Yet again another, "What graphics card" thread.

[joshphillips999]

Hello,

I am fairly unsure as to what graphics card I should get for my situation, I will post my specs first, and then I'll explain.

I have an Intel core dual processor - E8400 at 3.0ghz.
I have 3.5GB of ram.
My current graphics card is an ATI all-in-wonder x1800XL.
And finally, my motherboard is a GA-P35-S3G, ( http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Spec.aspx?ClassValue=Motherboard&ProductID=2729&ProductName=GA-P35-S3G ) which has PCI-e x16 slots, but they're not 2.0. Apparently this will affect me a bit, but not too much. But also about my motherboard, I can only support 45nm processes and higher, ie I can't use the 40's. Which relates to my actual question:

I am not sure which PSU I have, however the recommended requirement for my current card is 450w and 24A/26A (different sources say different amperage), so I guess any card with this or lower would be fine?

Because I was looking at a GTS 250, but I'm not sure if I would be able to support it 100%. I was thinking of a green version but apparently they require two PCI-e six pin connectors, which my PSU is unlikely to support. And apparently they don't save very much anyway.

So I was thinking of like an ATI HD 4770, which are low energy but powerful cards but of course thats a 40nm process, which I cannot support.

I can't upgrade anything else because I'm on a budget of £120, and really can't afford to dish any more out right now.

Also, how does the 4850 compare in performance and power?

So what do you think would be the best card for me in my circumstances?

Any info would be greatly appreciated and if you need any more info just ask

Edit: I also run Windows XP SP3, so DX 10/11 doesn't make a difference really.

 

[shadow187]

An HD5770 would be the best at your budget, but two things you could tell us is your PSU and monito sizer.

 

[joshphillips999]

An HD5770 would be the best at your budget, but two things you could tell us is your PSU and monito sizer.

Yeah but like I said my mobo doesn't support the 40nm process Unless you know of any which support a 45nm process or higher?

I don't actually know what the PSU is, either, because I'm only 17 and it would be my friend who would install the card for me, when it comes to changing the hardware of my computer I'm a total noob. But like I said, it ran on a card which required 26A and recommended 450w for two years, so I guess it can't be much different?

But my monitor is 22", but I use fairly low resolutions, generally.

Thanks for the response.

 

[joshphillips999]

Ohhh I see, silly mistake I made there :lol:

Thanks a lot

Unfortunately, on the game I will be playing mostly, the 57xx series cards do not work very well at all :\ theres some huge bug where you can only get to a certain point and then you litterally can't play (Cities XL).

 

[shadow187]

From a quick google search I can't find any sort of bugs...you might want to search that up a bit more though.

 

[jyjjy]

Yeah, I've never heard of any motherboard requiring the GPU to be a certain process.
A 22" will likely be 1600x900. An HD5770 would be ideal but the HD4770 you mentioned or an HD4850 will still be decent cards for that resolution.
The HD4770 uses basically the same power as your current card. The HD4850 is a bit better and uses more power so we would need to know more about your PSU to tell you if it's a good choice for you. There is a chart on the side of the PSU. Brand/Model or the overall power and number of amps on the +12v rail is what we would need to know.
Also you really don't need someone else to change your video card. It's very simple.

 

[joshphillips999]

From a quick google search I can't find any sort of bugs...you might want to search that up a bit more though.

Yeah On simtropolis, the site people use to talk about Cities xl, everyone who said they had a 5770 said once they reached a certain number of buildings the game sort of crashed, and thats totally useless to me really.

So I was thinking of getting a 4770, just because it uses 1W less power than my current card according to the power calculator, and that would give me assurance that I'm not overloading my PSU. Plus its almost the same as a GTS 250; and sometimes beats it with more AA. The 5770 takes 25W more power and the 5750 5W more. The GTS 250 puts it up by 62W, making my recommended voltage 400W, so that doesn't really work for me.

 

[joshphillips999]

Yeah, I've never heard of any motherboard requiring the GPU to be a certain process.
A 22" will likely be 1600x900. An HD5770 would be ideal but the HD4770 you mentioned or an HD4850 will still be decent cards for that resolution.
The HD4770 uses basically the same power as your current card. The HD4850 is a bit better and uses more power so we would need to know more about your PSU to tell you if it's a good choice for you. There is a chart on the side of the PSU. Brand/Model or the overall power and number of amps on the +12v rail is what we would need to know.
Also you really don't need someone else to change your video card. It's very simple.

Hmm, Problem is I don't trust myself and my case is annoyingly hard to open, but I'm not even sure if 5850 would be compatible.

Thanks for the info, very much appreciated.

 

[ern88]

Well, I have a ASUS P5K-E MoBo, 4 gigs ram, E8400 running with stock fan + cooler at 3.6 ghz. And a ATI 5850. I got the 5850 because I will upgrade sometime within a year and when I do. I am going to add another 5850 crossfire

 

[joshphillips999]

Well, I have a ASUS P5K-E MoBo, 4 gigs ram, E8400 running with stock fan + cooler at 3.6 ghz. And a ATI 5850. I got the 5850 because I will upgrade sometime within a year and when I do. I am going to add another 5850 crossfire

Wow, how much power does it take to run that?

 

[jyjjy]

I never suggested an HD5850. It's way out of your price range.

 

[ern88]

I have a 610 watt silencer PSU. And thats plenty of power. I would take that E8400 and run it to 3.6 ghz. Anything higher and I would suggest a new and better after market fan and heat sink. The 5850 cost me in Canada $320. And I had it for about 3 weeks now. I love the card. And can't wait to upgrade my rig and have it run in CF config. Maybe a i7 930 or the new 6 core AMD thuban CPU. Not sure yet

 

[joshphillips999]

I never suggested an HD5850. It's way out of your price range.

Sorry, I got confused, I meant to say 4850.

 

[jyjjy]

Well, whether you can use the HD4850 depends on your PSU.