Refurbished video cards

john925

Member
Jun 30, 2015
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So i've been poking around the CPU and Overclocking forum trying to find a decent cheap processor to run modern day games. I've been looking at some old desktop PC's to buy and hopefully be able to upgrade to fairly satisfactory standards. I've seen a few YouTube videos of people with Intel G3258's and i3 4130's running smooth as hell. So since i've pretty much narrowed that down, I'm looking for a compatible graphics card without breaking the bank. I've been recommended the GTX 750 ti multiple times. I've seen some gameplay videos and it looks pretty good. So i looked around and came across some refurbished graphics cards. Are these any good? Granted i know they probably have a higher failure rate but i wanted to know if i should look into it more or just pass them by.
 

borderdeal

Member
Aug 4, 2013
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It is a toss. I have had really good ones and then also really bad ones. I would recommend searching the FS forum since there are some really good options. I know you said you want a 750Ti but here on the FS forum some one is selling a 260x for only $40 and that is a really good deal on a decent card
 

john925

Member
Jun 30, 2015
176
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It is a toss. I have had really good ones and then also really bad ones. I would recommend searching the FS forum since there are some really good options. I know you said you want a 750Ti but here on the FS forum some one is selling a 260x for only $40 and that is a really good deal on a decent card

It's not that i wanted one, i mean it is pretty decent. It's just what i was recommended and i've seen gameplay and benchmark videos which are pretty damn impressive. That combo looks better than a PS4 and has higher FPS
 

therealnickdanger

Senior member
Oct 26, 2005
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I have only bought brand new graphics cards a couple times in my life - mostly back in the day when there weren't as many options/methods to get refurbs and used cards. Now I buy almost exclusively used/refurb/open box specials. eBay, Craigslist, Microcenter, etc. The value is outstanding and I haven't yet had a single bad purchase. I do some overclocking, but not extreme. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I will always hunt down a sweet deal before considering buying new.

If I were buying new today, I would try to get a new GTX 950 (budget) or a new R9 290/X (if you can still find them new for under $300).
 

Leyawiin

Diamond Member
Nov 11, 2008
3,204
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I would much rather buy a used card from a forum member (from the half dozen forums I visit) with a high post count/good heat score than buy refurbished.
 

borderdeal

Member
Aug 4, 2013
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I would much rather buy a used card from a forum member (from the half dozen forums I visit) with a high post count/good heat score than buy refurbished.

Also depends where u buy it. I have had really good experiences with Amazon but mostly bad ones from newegg (open box or refurbished). I second buying used on the forums here or ebay
 

john925

Member
Jun 30, 2015
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Ok cool thanks guys. Yeah I really want the msi gtx 750 ti twin frozr one but I don't want to drop $230 on it. Most of the ones from EVGA are pretty cheap. Also, would a 4gb be better than a 2gb? I'm not expecting to max out, but I'd like some wiggle room on VRAM.
 

RaistlinZ

Diamond Member
Oct 15, 2001
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Ok cool thanks guys. Yeah I really want the msi gtx 750 ti twin frozr one but I don't want to drop $230 on it. Most of the ones from EVGA are pretty cheap. Also, would a 4gb be better than a 2gb? I'm not expecting to max out, but I'd like some wiggle room on VRAM.

$230? What country are you buying from?
 

john925

Member
Jun 30, 2015
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Ha I was about 100 bucks off. Maybe it was a different one I saw. I was just skimming through. My bad
 

borderdeal

Member
Aug 4, 2013
132
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Another good option is EVGA b stock. 4 gig on a 750 is a waste of money. It is not powerful to take advantage of the extra ram so stick to the 2 gb or go for a 970
 

john925

Member
Jun 30, 2015
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Another good option is EVGA b stock. 4 gig on a 750 is a waste of money. It is not powerful to take advantage of the extra ram so stick to the 2 gb or go for a 970
I'd definitely go for a 970 if I could. The 750 ti is alot cheaper and seems to work well with the pentium g3258
 

tweakboy

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2010
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www.hammiestudios.com
The 970 is overkill for him. Hes using a pos CPU ,,,,, I say grab a 570 or 670. Your CPU cant handle a 970 ..... I smell bottleneck ...... Grab a Sandy Bridge i7 and then you have room open for few options. 960 and no need to OC more then 4.2Ghz and your games will fly with a nice 970 GTX CPU. gl
 
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