Graphics/video card help

G

Guitar

New Member
Hi, im am looking to get a new graphics card. I game occasionly and would like to increase my currently low framerate. I have a budget of $200 + shipping. I know nothing about graphics cards or computers. The games i would most like to play would be call of duty 4, fallout 3, oblivion, world of warcraft.


My current graphics card is NVIDIA GeForce 6150 SE nForce 430

Could someone please suggest the best graphics card i can afford that is compatible. If you need anymore information, please let me know. Thanks in advance
 
Im pretty sure that you have an IGP (Integrated Graphics)

What we need to know is:

PSU Wattage/Model/Brand

PCI-E/PCI/AGP 8X Slot?

CPU?

RAM?

OS?

You may be able to afford a beast of a GPU, but if you PSU cant power it, what is it worth?

Depending how old your computer is will determine the type of graphics card you can use.

Chris
 
can your motherboard take these cards?
i mean does your motherboard have slots available for the graphics cards
oh... psu = powersupply,
PCI-E/PCI/AGP 8X Slot? these are the slots that you can fit graphics cards in...
the cards that butters suggested are newer cards so... theyll fit into slots that are for PCI Express 2.0 x16...
but im not sure how to check if your motherboard has pci express 2.0 slots...
you can like...google a newer motherboard or "pci express 2.0" n then open ur computer up to see if it has what google says....
ya know what i mean?
 
I can't get your link to work. The page I posted is MB specs for HP Pavilion a6200n Desktop PC. What you want to see under expansion slots is PCI-Express 16 2.0, the older factor is just PCI-Express-16, which looks like what you have. This will rule out using the cards with the 2.0 spec.
 
Compare performance here

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/...q3-2008/Sum-of-FPS-Benchmarks-Totals,795.html

I'd call HP support to verify that the MB is in fact not PCI-E 16 2.0 before buying a PCI-E 16 (non 2.0) card though. I don't think thay would have omitted the full specs, but you need to make sure before buying a lesser card.

If it is non 2.0 I'd probably go with this one
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130297
but I'd have to study the charts some more before making my final decision.;)

No...This one
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130394
They're backordered though.. Thats a sign of the good stuff. Might be able to find one through a different source.
 
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Here's what a reviewer said about upgrading from a 6150 SE

Pros: A lot of things, I upgraded to this card from a standard 6150 SE and there is a huge improvement on gameplay and overall speed. Its great having a decent card like this one to play for casual gamers, not for intense. I would definitely recommend this card to anyone looking to upgrade their computer.
 
thanks, that looks really good. Really cheap. Is that the max my computer can run? I have a budget of $200.
 
What kind of power supply do you have open up the side panel on you case and look on the sticker on the side or bottom of the power supply. Tell us how many watts it is and how many amps it has on the +12 rail. You will most likely need a new power supply OEM power supply are usually very weak.
 
jevery said:
I can't get your link to work. The page I posted is MB specs for HP Pavilion a6200n Desktop PC. What you want to see under expansion slots is PCI-Express 16 2.0, the older factor is just PCI-Express-16, which looks like what you have. This will rule out using the cards with the 2.0 spec.
Click to expand...

2.0 cards are backwards compatible with PCI-E 1.0 slots, he can get a new card no problem, so long as his power supply can handle it and his processor won't bottleneck him anyway.
 
CardboardSword said:
2.0 cards are backwards compatible with PCI-E 1.0 slots, he can get a new card no problem, so long as his power supply can handle it and his processor won't bottleneck him anyway.
Click to expand...

You're right. I was thinking the other way around :o.
 
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Guys, before he makes a decision, We need to know his Power Supply Model/Wattage/Rails/Amps.

Guitar, Do you feel safe enough to open up your computer. It might void your warranty, but putting in a new Graphics Card in will anyway.

Anyway, If you do. Open up the case, and see usually at the top, a box. It will have many wires and interconnects to other devices. This is your Power Supply Unit. On the side it usually says the model and make of it. It should also provide a wattage (400w for example). Sometimes it has a table and gives other information.

Provide as much info as possible.

Chris
 
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