ASRock Forums : Need Video Card recommendation https://forum.asrock.com/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Sun, 21 Jun 2026 12:48:42 +0000 Fri, 05 Aug 2016 14:42:01 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.04 360 https://forum.asrock.com/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=3067 <![CDATA[ASRock Forums]]> https://forum.asrock.com/forum_images/web_wiz_forums_black.png https://forum.asrock.com/ <![CDATA[Need Video Card recommendation : I installed the Sapphire card...]]> https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15602&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15602 Author: shane49
Subject: 3067
Posted: 05 Aug 2016 at 2:42pm

I installed the Sapphire card and the new PSU yesterday, what a staggering difference !  Must go back and have another look at all my other games now. Cheers everybody !]]> Fri, 05 Aug 2016 14:42:01 +0000 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15602&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15602 <![CDATA[Need Video Card recommendation : Sounds like a nice combo. Happy...]]> https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15415&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15415 Author: PetrolHead
Subject: 3067
Posted: 31 Jul 2016 at 1:12am

Sounds like a nice combo. Happy gaming! :)
]]> Sun, 31 Jul 2016 01:12:44 +0000 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15415&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15415 <![CDATA[Need Video Card recommendation : Enjoy your upgrade ]]> https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15333&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15333 Author: Xaltar
Subject: 3067
Posted: 28 Jul 2016 at 2:15pm

Enjoy your upgrade Thumbs Up]]> Thu, 28 Jul 2016 14:15:02 +0000 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15333&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15333 <![CDATA[Need Video Card recommendation : OK, nearly at end of this exercise....]]> https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15332&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15332 Author: shane49
Subject: 3067
Posted: 28 Jul 2016 at 1:52pm

OK, nearly at end of this exercise. I have managed to buy a Sapphire Radeon 2Gb R9 380 Nitro OC card for AUD $195. I'm going to follow this up with a PSU upgrade to a Thermaltake Toughpower 550W 80+ Gold unit for AUD $119.  Many thanks again to all who contributed to this thread.]]> Thu, 28 Jul 2016 13:52:47 +0000 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15332&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15332 <![CDATA[Need Video Card recommendation : General rule of thumb, always...]]> https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15188&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15188 Author: Xaltar
Subject: 3067
Posted: 23 Jul 2016 at 9:16pm

General rule of thumb, always get the best one you can afford that has the best cooling solution and power design. The details on power design can be hard to find but generally google should be all you need to find it. A solid power design means the card gets more, more stable power and will have a better chance to overclock well compared to a weaker power design. My Gigabyte GTX 960 G1 Gaming for example has the same power design as most other GTX 980s and as a result was a phenomenal overclocker.

Even if you do not plan to overclock the GPU, the better cooling and power design usually accompany higher factory clocks.
]]> Sat, 23 Jul 2016 21:16:26 +0000 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15188&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15188 <![CDATA[Need Video Card recommendation : Yes, I&#039;m already comparing...]]> https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15184&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15184 Author: shane49
Subject: 3067
Posted: 23 Jul 2016 at 4:41pm

Yes, I'm already comparing different manufacturer's versions of the R9 380. I have seen how performance differs between a couple of them, so I'll be doing some more research into each different model of this card next week. Thanks again for your comments.]]> Sat, 23 Jul 2016 16:41:34 +0000 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15184&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15184 <![CDATA[Need Video Card recommendation : Sorry, I should&#039;ve been clearer....]]> https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15182&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15182 Author: PetrolHead
Subject: 3067
Posted: 23 Jul 2016 at 2:45pm

Sorry, I should've been clearer. I meant AIB partner brands - for example Asus, MSI, Gigabyte, Sapphire and XFX - who make their own versions based on the R9 380 GPU. These cards may differ in many ways from each other, so while the GPU itself will be the same in each, there may be differences in size, how many power connectors the card uses, how silent and efficient the cooling is, how easy it is to overclock, is the GPU factory overclocked etc. Prices will also be different for different models and the difference between the cheapest and most expensive model may be significant.
]]> Sat, 23 Jul 2016 14:45:01 +0000 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15182&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15182 <![CDATA[Need Video Card recommendation : PetrolHead wrote: shane49...]]> https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15180&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15180 Author: shane49
Subject: 3067
Posted: 23 Jul 2016 at 1:23pm

Originally posted by PetrolHead PetrolHead wrote:

Originally posted by shane49 shane49 wrote:

[QUOTE=PetrolHead][QUOTE=shane49]Have you decided which brand you'll go for yet?

Yes, I'll go for the Radeon R9 380, it's the same price as the GTX 950 here in Aussieland - $249
]]> Sat, 23 Jul 2016 13:23:00 +0000 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15180&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15180 <![CDATA[Need Video Card recommendation : shane49 wrote:Man,I reckon...]]> https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15170&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15170 Author: PetrolHead
Subject: 3067
Posted: 23 Jul 2016 at 11:06am

Originally posted by shane49 shane49 wrote:

Man,I reckon I've read and viewed about a hundred reviews and comparisons in the last 3 hours, youtube and web based. This is such a complex arena with so many conflicting opinions, it makes me scared to actually make a decision.


Remember that benchmarking video games is not really an exact science. The results may vary a couple of % between runs even on the same computer with the same settings, so it's no surprise that different people running benchmarks on different rigs, different settings and even different drivers get different results. This is why it's a good idea to read through several reviews and concentrate more on trends than individual results or exact FPS figures.

By the way, I'd pay extra attention to GPU reviews that don't only report the average FPS in benchmarks, but also the 99 and 99.9 percentile FPS (i.e. the average of the lowest 1% and .1%, respectively). Some reviews are even reporting frame times. This is all valuable information since it will give an indication of how consistent the performance is and reveal differences between GPUs that are not visible in the average FPS values.

Edit: I see you've made your decision (I was went afk mid-post for several hours). In that case I'd maybe stop reading reviews so that you won't start to unnecessarily doubt your choice. ;) It is worth considering which AIB card to choose, though. Not all brands are equal. Have you decided which brand you'll go for yet?


Edited by PetrolHead - 23 Jul 2016 at 11:15am]]> Sat, 23 Jul 2016 11:06:08 +0000 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15170&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15170 <![CDATA[Need Video Card recommendation : OK, thanks again Xaltar &amp;...]]> https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15168&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15168 Author: shane49
Subject: 3067
Posted: 23 Jul 2016 at 7:29am

OK, thanks again Xaltar & Petrolhead, I'll aim for the R9 380, they are both the same price here in Australia - $AUD 249.]]> Sat, 23 Jul 2016 07:29:07 +0000 https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3067&PID=15168&title=need-video-card-recommendation#15168