need help with cheapest gpu to suit my needs

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Ok let me start off by saying broke as chit i mean flat broke lol (im a single dad with full custody of my daughter) so that being said i need to find a graphics card for under 50 bucks (obviously used online)

what i need to run is,
at least directx 9.0c or better
shader 3.0 or better

my system is,
HP Pavilion A6119H(GG041AA)
intel pentium D 3ghz, 3000mhz, 2 cores, 2 logical processors
running vista home premium sp2 build 6002
2gb ram 250gb hd
current graphics is the intel 945 express chipset family

i want to be able to run cod waw and scarlet blade for those familiar with them and well i come up short ive tried using game-debate.coms comparison tool and while im pretty computer savvy some of the info it gives me is greek so if anyone could point me to a cheap gpu (im assuming id get a better card cheaper used) that would suit my needs without needing to upgrade ps and other stuff id really appreciate it

honestly the cheaper the better i was checking out a XFX Radeon HD 4550 1GB DDR2 PCIe DVI/VGA Video Card w/HDMI for 30 bucks used on amazon but maybe you guys who know what your looking at would be able to tell me if im skipping over something better in my price range because a lot of stuff looks cool but looks can be decieving
 
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hybird9012
You CPU will be mostly in charge of game physics.. but MOST important to gaming online and offline is your video card. The better the video card the better your experience will be and much smoother gameplay, higher resolution, better textures, etc.. As long as you don't host any games you should be fine (re. CPU).

At this point I would really recommend a 6670 2GB as you don't have to upgrade your PSU and you can keep you current processor. If you get a slower video card then it will be forced to utilize more CPU power, which in your case isn't a lot with a Pentium D.
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hybird9012

hybird9012

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Jan 29, 2013
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Okay great. Here are my recommendations for an even better graphics card then what you suggested:
1) Sapphire Radeon HD 6570 1GB ($49) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102994
2) PowerColor Radeon HD 6670 1GB ($59) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131440
3) Sapphire Radeon HD 6570 2GB ($64) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102942
4) Gigabyte Radeon HD 6670 2GB ($69) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125430

I know you have a tight budget but these will be MUCH faster than an AMD 4550

Example: AMD 4550 has only 80 stream processors vs. AMD 6570 has 480 stream processors
 
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hybird9012

hybird9012

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How many watts does your PSU deliver? An AMD 6570 requires at least a 400W PSU. You may be able to get away with 350 but just know that if it crashes during games then you need to get another one.

You can get a 450W for $20 too or a 400W for under $20
 
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hybird9012

hybird9012

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Then you'll be just fine! Obviously I'd recommend the 6670 over the 6570 but it's your call.. both will be much better than a 4550. A 2GB vs a 1GB will allow you to play at higher resolutions.

I think spending an extra $20 for a 6670 2GB will be worth $69 vs. $49 for a 6570 1GB. Now that you don't have to worry about a PSU. Also, the 6670 2GB has a $10 rebate card as well.
 
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hybird9012

hybird9012

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Jan 29, 2013
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You CPU will be mostly in charge of game physics.. but MOST important to gaming online and offline is your video card. The better the video card the better your experience will be and much smoother gameplay, higher resolution, better textures, etc.. As long as you don't host any games you should be fine (re. CPU).

At this point I would really recommend a 6670 2GB as you don't have to upgrade your PSU and you can keep you current processor. If you get a slower video card then it will be forced to utilize more CPU power, which in your case isn't a lot with a Pentium D.
 
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hybird9012

hybird9012

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Well, your best bet would be to go the AMD APU route. They GPU is actually on the same die as the CPU, so for your gaming needs, you only need to purchase an AMD A10-6800K APU and that will take care of your CPU and video card in one for about $149. You can then get an FM2 socket motherboard for around $50 and about 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 memory for $35. You can keep your power supply and hopefully your hard drive (depending on if it is IDE or SATA)... AND you might be able to use your current case but you'll have to see if it will fit one or all ATX, mini-ATX or micro-ATX boards.

That being said, you can probably spend about $250 for a much faster computer: Quad Core CPU and 4GB DDR3 memory + on-die APU graphics.

Note: One thing that I have learned over the years about snappy and slow computers is hard drive failures. If you stick to you using your mechanical hard drive for a few more years. If you start upgrading your system entirely, there is a chance that the speed can be limited by your mechanical hard drive. I built my friend a computer and he held on to his 3 year old HD. His previous computer was incredibly slow.. we upgraded him from a Pentium 4 to an AMD FX-8350, new GPU, 8GB DDR3 memory... and when we placed his old hard drive in it took FOREVER to boot, FOREVER to open folders and apps.. I made him get an SSD and it was night and day. So just keep an eye out for your computer's responsiveness while you upgrade :)

EDIT: Lastly, I just realized that if you purchase an AMD 6670 you can actually crossfire it with an AMD A10-6800k APU processor, meaning it will utilize both the discrete 6670 graphics card AND your on-die GPU at the same time producing more performance gains. So in a way you are somewhat future proofing for a potential upgrade with your purchase of an AMD 6670 if you decide to go the AMD APU route later.
 
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Travis Williams

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ok if anyone is still around to answer a couple questions.....at the risk of sounding like a total moron.....let me say last time i bought a new graphics card radeon 7000 was top of the line stuff lol so here is my question i came across a guy in my town selling a XFX GeForce 9800 GT 512MB DDR3 fir 25 bucks is it trash or a good deal? and second is there some type of convertor to buy for dvi to vga or will i need to purchase a new monitor as well?
 
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hybird9012

hybird9012

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There are converters you can use. I'm not too sure how a VGA to DVI (DVI to VGA works) will work as I never had to do that but you can try it. As for the Geforce 9800 GT, you can get a new one for $35 bucks but if he's selling it for $25 and you just want to play CoD: World at War and Scarlet Blade, you should be fine.. as their recommended graphics card is at least a Geforce 7900 GTX and Geforce 8600 GT respectively. The Geforce 9800 GT will outperform those.
 
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