Graphics card suggestions?

TheGame · 12-19-2008, 08:46 PM

Sooo... I officially gave up on my laptop and got myself a desktop. I didn't get a very good one, but I wasn't exactly "trying" to have a strong gaming one. I grabbed a Compaq Q from walmart for $400 roughly.

I only really play one PC game, and that's world of warcraft. I've looked around for reviews on the card I have, and it seems its even somewhat sub par to run that game with good settings. So I wanted to know if you guys have any suggestions for which type of graphics card I should go for.

Current system~
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+ 2.30 GHz
Memory: 2.93GB (Running vista so yeah that memory is eaten alive)
32 Bit Operating system

Current graphics card~
Nvidia GeForce 6150 nForce 430

So any suggestions for me that's not overkill for my processor and not over expansive?

Jason1 · 12-19-2008, 10:53 PM

Yea, thats an integrated graphics card so you definatley want to get a dedicated card...that being said, personally I have been a fan of ATI's cards for a long time, but its really just a matter of preference. I would think something like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814131068 would suit you just fine, and its only $24.99 after the mail in rebate. Thats insane.

Happydude · 12-19-2008, 11:38 PM

seeing as how you have an nvidia chipset mobo, i would actually go with an nvidia card for compatibility purposes.

for a card below $50 i would go with http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814162018

for a card below $100 i would recommend http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...2E16814127379R

manasecret · 12-19-2008, 11:40 PM

Here's the best link for video card comparisons. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...cs,2086-7.html

birdman · 12-20-2008, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason1

Yea, thats an integrated graphics card so you definatley want to get a dedicated card...that being said, personally I have been a fan of ATI's cards for a long time, but its really just a matter of preference. I would think something like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814131068 would suit you just fine, and its only $24.99 after the mail in rebate. Thats insane.

Do you know if that would run any Source based games well? I'm still running integrated over here.

TheGame · 12-20-2008, 03:04 AM

Thanks for the tips guys. That Newegg site has some awesome prices compared to store prices... If my PC runs WoW at decent settings to begin with I'll just order from there and be patient. But if it runs very crappy I'll end up spending $50+ more to buy from a store like best buy.

Jason1 · 12-20-2008, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by birdman

Do you know if that would run any Source based games well? I'm still running integrated over here.

I would think so, that card is actually similar power wise to my Radeon X800 that is a 3 year old card now, and I run source games fine. Maybe not on the super best maximum settings, but they are perfectly playable.

TheGame · 12-21-2008, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happydude

for a card below $50 i would go with http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814162018

I'm very close to buying this one, but I only have one question because that review is bugging me. How can I tell if I have a 400 watt power supply? I have looked allover the net at my model (Compaq Presario SR5610f Desktop PC) and none of the specs show what supply it has. It says N/A on every site when I look at the power supply specs.

I'm almost betting I'm over thinking it, but I'd rather ask and be sure before laying down the $60ish for it to be shipped out.

Jason1 · 12-21-2008, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGame

I'm very close to buying this one, but I only have one question because that review is bugging me. How can I tell if I have a 400 watt power supply? I have looked allover the net at my model (Compaq Presario SR5610f Desktop PC) and none of the specs show what supply it has. It says N/A on every site when I look at the power supply specs.

I'm almost betting I'm over thinking it, but I'd rather ask and be sure before laying down the $60ish for it to be shipped out.

Hm, not positive...you might have to physically open your computer and look on the side of your power supply...im not positive their might be an easier way to do it...anyone?

Seth · 12-22-2008, 12:50 AM

Game, yeah just check your power supply. And shame on you for buying a 400 compaq. Have you checked to make sure your motherboard's compatible with the card you want? I'd also like to throw my support towards an nvidia card. I've had nothing but pleasant experiences with them an my last radeon always had performance issues despite it's superiority over my 2002 geforce ti4600. yeah, i could run HL2 with that card at a decent fps. the radeon crapped out after 4 months.

TheGame · 12-22-2008, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seth

Game, yeah just check your power supply. And shame on you for buying a 400 compaq. Have you checked to make sure your motherboard's compatible with the card you want? I'd also like to throw my support towards an nvidia card. I've had nothing but pleasant experiences with them an my last radeon always had performance issues despite it's superiority over my 2002 geforce ti4600. yeah, i could run HL2 with that card at a decent fps. the radeon crapped out after 4 months.

I'm going to take it apart today to check, I just thought there'd be an easier way to check such a simple spec, and was being lazy. I've already opened it up once, the motherboard has both PCI and PCI express slots.

What's also wierd is when I was hunting down info on that card, most places praise it for being able to run on almost any power supply...

TheGame · 12-22-2008, 06:31 AM

The power supply is 250 Watt... ripped it apart this morning. So I guess I'll either be buying http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371016 or if I can find a card cheaper then the new card I want + the power supply which can run well on 250 watts.

Like I said in the first post, I only really play WoW, so it doesn't have to be TOO strong.

thatmariolover · 12-22-2008, 08:01 AM

Yeah, sorry I was just about to post that it's a 250w PSU. I guess it depends on how much you want to spend. Personally, I'd suggest:

XFX GeForce 8600 GT 512MB $69.99 ($59.99 after $10 MiR):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150247

And a 400w PSU with a great rating ($36.99):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104953

The Galaxy graphics card you're looking at only has one review. The XFX I'm linking has 223 reviews (73% of which are 5-star), plus comes with a double lifetime warranty. The PSU I'm linking has 166 reviews (80% of which are 5-star). All in all it'd be a big jump for about $100.

TheGame · 12-22-2008, 04:24 PM

Is a PSU hard to install? I guess I get to consider my current computer a learning experience for now.

Jason1 · 12-22-2008, 05:35 PM

I have never personally installed a power supply, but it couldnt be that bad...I mean just look at how stuff was connected on the old power supply, and re-connect it the same way, I would think it should be pretty easy.

But, this is what you get for buying a cheap Compaq computer...