this post was submitted on 11 Aug 2024
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Buildapc
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Keep in mind two things:
I'm currently upgrading my own GTX 1050 Ti mostly because I need more GPU memory to run Stable Diffusion locally and ended up just getting an RTX 3500 in part chosen because its TDP isn't much higher (the GTX 1500 Ti was maybe one of the best desktop boards ever in terms of GPU power per Watt and had a TDP of 70W(!)), partly because it's v3 so "only" one PCI generation beyond my motherboard (which is v2) and partly because my entire rig is old and near end-of-life and I'm just doing a short-term upgrade until I put together whole new rig (and I'm tempeted to get a Mini-PC whe AMD finally gets around to making a suitable CPU core with their new and very promising 960m GPU core available to generic Mini PC makers) and thus refuse to spend tons of money on a card meant to be a temporary thing so that I can run advance AI engines now.
Beyond this and more in general, as always remember that the performance per dollar curve peaks at cards somewhere in the mid consumer levels - buy a high end monster and you'll be paying a lot more for only a tiny bit more performance and it's probably going to be something that uses a lot more power (higher end stuff tends to run at higher clock speeds) hence put out more heat and be more noisy. It's seldom worth it to spend a ton on top of the range IMHO, as with the same money you could get a good card now PLUS in a few years get a good card then which will beat present day top of the range cards (whilst consuming a fraction of the power and making a fraction of the noise).
My recommendation is that you look in one of the many comparison sites out there at their "value" (I.e. performance / price) charts and limit yourself to PCI Express v3 boards unless you're planning on updating your motherboard and CPU at a later date whilst keeping the card (or it already supports v4).