Buying my First GPU-- looking for advice

Hey guys. After a couple years I've decided to invest in my first dedicated GPU. I have an i5-3570k, 8gb RAM, and am using an asrock 75pro motherboard.

Things I am not interested in:
Dual Monitors
Multiple GPUs

I kind of just want to play most older and modern games on decent settings. I'll probably OC my CPU as well when I install a new card. (Will I need some form of additional cooling? I use a stock)

But yah, I'm kind of lost in the sea of graphics cards and looking for advice.

This looks like a great deal especially with the three games, and seems like a good price for a 7950 3gb, but seems poor quality.

This has almost perfect reviews wherever I look but is a little more pricey.

my price range is ~150-250$
any advice is appreciated!

 

That HD 7950 is a much better performer that the gtx 660Ti. And a hell of a deal. And yes, you will need a new cooler if you wish to overclock, I would recommend at least a Coolermaster
Hyper 212 evo

 

Thanks for replying!
I was also concerned about that specific model having problems overheating, etc. (has a lot of poor reviews.) Is that something I should be concerned about or will it likely not be an issue?

 

Get the 7950. It's a great budget card and with the 3GB ram it is going to last you quite a while. I'm more of a nvidia guy but they are much more pricey.

 

Regarding the reviews, you should be fine. It looks like there was a bad batch, and has been taken care of

 

Also look at all the different companies that make the card and pick the one with the best reviews. Don't just go for the cheapest one.

 

You could just get something like this or this. Hell, maybe even something like this one. Really depends on if you're one of those die hard gamer adicts that can't stand not being able to play a game on it's highest settings possible. Also, keep in mind for bigger and better GPU's you'll probably need more wattage, so make sure your PSU can support everything.

If not, i'd recommend just buying a cheap crappier GPU just so you can play some games for the meantime, and instead buy a better PSU and maybe cooling system as well. Keep in mind, new GPU's are released all the time, so you're likely to want to change it soon enough. Instead, if you already have good PSU, cooling, RAM, etc, you'll have a good PC and can then focus on just getting it GPU later on.

 

Those are great for entry-mid level gaming, as I had a HD 7770 myself, but if he even wants to play next gen games like Battlefield 4 or GTA V when it's released for PC, he's going to need something beefier to even play them on decent settings.

But, if you're interested I have a GTX 670 in like-new condition I could sell for $250 + shipping.

But, if not, that HD 7950 is a steal for $179.99 after rebates.

 

Just make sure you don't get the cheapest version of a certain card... Always go for the ones with better cooling solutions (TwinFrozr etc.)

 

You might want to wait for the new generation of AMD cards that will be released soon.

 

gotta bear in mind the person's case capabilities. if his case has poor cooling abilities, these so-called better cooling solutions will do nothing but increase the temperatures inside his case, causing everything else to run hotter. sure they run cooler in most instances, but at the sacrifice of other equipment in others. In these instances, he's better off with a reference design cooler...which dumps waste heat out of the back instead of internally.

 

I would suggest looking at this 7950 if that's what you are going to buy. Seems like a better built product, also has a faster clock and comes with 4 games instead of 3. It might be a a little more, but from my experience you can't go wrong with XFX.