New Graphics Card Advice

[akim1220]

My current GPU has gone bad and am looking to purchase a new one. The original plan was to do a new build but I will not be able to until I save some more. I am thinking about purchasing each part once individually once the funds are there. Would it be best to just wait till I save? Time frame may be about 3 months. However, I do need a new GPU and would like to get one that will be compatible with my current set up and strong enough to be in the new setup.

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE:
ASAP

BUDGET RANGE:
USD $150-250 After Rebates
Found this one on newegg:
MSI N550GTX-Ti Cyclone OC GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127573

USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT:
Gaming - Only game I play now is WoW but am looking to purchase BF3. I am fine playing WoW in low/medium settings. Never played BF3 but would probably be same settings if I had to.
Downloading
Watching videos/movies

CURRENT GPU AND POWER SUPPLY:
GPU-
ManufacturerNY GeForce
ModelNY GeForce 8800GT DDR3 (not sure which one it is exactly in the link below)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&N=-1&isNodeId=1&Description=PNY+GeForce+8800GT+DDR3&x=0&y=0
(e.g., ATI Radeon HD 4850 and Corsair 750TX 750W PSU - without this info, it's really hard to help you)

PSU-
Manufacturer:Black Steel 580W
Model:BKS580 (again not sure exactly which one it is below)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&N=-1&isNodeId=1&Description=BKS580&x=0&y=0


OTHER RELEVANT SYSTEM SPECS:
Ram-
Manufacturer:Corsair
Model #:VS1GB800D2
Speed:800MHz i think
Size:2x 1GB

CPU-
Manufacturer:AMD
Model #:AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5200+ (2 CPUs), ~2.7GHz

Mobo-
Manufacturer:ASUS
Model #:M2A-VM

Operating System-
Name:Windows 7
Bit:32 bit (will have to double check that it is 32bit once I get home)

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS:
newegg, tigerdirect, any legit site

PARTS PREFERENCES:

OVERCLOCKING:
Maybe if it will be worthwhile with the current setup or new build.

MONITOR RESOLUTION:
Not sure off the top of my head.

Please let me know if I am missing any info and I will post it ASAP. Thanks!

 

[jsrudd]

Radeon 6950 is a pretty good card in the $250 range. It might be limited by your current CPU, but will fit well in a new build.

 

[refillable]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161396
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020

 

[dejayXYX]

You have a dual core. Hmmmm..

What case do you have? I am guessing your rig is custom, hoping it is.

 

[akim1220]

@refillable: Is that the PSU I would need to run that GPU? I have a 580W PSU and the min. recommendation is a 500W in the specs for that GPU.

@dejayXYX: My computer was a custom build that I bought from Cyberpower about 4-5 years ago for about $500. I am not sure what case I have but can post when I get home. And what do you mean by "You have a dual core. Hmmmm...."? Is my computer that old? haha

 

[vrumor]

Guessing at that price range for a prebuilt the PSU is garbage. Upgrade that first

 

[Onus]

Akim, if you have a Sunbeam PSU, you'll need to replace it first. Here's a typical example, may even be the one you have: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=204
So, out of your $250 budget, let's spend $80 first on this 620W Seasonic PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151096 leaving $170. You can get this HD6870 for $155: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161389 and there's a small rebate, if you play that game and win.

 

[hella-d]

If You Overclocked The CPU A Bit, And Got The 550TI, That PSU MIGHT Be Alright But A Better One Is A Definite Plus, Ram Is Dirt-A@@ Cheap Right Now So Id Get As Much As You Can Afford (4GB MINIMUM).

You Could Run Games With Little Problem As Long As You Dont Expect To Run Anything At Max Settings With High AA

Im Currently Running BF3 On High With 2xAA And 16xAF @ 1920x1200 Getting A Solid 40FPS On A GTX460SE @ 850/1700/1900 So You Shouldnt Have Any Problems At Lower Resolutions And Lower Settings With A 550TI And A Decent Dual-Core. (Havent Updated My Specs Here In The Forums Untill Im Able To Update My Pictures, When I Find My Damn Card Reader)

HINT; Some Pepole Including Myself Have Experianced Instability In BF3 What I have Found To Solve This Problem And I Do it To Every Game Because It Will Allow Your Graphics Card To Perform 5 - 10% Better On Average And Sometimes More In Games..... Right Click > Compatibilty Tab > Checkbox, Disable Desktop Composition > Checkbox, Run As Administrator. In The Nvidia Contol Panel; Set Texture Filtering To High Performance, Vsync To "Force Off"