Upgrade Graphics Card for HP Desktop Model a6114x

[da_model]

Hello,
I have the following older desktop (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01114300&cc=ad&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_r1002_usen) and was looking to upgrade the video card to play new PC games like Diablo 3. Can anyone recommend a card that will work with my desktop for around $100 or less. I tried a Radeon 6670 but tech support said it would not work with my motherboard.

 

[steamroller16]

It looks like your motherboard has a PCIe x16 slot which will accept a Radeon 6670. Did tech support give a reason why it wouldn't work?

 

[da_model]

No. The card was an XFX brand and the tech said it just wasn't supported.

 

[Sprunk95]

Hi mate, if you want to play new games like Diablo 3 on your computer, you have 2 choices for graphics cards :

-Choice one : If you want to play in Low/Medium graphics settings, you should get the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 wich is a good card and should run you good in medium settings, but it depends on your screen resolution and the Video memory (1Gb, 2Gb, etc...) and the type of video memory that the card has (DDR 2, DDR 3 , GDDR3, GDDR5, etc...) memory types vary by card constructors (MSI, Gaiward, EVGA, Etc...) I own this card, and am playing some of the biggest hungry games with it even in the maximum settings.
For this card you'll need a minimum 400W power supply or greater, the card is not expensive and offers to low budget gamers the quality and performance that they're looking for, so i strongly recommand you to go get this card.

-Choice two : If you want to play in High/Very High/Ultra settings, then you should get the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550ti, it's an awesome card that could be your perfect weapon for DirectX 11 games, i recommand you EVGA's GTX 550ti wich has 1GB of GDDR5 video memory.
The card needs a minimum of 400W power supply or greater, also check your computer case size before buying it, because the card size vary by constructer, if you buy one that has a big size and put it in a small computer case, it will have heat problems, wich can lead to lower the performance and sometimes shorten the life of your card.
As the GTS 450, the GTX 550ti is a card for low budget gamers who want performance and quality.

You have a choice between the GTS 450 and the GTX 550ti, they're both great cards.

If you want something else, i recommand you to choose NVIDIA, as i prefer NVIDIA then AMD (ex ATI) when it comes to gaming.

★ The choice from Low Settings to Very High Settings ★

-NVIDIA G Series : Low graphic settings.
-NVIDIA GT Series : Low graphic settings.
-NVIDIA GTS Series : Medium graphic settings.
-NVIDIA GTX Series : Very high graphic settings.

★ Video Memory ★

-Don't get a Graphics card just because you saw that it has 2GB of Video memory and say "Oh ! this card has 2GB of memory ! it will run all the games in great condition for me!" , you can find even a graphics card that has 4GB of video memory that is for 50$ and another card that has 1GB that is for 600$, i'll explain this to you

You see, there is types of video memory like DDR and GDDR, a 1GB GDDR5 card, gives you more quality and performance than a 4GB DDR3 card, you see what i mean ? now that's the most important thing that you need to keep in mind when buying a new graphics card, don't let the store owner tricks you by giving you a 4GB cheap graphics card and telling you that it's very powerful because it has 4GB of video memory...

I hope i helped out,

Sprunk95

 

[steamroller16]

Almost all cards should work in your system. I would check the physical dimensions of these cards before buying them to make sure that they fit in your case and on your motherboard. Some motherboards have other things near the PCIe slot and block the card from going in. I think your case should be big enough for most cards except the really big and generally more expensive ones.

The previous post is a good general guideline for Nvidia cards. There are also Radeon cards which might offer better value. The Radeon 6670 with GDDR5 memory, that you mentioned, is a good choice and so is the GeForce GT 440 with GDDR5 memory. But be sure you are looking at the GDDR5 cards as they offer better performance.

Also have a look at the "Best Graphics Cards For The Money: May 2012" article for better explanations about the tradeoffs. Also there is not one manufacturer that is necessarily better than the other. It really depends on the specific cards that are being compared.



Some links to help you out

Best Graphics Cards For The Money: May 2012

Radeon 6670 GDDR5 cards
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%20600083901%20600144219%20600007797&IsNodeId=1&name=GDDR5

GeForce GT 440 GDDR5 cards
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709+600030348+600007321+600107097+600007797&QksAutoSuggestion=&ShowDeactivatedMark=False&Configurator=&IsNodeId=1&Subcategory=48&description=&hisInDesc=&Ntk=&CFG=&SpeTabStoreType=&AdvancedSearch=1&srchInDesc=