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Graphic card for vista

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Hi,

I am planning to buy a new pc and wanted to know what graphic card would be ideal for running vista ultimate smoothly (with aero). I would not be playing any games. my budget is around $50 for the graphic card. I was thinking of ati radeon hd 3450. Will it be a good choice or is there a better option? please advise me if i should go for a 512mb card or whether 256mb be more than enough for my requirements.

Also, would it be advisable to purchase a better graphic card (with increased memory) or increase RAM (currently thinking of 2gb....should i go for 2x2 gb?) considering budget limitation and that i require it mainly for running vista smoothly?

Thanks.

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I suggest this for $54.99:

SAPPHIRE 100253HDMI Radeon HD 4650 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Low Profile Video Card - Retail
Built-in HDMI w/ 7.1 Ch Audio & Low Profile Design

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102829

You need a 400W power supply for this.

4 GB of memory would be great for Vista. More RAM is more beneficial than the video card in your case, since you are not a gamer.

Message edited by evongugg on 07-16-2009 at 02:57:55 PM

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Reply to evongugg

the ATI 3450 or 4350 (same card different name) will have no issues running Vista for you

I have added both cards to several Vista units and they ran vista smoothly even on a 24 inch LCD. Either can be had for around $30. I have also used Vista systems with both 2GB and 4GB Ram for office use and saw no difference. If you don't plan on gaming and using intensive graphic programs, you won't need 4GB currently. You can always upgrade your RAM when you do need the increase.

No need to waste money on the 4650 if you don't play games.

Reply to ct1615

An 8400GS would be a perfect solution if you like a quiet PC.

------------------------------ [:mousemonkey:1]

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/5041/vr2009champ.jpg

Reply to mousemonkey

the hd 4650 costs around $80 in my country so i guess that is not an option for me anyway

isnt hd 3450 better than the 8400 gs for my requirements? (and also considering they are about the same cost)

also i think hd 3450 is available as ddr2 and ddr3. which one should i prefer? how much of a difference will it make?

Reply to Anonymous

the 8400GS is rated below the 3450/4350 but really you would not see much of a difference between them. At the same price the DDR3 version is better frankly it makes little difference also. None of these cards are considered heavy graphic cards but they are perfect for dual monitors, DVD and HD playback.

http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] 323-6.html

Reply to ct1615

Radeon 3450, 4350, 4550, geforce 8400 gs, 9400gs.... buy the cheapest one... anything above that is overkill for vista aero.... (I would recommend radeon 4350 with passive cooler... no brainer)

Reply to roco_nights

Thanks a lot everyone
Ill be buying my pc in a few days...will most likely go for the hd3450..

Reply to Anonymous

remember to use a 64-bit version of Vista to utilize the 4 GB...

Reply to seerwan

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