Dell Inspiron 545MT Graphics Card Upgrade - Best available card?

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Beaumont Yun

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Aug 24, 2013
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Dear all,

I want to upgrade my graphics card. I have a default power supply of 300W (presumably), PCI express 2.0 x32, CPU Core2Duo E7400 @ 2.8GHz.

I would like to ask for a suggestion for a graphics upgrade.

Currently, I am looking at Radeon HD7750 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00761YFPW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE). I'm not planning on upgrading my PSU, so I want to ask whether this card is compatible for my specs as stated above and if there are better alternatives.

Cheers.
 
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Deus Gladiorum


I used a wattage calculator, making a few assumptions when necessary, but the minimum turned out to be in the 220 W range with the recommended being in the 270 W range, so yes it'll run fine...
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Vaxorth25

Vaxorth25

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Jun 12, 2009
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To put it simply, yes that card should have no problem operating in that PC, it doesn't need external power because it pulls all that it needs from the PCI-E slot. Just to let you know though, that E7400 might bottleneck the card a bit. Just a heads up.
 
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Deus Gladiorum

Deus Gladiorum

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Jun 29, 2013
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I used a wattage calculator, making a few assumptions when necessary, but the minimum turned out to be in the 220 W range with the recommended being in the 270 W range, so yes it'll run fine. However, Vaxorth25 is correct in saying that you will most likely be bottlenecked. I'm sure you probably realize this, but your PC is quite the dinosaur with a lot of parts in need of an upgrade. You could end up upgrading your graphics card, but I'm not sure exactly how much of a performance gain you'll really see. It should be a noticeable difference, but I don't think you'll see the increase in graphical performance you're looking for.
 
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Beaumont Yun

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Aug 24, 2013
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10,510


Thank you for the prompt reply and yes, I expected it would bottleneck. However, it would still be better than my Radeon HD 3600 which came with the default system. I actually considered HD 6670 as an alternative but after some research it seems that HD 7750 performs 10-20% higher than the 6670, so I am leaning toward the higher performance card.

@ Deus Gladiorum

Thank you for the informitive answer. This is just want I needed to know before I make the purchase.

Please note that I am not trying to upgrade my whole system to 2013 standard. I only need a temporary upgrade before I get a new PC next year- to play video games at a lag free environment and boosting browsing and video speed.

Graphics-wise, I am not looking at things like ultra-high "crysis" settings but at least able to provide a lag-free environment in medio-core settings in games like: BF3 and SC2. I want a card that would allow me to do exactly what I want to do and when I want to do it without being handicapped by lag-spikes, I would even opt for an ultra-low settings if I have to but precision and lag-free is my key goal (of which my HD 3600 cannot do at the moment).

Much appreciated, Vaxorth & Deus

P.S. Do you guys have any alternative suggestions other than the HD 7750? Or is that the highest-rated card in relation to my PC specs?
 
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Deus Gladiorum

Deus Gladiorum

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I can't think of any alternatives at the moment, but considering the price and the brute performance difference between the HD 3600 and the HD 7750, the 7750 is a good buy. You'll probably be able to get a very consistent 30 fps at medium settings, 0x AA, at even 1080p with something as undemanding as Battlefield 3.
 
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