GPU for core 2 quad Q9400

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MEL1315

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Mar 30, 2015
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Hi guys, i was wondering which is the best gpu for my C2Q pc. I am not building a gaming pc (as you can see the system is very old) but I'd love to see few games like gta 5, fifa 15 etc working on it.

My system specs:
Cpu- Q9400 @2.66ghz
Cooler- deepcool gammaxx 300
Mobo- g41 combo
Ram- 4gb ddr3
Psu- 450W mercury

Provided with the low quality psu, it would be really great if someone could advice a gpu without much power consumption( earlier i used asus silent gt730 2gd3).

Is the asus silent gt 1030 a good choice or should i opt gtx series? Also, is it safe to overclock the cpu slightly?
 
Solution
The Paladin
@MEL1315 - is the best thing to do is upgrade GPU over CPU, the answer is yes it will be most bang for your buck, even if the 9350 is dirt cheap. the 1050ti will handle anything your system will throw at it yes. and yes upgrade ram to 8GB

just to compare CPUs your board could handle a QX9650 CPU according to http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-Gigabyte/GA-G41M-Combo(rev._1.3).html

Now this link shows what you get for your money in "improvement.... " is it worth it? I would start with a video card.
http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core2-Quad-Q9400-vs-Intel-Core2-QX9650

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The Paladin

The Paladin

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Oct 5, 2016
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you will need make and model of your motherboard "G41 combo" is not a model
will your system perform faster with a Qx9350 ? sure, can it handle it?
you biggest issue is your max board ram (4gb) because that is bare minimum to run Windows, never mind playing video games.
don' get me wrong, I have run Call of Duty Black Ops on a Q8300 with 8GB DDR2 system.
what I am saying it, it wont be easy.
as for the power supply you could upgrade to a 600w bronze psu,. ( I use a cooler master AT-600W PSu and my Q8300 runs fine on it.)

but for now please provide, the make/model of motherboard
 
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theyeti87

theyeti87

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Sep 15, 2012
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I'd opt for a 1050Ti. There will of course be a bottleneck at the CPU, but you'll be able to carry that GPU with you going forward in a new build down the road.

Another option would be a 750Ti, but you're not going to be able to play GTA V very well with that CPU regardless of what video card you're running.
 
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MEL1315

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Mar 30, 2015
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Oh im sorry i didnt know that. My motherboard is gigabyte ga-g41m combo.

@The Paladin, i understand what you're saying, but currently i only have the budget for a gpu. Moreover, my ram frequency is 1333mhz and to spend money on another such is like building without a real base, right? Isn't is better to buy a decent gpu first, and upgrade the rest when the mobo runs out?

@theyeti87, you seem to understand my point. The gtx 1050ti seems to be a good choice but will i have to replace my psu then? If i overclock the cpu to a safe extent, can the issue of bottleneck be negated?
 
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13thmonkey

13thmonkey

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Jan 10, 2006
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The Core2Q series of processors is very old now, OCing won't do an awful lot, and will risk you killing your board, upgrading the CPU will accomplish a bit, but not much.

By the 1050ti, be happy with the performance knowing that your CPU is constraining it, start saving for a better CPU/MOBO/RAM setup to take more advantage of the GPU.

If you buy a lesser GPU then when you do get a new system, it'll be pointless, the 1050ti, is a nice balance between not being too underutilised now, and still giving good performance once the rest of the system is upgraded.
 
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herrwizo

herrwizo

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Feb 17, 2009
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One more vote for 1050Ti (very low power requirements, uses up to 75W max), and definitely upgrade your RAM to 8GB of DDR3 memory, since your mobo supports it and you WILL need it for most newer games. CPU will hold you back in some titles, but in those that rely on GPU the most, you will get a large performance boost over yor GT730 - so large that you won't believe it :)
 
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The Paladin

The Paladin

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Oct 5, 2016
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@MEL1315 - is the best thing to do is upgrade GPU over CPU, the answer is yes it will be most bang for your buck, even if the 9350 is dirt cheap. the 1050ti will handle anything your system will throw at it yes. and yes upgrade ram to 8GB

just to compare CPUs your board could handle a QX9650 CPU according to http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-Gigabyte/GA-G41M-Combo(rev._1.3).html

Now this link shows what you get for your money in "improvement.... " is it worth it? I would start with a video card.
http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core2-Quad-Q9400-vs-Intel-Core2-QX9650

 
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Solution
D

dontlistentome

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Sep 5, 2016
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A game like GTA V needs more than 4gb ram. If you play it with 4gb system ram it'll work, but there will be stuttering in the framerate. What I'd do is run the games you have now, the most demanding, with MSI Afterburner also running. Run the games on your 730 at 720p/low settings. Observe your CPU and GPU usage. Hopefully what you see is the 730 at or close to 100% but the CPU much lower.

This would be a good sign you could benefit from a new videocard. Which one? Your system is old enough that I'd worry about compatibility. A 1050 would be great as long as it works with that motherboard. That power supply isn't great but it'll work. It's more like a cheap 300W than a real 450W, but as long as it lasts it's enough.
 
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