Tom's Hardware > Forum > Graphic & Displays > Graphics Cards > Whats the best graphics card i can run with a 300W PSU?

Whats the best graphics card i can run with a 300W PSU?

Forum Graphic & Displays : Graphics Cards - Whats the best graphics card i can run with a 300W PSU?

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ryancxg   11-05-2009 at 04:54:40 AM

some of my computer specs are:
intel core 2 quadcore q8200
6GB

It has an integrated graphics card at the moment.

Will my computer even last long with a quadcore processor? i heard that 300w+quadcore = bad.

What graphics card can i get and would my computer be able to support it and itself for a long time?

Im hoping for a gpu that can handle upcoming modern warfare 2 and left 4 dead 2 on med quality and decent resolution.

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WR2   11-05-2009 at 05:02:42 AM

What size / resolution monitor will you be using?
Not all 300W PSUs are the same quality.
Got a make and model on yours?

Reply to WR2
megamanx00   11-05-2009 at 05:30:14 AM

If your PSU is crappy I would say don't go above a Radeon 4550 or maybe an NVIDIA 9500GT. If it's a decent unit then perhaps you could get away with a 4670 so long as you don't run furmark on it ^_^.

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 Reply to megamanx00
Onyx2291   11-05-2009 at 05:38:44 AM

megamanx00 wrote :

If your PSU is crappy I would say don't go above a Radeon 4550 or maybe an NVIDIA 9500GT. If it's a decent unit then perhaps you could get away with a 4670 so long as you don't run furmark on it ^_^.



Pretty sure a 9500 minimum requirement is 350w so I wouldn't recommend that either.

9400, GT 220 and any lower are 300w minimum or less, not sure about lower ATI cards.

Reply to Onyx2291
Bluescreendeath   11-05-2009 at 06:21:45 AM

The vast majority of 300watt PSUs can handle at least a 4650...sometimes a 4670.

9400GTs use approx the same amount of power as a 4650 I believe, and a 4650 is way better.

Go for a 4670 if you can though.

Reply to Bluescreendeath
ryancxg   11-05-2009 at 06:34:50 AM

HD im guessing? and will it be find if i get a graphics card that requires exactly 300? or will it kill my comptuer?

Message quoted 1 times
Reply to ryancxg
Bluescreendeath   11-05-2009 at 06:40:45 AM

I ran an overclocked 4650 on my Dell 305watt PSU without any problems. I also had an Core2Duo E6300 OCed from 1.8GHz to 2.5GHz.

Power requirements of graphics cards are usually over stated.

Reply to Bluescreendeath
berserker29   11-05-2009 at 08:58:13 AM

Basically nothing that needs an additional power connector - which your psu probably doesn't provide anyway.

I would honestly recommend getting a better psu first, THEN a new GPU - your CPU is crying out for a GPU to bottleneck!!

Even just 400 watts would be enough for a decent GPU, and you'll still have enough wiggle-room for a comfortable CPU overclock.

Reply to berserker29
WR2   11-05-2009 at 02:24:13 PM

ryancxg wrote :

HD im guessing? and will it be find if i get a graphics card that requires exactly 300? or will it kill my comptuer?

Why guess? List your PSU make and model; and the DC output info from the PSU data plate and you'll have some good advice - not guesses.

Sample data plate:
http://images17.newegg.com/is/image/newegg/17-182-207-Z05?$S640$

Reply to WR2
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