Help buying a new graphics card

[garlicbread]

Hey there i have a Dell xps 420 pc and my Nividia GeForce 8800 gt die.I am going to buy a new graphics card but im not sure what graphics card would work for my pc.My pc info is:

processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E6850 @ 3.00gHz 2.99 GHz

Ram 3.00g 64-bit operating system

power supply of 400w

I know if i get a new graphics card i would have to upgrade the power supply what kind of power supply should i get and what is the best graphic card that i can get for my pc?

 

[garlicbread]

bump

 

[jjb8675309]

If I were you here is what I would do....

Fist off you need another gig of ram

next what resolution do you game at??

without knowing this info, here is a power supply and graphics card that I would reccomend that will see a minimal bottleneck from your cpu.


Gigabyte HD 6850
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125348&cm_re=6850-_-14-125-348-_-Product

PSU

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151093&cm_re=seasonic-_-17-151-093-_-Product

you could also buy an aftermarket cpu cooler and overclock your cpu a bit...

 

[garlicbread]

at 1920 x 1080 resolution the graphics card u link me is not that good i want to know if my pc would be able to use like one of the best graphics card out there like Geforce gtx 480 or cards like that

 

[garlicbread]

bump

 

[jjb8675309]

well with a gtx 480 you will be able to use it sure, but not to its full capabilities, Based on what cpu you have I would say not to go anything higher than say a gtx 470/6870 with your cpu becoming a bottleneck. Really the 6850/ gtx 460 is the way to go and just lower the res to 1650X1080 in some games that need it but most should be playable at 1920X1080, but based on what cpu have that is my recommendation


if you have unlimited budget and an ample power supply then go for a 6950/70 or gtx 570/80 it will work with decreased performance and you can carry it over to a nerw build otherwise stick with something that you wont see a major bottleneck such as a 6850/gtx 460 and you should be happy until your next build

also what is the make and model of your mobo?? I would pick up some more ram

 

[garlicbread]

i'm not sure and if i get the EVGA GeForce GTX470 what kind of power supply should i get?

 

[Gamer-girl]

Minimum 550watt power supply

I would go with this just in case

 

[megamanx00]

You could probably go with a 6850 without upgrading your PSU. Right now though the Antec 650W is currently on sale

Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W $49.99 after rebates. Promo code EMCZNNW24

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371015&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL122810&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL122810-_-EMC-122810-Index-_-PowerSupplies-_-17371015-L0B

It's certainly enough to power any single card. If you want to stay with nVidia then go with a GTX 470 or GTX 460 depending on your resolution, or wait for the GTX 560. On the AMD side it's the 6850, 6870, or 5870 (which is getting cleared out and thus a great deal) depending on your resolution. I say going AMD is a better value, but it's up to you.

You never put down your budget by the way so you'll get all kinds of responses

 

[garlicbread]

what is better 6850 or Gtx 470?

 

[garlicbread]

How big of differences would it be to the Gtx 470 to the GTX 580 would it be worth the money if i got the gtx 580 and if so why?

 

[jyjjy]

With a dual core at 3ghz anything better than the GTX 470 won't matter much. The GTX 460 is the best choice to pair with your processor imo. It performs very well at 1080p even at reference speeds, over twice as fast as your 8800gt, and can also overclock a large amount(often 30%+) with good performance scaling.

 

[garlicbread]

thanks would it be worth it to get another gig of ram?

 

[jyjjy]

It's a good idea. Ram is pretty cheap right now and I believe with 3 gigs you aren't using the dual channel capability of your motherboard so you will end up with faster ram as well when upgrading to 4gb.

 

[garlicbread]

thank i just check and i have 2g of ram 2 slots and 2 512 mb would it worth the money to get 8g of ram or just get one more 1g of ram ?

 

[jyjjy]

I wouldn't bother with 8gb. More than 4gb is of questionable use unless you do something that you know can take advantage of it like rendering, HD video editing or music production.

 

[garlicbread]

what type of ram should i get and would it be better if i get it online or go to frys and buy it?

 

[jyjjy]

The XPS 420 was sold with DDR2 667 and DDR2 800. If you have DDR2 800 then get the same. If you have DDR2 667 either will do. There's a good chance you'll find it cheaper online but sometimes Fry's has nice sales.

 

[garlicbread]

i want is better and why this http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-PCI-Express-Graphics-012-P3-1470-AR/dp/B003EEMFTI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1293690536&sr=1-1 or

http://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-nVidia-GeForce-PCI-Express-GV-N470D5-13I-B/dp/B003FP9I28/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1293690536&sr=1-3

 

[jjb8675309]

i want is better and why this http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-PCI-Express-Graphics-012-P3-1470-AR/dp/B003EEMFTI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1293690536&sr=1-1 or

http://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-nVidia-GeForce-PCI-Express-GV-N470D5-13I-B/dp/B003FP9I28/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1293690536&sr=1-3

I would with the evga the gigabyte is a ripoff

 

[garlicbread]

thanks how long do graphics card last for and is there anything that i can do to max out the life of a graphics card?

 

[jjb8675309]

thanks how long do graphics card last for and is there anything that i can do to max out the life of a graphics card?

all depends on usage but it will last the longest if it can keep cool, (good case airflow) and stay dust free then it should last for a long time. Make sure it doesn't build up dust bunnies and explode and keep it cool and that is the best you can do short of buying an aftermarket waterbolck or cooler but those things will not necessarily extend its life but will allow it to run cool.

from my expirience the dell xps 420 case does not have very good airflow and builds up a lot of dust internally so make sure to clear dust with a spray say bi-monthly or so just to make sure

 

[garlicbread]

thanks when i look up Gtx 470 there are so many kind of 470 and i don't know what kind should i get what is the best 470 card i can get for the money?

 

[Gamer-girl]

I would recommend the EVGA card, they offer a lifetime warranty - just remember to register within 30 days from purchase.

They also offer a 90 day step-up program

http://www.evga.com/stepup/default.asp?switch=3

 

[jyjjy]

This is the best deal on a GTX 470 I'm seeing currently;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121400