New GPU now or wait till year end

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philfromMPC

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Joined
May 19, 2015
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24
Hi all,
I'm wondering if the prices have stabilized for video cards? It used to be very expensive last 2 years. I'm also on a budget, maximum I can go around $250 and the unit has to last minimum 5 years. I don't need big power. Don't really play latest gpu-intensive games. But I do want to use for folding@home ocassionally (otherwise any gpu would work). Last build was in 2012 and running a GTX550Ti (still running now for parents)

Currently using an HP z420 stock with a Quadro K4000. Looking for replacement for the Quadro. Not in a hurry to replace either. Thank you for your opinions and any recommendations.
 
I think prices have stabilized. The only thing you might see in the next few months is more low/mid range cards from AMD/Nvidia which "could" drive used card prices down. You can pretty much buy any GPU brand new without jumping through hoops right now as long as you want to pay MSRP.
 
philfromMPC said:
Hi all,
I'm wondering if the prices have stabilized for video cards? It used to be very expensive last 2 years. I'm also on a budget, maximum I can go around $250 and the unit has to last minimum 5 years. I don't need big power. Don't really play latest gpu-intensive games. But I do want to use for folding@home ocassionally (otherwise any gpu would work). Last build was in 2012 and running a GTX550Ti (still running now for parents)

Currently using an HP z420 stock with a Quadro K4000. Looking for replacement for the Quadro. Not in a hurry to replace either. Thank you for your opinions and any recommendations.
Click to expand...
Kirby is right. If you can take your time and you aren't in a rush, then take that time to find the right card for you. Seriously, there will be new cards coming out or at least a refresh of the current generation near the end of the year. I suspect you will see some prices on the current batch of hardware drop a bit at that time.
 
DooKey said:
6600XT offers pretty good bang for your buck. Here's one for $250 and it comes with a game.
https://www.newegg.com/asrock-radeon-rx-6600-xt-rx6600xt-pgd-8g/p/N82E16814930064?
Click to expand...

AMD is definitely more serious about moving last gen parts compared to Nvidia. 3XXX series is still inflated over original MSRP if buying new.

Legendary Gamer said:
If they need it to last 5 years 128 Bit won't cut it. They should be aiming for a minimum of 256 Bit. 128 Bit cards get out classed pretty damn fast, in my humble opinion
Click to expand...

It really depends on the workload. Nvidia has an $800 192-bit card that will out perform most 256-bit cards that aren't current generation. 128-bit by itself isn't going to hurt him. He's on a Kepler generation card now.

Edit:
According to TechPowerUp, the 6600XT is 790% faster than the K4000 under the relative performance tab.
https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/quadro-k4000.c1841
 
kirbyrj said:
AMD is definitely more serious about moving last gen parts compared to Nvidia. 3XXX series is still inflated over original MSRP if buying new.



It really depends on the workload. Nvidia has an $800 192-bit card that will out perform most 256-bit cards that aren't current generation.
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I was gonna say at least 192 Bit (which is what they have now) but I aimed a bit higher.

Every 128 Bit card I have ever owned was nearly worthless in short order. Three Years out, in some instances and I couldn't run stuff very well anymore. Now, the 1050 non -TI in my old Dell laptop is still doing pretty damn good. Not in everything but it ran Diablo IV beautifully for my cousin's kid during the Beta.


(y) You are correct sir.
 
DooKey said:
He said he doesn't need much power.
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I know. But I figured, if the OP can wait then they can possibly get something that will be much better long term for everything. I always try to set my sights a little higher than good enough. Never really been disappointed getting a video card over 128 Bit. Been disappointed plenty with 128 bit.
 
I personally have been on the fence about this for several weeks now, and just pulled the trigger on a 4080FE to replace my 2070S. Yes, I probably spent more than I should have, even though I got it at the "list" price of $1,200. However, given where TSMC is located and the fact that China is increasing the pressure on them big time, I didn't want to chance things escalating before I made my decision. If China invades, prices are going to go WAY up.
 
SGalbincea said:
I personally have been on the fence about this for several weeks now, and just pulled the trigger on a 4080FE to replace my 2070S. Yes, I probably spent more than I should have, even though I got it at the "list" price of $1,200. However, given where TSMC is located and the fact that China is increasing the pressure on them big time, I didn't want to chance things escalating before I made my decision. If China invades, prices are going to go WAY up.
Click to expand...
Well that's just conspiracy theory speak... I suspect most people would think that. However, I'm thinking that if it's gonna happen, it will happen before Biden leaves office.

Honestly, though, we will have bigger problems than you getting your gaming fix, if Taiwan gets absorbed by China.
 
philfromMPC said:
Hi all,
I'm wondering if the prices have stabilized for video cards? It used to be very expensive last 2 years. I'm also on a budget, maximum I can go around $250 and the unit has to last minimum 5 years. I don't need big power. Don't really play latest gpu-intensive games. But I do want to use for folding@home ocassionally (otherwise any gpu would work). Last build was in 2012 and running a GTX550Ti (still running now for parents)

Currently using an HP z420 stock with a Quadro K4000. Looking for replacement for the Quadro. Not in a hurry to replace either. Thank you for your opinions and any recommendations.
Click to expand...
What's the current PSU in the z420? What type of PCI-E connectors does it have? That will be your first tech issue. Next will be space and cooling. Measure and measure again. The newer cards are getting big. Then I'd consider your current CPU - is it a higher clocked lower core variant or lots of cores with low clocks? But, it sounds like that's not a concern for you. Finally, VRAM - to last 5 years you'll want to go as high as is reasonable.

You mentioned F@H, so, I'd lean towards Nvidia, especially at the mid - lower end of the stack.

I have a z820 with dual xeons that I use for distributed computing. Space and connectivity are limited, but, I was able to easily fit a 3060 Ti from Evga into it. They have a smaller version and it works well in my chassis. It only requires a single 8 pin power connector and the heat was manageable. Those may currently be outside your budget.

Prices are ok now. NV still has to launch their lower end 40 series cards, so, there may be some deals to come once they do, depending on what and when they launch. Rumor is 4050 and 4060ti in May/June.

AMD has some good value options, but, since you are not focused on gaming, I'd research the F@H, DC and compute performance. I think NV has the edge. A 3060 with 12GB of VRAM may work well for you now.
 
philfromMPC said:
Hi all,
I'm wondering if the prices have stabilized for video cards? It used to be very expensive last 2 years. I'm also on a budget, maximum I can go around $250 and the unit has to last minimum 5 years. I don't need big power. Don't really play latest gpu-intensive games. But I do want to use for folding@home ocassionally (otherwise any gpu would work). Last build was in 2012 and running a GTX550Ti (still running now for parents)

Currently using an HP z420 stock with a Quadro K4000. Looking for replacement for the Quadro. Not in a hurry to replace either. Thank you for your opinions and any recommendations.
Click to expand...
Take that time to familiarize yourself with what you need, what your system will support (PSU wise) and then make an informed decision when you are ready. Honestly, I would take the time to scrape a couple more bones together to upscale whatever you purchase at least one measure beyond what you think you will need. That will pay off for you down the road.

People here will make numerous suggestions. Only you can educate yourself to make the best decision for you. You have the time to go out there and look at the benchmarks, compare the products that are available and find what you truly need.
 
I just replaced my old Q K5200 with (team red) RX 5700 XT for USD $150 (on a Z840). The problem with "waiting" is you never know about future supply with regards to quality. Talking to the cheapskates like myself.

Linux wise, the K5200 has better features. While people praise the open source nature of the AMD drivers, they have fewer features available to them today. Good for games though. But you're not going to carve into a bunch of vGPUs to feed to your hypervisor guests.
 
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