Any ideas for best graphics cards for these rigs?

[tombed]

I've got two office machines, and want to upgrade one of them to a games machine principally to play Oblivion).

I guess I'll need at least a better graphics card. My question is: which machine, and what kind of graphics card will I need to get really good performance? Someone has recommended Gainward ATI Radeon HD 3850 1024MB PCI-E VGA DVI HDMI - I've no idea why, but it is in the right price range (around £50).

And do I need anything else?


The machines:

Dell Optiplex GX620
3.0 GHz Processor
x86 Family 15 Model 4 Stepping 1 GenuineIntel ~2992Mhz
Windows XP Pro
80Gb hard drive
512Mb RAM
128MB Graphics Card Radeon X600
PCI Bus

Dell 740 Optiplex
2.5GHz Processor
x86 Family 15 Model 107 Stepping 2 Authentic AMD ~2505Mhz
x86 Family 15 Model 107 Stepping 2 Authentic AMD ~2505Mhz
(This line is on the Windows system info twice - does this mean it has 2 processors??)
160GB Hard Drive
2GB RAM
Windows XP Pro
128 Graphics Card Radeon x130
PCI Bus
XP Pro


Many, many thanks for any help!

 

[dirtmountain]

Your best bet for the graphic update would probably be the Dell 740 Optiplex. We need more information though. What processor does it have ? What form factor is it (mini tower/desktop or small form factor)? It should have a PCIex16 socket for the upgrade, but what type (full height or low profile) may determine what card.

 

[belial2k]

a 4670 is a good base gaming card for that system. It really couldn't use much more than that. But first you need to measure to make sure you have the room in that slimline case. The other system cannot be made into a modern gaming system, but it can be alright for surfing the net and basic computer functions.

 

[invisik]

How many amps? Might work fine with a 4670.

 

[belial2k]

4670 won't draw much more than what he already has in it

 

[tombed]

Thanks a lot for all this.

The 740 is a mini tower and the power supply is 305w.

The processor:
2.5GHz Processor
x86 Family 15 Model 107 Stepping 2 Authentic AMD ~2505Mhz
x86 Family 15 Model 107 Stepping 2 Authentic AMD ~2505Mhz
Do you need more than that? Where can I find the info?

I really appreciate the help - thanks

 

[dirtmountain]

I'll vote for the HD4670. Since some Dells have fit problems with dual socket cards i'd opt for this Sapphire GPU.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102820

 

[tombed]

Thanks and respect - how do you guys keep up with all this stuff?
Any thoughts on this?
HIS Hightech H467QT512P Radeon HD 4670 IceQ Turbo 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161252

 

[dirtmountain]

That's a better card then the one i picked, it exhausts hot air outside of the case and runs cooler and quieter. Just make sure it will fit in your case. Both the in/out at the rear of the case and if it has enough clearance at the cooler.

 

[delluser1]

BTX mini tower, no dual slot cards without case modification.

 

[tombed]

Thanks to everyone.