better deals such as [...] or some Jet.com deals, then things can change but he'd have to give us that info.

Which I will do at the bottom of this response. So keep going.

On this very forum we just had a couple guys who were able to buy $60-65 GTX670/760 2GB cards. In that case, the OP is better off going for such a used card instead of buying a GTX950/960 2GB and paying more than double for more or less similar performance.

I think I saw at least one of those threads...poster was upgrading his sons' pc's for Star Wars, yes? Very nice price given to him by a forum member. I have been watching ebay mostly and find used prices to be a bit high in my opinion...especially with shipping anywhere from $10 to $20 on top. One listing I was watchng for a 760 ended at $93 but also had $16 shipping. Oh, I'm sure if I keep watching I will see better deals but I've been watching for a couple days now.

Of course, the best time might be the week after Christmas if I can stand to wait. :\

This is why used after-market cards such as HD7970/HD7970Ghz are such a great deal too if the OP's budget can't stretch him to a $180 R9 280X card or a $200 R9 380X.

Budget needs to stay under $160. Period. End of story. Under $160. Especially since I do want to upgrade to an actual 1920x1080 monitor too.

If the OP intends to play modern AAA games and wants to keep this card for 2-3 years, I suggest looking at R9 380 4GB, R9 280X 3GB, R9 380X or GTX960 4GB, but the last one only if it's cheaper than the R9 380 4GB.

As I mentioned in my OP, light gaming. I honestly don't even really know what "AAA" means except I know it refers to the major releases like Fallout 4, etc. And I plan to keep utilizing my PS3 (soon to be PS4 - 6 days to go!) for titles like Assassin's Creed and The Witcher 3. I might start trying a few titles on PC just to give it a go since I have mostly been a console gamer. I still have a PS3 backlog to finish up though too. Then along with PS4 games already out, Uncharted 4 and Mirror's Edge prequel are coming.

As for the PC, keep in mind...I am coming off of the integrated graphics on the 2500k. HD3000. Everything will be an upgrade! A good one! You can also point to that as a reason I haven't done any PC gaming in last couple years. I was never a heavy PC gamer, but I did do a bit more a few years ago than I have done lately.

I do want to keep the card 2-3 years though.

If you are really into light gaming [...] all you need is a $110 R7 370 2GB or if you prefer NV then the $130 950 2GB. At $150 or above, it's R9 380/280X/380X.

So...I am continuing to watch ebay, etc. However, since I have never ordered from jet.com, there is a code for 20% off. Also, I do have an Amex card which has a $20 off $50 statement credit for jet.com purchases. Some of the base prices are ridiculously high in my opinion. But stacking the % off with the statement credit yields some tempting deals.

So, at the moment (and of course, jet.com prices can change in an instant) after the 20% off and after the statement credit, the prices are:

R7 370 2gb : MSI R7 370 GAMING 2G : about $96
gtx 950 : Gigabyte GV-N950WF2OC-2GD : about $104
OR : MSI GTX 950 GAMING 2G : about $116
R7 370 4gb : Asus STRIX-R7370-DC2OC-4GD5-GA : about $120

R9 380 2gb : Gigabyte GV-R938WF2OC-2GD : about $124
gtx 960 2gb : Gigabyte GV-N960WF2OC-2GD : about $136

R9 380 4gb : Gigabyte GV-R938G1 GAMING-4GD : about $153
gtx 960 4gb : Gigabyte N960WF2OC-4GD : about $156


So...you see Gigabyte up there most often...how is their quality on both sides?

Obviously the catch with jet.com is whether you actually get the model listed/what you are supposed to get. At these prices...seems worth a try.

The R9 380 4gb and gtx 960 4gb DO fall under my $160 budget limit...even if only barely! That said, I'm tempted by that $124 R9 380 2gb. Well, I'm tempted by the $96 and $104 cards too, but as mentioned I do want to keep the cards for 2-3 years and do see it is better to spend a little bit more now. And since they are under budget, I might go for one of the 4gb cards... Having not been on either side of AMD/Nvidia the last few years, I really don't have a preference except part of me really likes that the Nvidias have a rep for using less power. I know it is not 100% the case though. I do NOT want to restart the discussion on my PSU. I'm (mostly) convinced it will handle any of these models just fine (even if it is 8 yrs old). I'm sure I'll be PSU shopping next fall.


So...primary question...Gigabyte quality?

2nd...I'm assuming that for a $4 difference you take the R9 380 2gb over the R7 370 4gb? Or is the extra vram more important?

3rd...If I go for one of the 4gb cards...the R9 380 is technically the better performer but at that price, the gtx 960 is a good buy except in comparison to the R9 380 price?

 

[boozzer]

what about used? 280x used can be had for about 125$ usd the best option as of now.

 

[texasnightowl]

what about used? 280x used can be had for about 125$ usd the best option as of now.

My only concern on that one is that (if I am remembering correctly) the power draw is the highest of any of the other cards I'm considering. I guess I wouldn't rule it out completely though.

 

[Seba]

2nd...I'm assuming that for a $4 difference you take the R9 380 2gb over the R7 370 4gb? Or is the extra vram more important?

Between those two, I would take R9 380 2GB. 4GB of VRAM is great if the GPU is powerfull enough. R7 370 isn't; so if you go with R7 370 you might as well buy the much cheaper 2GB version of R7 370.

Regarding the "future-proofing" of your graphics card acquisition: keep in mind that even in some existing games you could use such settings that would give a challenge for a $650 GTX 980 Ti 6GB. After 2-3 years, my opinion is that it would not matter which of the under $160 card you chose today. All will be under-powered (because all are already under-powered).

R7 370 2gb : MSI R7 370 GAMING 2G : about $96
gtx 950 : Gigabyte GV-N950WF2OC-2GD : about $104
OR : MSI GTX 950 GAMING 2G : about $116
R7 370 4gb : Asus STRIX-R7370-DC2OC-4GD5-GA : about $120

R9 380 2gb : Gigabyte GV-R938WF2OC-2GD : about $124
gtx 960 2gb : Gigabyte GV-N960WF2OC-2GD : about $136

R9 380 4gb : Gigabyte GV-R938G1 GAMING-4GD : about $153
gtx 960 4gb : Gigabyte N960WF2OC-4GD : about $156

From this new list, I would pick one of the following two cards:

- "gtx 950 : Gigabyte GV-N950WF2OC-2GD : about $104" - because it is good enough for the games that you play; it is cheap (way under your maximum budget); it will remain relevant as a HTPC card (it is the best HTPC card right now - it has the same features as GTX 960, but it is cheaper and has even lower power requirements).

OR

- "R9 380 4gb : Gigabyte GV-R938G1 GAMING-4GD : about $153" - because it is the card with the highest performance from your list (and even cheaper than GTX 960 4GB).

 

[Mondozei]

Get a 4 GB VRAM GPU. With frequent rebates on Newegg and the like you should find either the NV or the AMD equivalent. I don't think your PSU will be stressed at all.

As for NV/AMD, it depends on the GPU configuration. Generally speaking, AMD has much better offerings at the low end of the spectrum while NV's high-end is typically better. But since your budget is $160 and not $660, AMD is probably where you'd get most bang for the buck. Since you aim for 2-3 years minimum, having low VRAM is a total non-starter.

 

[TemjinGold]

OP: From that list and your usage patterns, I would probably get the $96 card. To get a 4gb card from that list, you are paying roughly 30% more for the cheapest one and it sounds like from your usage, you would never get the benefit of the extra ram. Now, if your usage plans to change and include demanding games, that's a different story. But why waste extra money if you plan for such light usage?

 

[happy medium]

gtx950 and overclock it easily to 960 speeds, that gets my vote.

 

[fourdegrees11]

A R7 265 (equal to R7 370) for $100 without any stupid rebates is decent right now

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

 

[boozzer]

My only concern on that one is that (if I am remembering correctly) the power draw is the highest of any of the other cards I'm considering. I guess I wouldn't rule it out completely though.

don't worry because your 520 can handle it. :thumbsup:

 

[RussianSensation]

gtx950 and overclock it easily to 960 speeds, that gets my vote.

Right out of the gate has inferior price/performance to a 380 2GB and you can also overclock both the 380 and 960 so this point you keep bringing up over and over isn't relevant.

don't worry because your 520 can handle it. :thumbsup:

Yup, I cannot believe the OP got mislead about his PSU and that there was even a debate on this topic. It's also telling that individual who brought up his PSU being an issue is the same person who'd recommend 960 over a 380. Seeing a trend yet?

As I mentioned in my OP, light gaming.
I do want to keep the card 2-3 years though.

gtx 950 : Gigabyte GV-N950WF2OC-2GD : about $104

R9 380 2gb : Gigabyte GV-R938WF2OC-2GD : about $124

R9 380 is 35% faster than 950 but costs 19% more. 380 wins.

gtx 960 2gb : Gigabyte GV-N960WF2OC-2GD : about $136

R9 380 2GB would cost you $124 and it beats 960 that costs more. 380 wins if you are trying to maximize performance/$.

R9 380 4gb : Gigabyte GV-R938G1 GAMING-4GD : about $153
gtx 960 4gb : Gigabyte N960WF2OC-4GD : about $156

R9 380 4GB beats 960 4GB on average.

So...you see Gigabyte up there most often...how is their quality on both sides?

For the cards you listed, there shouldn't be much difference and all of them have warranty since they are new.

That said, I'm tempted by that $124 R9 380 2gb. And since they are under budget, I might go for one of the 4gb cards...

R9 380 2GB for $124
R9 380 4GB for $156 are the best options for price/performance and overall performance. The only question is if you want to spend $32 extra on the 4GB card.

If you are going to be doing light gaming, R9 380 2GB strikes the best balance of price/performance. Another argument that can be made against a $154 R9 380 4GB/960 4GB is that you can buy a $104 950 2GB (gtx 950 : Gigabyte GV-N950WF2OC-2GD : about $104), then resell it in 24 months, take $50 you save right now on not buying a $150+ card and buy something new with the $50 saved + resale value from the GTX950 2GB. That's another valid strategy.

2nd...I'm assuming that for a $4 difference you take the R9 380 2gb over the R7 370 4gb? Or is the extra vram more important?

R9 380 2GB > R7 370 4GB

3rd...If I go for one of the 4gb cards...the R9 380 is technically the better performer but at that price, the gtx 960 is a good buy except in comparison to the R9 380 price?

960 2GB loses to the 380 2GB and GTX960 4GB loses to an R9 380 4GB. The main reason to consider 960 is lower power consumption, HDMI 2.0 for HTPC and NV ShadowPlay to stream videos to YouTube and if there are specific games that favour NV such as WoW, ProjectCARS, etc.

2Gb GTX 960@1358(Boost 1495mhz) GPU/7200 memory
vs.
4 Gb R9 380 @1115/6520
i7-6700K (4.0)

380 wins in TW3, Tomb Raider, GTA V, Hitman Absolution, Dying Light, Far Cry 4, World of Tanks.
960 wins in Total War II, Arma III
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66yhd36PdYg

In some of the games where 380 leads, the lead is far more substantial than when 960 leads. R9 380 will also win in StarWars Battlefront:

Additionally, 380 also leads in Fable Legends, a DX12 game: Fable Legends

MSI R9 380 vs Gigabyte GTX 960 - Which GPU Should You Get?
380 wins in Grid Autosport, Battlefield 4, Far Cry 4, The Witcher 3

You gotta keep in mind that some people in this thread will almost always if not always pick an NV card, even if it's slower but since you don't follow this forum too much, you don't know these things. It's been long proven that 380 beats both 950 and 960 and to this date the same people who recommended 750Ti over much faster 270/270X are recommending you 950/960 over the faster 380. Just tune out all the BS and look at the actual benchmarks and professional reviews. Once you look at all the data, you will see that if you pick a random game, most of the time 380 will beat 950/960, thus making it a faster videocard.

 

[Zodiark1593]

960 loses to the 380. The main reason to consider 960 is lower power consumption, HDMI 2.0 for HTPC and NV ShadowPlay to stream videos to YouTube and if there are specific games that favour NV such as WoW, ProjectCARS, etc.

Huh? I'd thought hell would freeze over before you would say the 960 is good for anything. The GM206 really needs a single-slot or low-profile variant though for a small HTPC build. A Nano-size GTX 960 would also be killer for the budget-minded crowd that still wants some gaming ability. I find it a waste to see them on full-length PCBs whereas a budget Nano competitor would do wonders to differentiate this card.

R9-380 gets my vote. For older games, a 2 GB variant should be plenty, though newer, demanding games are known for stuttering on 2 GB cards with ultra texture settings if you ever decide to move to those.

 

[RussianSensation]

Huh? I'd thought hell would freeze over before you would say the 960 is good for anything.

If it were me, I would skip all of these cards entirely and either buy a used after-market 7970 3GB for budget gaming or go all the way up to a used after-market 290/970 (EVGA b-stock). It's especially hard for me to recommend any of these cards because I know we had $199.99 PowerColor PCS+ R9 290 and $199.99 Sapphire Tri-X R9 290 on sale around Black Friday 2014 and then we had $170-210 R9 290s this year. Then of course there is a $180 R9 280X 3GB that beats all of these R9 380/950/960 cards. Since the OP set a strict budget of $160, it is what it is.