GPU Upgrade

Cloudy

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Mar 10, 2010
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Hey guys, well I'm looking for a pretty good graphic card that my CPU/PSU can handle. I'm not really sure if my PSU comes with a 6-pin connector, so I was thinking something that doesn't require power from the PSU, if not it's fine. I was originally thinking a 5670 but I hear the 4770 and 4850 destroy it in many benchmark attempts.



Current Specs:

2 GB Kingston 533Mhz DDR2 - RAM
250GB 7200RPM SATA2 16MB - Hard Drive
Intel Pentium D935 3.2 GB 2x2MB 800Mhz LGA775 - Processor
ASUS P5LD2 LGA 775 Intel 945P ATX - Motherboard
Sapphire Radeon X1650 PRO 512 MB DDR2 Pci-Express - Video Card


PSU/Specs:

V Power 465W ATX 20+4 PIN - Power Supply (some cheapo brand)

+12V is at 25amps. Here's a picture for more information.
Link: http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/4294/psvps465.jpg

Any suggestions on what I could do? I have a $125 limit (CAD) and I don't really want to spend money on a new PSU, just need a simple, above decent GPU for the time being.

Thanks,

Deven.
 
The 5670 is slightly worse than the 4770 which is slightly worse than the 4850, however the power consumption also increases in that order. You only have 300W of power available on your 12V rail

The PSU calculator recommends 301W, assuming 0 capacitor aging and using a 4850 with your previously listed components, it only comes up to 247W with a 4770. The 4770 is as high as i would recommend going on your PSU, or you risk destroying it. Cheapo PSUs are not known for their ability to sustain max power output for very long safely.
 

Cloudy

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Mar 10, 2010
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Hmm, but seeing as the 5670 doesn't require a power connector, should I settle with that? I'm not into extreme 1080p, triple-monitor gaming, I just want high settings, maybe 1280x1024 res and low AA/AF.
 

king game

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Dec 31, 2009
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i would recommend you to upgrade your psu 550 or 600W so you have no probs

and what is your processors original name like dual core ect.

and in that budget you will only be able to play games in medium

for 140$ you could get the 9800gt or for 150$ get the 4850
 


Ah! A fellow Canadian! How's it goin eh? lol I used to work at tigerdirect.ca and I know EXACTLY what you should get. I can also calculate the taxes for ya..lol If you live in Ontario that makes this easier. I just moved to Quebec myself for university. (Cuz I was born here it's less than half-price so I couldn't say no..lol) Now, you say you have a generic power supply... err well that makes things a bit difficult because some generics put out only half the power they're rated at but because you have the X1650 which requires a 350W and 18A on the +12V rail, I can work with that. The X1650 Pro pulls 156W at load and 126W at idle. More than your budget, that will be how I choose a card for you because it's risky to overload a generic power supply. I will get one that matches your current card in power consumption because we know it's safe.

My recommendation for you is the ATi Radeon HD 4670. It will be a good jump from what you have and will play almost all games at medium to high settings. It idles at 90W and peaks at 178W so that's close enough to your X1650 Pro to be safe.
http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/9987-ati-hd-4670-512mb-gddr3-video-card-review-16.html
My power supply blew and I'm stuck on a GeForce 8500 GT PCI-Express v1.1 and I can STILL play Batman: Arkham Asylum at 40fps with PhysX turned off. That's at low resolution but honestly, the good news is that there isn't much of a difference..lol The 4670 CRUSHES the 8500 GT so you'd be in pretty good stead. It also wont' be a power issue because it doesn't have any connectors. It gets all its power from the PCI-Express slot. I'll give links here to Canadian sellers. Good luck and I loved Sid the Kid's goal just as much as you! I'd recommend XFX above all else for the double lifetime warranty but ONLY if they're priced well. As it turns out, XFX has the lowest price in Canada over at tigerdirect.ca!

XFX HD 4670:

XFX: - $75 before tax (Best price in Canada so far)
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5256326&CatId=3669
XFX: - $80
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=45726&vpn=HD467XZDF2&manufacture=XFX

I know it's a lot less than your budget but it will do the job you want and I'm worried about your PSU. I think something more powerful might be too taxing on it. It's always risky with an unknown PSU. I know what you have working and I'd rather keep it in that power range. :sol:

AGAIN, DO NOT TRUST THE NUMBERS ON THE SIDE OF YOUR PSU!!! Until you get a decent brand-name power supply like SeaSonic, Antec, PC Power and Cooling, OCZ or Corsair do NOT trust numbers on ANYTHING! (Especially Ultra X2)
 

Cloudy

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Mar 10, 2010
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Wow guys, love this forum for its fast and accurate answers!

Avro Arrow, finally someone that has the same situation as me! Yes I live in Ontario (Toronto) and I was planing on buying from tigerdirect but it seems a little overpriced. Yea, a generic PSU brand is most likely going to flunk out on me, but I according to many reviews+benchmark attempts, it seems about the same as a 9800GTX with DX11 and the power draw is VERY low (it better be!)

Well I just ordered a 5670 512MB, HOPING that my PSU can take it. If not I'll probably just remove it, save up, and throw it in a new system.

Card I ordered: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102871&cm_re=5670-_-14-102-871-_-Product
 
Your PSU will probably handle it fine. If it were a quality brand even a 300w PSU could run that card. The HD5670 uses less than 10w more power than your current card on average so it's unlikely to be able to handle one and not the other.
 

Cloudy

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Mar 10, 2010
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Hey, I just got the 5670 today, and it is a pretty big improvement. It wasn't to the degree as what I expect BECAUSE my CPU is bottlenecking it like crazy. The temps are exactly the same, all the drivers are installed, the benchmarks are way higher. I expected to see more improvement, but that isn't the cards fault, its my own crappy PSU and CPU.

I'd recommend this card to ANYONE with a limited PSU and budget!