Upgrading HD3650, looking at HD6670 w/ rebate

[jps000jps]

I have an ATI Radeon HD 3650, and looking to upgrade.
I found a good deal on an MSI HD 6670 @ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127666
It is $75 with a $25 MIR. This looks like a good deal to me, I want to know what you guys think
If I want to get this card I will have to purchase it by Friday before the rebate expires. (Think fast! lol)

My only concern is that on shop.amd.com it says this card is PCIe 2.0 x16. Newegg says it is 2.1. My motherboard is the stock one that comes with the Dell Inspiron 530, and only has a PCIe x16 slot. I know that on a low end card like this one, using a 2.0 card on a 1.0 mobo won't make much of a difference (about 5% I read somewhere) but what about 2.1? Will it be a noticeable difference?

I do watch a lot of videos via youtube, and a lot of gaming streams via Twitch.tv, but they work fine already so that is not much of a concern. I am just starting to get into PC gaming, I am currently playing League of Legends a lot. They say a GeForce 8800 (or equivalent card) is recommended, and according to the Hiearchy Chart, the 6670 and 8800 GT are on the same level.

I like Halo 2 Vista, but the online features are very slow, but if I disable Games for Windows Live (via a .dll fix) and play offline campaign it runs very smooth. I read that if I upgraded my GPU maybe the online would work?

I also have Civ IV, Sims 3, and I am thinking about getting into MMO's such as SW:TOR and NFS World Online. Maybe even Tribes: Ascend, a new MMO shooter which looks fantastic.

I do not want to spend more than 60 honestly. Low budget, I know, but this is sort of my entry into PC gaming.

Any input is appreciated, Thanks in advance everyone! Here's some specs:

Vista Home Premium 64-bit
Dell Inspiron 530
Intel Core 2 Quad Processor, Q6600 @ 2.4GHz
4GB RAM
20" Dell monitor, 1680x1050 32bit 60Hz, going to add a 17" vertical to this one once I get the card.

 

[DM186]

So what you are saying is that you have a 1.0 PCIe slot and you are worried about a 2.1 working in the 1.0 slot right? It depends on how old the MOBO is and if it has been kept up with all upgrades.

If that is the case then it should work but you will not see any difference as if it was a 2.0 card. It will run at a slower pace It all the will happen if it runs at all. All I can say is try it or if you know some who has a 2.1 card and try it that way.

 

[jps000jps]

I'm sure it will work, but I know that on low end 2.0 cards like this one (I'd say sub $200) only lose about 5% of their specs when used on a 1.0 slot, which is almost no difference, but I don't know if 2.1 was a big upgrade from 2.0.

Also I'm not sure whether it really is 2.0 or 2.1. Newegg and MSI say 2.1, but AMD and gpureview.com say that the 6670 is made with 2.0. so confused

 

[jps000jps]

Can anyone else help me out a little bit? If this looks good to people with more expertise I'll hav to buy it tonight

 

[jps000jps]

got it in today, it works! working great, looking to upgrade PSU/MOBO next. Thanks for help!

 

[DM186]

Well I am glad that you were able to do it and it appears that I was on your other post as well and thankyou. Did your dad like your card? I know I would if it was from one of my own.

I would have gotten back to you on this post but it did not show any update in the forums window. Again that is good news and thanks for reposting it to share. Good luck to you and have fun.

 

[jps000jps]

I actually haven't put it in yet. I forgot that his PC only has a 300W power supply, I'm not sure if that would be safe to put a 3650 in his PC.. If anyone could tell me whether that's a bad idea I'd appreciate it

 

[Deemo13]

I'm going to jump in and say that a 6670 is going to perform pretty close to an 8800GT 512MB.

 

[jps000jps]

@Deemo, Thanks for the reply. I compared the two and they do seem pretty similar.

Now I just need to know if its safe to put my old 3650 in my dad's PC, which has a 300W PSU on a Dell Vostro 200

 

[jps000jps]

Best answer selected by jps000jps.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

System Requirements
300 Watt or greater power supply recommended

Yes it will run fine on 300 watt PSU