Upgrading a Graphics Card

[Jayce]

I recently purchased a refurbished computer for a relatively low price. Games run fine on it however the vista system rating for game graphics is at a 3. I was wondering if I could upgrade the graphics card and if so how.

GeForce 6150SE nForce 430

My other specs are:
AMD Athlon Dual Processor 7750~2.7GHz
3966 MB RAM
450GB Hard Drive
Vista

 

[bigrich0086]

if you have a PCIe slot then yes you can buy any you want as long as your power supply supports it

 

[Jayce]

Ok

Cool how much is the best one out there?

 

[Stoic Sentinel]

Cool how much is the best one out there?

Well, we kinda need to know what the max power is for the power supply... and what brand, if possible. You can grab a 5870 on Newegg http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102856 for about $400 (depending on S&H prices), but I doubt you need that much power...

 

[Jayce]

How do I check power supply?

The computer is a HP Pavilion Slimline s5120y

If the computer is insufficient, I can return it for full price.

 

[Stoic Sentinel]

How do I check power supply?

The computer is a HP Pavilion Slimline s5120y

Power supply
220W (100V-240V)

Yeah, that's definitely not going to cut it. You have to upgrade your power supply before you go buying a new GPU.

Do you have a budget?

 

[Backwoods166]

This 4850 is a great deal, and so is this 4870.

 

[Stoic Sentinel]

This 4850 is a great deal, and so is this 4870.

If you're going to upgrade to the 4850 or 70, go for this power supply.

 

[Jayce]

For the new graphics card? Around $100 I was thinking. But maybe I will just return the computer and get a better one instead.

I got the HP Pavilion Slimline s5120y for
$360 because it was refurbished

 

[Stoic Sentinel]

For the new graphics card? Around $100 I was thinking. But maybe I will just return the computer and get a better one instead.

I got the HP Pavilion Slimline s5120y for
$360 because it was refurbished

So... you still need help on the video card? Or are you good?

 

[Jayce]

Thanks

No thanks though!

I'm pretty sure I'm going to just take this computer back and get a better one.
Thanks for the help, but I'd rather just buy a new computer then have to fix the computer up with new parts.

 

[Jayce]

Actually, is there any graphics cards out there that i wouldn't have to upgrade my power supply, as all I am playing is World of Warcraft.

 

[Stoic Sentinel]

Actually, is there any graphics cards out there that i wouldn't have to upgrade my power supply, as all I am playing is World of Warcraft.

With a 220 watt PSU, I'd highly recommend you to upgrade to at least 400W before buying a half-decent video card.

 

[daisymtc]

Actually, is there any graphics cards out there that i wouldn't have to upgrade my power supply, as all I am playing is World of Warcraft.

I don't think so...
another $150 to spend...

 

[Bodaggit23]

Full sized graphics cards won't fit in that Slimline case anyway...

http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/hp-pavilion-slimline-s5120y/4505-3118_7-33698025.html

 

[dgrevillius]

Those slimlines don't hold full atx power supplies either....so upgrading is a pain.

 

[Jamin43]

With a 220 watt PSU, I'd highly recommend you to upgrade to at least 400W before buying a half-decent video card.

Corsair 400W PSU - 29.99 after rebates - tha'ts pretty cheap price.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139008&CMP=AFC-C8Junction

I bought my PSU over a month before I ordered the parts for the rest of my PC - to get a good price. You could plan a build - and buy the parts as you see good prices.