Journal #8628

Nvidia's comparison chart is very helpful!
Clickity!

I can max out everything with my 780ti for a rough benchmark.

Another easy thing to do is Google "[your video card] benchmarks"
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Radeon+HD+6800M

Then you can click around that site and find good performance ratings for your price range. They even compare AMD to Nvidia if you aren't too dead set on one brand.

And once you have more GPUs in your list, just google #gpu1 vs #gpu2. There are a couple of sites that can help you decide between them.

I for one usually compare performance to my desktop and laptop cpus and gpus, although older, but having used them I now "feel" their potential, so it's more relevant if a site tells me "this gpu is twice as fast as yours".

Yep, I use the site @Tetsu0 linked to check out what options are available in the GPU world. I tend to go to the 'high end video cards', and look at the first 20 or so cards on that list and see what the best value ones are. (click the 'price performance' link once you're on that page)

If I was recommending any card, right now it'd be the GTX 970, though it's more expensive than your price bracket. The GTX 960 is still a decent option, and closer to how much you want to spend. (I'm not a fan of AMD cards so I can't recommend any, but a couple of the R9 cards spike on the value chart and might be worth checking out.)

I'd agree with Penguinboy and suggest the GTX 960. PCPartPicker is a great website for comparing prices, and looks like you can get one for $270.

Thanks for all the tips, guys. I consulted with my brother last night, and, well, I'm glad people are recommending the GTX 960, because that's what I landed on! It's a touch more pricey than I'd hoped, but no matter.

Again, thanks! I'm sure this journal will come in handy again when I need another hopefully in a good long while.

Congrats!