Xfx 9500gt VS sapphire 4550

[carlhenry]

both cards are low profile
the xfx 9500gt
and the sapphire 4550

the performance are of course, the xfx 9500gt is superior to the sapphire 4550 by an avg of 10fps of the benchmarks i saw

im doing an upgrade this weekend and still full of doubts if which card should i buy.
my choice is stuck between the two because of my 250w psu, and is wondering if which card is
safe. both cards passed on the psu calc.

*note: i cannot upgrade my PSU because it is OEM

here are the results:

4550

AND

9500gt

the 9500gt is almost on the 250w mark.
i will be playing at least 5hours or so, would i damage my psu if i run the cards at that load for that long?
both cards are priced the same so its a bit of a waste if im going with the sapphire 4550.
i dont mind playing at mediocre settings as long as i can play at high resolutions.

lastly, if i will be buying the sapphire 4550, would it be sufficient to play:
Need For Speed: Undercover, Burnout Paradise, GRID, Devil May Cry 4
even at medium or heck LOW settings as long as i play them at 1680x1050 or 1440x900 res

*My current system specs are:
AMD Athlon 64 x2 5000+ Brisbane 2.6GHz
2GB 667 RAM (1 stick)
160GB sata ii HD
Nvidia 8200 (my current gpu, its integrated thats why its sucky)
Windows Vista Basic

 

[Guest]

you'll be able to play them all high on the 9500gt.

I have a BFG 9500GT 1GB OC and I can play pretty much any game at high 1680x1050 and get good fps.

Even GTA 4 can be played at 1680x1050 all High (shadow density at 0)

I know for a fact that you'll be able to play those at highest gfx settings and 1680x1050.


Don't buy the 4550.

Minimum to buy now is 9500/9600 or 4650/4670.

My system:
AMD Anthlon X2 5200+ 2.7ghz
5GB ram
500GB HD
BFG 9500GT 1GB Overclock Edition
Vista Home Premium 64bit
250W PSU

 

[AsAnAtheist]

You should be fine with the 9500 GT, however your power supply might be strained. It's a hit and miss really if your PSU will handle it for long periods of times. All you can do is try, and be ready to buy a new PSU if it does fail on you after a few months.

 

[carlhenry]

i cant afford to buy a new psu since it is OEM, i might get a pretty crappy one too. i guess i'll stick with the 4550 then..

but will there be any conflicts since my moBo is a geforce 8200?
fitting an ATI seems weird where my chipset is purely nvidia?

 

[AsAnAtheist]

i cant afford to buy a new psu since it is OEM, i might get a pretty crappy one too. i guess i'll stick with the 4550 then..

but will there be any conflicts since my moBo is a geforce 8200?
fitting an ATI seems weird where my chipset is purely nvidia?

There is no problem using an ATI card on a Nvidia board or a Nvidia card on a ati board.

The only thing that us limited is the fact you can't do crossfire on a nvidia board. And I you can't do sli on a ati board. Unless the board allows it

 

[carlhenry]

There is no problem using an ATI card on a Nvidia board or a Nvidia card on a ati board.

The only thing that us limited is the fact you can't do crossfire on a nvidia board. And I you can't do sli on a ati board. Unless the board allows it

that basically answers any doubt. THANKS VERY MUCH! finally im gonna buy my 4550 without any worries. thanks guys!
i've read some that nvidia mobo with an ati poses no problems but i needed more replies just to make sure. again, thanks!

 

[AsAnAtheist]

that basically answers any doubt. THANKS VERY MUCH! finally im gonna buy my 4550 without any worries. thanks guys!
i've read some that nvidia mobo with an ati poses no problems but i needed more replies just to make sure. again, thanks!

Glad to be of help! and have fun gaming.