Looking for a new graphics card, any recommendations?

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Trace_hunter

New Member
I have been using a 8600 GT for gaming for quite a while now but for a reason I never quite understood, It never came with a fan so recently it has started to overheat and crash my PC regularly. So I need a new one but I am not sure what to get as this will be only the second time I have ever bought a GPU.
So basically I was wondering what do you guys think would be the best bit of kit I could get with a budget of about 100 pounds? (with a fan this time xD)

here is my custom rig:
MSI P965 Neo mo-bo
4 gigs of ram
250 sata HDD
dvd rewriter disk drive thing
Nvidia 8600 GT GPU
windows XP pro sp3
duel core @2.2 not over clocked

But I think the most important bit is my PSU, It is 500W and I'm sure a new GPU would require quite a lot more power so bearing in mind it will have to fit around that. Or would it be worth getting a new psu to accommodate a better card?
also i was just wondering, if I were to get a card that supports HDMI and hook it up to my TV, dispite not having any HD content would it make games look better in general?

thanks in advance!
 
kookooshortman55

kookooshortman55

New Member
Are you considering the power supply as a part of your budget? With the PSU you have now, you could get a 9600GT. It runs almost as fast as an 8800GT, on your setup I would say it runs a little over twice as fast as an 8600GT.

It's also good to consider how much performance you need, not how much you can afford. What games are you looking to play?
 
mikesrex

mikesrex

New Member
HD4850 is around $120 USD, not sure what it converts to in pounds

if budget allows, that seems like a good step up at a decent price. the GTS250 should also do a good job for you.
 
Shane

Shane

Super Moderator
Staff member
The reason it probably didnt come with a Fan is because its fanless.....just heatsink cooled.

You could save you some money and just buy a new cooler for your 8600GT,that would probably sort the problem out.

You could also overclock it to gain more performance for free.

But if you realy want a new card then a 9600GT would be a decent upgrade :)

or a used 8800GT :)
 
T

Trace_hunter

New Member
kookooshortman55 said:
Are you considering the power supply as a part of your budget? With the PSU you have now, you could get a 9600GT. It runs almost as fast as an 8800GT, on your setup I would say it runs a little over twice as fast as an 8600GT.

It's also good to consider how much performance you need, not how much you can afford. What games are you looking to play?
Click to expand...

Nope, I will pay the price of a new psu on top of the GPU.

I am looking to play mainly fps's on my 22" inch screen, preferably on max res. Games like call of duty and bioshock that sort of stuff.

What do you guys think about a 9800GT?

Also I can't really be bothered with over clocking and I do need a new card.

thanks for the replys!
 
kookooshortman55

kookooshortman55

New Member
Either a 9600GT or an 9800GT would run those games fairly well on a 22" monitor. You would most likely not need to upgrade the PSU with these two cards, depending on the exact model of your power supply, eg. what the amps are like on the rails. I wouldn't go anything lower than an 9600GT if you plan on maxing those games. A GTS 250 would probably be a good card, and I would check out the Corsair 550VX. I believe it's on sale now for $55 with free shipping.
 
CardboardSword

CardboardSword

New Member
Both the 4850/4770 and the GTS250 are probably the best bang for your wattage limitations. The 4770 is slightly worse than the other two, but significantly cheaper and the performance difference is pretty small. I believe that since the performance of the GTS250 is basically that of the 9800GTX+, which in turn is on par with the 4850. One advantage I see of the ATi cards, is that if you plan on using HDMI, the ATI cards can carry audio through it, whereas, correct me if I'm mistaken, NVdia cards can't.
 
kookooshortman55

kookooshortman55

New Member
That card is probably the lowest you want to go if you want to max Call of Duty on a 22". I have an 8800GT, which is pretty much a 9800GT, and the only game I have that it has problems with is Crysis, and I still get frames in the 30's. It might not last as long as a GTS 250, but it would meet your requirements for the time being.
 
T

Trace_hunter

New Member
kookooshortman55 said:
That card is probably the lowest you want to go if you want to max Call of Duty on a 22". I have an 8800GT, which is pretty much a 9800GT, and the only game I have that it has problems with is Crysis, and I still get frames in the 30's. It might not last as long as a GTS 250, but it would meet your requirements for the time being.
Click to expand...

Thanks very much for the advise, I think i have settled on one:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/165583
738 clock speed
2200 memory speed

and it meets my psu requirements, 450 and 1 6 pin connector (which is all my psu has)

just to be totally sure, does anyone want to stop me and say this is much better?
^_^
 
kookooshortman55

kookooshortman55

New Member
The GTS 250 is a better card, and the dual slot cooling solution will definitely help in the long run. With the fan high enough on a dual slot card, you can actually improve airflow. A single slot card just heats up all your other components.

Before you buy it though, what is the model of your PSU? I switched my PSU from a 500W to a 450W, and it actually has more amps on the 12V rail.
 
T

Trace_hunter

New Member
kookooshortman55 said:
The GTS 250 is a better card, and the dual slot cooling solution will definitely help in the long run. With the fan high enough on a dual slot card, you can actually improve airflow. A single slot card just heats up all your other components.

Before you buy it though, what is the model of your PSU? I switched my PSU from a 500W to a 450W, and it actually has more amps on the 12V rail.
Click to expand...

its a casecom ATX 500w, well thats what it says on the side. If I can help it I would rather not have to change my psu as it says on the side do not remove under any circumstances xD
 
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