In need of advice ati radeon 4200 upgrade

[navyseals101]

So my parents got me a computer for christmas, it is an hp6823w, with 4 gig's of ram, an ati radeon 4200 hd integrated graphics, and a 250w power supply.

I was wondering what would be a good graphics card/psu to upgrade too, because I am not really sure which graphics card / power supply would be best for the money. I am looking to play some bf3, my last computer, which I had for the longest time, had the ati radeon 9600 and an a7n8x motherboard. It has been a while since I have had a system upgrade and I would greatly appreciate any advice

my budget is 250

 

[DM186]

This what I would do to stay with in budget and would work with what you have so here is two links one for a PSU and the other for a HD 6870. Good luck to ya

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150521

 

[navyseals101]

is my computer and okay build then, if i add that psu and graphics card? What settings do you think i'd be able to run bf3 at? what about in the range of 150$ is there any card/psu that i could afford for that much which would enable me to play bf3?

 

[esrever]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171060
psu
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102948
gpu
$180 total and would probably give you the best performance for your money. you can also get a nicer psu if you want to spend a bit more like the one DM186 recommended.

you can opt for the 6850 and save $10 but its not worth it. you also have not told us what your cpu is. I'd say you can run bf3 easily unless your cpu really sucks.

 

[navyseals101]

Black Mid-tower ATX chassis
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit pre-installed w/CoA
AMD Phenom II X2 521 3.5 GHz dual-core processor
AMD 785G chipset
4 GB DDR3 RAM
1 TB Serial ATA hard drive
DVD±RW DL Serial ATA Drive w/LightScribe
Integrated ATI Radeon 4200 graphics processing unit (GPU)
Integrated Realtek ALC888S-VD audio
Integrated Realtek RTL8105E 10/100 Fast Ethernet LAN
Built-in Digital Media Reader (15-in-1)
250W ATX power supply
USB keyboard & mouse included

are those video cards both good enough to run bf3? if so how well,

and

is my processor adequate? is it even what they say it is? because i heard someone once saying that it wasn't what they tote it to be, and it actually has an l2 cache?

 

[navyseals101]

and lastly, is there a video card for around 110, that would be enable me to play bf3? along with a power supply,

 

[esrever]

yes you'd be able to play bf3 as long as you are happy with medium settings

if you really want to drop to 110, its not really worth it but you can get a 6770.

the 6850 would be as low as I'd go for $130 with the psu I recommended earlier you are looking at $160.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131374

 

[navyseals101]

how much would it be for a cpu upgrade? does anyone know about it?

 

[esrever]

too much to be worth it considering your budget

you'd want at least $100 to upgrade cpu.

 

[DM186]

^+1
He is right you need 3 things a CPU, PSU. and a GPU 100 on the CPU. 50 on the PSU, and 130 on the GPU. So for around 280 to 300 is going to up lift you rig. You could buy one at a time untill you get all three. But to play BF3 on low you need to up grade the PSU and the GPU for sure.

I went to AMD web site and tried to find your CPU but couldent. The only one I could find was the 560 and the 565, not the 521. Here is a link to it. I was trying to find out where you would start to bottleneck with the AMD 6xxx series GPU's. I do wish you good luck on this.

http://www.amd.com/US/PRODUCTS/DESKTOP/GRAPHICS/AMD-RADEON-HD-6000/HD-6450/Pages/amd-radeon-hd-6450-overview.aspx#3

 

[navyseals101]

so do i really need a cpu^ then? or just psu/gpu. your saying three things, but i just want to be able to play at a solid medium as far as graphics go, why isnt 6770 worth it? - would i be able to play on mid settings? or should i get the 6870 , and wht settings will it allow?

whats the deal with my processor?

 

[navyseals101]

bump

 

[navyseals101]

if i had extra cash. like add another 100 would it be best to sink the extra 100 into graphics or cpu

 

[esrever]

I think you should just stick a 6870 in with a new psu.

your cpu should still be fine.

 

[navyseals101]

which 6870, there seem to be many

 

[DM186]

XFX is first choice thane MSI

 

[navyseals101]

what is xfx and msi, isn't ati radeon the manufacturer of the chip?

well which 6870 xfx, aren't there also several types of xfx 6870's?

 

[MasterZoen]

I'm running a xfx 6850, and it runs BF3 on medium graphics at 1920x1080 with no problem. My CPU is much better, however, a Phenom II X4 955, as well as extra ram for running games.

You could run BF3 on and Athlon II x3 935, @ $90, with some medium settings.
You would still need at least a 500w power supply to run a 6850 and the CPU.

 

[DM186]

what is xfx and msi, isn't ati radeon the manufacturer of the chip?

well which 6870 xfx, aren't there also several types of xfx 6870's?

The XFX's are the brand names. They are all good but you have to look at warranty and customer service. XFX in most cases offer life time warranties.

 

[esrever]

which 6870, there seem to be many

any of them will work, depending on your budget constraints the difference is really just reliability and costumer service between the brands.

 

[MasterZoen]

XFX offers a DOUBLE Lifetime warranty on all new AMD videocards except the Limited Edition 5970 as long as you register it online within 30 days of purchase. Double means you can sell the card to someone else and they will have a lifetime warranty also.

Here's a CPU for you Navy: AMD Phenom II X4 840 3.2 Ghz $115. This and the 6850 will still run on that $50 500w corsair psu from above. I use an 850 because I overclock my CPU and motherboard. This cpu is very good for the price, and should run BF3 for you no prob with a 6850 or better GPU. It's also likely to be the best CPU you can use, as your motherboard only supports 95w processors.

If you can't afford the extra $15 then get this instead: AMD Phenom II 830 2.8 Ghz $90

 

[DM186]

XFX is the one I also recomend. I would add Evga but I don't see that card there and most people put the Evga with Nvidia as one of the best. All cards are good the basics all come from AMD. It's the Manf. who puts them together and Like I said before the warranty plus customer service it how define it.

 

[MasterZoen]

With a $350 budget your best bet is:

Corsair CX500 PSU $60 discount with $20 mail-in rebate. 350-60=290

AMD Phenom II X4 830 2.8GHz $90. 290-90=200

XFX Double D Radeon HD 6870 1GB $190. 200-190=10

You've got $10 left over of a $350 budget and another $20 on it's way from a rebate, and you've maxed everything in your system except RAM.

 

[DM186]

^+1
I agree good advise MasterXoen.

 

[esrever]

or he can get a generic 6870 and get a 960t for the same money for better performance