What GPU to get with a 200 budget in ~3 months?

[Artorius]

It could honestly be your monitor making your games look worse, not your GPU.

Could?

The monitor is the only thing which theoretically should be allowed to make games look worse. The VGAs are supposed to output the same image quality given same settings. It's ridiculous how people buy the most expensive VGA possible but pair it with a crappy display.

[Eroginous]

Could?

The monitor is the only thing which theoretically should be allowed to make games look worse. The VGAs are supposed to output the same image quality given same settings. It's ridiculous how people buy the most expensive VGA possible but pair it with a crappy display.

I don't know if that's what the OP did. That's why I said what I said. He didn't really specify the reasons why he was looking for a new GPU, so if what I said is the case, he's just got a crappy picture quality, he should probably invest in a monitor first.

[Deleted]

I don't know if that's what the OP did. That's why I said what I said. He didn't really specify the reasons why he was looking for a new GPU, so if what I said is the case, he's just got a crappy picture quality, he should probably invest in a monitor first.

Fps issues in some games mostly. A new monitor is second on the replacement list, since imagine quality is indeed a nice thing. But nothing beats no longer running games under 30 fps (looking at you, xcom 2!). I'm slowly upgrading parts in his computer. Current build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4170 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 1GB Video Card
Power Supply: SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($65.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $200.87
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-22 08:12 EDT-0400

Of course there's a motherboard and other parts, but I don't know the details. A 2 TB HDD, which should probably be replaced after GPU and monitor. Well, not replaced, since it's still a nice secondary drive Got my eye on the Asus VS247HR.

[Eroginous]

Well, if I had to suggest an upgrade path, it would look something like this:

GPU
CPU
SSD
Monitor

I'd probably save up and do it all at once, otherwise you won't notice much of a difference with each part you upgrade. It looks like that was a budget build once upon a time, and it's due to be replaced by something beefier that's more ideal for gaming:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/Y2yD3F
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/Y2yD3F/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($67.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 960 4GB Video Card ($209.75 @ OutletPC)
Total: $487.73
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-22 08:51 EDT-0400

You can of course swap out the 960 for the 480 when it comes out, but I'd probably shoot for a quad core i5 that fits your board (like the one I linked, doesn't have to be that one tho) and an SSD, even if it's just for Windows and a couple games. A monitor could end up being a very nice upgrade, but if performance is the issue, I'd def start with the other stuff first.

[Deleted]

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($67.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 960 4GB Video Card ($209.75 @ OutletPC)
Total: $487.73
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-22 08:51 EDT-0400

You can of course swap out the 960 for the 480 when it comes out, but I'd probably shoot for a quad core i5 that fits your board (like the one I linked, doesn't have to be that one tho) and an SSD, even if it's just for Windows and a couple games. A monitor could end up being a very nice upgrade, but if performance is the issue, I'd def start with the other stuff first.

Thanks, looks like good advice. I think I am going to get a monitor after GPU, though, since this one very due for replacement. Just discovered it's not actually 1080p, but 1680x1050 and it's got damage on the screen. I think buying the GPU now (well, in 3 months) may be a decent choice for him. He'd have to wait a year to be able to afford all of it at once. Will probably give him an SSD for his birthday and he can then save up for the CPU himself. Maybe a Skylake or even the generation after that one by then. Although the 6600 doesn't seem that much better, and there would be no need for motherboard+ram upgrade. I'll ask about that in the future. (I'm a bit of an adviser here, if he had to pick his own parts, he'd upgrade his case 3 more times before buying anything else...) Thanks!

[Purpleisbetter]

I've read some rumors about PS4 Neon and the new xbox to use a custom made RX 470.

You might want something more then that to stay a bit "future proof".

My advice is to save some money now so you can rise your budget a bit and look at 1060 or RX 480.

[Eroginous]

Thanks, looks like good advice. I think I am going to get a monitor after GPU, though, since this one very due for replacement. Just discovered it's not actually 1080p, but 1680x1050 and it's got damage on the screen. I think buying the GPU now (well, in 3 months) may be a decent choice for him. He'd have to wait a year to be able to afford all of it at once. Will probably give him an SSD for his birthday and he can then save up for the CPU himself. Maybe a Skylake or even the generation after that one by then. Although the 6600 doesn't seem that much better, and there would be no need for motherboard+ram upgrade. I'll ask about that in the future. (I'm a bit of an adviser here, if he had to pick his own parts, he'd upgrade his case 3 more times before buying anything else...) Thanks!

Lol, I know how it is when people want help but don't want to be 'helped.' You can of course save money by buying different parts than what I've chosen. The CPU is probably too expensive brand new, I'd look for one on Ebay (CPU is the one thing you can buy with confidence, they last for ever and are difficult to damage through use without killing it completely), a quick search shows that CPU available used for as low as $160. I'm not sure if that's palatable to your friend, but CPUs are one of the few components I'd buy myself as a second owner. Other things, such as video cards, ram, mobos, get a little dicey, due to the increased nature of damage during shipping and intentional misuse.

They are also the components that can seem alright at first power up (long enough to get you to commit) and then fail on you when you stress them. CPU will generally work 100% or not work at all, really no room for anything in between. As far as the SSD goes, you can get a good deal on one, just shop around for specials on whatever you can find that's big enough capacity for Windows and a couple games.

Kingston 120gb SSD for $49.99.

Otherwise, I think you're on the right track. Let me know if you need any further assistance.

Good luck!