Best GPU for best Power Supply

plastichairball

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Hi there all gurus and wisemen,

I have just got myself a new(ish) machine, and am now debating which PSU to go for and which graphics card to equip the system with.

Specs of the system are: Acer M464, 4 Gb DDR2 Ram, Q6600 quad core processor at stock speed, 600 GB SATA HDD.

Currently the system has a horrible 9600 GT, its a DDR2 128 bit version...slow as anything. So I'm looking to upscale, but I'm aware this comes with limitations in terms of space and power.

So in terms of space my next card can't be HUGE as the case is quite small and cramped, so huge cards are out.

In terms of power, the current PSU in there is a 300W with 12v - 8A and 12v - 14A. Now I have another PSU in the cupboard that's pretty new, its 500W with 12v - 20A. My question is which is better, and then which graphics card would be best suited for it?

Many thanks in advance!
 
Don't cheap out on PSU, it's the most important thing inside your PC... :)
Well, 300W (8A+14A on 12V) is good, but 500W (20A on 12V) is BAD.
Without changing your PSU then GT240 or HD5670 is the best card for your need.

If you want higher card like HD5770 or GTX460 then buy a Quality PSU like Corsair, Antec, Seasonic, OCZ, SilverStone with 500W minimum. Their PSU are expensive, but you get a great PSU.
 

plastichairball

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Thanks for the quick replies guys.

hell_storm, unfortunately a complete upgrade isn't really an option, so I'm going to make the most out of this machine. The 500W is a brand that I don't know off the top of my head, thinks its OEM and its made in Thailand.

wa1, thanks for your wisdom. I know dual 12v PSUs are meant to be more stable , but why is the 500W so bad???

I'm quite keen on a 240 or a 5670, do you guys think 4670 is a viable option? Or a green version of a 9800GT? Looking for cards that have some ooomph, but won't really stress the system too much and maybe have power saving features.

Thanks again guys!
 

decode

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I have a green version of the 9800GT (Galaxy 9800GT LPE)
It works decent with my 955 BE, and it worked decent in my 5000+ too. Not exactly a big WOW! card. but it'll do the job.
 
If you cabinet is a slim one, then i think you need a low profile card and they aren't much powerful.

If it was Dell, then the 300W PSU would have been reliable. I dont have much idea about the Acer's OEM PSU build quality, but i don't regard it as in the top notch.

HD5670 should be a good one, but not the ooomph factor you are looking for.
 

decode

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The word 'Acer' usually means cheap and not reliable to me, I mean there not ALL bad... Just 50% of them...

Your probably going to want to upgrade your PSU in this case...
 
If your 500W PSU only has 12A on 12V rail then your PSU is 'crap', for comparison, my ST50F 500W has 18A on 12V rail(1) and 18A on 12V rail(2), that's makes 36A total.
Your PSU only has 12A, mine 36A, so get a nwe PSU or stay with your 300W and get HD5670...
 

plastichairball

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Hi guys, thanks for your responses. I think the 5670 is winning out as the card of choice from all the recommendations...it works well in terms of size factor, power consumption and is really not too bad in the oomph department. I'll try go for that, or if the budget doesn't stretch far enough a 4670 or 240 gt. Perhaps I'll even look at a green 9800gt. All I'm really looking for is decent performance and detail at 1600 res without breaking the budget.

wa1, I had to read your post several times, but I think you mistook the reading of the 12v rail on my 500W, as its 20A not 12A. Not amazing I know, but surely not too bad?
 

plastichairball

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Ah right, just seen everyone's replies! I'll definitely check the PSU when I get home, but AFAIK its only got the one 12v and its 20A on it. Its a brand new PSU, but the lack of SATA connectors on it makes me think that its an old "new" PSU. I think I have a photo of it around somewhere...
 

plastichairball

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Hi all, so the PSU is a LPK9-4 500W PSU. Is it usable at all? Is the 20A sufficient to run anything? Is it better than, for example, the 14A and 8A on my other 250W PSU?

I'm going to price a few 5670s, GT 240s and a maybe a GT 220 or two. Thanks so much for your comments all!
 

plastichairball

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Yeah that is true, and I fully agree with that. However, if I have a choice between getting the best out of what I have now, or getting a decent PSU and then not having the cash for a decent GPU I'd go with option A and then when the mid range GPU can no longer handle it'll be time to get a new system anyway.
 

plastichairball

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Ok guys, here's what I've found:

Sapphire ATi Radeon HD5670 512MB

Core clock: 775MHz
Memory clock: 4000MHz
512MB/128-bit GDDR5 memory interface

That looks good to me! They recommend a 400W Psu, will my 350W be enough?

Thanks so much guys, this is the final stretch!
 

plastichairball

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Brilliant, those are some intriguing choices! Now my final question before this thread can be considered solved is;

Is my 500W PSU good for anything? Can it run...let's say, a 4670?
 

plastichairball

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Great, thanks guys. I'll consider throwing into my other system which is currently running a 8600 gt and maybe then throw in a 4670 or 5670. You guys have been really helpful, and I really appreciate it!