captaincranky
Posts: 20,476 +9,425
I don't game, but I do own 2 GT-1030s. B & H Photo used to sell them for $99.00 US While I expect that their 2GB of VRAM would be useless for later games, their real value resides in extending the amount of tab capacity available for internet browsing. When you take an IGP out of the equation, you can have at least double the amount of tabs open at any time. This is particularly true of passive content. (IE: pages of "erotic art" thumbnails.)
As for the GT-710, those aren't even up to the capability of later generation Intel IGPs, other than freeing up system RAM.
I have an "elder statesman" of a PC, (Intel C2D 7300 / P43 board), that I use specifically in my never ending search for, "Ms. Right". With a GT-710 onboard, the screen would black out with about 10 tabs open. So, I stuffed in a GT-730, which doubled the tabs open until screen blackout occurred. At which point, and extremely frustrated, I stuffed in a GT-1030, which extended the available tabs open to (no sh!t), more than 200. Note that all 3 of these were 2GB VRAM cards.
"Later that same decade", Micro Center coerced me into buying a system based on an i5-6600K due to closeout pricing. (about $200.00 for CPU and a Gigabyte micro board). That got a GTX-1050ti for about $150.00. This is something I swore I'd never do, having seen Intel's earlier "roadmap", which pretty much swore up and down, they'd be up to, (or "down to", depending in how you look at it), an 8nm process width by the time of my purchase.
Finally, I was able to make good on my vow to never do another Intel build, until they hit at least a 10nm CPU. Which, as you likely know, finally happened at gen 12.
This was at the very end of "the great VGA AIB shortage". of a few years back.
Newegg got in a batch of Asus "Tuf" GTX-1650s, and I grabbed one.Not much later, they got in a stash of GTX-1660ti. I argued vigorously with their customer service rep to allow me to return the unopened 1650 for a 1660ti to no avail, the 30 day return window had expired. However, in agreeing to purchase a GTX-1660ti outright, I manages a discount on both cards, and $10.00 cash back. (About $200,00 a pop).
Note that after those original shipments were sold off, the prices on both boards jumped to about $270.00
I was thrilled with the deal, as was my ego's obligation to be. However, another member went out of his way to tell me I was a mental defective for not buying one of AMD's offerings in the same price bracket because they had "more VRAM". Pages of abuse via PM followed.
I'd elaborate about that, but I fear I've already overstayed my welcome, (assuming I ever had any in the first place), in this thread.
As for the VGA versus motorcycle discussion; motorcycles get very little use, and hence tend to have very low mileage in wife and kidz settings. A 20 year old bike might have naught but 10K miles on it, and could be had for a fair amount less than 5K. I'm old to the point where I'm unable to take my own advice as much as I'd prefer. (I do still however, own a relic 1991 750 Honda "Nighthawk").
However, those of you sadly pining for, and lusting after, a 5K graphics card, need to put down that damned joystick and, "GET OUT MORE". (Just a thought and IMHO, of course)
Cheers all ..!
