Choosing new graphics card

GingerFox

GingerFox

New Member
Hi everyone.

I'm looking to invest in a new graphics card i have a max of about £130 i want to spend but there are a few issues first off, my pc comes with a ****ty dell 350w PSU which has one graphics power connector now i did a PSU calculator with the card i want to buy>>Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Cardand it says it should come under 350 but i would like your opinions. Also is that the best card i can get for the cash? i would prefer ATI but would be willing to go over to Nvidia.

Oh and i currently have a HD radeon 2600 XT which is a slim one, depth wise anything would fit, but i think a longer card would have a hard time fitting.

Anyone got some good advice?

Cheers
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    InspironTM 530 DT (D105012)
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ 2 Quad-Core Q6600 Processor (2.4GHz, 8MB cach
    Motherboard
    Mainboard : Dell 0FM586
    Memory
    4096MB 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [4x1024]
    Graphics Card(s)
    256MB ATI® Radeon™ HD 2600 XT graphics card
    Sound Card
    Integrated 7.1 Channel High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    19in SE198WFP WIDESCREEN UK/Irish Silver (1440 x 900) TCO99 DVI-D
    Screen Resolution
    1680X1050
    Hard Drives
    320GB (7200rpm) SATA Hard Drive
    Case
    Stock
    Cooling
    stock fans (1xpsu fan, 1xcase fan)
    Keyboard
    Dell usb
    Mouse
    Dell usb
    Internet Speed
    512kb :(
hm... yes size might be a problem but that would be about the best you could get you need to find out just how much space you have
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Acer, Aspire M1201\Custom Build
    CPU
    AMD Athlon X2 5000+ @ 2.6Ghz
    Motherboard
    Acer Micro-ATX Motherboard
    Memory
    2x2gb Patriot Viper DDR2 PC6400 @ 800mhz Dual Channel SLI Edition (4-4-4-12)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI HD3870 with 512mb GDDR4
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD 7.1 Onboard Sound
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" Acer X223 Widescreen
    Screen Resolution
    1680 X 1050
    Hard Drives
    320gb Western Digital SATA II (Ubuntu 9.10)
    500gb Seagate SATA II
    1tb Seagate SATA II (Vista Home Premium)
    PSU
    ULTRA X3 600 Watt Modular
    Case
    NZXT Tempest (The Airflow King) 2x 140mm Fans, 4x 120mm Fans
    Cooling
    1x 135mm In PSU, 1x 70mm On CPU, And 1x 120mm On GPU
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Sidewinder X6
    Mouse
    Microsoft Sidewinder X5
    Internet Speed
    6 Mbs Down 1 Mbs Up
    Other Info
    AVerMedia 1500MCE TV Tuner
    Logitech X540 5.1 Surround Sound
Never mind people turns out that that card needs two power connectors my PSU only has one and dell have said no you cannot upgrade lest you void the warrenty, and i have a 3 year warrenty i dont want voiding. So it looks like im stuck with it:@:@

Thanks the pizza man for your input.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    InspironTM 530 DT (D105012)
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ 2 Quad-Core Q6600 Processor (2.4GHz, 8MB cach
    Motherboard
    Mainboard : Dell 0FM586
    Memory
    4096MB 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [4x1024]
    Graphics Card(s)
    256MB ATI® Radeon™ HD 2600 XT graphics card
    Sound Card
    Integrated 7.1 Channel High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    19in SE198WFP WIDESCREEN UK/Irish Silver (1440 x 900) TCO99 DVI-D
    Screen Resolution
    1680X1050
    Hard Drives
    320GB (7200rpm) SATA Hard Drive
    Case
    Stock
    Cooling
    stock fans (1xpsu fan, 1xcase fan)
    Keyboard
    Dell usb
    Mouse
    Dell usb
    Internet Speed
    512kb :(
GingerFox said:
Never mind people turns out that that card needs two power connectors my PSU only has one and dell have said no you cannot upgrade lest you void the warrenty, and i have a 3 year warrenty i dont want voiding. So it looks like im stuck with it:@:@

Thanks the pizza man for your input.
Click to expand...

there are adapters/changers to change the molex power from your psu into the connection needed for the graphics card.

is your chassis sealed? if not, install the card and if anything happens to the computer that is warranty related, remove the card before sending it to dell.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Garage PC
    CPU
    Intel Pentium E3300 @ 2.5GHz
    Motherboard
    BioStar G41-M7
    Memory
    A-Data PC2-6400 (2 X 2GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Diamond Radeon HD 4650
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Mx705 (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    1152x864
    Hard Drives
    320 GB Hitachi - System Drive /
    100 GB Maxtor - Diagnostic Application /
    PSU
    LOGISYS PS480E12 480W
    Case
    Generic Barebones Case
    Cooling
    Stock Intel HSF
    Keyboard
    Generic PS/2
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    10 d / 1 u
I doubt that PSU will be capable of handling the 4870, even if he was to use adapters. I don't know anything about ATI but on the Nvida, high end card require a lot of amperage as well and that psu might not even have half of the amperages needed.

You'd be wise if you find out about this as well since it seems you know what you are doing and were able to find about the 2 connector requirement.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel Q9650 w/CM V8 Cooler...
    Motherboard
    EVGA 780i SLI FTW... Latest Bios & Drivers
    Memory
    Corsair Dominator 8GB (4 x 2GB) PC2-8500C5D
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GTX260
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Def Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer 22" LCD Widescreen
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    WD Velociraptor 160GB
    Samsung Sata 750GB
    Maxtor External 160GB
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750w Silencer
    Case
    Thermaltake Speedo Advance
    Cooling
    Air Cooled... See CPU
    Keyboard
    Logitech G15
    Mouse
    Logitech G7
    Internet Speed
    Comcast 6MB Broadband
    Other Info
    Linksys WRT54G router
Stupid things is, the bloody PSU has 0 molex plugs yes ****ing zero!!! so no luck
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    InspironTM 530 DT (D105012)
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ 2 Quad-Core Q6600 Processor (2.4GHz, 8MB cach
    Motherboard
    Mainboard : Dell 0FM586
    Memory
    4096MB 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [4x1024]
    Graphics Card(s)
    256MB ATI® Radeon™ HD 2600 XT graphics card
    Sound Card
    Integrated 7.1 Channel High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    19in SE198WFP WIDESCREEN UK/Irish Silver (1440 x 900) TCO99 DVI-D
    Screen Resolution
    1680X1050
    Hard Drives
    320GB (7200rpm) SATA Hard Drive
    Case
    Stock
    Cooling
    stock fans (1xpsu fan, 1xcase fan)
    Keyboard
    Dell usb
    Mouse
    Dell usb
    Internet Speed
    512kb :(
the gts 250 only has one pcie connector, i think thats about the best you can go right now (certainly from the nvidia lineup) without moving to a double pcie connector.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    §ĮŁΣNŦ Д$$Д$$ĮN
    CPU
    Xeon X3360
    Motherboard
    P5W64 WS Pro
    Memory
    Corsair XMS2 8gb @ 5-4-4-12 833mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA Geforce GTX470 SC+
    Sound Card
    X-Fi Extreme Gamer Fatlity Edition
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung T200
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    WD 1TB RE3
    PSU
    Thermaltake Toughower 750w
    Case
    NZXT Lexa Silver
    Cooling
    Zalman CNPS10x Extreme
    Keyboard
    Razer Lycosa Mirror
    Mouse
    Razer Deathadder 3500dpi
    Internet Speed
    24Mb/s
    Other Info
    My massive wifi antenna is in the post!
or you could go with the Visiontek HD3870...... it also has only one picE connector.... and its a really good card :D
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Acer, Aspire M1201\Custom Build
    CPU
    AMD Athlon X2 5000+ @ 2.6Ghz
    Motherboard
    Acer Micro-ATX Motherboard
    Memory
    2x2gb Patriot Viper DDR2 PC6400 @ 800mhz Dual Channel SLI Edition (4-4-4-12)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI HD3870 with 512mb GDDR4
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD 7.1 Onboard Sound
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" Acer X223 Widescreen
    Screen Resolution
    1680 X 1050
    Hard Drives
    320gb Western Digital SATA II (Ubuntu 9.10)
    500gb Seagate SATA II
    1tb Seagate SATA II (Vista Home Premium)
    PSU
    ULTRA X3 600 Watt Modular
    Case
    NZXT Tempest (The Airflow King) 2x 140mm Fans, 4x 120mm Fans
    Cooling
    1x 135mm In PSU, 1x 70mm On CPU, And 1x 120mm On GPU
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Sidewinder X6
    Mouse
    Microsoft Sidewinder X5
    Internet Speed
    6 Mbs Down 1 Mbs Up
    Other Info
    AVerMedia 1500MCE TV Tuner
    Logitech X540 5.1 Surround Sound
I don't mean to insult you in any way, shape or form but, my recommendation is to save your money until you can upgrade to a better hardware, this way, you won't waste your money on something you may or may not be able to use but it is going to be the bottom of the line if you decide to get a new PC.

If you are getting a new PC, the best thing to do is to build your own, unless of course, you only need it for the most basic stuff. If you plan on gaminf Offline (and more so Online), the custom built is the only way to go.

It is scary the first few times you do it, find a friend in the biz to hook you up with the installation of the case/mobo/psu wiring and try to do the rest yourself... you'll have a lot of fun and you'll feel like a king when you are up on the desktop changing the side bar to your liking ;) :D
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel Q9650 w/CM V8 Cooler...
    Motherboard
    EVGA 780i SLI FTW... Latest Bios & Drivers
    Memory
    Corsair Dominator 8GB (4 x 2GB) PC2-8500C5D
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GTX260
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Def Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer 22" LCD Widescreen
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    WD Velociraptor 160GB
    Samsung Sata 750GB
    Maxtor External 160GB
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750w Silencer
    Case
    Thermaltake Speedo Advance
    Cooling
    Air Cooled... See CPU
    Keyboard
    Logitech G15
    Mouse
    Logitech G7
    Internet Speed
    Comcast 6MB Broadband
    Other Info
    Linksys WRT54G router
AstaLaVista said:
I don't mean to insult you in any way, shape or form but, my recommendation is to save your money until you can upgrade to a better hardware, this way, you won't waste your money on something you may or may not be able to use but it is going to be the bottom of the line if you decide to get a new PC.

If you are getting a new PC, the best thing to do is to build your own, unless of course, you only need it for the most basic stuff. If you plan on gaminf Offline (and more so Online), the custom built is the only way to go.

It is scary the first few times you do it, find a friend in the biz to hook you up with the installation of the case/mobo/psu wiring and try to do the rest yourself... you'll have a lot of fun and you'll feel like a king when you are up on the desktop changing the side bar to your liking ;) :D
Click to expand...

+1 to that..... i wish i had done that first time around :p
i would have had a 4870x2 and a phenom II by now haha
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Acer, Aspire M1201\Custom Build
    CPU
    AMD Athlon X2 5000+ @ 2.6Ghz
    Motherboard
    Acer Micro-ATX Motherboard
    Memory
    2x2gb Patriot Viper DDR2 PC6400 @ 800mhz Dual Channel SLI Edition (4-4-4-12)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI HD3870 with 512mb GDDR4
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD 7.1 Onboard Sound
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" Acer X223 Widescreen
    Screen Resolution
    1680 X 1050
    Hard Drives
    320gb Western Digital SATA II (Ubuntu 9.10)
    500gb Seagate SATA II
    1tb Seagate SATA II (Vista Home Premium)
    PSU
    ULTRA X3 600 Watt Modular
    Case
    NZXT Tempest (The Airflow King) 2x 140mm Fans, 4x 120mm Fans
    Cooling
    1x 135mm In PSU, 1x 70mm On CPU, And 1x 120mm On GPU
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Sidewinder X6
    Mouse
    Microsoft Sidewinder X5
    Internet Speed
    6 Mbs Down 1 Mbs Up
    Other Info
    AVerMedia 1500MCE TV Tuner
    Logitech X540 5.1 Surround Sound
Yeah i know. I have built pc's before its just i had loads of laptops before that and they crapped out on me so i got a pre built with a long warrenty, and now its biting me in the ass:(
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    InspironTM 530 DT (D105012)
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ 2 Quad-Core Q6600 Processor (2.4GHz, 8MB cach
    Motherboard
    Mainboard : Dell 0FM586
    Memory
    4096MB 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [4x1024]
    Graphics Card(s)
    256MB ATI® Radeon™ HD 2600 XT graphics card
    Sound Card
    Integrated 7.1 Channel High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    19in SE198WFP WIDESCREEN UK/Irish Silver (1440 x 900) TCO99 DVI-D
    Screen Resolution
    1680X1050
    Hard Drives
    320GB (7200rpm) SATA Hard Drive
    Case
    Stock
    Cooling
    stock fans (1xpsu fan, 1xcase fan)
    Keyboard
    Dell usb
    Mouse
    Dell usb
    Internet Speed
    512kb :(
+1 for cutom build. All the onnes i had done for me were always terrible or not the way i wanted.

when i actually started getting my own flow of cash, i just went ahead with my own build.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    §ĮŁΣNŦ Д$$Д$$ĮN
    CPU
    Xeon X3360
    Motherboard
    P5W64 WS Pro
    Memory
    Corsair XMS2 8gb @ 5-4-4-12 833mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA Geforce GTX470 SC+
    Sound Card
    X-Fi Extreme Gamer Fatlity Edition
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung T200
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    WD 1TB RE3
    PSU
    Thermaltake Toughower 750w
    Case
    NZXT Lexa Silver
    Cooling
    Zalman CNPS10x Extreme
    Keyboard
    Razer Lycosa Mirror
    Mouse
    Razer Deathadder 3500dpi
    Internet Speed
    24Mb/s
    Other Info
    My massive wifi antenna is in the post!
I just completed my 1st custom build. There are still a few kinks to hammer out, but overall its a much bigger BEAST than I could have bought from a vendor!

also for the graphics card. I have a XFX GTX 260 and it makes a weird buzzing sound unrelated to the fan. I think I read somewhere that eVGA NVIDIA cards don't make the buzzing because they use better compontents. Just a heads up
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    i7 920
    Motherboard
    Asus P6T
    Memory
    OCZ 3x2GB 1600 DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    XFX GTX 260
    Sound Card
    X-Fi
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 22in
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    1TB Western Digital
    PSU
    PC P&C 750W
    Case
    Antec 900
    Cooling
    Sythe Mugen 2
    Keyboard
    Saitek Eclipse
    Mouse
    Logitech G5
    Internet Speed
    DSL > 3 Mbits
skunkboy72 said:
also for the graphics card. I have a XFX GTX 260 and it makes a weird buzzing sound unrelated to the fan. I think I read somewhere that eVGA NVIDIA cards don't make the buzzing because they use better compontents. Just a heads up
Click to expand...

Known issue with those cards, have fun reading,

GTX 260 buzzing - Google Search
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Me
    CPU
    Athlon x2 7750 BE
    Motherboard
    Asus M4A78 Pro
    Memory
    2x2gb Kingston
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire HD 4830
    Sound Card
    X-Fi Xtreme Music
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer P221w and Acer 1916w
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050 and 1440x900
    Hard Drives
    2x80 GB Seagate 7200.10 in RAID0, 500 GB Seagate 7200.12
    PSU
    Antec Earthwatts 500W
    Case
    Antec Sonata III
    Cooling
    AC Freezer 64 Pro and a couple of 120 mm case fans
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech G5 v2
    Internet Speed
    10000/1000
WHY DID NONE OF THE REVIEWS I READ OR ANY OF THE TOMS HARDWARE BEST GRAPHICS CARDS TO GET LISTS NEVER MENTION THE BUZZING!!!!!!

I dont think it was on any of the newegg reviews either... gees
grrrrr...

hahaha sorry about that, just letting it out.
 

My Computer

System One

  • CPU
    i7 920
    Motherboard
    Asus P6T
    Memory
    OCZ 3x2GB 1600 DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    XFX GTX 260
    Sound Card
    X-Fi
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell 22in
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    1TB Western Digital
    PSU
    PC P&C 750W
    Case
    Antec 900
    Cooling
    Sythe Mugen 2
    Keyboard
    Saitek Eclipse
    Mouse
    Logitech G5
    Internet Speed
    DSL > 3 Mbits
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