Whats the problem?

[Konovalov]

Sorry Capt. Matt. Not sure why I assumed it was a laptop.

So it is a Gateway desktop machine. About 2 or 3 years old? Also did you run CPU z program?

[CaptainMattJ.]

Originally Posted by Konovalov

Sorry Capt. Matt. Not sure why I assumed it was a laptop.

So it is a Gateway desktop machine. About 2 or 3 years old? Also did you run CPU z program?

yea its around 3 years.

[Konovalov]

Ok Capt MattJ, I did some research on this as I must admit that I built my own machine around a similar time to you purchasing this computer but I went down the Intel Core 2 Duo route (E6600 2.4Ghz oc'd now to 3.2Ghz). So I am not overly familiar with AMD from this time scale of 2008.

You have a Gateway desktop machine with a AMD Phemom X4 9150e CPU clocked at 1.8Ghz. Firstly the e in the spec denotes that it is an energy efficient CPU. It is a quad core but has a slow (laptop style) clock speed of only 1.8Ghz. Your motherboard is a Gateway RS780 which is based on the AMD 780G chipset.

I searched for your motherboard spec online and I think that I have found it here. The important spec to take from this is:

One PCI Express ×16
One PCI Express ×1
Two PCI conventional

So we know that you have a PCI Express x 16 slot for a graphics card. Hence you are good to go to install a graphics card in that x 16 slot. Now the questions that you need to ask is what type of graphics card do I need in terms of performance? For a start looking at your weak CPU clock speed and the fact you use a 19" monitor you don't need any super dooper new fast graphics card. That would just be a waste of money. As others have mentioned you will need to also check your power supply to make sure it has the specs to cover the install of a graphics card in terms of wattage, 12v rail, and also 6 pin graphics card power connectors. Also you will need to make sure the graphics card length is not too long and that it will fit in your case. What is your budget to spend on a graphics card?

If my post doesn't make sense then excuse me as I am somewhat bleary eyed and tired.

[CaptainMattJ.]

Originally Posted by Konovalov

Ok Capt MattJ, I did some research on this as I must admit that I built my own machine around a similar time to you purchasing this computer but I went down the Intel Core 2 Duo route (E6600 2.4Ghz oc'd now to 3.2Ghz). So I am not overly familiar with AMD from this time scale of 2008.

You have a Gateway desktop machine with a AMD Phemom X4 9150e CPU clocked at 1.8Ghz. Firstly the e in the spec denotes that it is an energy efficient CPU. It is a quad core but has a slow (laptop style) clock speed of only 1.8Ghz. Your motherboard is a Gateway RS780 which is based on the AMD 780G chipset.

I searched for your motherboard spec online and I think that I have found it here. The important spec to take from this is:

So we know that you have a PCI Express x 16 slot for a graphics card. Hence you are good to go to install a graphics card in that x 16 slot. Now the questions that you need to ask is what type of graphics card do I need in terms of performance? For a start looking at your weak CPU clock speed and the fact you use a 19" monitor you don't need any super dooper new fast graphics card. That would just be a waste of money. As others have mentioned you will need to also check your power supply to make sure it has the specs to cover the install of a graphics card in terms of wattage, 12v rail, and also 6 pin graphics card power connectors. Also you will need to make sure the graphics card length is not too long and that it will fit in your case. What is your budget to spend on a graphics card?

If my post doesn't make sense then excuse me as I am somewhat bleary eyed and tired.

well i posted all the info on wattages in my CPU and posted em, take a look. AS for the Card, i just want a good one. not extreme, just good enoough to run SH5 and other new games. and uhhh, may i ask what Clock speed is and what its relation to my performance is? i searched some cards, and a decent one looks to be about 100 - 150. thats what im willing to spend.

[Konovalov]

Originally Posted by CaptainMattJ.

well i posted all the info on wattages in my CPU and posted em, take a look.

No, those wattages that you posted are actually info settings on parts of your motherboard relating to voltage of things like northbridge, southbridge and CPU voltages. These have nothing really to do with your power supply (PSU). You will have to physically look at the PSU in your machine to find it's specs and check out the cabling on it. Otherwise you may have a gateway manual that also provide these specs or you could try searching the gateway website with the model number of your machine and that may also tell you. Personally I would simply examine the PSU and write that stuff down and also check the cabling if you can such as what type of spare plugs there are.

Originally Posted by CaptainMattJ.

AS for the Card, i just want a good one. not extreme, just good enoough to run SH5 and other new games. and uhhh, may i ask what Clock speed is and what its relation to my performance is? i searched some cards, and a decent one looks to be about 100 - 150. thats what im willing to spend.

You want to spend 100-150 what? Pounds, US dollars. What currency/country are we talking about?

Can anyone chime in as to what is a decent GPU card for SHV as I must admit that I still haven't purchased SHV. I'm still waiting for it to go in the bargain bin price category.

[CaptainMattJ.]

Originally Posted by Konovalov

No, those wattages that you posted are actually info settings on parts of your motherboard relating to voltage of things like northbridge, southbridge and CPU voltages. These have nothing really to do with your power supply (PSU). You will have to physically look at the PSU in your machine to find it's specs and check out the cabling on it. Otherwise you may have a gateway manual that also provide these specs or you could try searching the gateway website with the model number of your machine and that may also tell you. Personally I would simply examine the PSU and write that stuff down and also check the cabling if you can such as what type of spare plugs there are.

You want to spend 100-150 what? Pounds, US dollars. What currency/country are we talking about?

Can anyone chime in as to what is a decent GPU card for SHV as I must admit that I still haven't purchased SHV. I'm still waiting for it to go in the bargain bin price category.

dollars of course. and how am i ever going to manually look at it. i think ill try the website.


Edit: i have a GX 4200-09 Series. It says info on models may vary, and it gave 3 numbers.

300 W/400 W/500 W

[Konovalov]

Originally Posted by CaptainMattJ.

dollars of course.

Ok so USD $. Take a look at Toms Hardware linked here: Best Graphics Cards For The Money: August 2010. Three types of cards to go for. In the USD $100 pricepoint you can choose between the Radeon HD4850 1GB or the Nvidia GTS250 1GB. Only negative with either of these is that they do not offer DX11. For a bit more (USD $135) you could get a Radeon HD5750 1GB card which is a bit faster than the other two cards and also has DX11 support for newer games.

Originally Posted by CaptainMattJ.

and how am i ever going to manually look at it.

Simply open up your computer case side panel and look on the side of the power supply. It should have a label with all the specs. System integrators like Gateway Computers use generic power supplies and they tend not to be fantastic.

Originally Posted by CaptainMattJ.

i think ill try the website.

Edit: i have a GX 4200-09 Series. It says info on models may vary, and it gave 3 numbers.

300 W/400 W/500 W

I think you might mean a Gateway DX 4200-09 such as is this link and not GX. This info on the website is all generic by the sounds of it from Gateway. You really need to do what I suggested above and open up your case. My gut feeling is that you may need to upgrade your PSU. But check inside your case first.

Tell us how you go with the power supply info.