Graphics card advice

Hotdog_Skin · 07-15-2012, 11:51 PM

Hey guys,

So I dropped a bunch of money on the Steam summer sale but am finding that my computer's graphics card is way outta date. I'm not surprised because it was just an assembly line Dell computer without any add-ons that I would normally tailor my computer for.

Anyways, I'm not looking to drop a ton of money, and I really don't play any cutting-edge games, but I can't even get Star Wars Force Unleashed 2 to play without everything being all slow-motion.

I don't really know much about computers, but I can take em apart and put them back together pretty easily, and know my way a little bit around some software.

I have a 3.2 GHz intel processor and 6 gigs of RAM.

Any suggestions? Thanks guys!

Oh, and I forgot, I'd prefer one with an S-video output so I can hook my TV up to my computer like I used to have on my old setup

starbuck2907 · 07-16-2012, 12:17 AM

What video card you can run will partially depend upon how new your computer is. I assume that it has an open PCI-express port (typically a free PCI-e x16times speed port is used for video).

Then, if you got a factory Dell, the power supply is probably only powerful enough to run smaller video cards. Many powerful to semi-powerful video cards require a small wire coming from the power supply and a slightly higher power powersupply. Some video cards come with recommendations for the minimum power supply wattage.

You *might* consider this card...Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GV-R775OC-1GI Radeon HD 7750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card It's possible to find cheaper cards...but this one only requires a 400 watt power supply and, I *think* should run everything from Battlefield 3 to Diablo 3. It supports DirectX 11 as well. Not all Dells ship with a 400 watt supply. Some factory computers ship with smaller power supplies.

There are various cards you could pick. You could even try to get a decent used card from ebay, IF you find someone that you feel is trustworthy to buy from or has a decent return policy. You could find some older cards that would probably run things decently, but you'd be giving up DirectX 11 compatibility, which will probably be a big deal when games start getting ported from the next Xbox and PS3.

Hotdog_Skin · 07-16-2012, 12:47 AM

Awesome, great advice. Yeah, when I got this computer I was really just in need of something quickly for school and didn't really check to make sure it was capable of upgrading later on. I'll do some research and see what type of bottlenecks might arise from the power supply.

Thanks man!!!

Danleco · 07-16-2012, 04:42 PM

Almost cheaper to buy a whole new machine nowadays, since you'll likely have to replace a power supply, video card, possibly mobo.....

Newegg.com - iBUYPOWER Gamer Power 562D3 Desktop PC AMD FX-Series FX-4100(3.6GHz) 8GB DDR3 500GB HDD Capacity AMD Radeon HD 6670 Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

iBUYPOWER Computer :: Gamer Mage D245

Brennan77 · 07-16-2012, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starbuck2907

What video card you can run will partially depend upon how new your computer is. I assume that it has an open PCI-express port (typically a free PCI-e x16times speed port is used for video).

Then, if you got a factory Dell, the power supply is probably only powerful enough to run smaller video cards. Many powerful to semi-powerful video cards require a small wire coming from the power supply and a slightly higher power powersupply. Some video cards come with recommendations for the minimum power supply wattage.

You *might* consider this card...Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GV-R775OC-1GI Radeon HD 7750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card It's possible to find cheaper cards...but this one only requires a 400 watt power supply and, I *think* should run everything from Battlefield 3 to Diablo 3. It supports DirectX 11 as well. Not all Dells ship with a 400 watt supply. Some factory computers ship with smaller power supplies.

There are various cards you could pick. You could even try to get a decent used card from ebay, IF you find someone that you feel is trustworthy to buy from or has a decent return policy. You could find some older cards that would probably run things decently, but you'd be giving up DirectX 11 compatibility, which will probably be a big deal when games start getting ported from the next Xbox and PS3.

This is a relatively low cost, low power, but decent performance card. I just bought one to go with my Core 2 Duo system so I'd get DX11 support and a bit better performance. It's not going to win any awards, but it does the job with most games at 1920x1080p, which is more than I was really asking. It has several HDMI ports so it will connect to any modern HDTV. For me, it's quiet and gives me better graphics than any of the current consoles. For the money, that's a good deal.

Hotdog_Skin · 07-17-2012, 01:13 AM

Nice, good to hear some more thoughts on it. I hope I'll be able to work around the constraints of my computer because I just can't afford to buy a new one.

Thanks again guys, and any more suggestions, keep em coming!

robsmith32 · 07-17-2012, 06:52 AM

may want to hit tomshardware.com best cards for the money chart.
he has some mentions specifically that gets all power from the pcie slot.
Not to mention, usually a new machine that is on the cheaper side is going to be lacking dramatically in graphics performance. especially since most of those use integrated graphics.

50_Saint · 07-17-2012, 10:03 AM

680GTX /thread . Jk of course but you can get really good deals on 560GTX and 560Ti's right now on newegg.

robsmith32 · 07-17-2012, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 50_Saint

680GTX /thread . Jk of course but you can get really good deals on 560GTX and 560Ti's right now on newegg.

great card, but either would require a beefier p/s than a stock production line machine..

Quarter Rat · 07-23-2012, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hotdog_Skin

Thanks again guys, and any more suggestions, keep em coming!

Have you figured out what kind of mobo or graphics card you have yet?

starbuck2907 · 07-24-2012, 07:18 PM

I've actually been thinking of buying a new video card myself.

I've got a 1 gig AMD Radeon 6850, which will run almost everything maxed out, but it really struggles in Battlefield 3, so I typically run it in high on that game. However, I can't decide if I should just go with a AMD Crossfire setup.

At this point, a Crossfire setup would be cheaper, but it would put more strain on my pc and produce more heat, and Crossfire setups generally aren't as stable as single card setups. I could wait a while longer and just buy a new discreet card, which is what I will probably do..but I don't want to drop $300 on a card. I want at least 2 gigs video card memory.

Quarter Rat · 07-24-2012, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starbuck2907

I've actually been thinking of buying a new video card myself.

I've got a 1 gig AMD Radeon 6850, which will run almost everything maxed out, but it really struggles in Battlefield 3, so I typically run it in high on that game. However, I can't decide if I should just go with a AMD Crossfire setup.

At this point, a Crossfire setup would be cheaper, but it would put more strain on my pc and produce more heat, and Crossfire setups generally aren't as stable as single card setups. I could wait a while longer and just buy a new discreet card, which is what I will probably do..but I don't want to drop $300 on a card. I want at least 2 gigs video card memory.

Crossfire also has some compatibility issues with online games so I'd check and see if the games you want to play are on that list.

I suppose my main questions would be;

whats the wattage on your psu?

does your mobo support sli/crossfire or would you have to get a new one?

and, what kind of case do you have?

If you have all of that geared towards having a multiple gpu machine then go for it. I put some dough down on a gpu upgrade a while back and was less than impressed with the results over my ancient 2x 4870 combo, DX 11 support or no.

zeetes · 07-24-2012, 09:09 PM

my wife wants a new pc so i'll probably give her my 6870 and get a 670 or something similar. that should be plenty for her to play "castleville."

starbuck2907 · 07-25-2012, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quarter Rat

Crossfire also has some compatibility issues with online games so I'd check and see if the games you want to play are on that list.

I suppose my main questions would be;

whats the wattage on your psu?

does your mobo support sli/crossfire or would you have to get a new one?

and, what kind of case do you have?

If you have all of that geared towards having a multiple gpu machine then go for it. I put some dough down on a gpu upgrade a while back and was less than impressed with the results over my ancient 2x 4870 combo, DX 11 support or no.

I easily meet all the requirements...I just haven't tried Crossfire because it seems like Crossfire/SLI problems are somewhat common. I felt like I might be better off just upgrading to a discreet card. BUT, the thing is, a new 6850 will run me about $115-$150 depending on Newegg's rebates, and a single higher end card would run me $200-$300.

Quarter Rat · 07-25-2012, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starbuck2907

I easily meet all the requirements...I just haven't tried Crossfire because it seems like Crossfire/SLI problems are somewhat common. I felt like I might be better off just upgrading to a discreet card. BUT, the thing is, a new 6850 will run me about $115-$150 depending on Newegg's rebates, and a single higher end card would run me $200-$300.

According to this chart youd have to drop 500 bones or more to get the same performance as 2 6850s

If it were me I would crossfire my cards with a mind to see about airflow and case fans sometime in the near future