Upgrading Video Card Advice
 

Alright, I am a bit fed up with my geforce g210. I bought a new computer in 2010, an HP desktop with dualcore 3.5 Ghz processors, 4GB ram and 500 GB - I'll get the exact specs tonight if needed. It came with the aforementioned card which was not ideal but the price of the system was right. I had just moved that year to a new apartment and had a lot of expenses, but wanted a new computer as I could not stand my old computer (a Dell purchased in 2002) anymore. I had taken a hiatus from subsims (and subsim) and other games because of it. :down:

Now my current system works fine for the most part-I tend to play older games anyway. However if I decide to get into more recent games and sims (eg. was looking at x-plane or one of the other newer flightsims) the card won't cut it.

So I want to know how to proceed. I understand to start off with, that I have to check what cards my system will support as I can't just buy the most powerful card I can afford as my PC might not be able to handle it. How can I find that out? :06:

What other things should I check and consider? :hmm2:

Thanks. :arrgh!:

Well, what we would need to know is your power supply for starters.
That info is usually found on the power supply itself and might require you to unplug the case and open it and look for the label that is to be found on the power supply.

Also to get a detailed picture of your computer you could use applications like Everest Home to identify all the other components (mobo, cpu, ram etc) which could help in the advice of a new graphics card.

HunterICX

Thanks Hunter, looks like I got some "homework" this evening then. :) I'll get back with this info by the end of this week.

With a dual core I expect the rig will not be able to make use of the latest gpu cards, I mean the CPU probably means bottlenecks that put a foot on the GPU's speed. That means you can save money there and must not go for the newest, the latest, the most expensive. Go back to generations for a start.

You do not need to install separate software to learn about the components of your rig, Windows offers such options. It's just that I use that once every two years and thus forget where it is hidden, some kind of system diagnosis tool it was. Somebody else has to give the details. O run the speed indexing service opf Windows.

I could imagine that - assuming the PSU supports that - you end up with something in the range of a GTX460, not higher, I doubt that a dual core can make use of the potential of the 500- or even 600-series. Sometimes I saw 460s in their 1 GB incarnations in very good bang-for the buck deals. I use it myself, a very good choice it was. An extremely good choice.

Can't go wrong with a 460(1GB)/560 really. Maybe stretch to a 560 Ti, excellent cards.

Upcoming games like XCOM, Carrier Command and War of the Roses state a minimum of 2-2.5GHz dual-core, with quads recommended. Dishonored actually requires a 3GHz dual or decent quad.

That CPU can still hack it for a bit longer, but dual-cores are coming to the end of their useability for gaming. Think a 460/560 makes a good fit, and you'll be plenty happy with that. On a 460 1GB myself. :yep:

OK better late than never.

My power supply:

Model HP-D3006A0 300W

Found a pic on ebay of all places.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HP-D3006A0...-/130741021652


Not sure about the other stuff on the label.


Here is part of the output from running Everest as per Hunter's suggestion sorry it is long was too long so had to cut it down.

Well that PSU is not going to cut it if you want to have a decent card like the Nvidia 460GTX you need at least a 400W 22A on 12V Rail (but you want to go higher to be safe) so 600W with 22A on 12V Rail

HunterICX

Arggh so I gotta spend on both a power supply as well as a video card? Nuts. :shifty: Well thanks for the help. :)