Need a decent video card that fits my system

lostdog54

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Jun 28, 2011
3
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18,510
Ok, here's my situation. I would like a higher quality video card, but don't want to spend a ton of money on it or on a new power supply. I looked around here a bit and realized that you guys will want as much info as possible, so here i go.

Computer is from best buy - HP a6750y
AMD Phenom X4 9650 Quad Core Processor

Power supply is Bestec. Model # ATX0300D5WC

I'm just looking for something that will make things look a bit nicer on my machine, nothing fancy or mind-blowing. I spy on all the deal sites for when they have cards that sound good at sick deals, but when I find one I realize that I have no clue if I can even use it in my machine.

Any help is appreciated. You guys are pretty awesome around here. Every thread I looked through seemed to have people that were helpful and legit with their advice. So rare to find that these days.
 

millwright

Distinguished
You are going to have a hard time finding any card that is worth the upgrade, without a new power supply.

300watt is not enough, and that is a poor quality power supply.

A 5570 for example, calls for a 400watt, so you would need at least a crappy 400w, or a quality brand 300w to 350w .

with a crappy 300w you are pushing your luck, but you might get away with it, but I would expect, the power supply, to run hot, at the least.

And of course, with a poor quality power supply, there is no protection for the computer, when it has a meltdown.
 

lostdog54

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Jun 28, 2011
3
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18,510
Ok, well thanks for the responses.

I think I'll just keep my eye out for a good deal on a 5570. If I can't find one, then maybe I'll just upgrade the power supply.

Is that terribly hard to do?
 

4745454b

Titan
Moderator
No. Just unscrew, unplug the old PSU and put the new one in. Everything should be standard with all the parts matching up. You might have some issues if your new one comes with a 4+4 AUX plug and your board uses a 4pin plug. Just separate the 4+4 into two parts and use the one that fits.
 
do some research before upgrading the PSU, not everything is what is seems with their ratings unfortunately. Rules to follow when buying a psu:
1. In general you get what you pay for, if there is an 800w psu for $35, you can be pretty certain it wont produce its rated power or last very long.
2. Brand names that produce reliable PSU's that live up to their rated power 99% of the time are: Antec, Seasonic, Corsair, XFX (the models made by seasonic) and OCZ.
3. Always try to find a review of the psu you wish to buy. The review must test the PSU with a load tester under full load with ripple and noise measurements. A couple of trusted sites for good PSU reviews are Hardwaresecrets and Jonnyguru.