PSU and Processor bottleneck?

Guys,

I currently have a HP branded desktop with the following specs:

2.8 HT P4.
1 gb ram,
ATX-250W power supply
Geforce fx 5200 128.(AGP)

I was just about to order a graphics card such as the x1950 pro 512 ddr3 AGP as mentioned on TH until somebody mentioned about my power supply being too weak and that the processor would probably limit the x1950 abilities.

Has anyone any experience with this issue? Am i wasting time getting the x1950 for this system?

To be honest, the only reason im looking for any graphics upgrade is for better playability with games like CnC3, need for speed carbon and similar. Would the 7600gs/gt be a better buy?

I dont really want to do any massive upgrade on this system, just enough for better performance.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Thanks for the quick reply, will the 256mb ddr3 ram on the 7600gt be enough to run the games above?

Yeah, what he said.

The 512 MB version has a much slower memory clock, it's slower despite the additional RAM.

Get this DDR3 version:
XFX PVT73AUDE3 GeForce 7600GT Extreme 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 AGP 4X/8X Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814150210
$130+5

Here's a good PSU:
FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX400-PN ATX12V 400W, $44 + $8 shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817104953

The only drawback with the x1950 series of cards is that they require a lot of amps. I believe the x1950pro requires 30 amps on the 12v rail, while comparable nvidia cards require usually 2-8 amps fewer. This can make a pretty significant difference in the price of psu you should be looking for since there aren't a lot of quality 350-400 watt psu's that have enough amps at reasonable prices.

I do own a x1950 series card and like it quite a bit, but it does draw a lot of amps and creates quite a bit of heat. I don't think you'll be dissatisfied with the pro.

Ok, now searching for UK power supply with loads of Amps.
Anyone know if there will be a significant difference in performance between an x1950 pro 512 and an x1950 pro 256, assuming both are DDR3?

Corsair VX 450W ATX PSU (CMPSU-450VXUK), £43.46 inc VAT, 33A on a single 12V rail
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/show [...] subcat=823

PC Power & Cooling Silencer 610W, £64.61 inc VAT
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/show [...] subcat=928

The Silencer is overkill, of course, but it's top quality and you will be able to reuse it later when you have enough money to build a new PC.

Before you buy a PSU you should also check physical dimensions. Some PSUs may be too long or too wide for your current case.

hope this works,

ordered x1950 pro 512 & corsair vx 550W,

will let you know how i get on. not quite sure what the performance will actually be like. although i guess ive just ruined any chance of being impressed after installing the highest spec dell xs 720 h2c for friend. cod4, modern warefare was that high detail i had to move extra 5ft from his 30" monitor.

as long as i can play cnc3 at half detail at above 800x600 ill be happy. currently running absolute min specs and when you fire a nuke it goes into super slow motion.

thanks once again, any idea what the best deo would be to test the xs720h2c?

Are these replacement PSU's going to physically fit inside the case? A lot of HP desktops use smallish cases designed for a compact PSU.

In a completely hopeful and unprofessional way all i can say is that the picture of the 550W psu looked good and looked about same size as mine. Ordered the PSU very late last night to take advantage of free delivery as part of a bigger order, so no time to measure,especially since was in bed on macbook.

The HP i'm using is, i'm almost sure, a full size atx case and the existing power supply is quite bulky. If i get desperate i've got a couple of ugly beige cases i could transfer everything over to.

jitpublisher : Thanks for the reply, not too familiar with amd processors but if my p4 can come anything close to your processor i cant wait. It really is desperate trying to play the latest games with the settings so low that they look worse than the previous version of the game. For example Need for speed:hot pursuit looks and plays better than Need for speed carbon.

aevm : Canadians must be real friendly or have too much time of their hands, in Ireland where i live (even though im scottish) we have both. Its great how you take the time to find the prices and links, really is appreciated.