Need affordable graphics card recommendations

[probull3t]

. . . . . . . .

 

[jyjjy]

Now, I really do not want to be told how much cheaper building a custom computer is, because on paper they aren't all that affordable, and I'm not looking to get the best of the best as this new computer will be a massive upgrade from my current 4-year-old iBook G4.

This doesn't even make sense. How could significantly cheaper not be "all that affordable" while this is? You can build a similar system for a couple hundred less and it will have higher quality components, notably the PSU which you will likely need to replace in that HP to use a decent video card.
Before recommending a card we need to know your monitor's native resolution.

 

[Onus]

Well, the product page does not even list the wattage of the PSU. The safest choice would be nothing over a HD4670 or HD5670, which do not need auxilliary power, and should run on a 300W PSU.

 

[probull3t]

This doesn't even make sense. How could significantly cheaper not be "all that affordable" while this is? You can build a similar system for a few hundred less and it will have higher quality components, notably the PSU which you will likely need to replace in that HP to use a decent video card.
Before recommending a card we need to know your monitor's native resolution and your budget.

 

[probull3t]

Well, the product page does not even list the wattage of the PSU. The safest choice would be nothing over a HD4670 or HD5670, which do not need auxilliary power, and should run on a 300W PSU.

 

[jyjjy]

It's not that hard really. Putting the components together is pretty easy these days, if you can use a screwdriver you can do it. It's picking out the components that can be tricky but that is what sites like this are for. Working with the price of that computer I would recommend something like this;

XFX Radeon HD 5770 1gb + AMD Phenom II X4 955 3.2GHZ $318
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.325772

GIGABYTE GA-MA790GPT-UD3H AM3 790GX Motherboard - $98 after MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128398

A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 - $99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211409

Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM - $95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148433

Antec EarthWatts Green EA-500D 500W - $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371035

COOLER MASTER ELITE 335 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Case - $40 after MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119161

LG DVD Burner Black SATA - $23
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136167

Total $733 including shipping after 2 mail in rebates(totalling $25)

I went for quality components rather than savings. Could easily knock of another $100+ if you prefer but considering your stated budget was $700 + $100-150 for the card I figured this would be for the best. Notable differences between what I listed and the HP include;
Great video card for your resolution.
A very high quality power supply that can handle the card.
Faster processor(3.2ghz vs 2.8ghz) with the latest stepping.
Crossfire motherboard made by one of the best brands so you can add another HD5770 at some point if you want to.
Nicer case
The one negative is 4gb or ram vs 8gb. You can grab another 4 gigs if you want but personally I don't think it's necessary if the most intensive thing you will be doing is gaming. The ram I picked out is also faster(the HP doesn't list the ram speed but it's almost definitely 1066 or 1333 rather than 1600.)
I did this fairly quickly. There are probably better combo deals on the site and to save money it's not a bad idea to sign up for their email list. They have sales every few days and keeping an eye on them and buying similar components over a few weeks when on sale can save you money.

 

[probull3t]

Best answer selected by probull3t.

 

[probull3t]

Thank you very much for that reply. It does look like a good deal with all those components.

 

[jyjjy]

Like I said I picked those parts out fairly quickly. There's a home build forum on the site. You can use this as a base and post it in there and see if you get any good suggestions to make the choices better and/or cheaper.

 

[probull3t]

Like I said I picked those parts out fairly quickly. There's a home build forum on the site. You can use this as a base and post it in there and see if you get any good suggestions to make the choices better and/or cheaper.

Thanks again

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Read this ?

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gaming-graphics-card,2544.html