Improve Gaming on a Budget

[bustergrn]

Hello Tom's Hardware Community,

I am looking to upgrade my graphics card to improve my PC's performance in displaying quality graphics from movies to YouTube videos and games. To give you an aiming point, I'd like to run Flight Simulator X on the best settings I can with the PC I've got. I'd also like GTA IV to be playable and have the highest settings possible. (I know, I'm asking a lot here)

My system specs:

Windows 7 Home Premium Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
Main monitor ASUS VE246H 24" Widescreen Monitor 60Htz (1920x1080 Current Resolution setting)
Secondary Monitor is a Dell IN1910NF 19" Widescreen Monitor 60Htz (1366x768 Current Resolution setting)
Delta Electronics GPS-400BB 400W Power Supply
ASUS ESSENTIO CG5275 MOTHERBOARD P7H55-M CG5275 DP_MB Motherboard
1 open PCI-E X16 / 2 open PCI porst
Intel Core i5 CPU 650 @ 3.20Ghtz Quadcore
8.00GB RAM (7.89 usable)
Current GPU is embedded and is awful!

I've looked at many cards over the last two weeks and am overwhelmed a bit by reading reviews.

One of the best one's I've found is SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6670 1GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102988

My budget is below $75.

Thanks!
-Scott

 

[captaincharisma]

that would be the only thing i can think of for getting any more performance out of your PC. but the PSU may be a problem. ATI says it requires a minimum of a 400W PSU. now they may be giving the specs ATI gives you which people on here say they overcompensate but that PSU is of low quality and may give you problems

 

[fpoon]

that would be the only thing i can think of for getting any more performance out of your PC. but the PSU may be a problem. ATI says it requires a minimum of a 400W PSU. now they may be giving the specs ATI gives you which people on here say they overcompensate but that PSU is of low quality and may give you problems

The PSU is actually okay, Delta isn't a very crappy brand and you can run a 6670 off 300W.

 

[SnakeGTX]

Hello.

First thing, The i5-650 is not a quadcore, it is a dual core with hyper-threading. The computer is going to show 4 cores but its just the hyper-threading making it look like it has 4 cores. Intel, claims that hyper-threading improves the speed of your computer by 33%.

So that processor is some what weak. and you can't really upgrade the CPU because of the socket.

And with the PSU being only 400W you are going to have to get a low powered GPU.
So here are a few GPUs i have researched. from best to worst.

Radeon HD 7790 85W $130 (Well)
Radeon HD 7770 80W $105 (Well)
Radeon HD 6770 108W $75 (risky)
GeForce GT 640 65W $60 (Safe)
Radeon HD 6670 63W $60 (Safe)

You can also compare them at www.hwcompare.com or www.gpureview.com.

Hoped this helped.
-Snake

P.S. And www.gamedebate.com

 

[jaguarskx]

One of the best one's I've found is SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6670 1GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102988

My budget is below $75.

The Radeon HD 6670 DDR3 graphics card is more or less crap. The integrated Radoen HD 8670D is equal to that card and that iGPU is considered crap. It only has about 76% the performance of a Radeon HD 6670 DDR5. The means the Radeon HD 6670 is halfway been the performance of the Radeon HD 5570 and the HD 5670.

I recommend the following Radeon HD 7750 DDR5 for $60 after rebate. It's performance is nearly double the GPU you linked to. Almost double the performance for $10 more is nothing to sneeze at.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150663

 

[jaguarskx]

Delta Electronics is actually one of the better OEM PSU manufacturers around. No where near Seasonic, but their PSU are solid.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Hello Tom's Hardware Community,

I am looking to upgrade my graphics card to improve my PC's performance in displaying quality graphics from movies to YouTube videos and games. To give you an aiming point, I'd like to run Flight Simulator X on the best settings I can with the PC I've got. I'd also like GTA IV to be playable and have the highest settings possible. (I know, I'm asking a lot here)
My system specs:
Delta Electronics GPS-400BB 400W Power Supply
I've looked at many cards over the last two weeks and am overwhelmed a bit by reading reviews.
One of the best one's I've found is SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6670 1GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102988
My budget is below $75.

Let me get this straight, you want to play MS Flight Simulator X maxxed and GTA IV at its highest settings with a budget of $75 and a 400W no-name crappy PSU? I do hope your joking because at least that would mean that you're not insane. I have an idea for you, walk into a Ford dealership and tell them that you want a brand-new Mustang Cobra but you only have $10,000 and say "Sorry, I know I'm asking a lot." and see what happens.

 

[jaguarskx]

Let me get this straight, you want to play MS Flight Simulator X maxxed and GTA IV at its highest settings with a budget of $75 and a 400W no-name crappy PSU?

I think you are misreading the OP's post.

He wants to run the games with the best settings possible with whatever GPU he buys. That different from playing the games with all graphic settings maxed out.

Additionally, Delta is not a no name brand. Most people never heard of them because they do not sell PSUs with their own brand name. They have a good reputation for manufacturing solid PSUs.

ChannelWell Technologies (CWT) is another example of a good PSU manufacturer that I am sure most people have not hear of, but they might be a little more well known compared to Delta. CWT and Seasonic are the primary manufacturers of Corsair's PSUs.