Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: Pannono on May 20, 2009, 08:16:01 PM
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I want to improve my video card but I have no idea where to start. Can anyone help me out here?
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http://www.mtechcomputers.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=0_58_59&products_id=5289
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Before suggesting a card, we would need to know your PC specs. Motherboard, Power Supply Unit, CPU (don't want to bottleneck).
If you use a computer from Dell, Gateway, Alienware or someone of the likes a model number for the PC would work. Ex. E-machines "T6528"
Also, this would be best in Hardware and Software from the looks of it. :)
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Forget it....Fellow Trek fan up there beat me to hit....
=/\= <----supposed to be Starfleet Symbol
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Windows Vista Home Premium
Manufacturer: HP
Model: a6242n
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4800+ 2.50 GHz
32-bit OS
Vid Card: GeForce 6150SE nForce 430
Where would i find power supply information?
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Forget it....Fellow Trek fan up there beat me to hit....
=/\= <----supposed to be Starfleet Symbol
Knew what it was right away, just catch my eye and though "Ooh look Starfleet!". :)
Also, didn't you get the hail? That's how I got here so fast. :P
Windows Vista Home Premium
Manufacturer: HP
Model: a6242n
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4800+ 2.50 GHz
32-bit OS
Vid Card: GeForce 6150SE nForce 430
Where would i find power supply information?
You have a PCI-E x16 slot, you're in luck. That is the standard of all Video Cards.
Power Supply information can be found by opening the side, and looking at the label on the box in the top with all the wires coming out of it. :)
I will continue looking for your PSU if you don't find it first.
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I have 250W Max power
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250W (Watts) is far under the minimum recommended for most Video Cards today. Most will say a minimum of 400W With 18A (Amps) or better on the 12V (Volt) Rail.
Depending on your budget, you can either:
1- Buy a Low end GPU that would likely barely help. Not worth money really. (~50$)
2- Purchase a new Power Supply Unit and Video Card and be far better off. (~150$)
So it really depends on your budget.
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Would this be a good buy?
http://www.frys.com/product/4806800
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I don't know much about Raidmax, so hopefully someone can comment on the quality of them.
However, the best Power Supply companies are: PC Power & cooling, OCZ, SeaSonic and possibly Corsair (Hear good and bad about them).
One to avoid at all costs is Roswewill.
PC P&C
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010320058%2050009830&name=PC%20Power%20%26%20Cooling
OCZ
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010320058%2050001550&name=OCZ%20Technology%2c%20Inc.
Most will swear by either of those. Some will say Modular is good, some bad. Seems to be a hit-miss.
Also, for anyone wanting to see Motherboard Specs for the PC, this is where I get my info: Here (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01077676&lc=en&dlc=ru&cc=ru&lang=ru&product=3567334)
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Ok, I will have to get one
How about this for a video card, and is it compatible with my PC?
http://www.frys.com/product/5702582
EDIT:
Also, is this one compatible with my PC?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703016
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BFG is a good company, but the card is rather low end. XFX, BFG and EVGA are the top names.
Just make sure you look at cards with "PCI-Express (x16)"
For NVidia GeForce: ATI:
7---Series: 7900-7950 3850-3870
8---Series: 8600-8800 4850
9---Series: 9600-9800 4870
GTX 2-- Series: Any
The 7 series is rather old, 8 series is getting phased out, so the 9 series is the way to go, but there are bottom lines. ATI is the AMD alternative to Nvidia, not sure what is better on Vista, I have not kept up with the Driver troubles both companies had at first. I have heard of both working on Vista though. If you want to be safe, yu can ask Skuzzy.
As for Power Supply, be careful about Length, some cases support up to a certain size (like mine), and PC P&C was too long, hence why I bough OCZ (short).
EDIT: the PSU looks like it should work in you PC, not sure about length. Not sure why they want 80$ for that performance though. Has good Wattage/Voltage, just seems expensive.
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Rgr that, I will ask Skuzzy about it. Two brains are better than one :)
<S> Thank You
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Pannono, these guys convinced me to get a 600W psu and I don't regret it. The only VCs worth buying require lots of juice.
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How much better would my performance be with a 9400GT with a 500W PSU than with a 6150 SE with a 250W PSU?
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The 9400 would give you a marginal increase in video processing power with the cost of a new power supply. If you're considering NVIDIA, use 1701E's list to determine what you should be looking at. NOTE: Fry's is typically on the higher side of prices. Shop around at Mwave, Newegg, TigerDirect, and (believe it or not) Amazon.
You'll find your lowest prices somewhere on those websites.
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How much better would my performance be with a 9400GT with a 500W PSU than with a 6150 SE with a 250W PSU?
As mentioned the performance would be little. However, the PSU doesn't affect performance, it just allows you to use parts that do. A 6150Se on a 500W is the same as a 250W, bad.
A 9400 is about 2 steps below what would be minimum recommended for any games any more if you want to get your money worth. A 9500 can work, but I wouldn't suggest spending money on one.
For NVidia GeForce: ATI:
7---Series: 7900-7950 3850-3870
8---Series: 8600-8800 4850
9---Series: 9600-9800 4870
GTX 2-- Series: Any
NVidia Extensions: Performance in a upwards-rising scale
GS
GT
GTX
GTX+
The 7 series is rather old, 8 series is getting phased out, so the 9 series is the way to go, but there are bottom lines.
Just to keep this on the new page. Amazingly the list can help when looking, that way you know what is low, lower and high. Also, cards will have extra parts to the name, I added this to the list.
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You can also check here for power supplies... http://www.tdcomputersystems.com (http://www.tdcomputersystems.com) Don't have Video cards up yet. The site is active don't pay attention to the June 1st comment. All OCZ and PC Power & Cooling PSU's are listed
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You can also check here for power supplies... http://www.tdcomputersystems.com (http://www.tdcomputersystems.com) Don't have Video cards up yet. The site is active don't pay attention to the June 1st comment. All OCZ and PC Power & Cooling PSU's are listed
You're missing my PSU, OCZ StealthX 700W. :)
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What is the difference between PCI and PCI 2.0?
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What is the difference between PCI and PCI 2.0?
I assume you mean PCI-E right?
PCIe 2.0 doubles the bus standard's bandwidth from 0.25 GByte/s to 0.5 GByte/s, meaning a x32 connector can transfer data at up to 16 GByte/s for both videocards (SLI 2x etc). PCIe 2.0 has two 32 bits channels for each GPU (2x16), while the first version only has 1x16 and is operating at 2 GHz.
PCIe 2.0 is backwards compatable.
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You're missing my PSU, OCZ StealthX 700W. :)
That is an "EOL" end of life product so I was not going to add it to the site
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I cant even get a good video card i have DDR2 RAM and all the good ones need GDDR3 or DDR3 :(
Thanks anyway for the help guys, I guess I am stuck with my POS comp
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You might be confusing the cards specifications with what your computer has.
In other words, the card can have gddr3, and your computer can have ddr2 and it will not be a problem.
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Wow really? I thought i was SOL. I'll have to keep looking around then. :salute
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That is an "EOL" end of life product so I was not going to add it to the site
Wow, really? Well dang!
Pannono, A good GPU to look at would be a 9800GT/GTX. They have good performance, and any PSU from TD will work to power it. :)
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Here is what i am leaning towards:
PSU
http://www.amazon.com/OCZ-OCZ600SXS-StealthXStream-Power-Supply/dp/B000QF1EK4/ref=pd_cp_pc_3?pf_rd_p=413863501&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001AO1T1E&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=01PDH7RZA9R7PHDHHPH2
Vid Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130490
Will they be compatible with my PC/Eachother?
Info for my PC: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01077676&lc=en&dlc=ru&cc=ru&lang=ru&product=3567334
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My recommnedations:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2776974&sku=O261-2006 (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2776974&sku=O261-2006)
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Ok, I have determined that I will need a new video card, which will require a new PSU, in order to run the new version of AH. I think that a 8600GT will do the job fine. That will require a 350W+ PSU. I dont have any idea how to install a video card, nor do I know if it will fit inside my tower. The PSU is the same deal, I have no idea how to replace one, and I dont know if it will fit. Any suggestions on what to do here?
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Ok, I have determined that I will need a new video card, which will require a new PSU, in order to run the new version of AH. I think that a 8600GT will do the job fine. That will require a 350W+ PSU. I dont have any idea how to install a video card, nor do I know if it will fit inside my tower. The PSU is the same deal, I have no idea how to replace one, and I dont know if it will fit. Any suggestions on what to do here?
If you want to enjoy the new AH graphics, I'm afraid that that the 8600GT will not make you happy at all. It's a rather weak card by nowadays standards.
Of course, if you can live with much lesser details, it might work. However, if you are aiming for a 350 W PSU, there are better alternatives. A 9600GT is about 2,5 times faster but consumes just 10% more power - a no brainer really.
Beside that, thats also what your CPU can actually handle. Any faster cards will be CPU limited in your system, even more so in AH.
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I did some research for you. You do have a PCIe x16 slot and it appears that your computer will accept a standard ATX PSU. I've put together some recommendations as well:
If you are on a budget the 9500GT is about as low as you want to go. That said it will run the game at full graphic settings but will need at least a 350W PSU.
This Asus 9500 GT ($50) is probably the best price/performance card you can get in the 9500 series:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121267
XFX has been building Nvidia cards much longer than ASUS and the XFX 9500 GT ($70) carries a lifetime warranty vs 3 years on the ASUS but the card itself is a little slower:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150332
Sorry to say but PSU's aren't cheap. If you buy a cheap one you'll probably burn it and/or your video card up. This Seasonic 380W ($65) is from a reputable manufacturer and is 80+ certified:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151032
If you have a little more money to burn on both the video card and the PSU you can step up to the 9600GT but it requires at least 425 Watts. The big advantage with the 9600 is more pixel shaders.
Like XFX and eVGA, BFG Tech has been making Nvidia cards forever and this is the fastest price/performance 9600GT I could find ($80):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143134
Couple it with this 80+ certified Seasonic 500W PSU ($85) and you're good to go:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151056
To install the PSU turn off the computer and unplug the power cord. Open the case and lay it on it's side. You need to unplug all the wires that come from the PSU to any part in your computer. There will be one plug (20 or 24 pin) to the motherboard, a four pin for the CPU plugged into the motherboard and connectors to things like hard drives, optical drives and the floppy drive if you have one. Once all the power connectors are unplugged, unscrew the PSU and pull it out.
Now reverse the process with the new PSU. Don't worry as each type of connector can only be used with it's appropriate device so you can't screw it up. Just make sure that everything that needs power has it. Take any unused connectors and bundle them up and tie wrap them.
As to installing the video card you have onboard video. First you'll need to uninstall the drivers for that card. They should be located in your control panal under add/remove programs. Just locate the video driver in the list and click uninstall.
Shut down your computer and install the new video card. It just slips into the slot. Make sure to screw it in to secure it.
Reboot your computer and enter the BIOS (usually delete or an F key during the post screen... check your computer documentation) and disable the onboard video. Save changes and continue to windows.
Once windows has rebooted it will tell you that it's found new hardware and launch the install hardware wizard. Close this and insert the CD that came with the video card. Select install drivers. Better yet would be to go to the manufacturer's web-site and download the newest video drivers for your card and install those instead. Any time you update drivers in the future you'll need to uninstall the current drivers before installing the new ones.
After all of that you can open the Nvidia control panal and set the cards global video settings. Don't be afraid to crank things up. You can always turn some things back down later if you're not happy with your frame rates.
Always remember not to wear shoes and to ground yourself to the computer's chassis (you just need to touch it) before working inside your computer.
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For NVidia GeForce: ATI:
7---Series: 7900-7950 3850-3870
8---Series: 8600-8800 4850
9---Series: 9600-9800 4870
GTX 2-- Series: Any
the 4850 is more of a mid range 9000 series nvidia.. its runs with the 9800 GTX+ on some things
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Windows Vista Home Premium
Manufacturer: HP
Model: a6242n
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4800+ 2.50 GHz
32-bit OS
Vid Card: GeForce 6150SE nForce 430
Where would i find power supply information?
I have an HP with almost exactly the same specs.
What is your model number?
Mine has a 350 watt power supply.
If so you can get a Nvidia 8600gt video card.
They are cheap and don,t require a new power supply.
It is also 100% compatable with the HP.
Mine runs the game great.
But if you do upgrade the PS you can get a much better card.
As usual it all comes down to money. :salute
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I do not reccomend the 8600GT...Had one..not impressed..I have an asus "TOP" 4850 ATI card and it blows the 8600GT away...
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I say save a few more bucks and go with the GTX 260. You'll be more than ready for the next release and then some. :rock
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I say save a few more bucks and go with the GTX 260. You'll be more than ready for the next release and then some. :rock
His CPU wouldn't keep up.
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His CPU wouldn't keep up.
Correct. I once had a C2D E6300 which is roughly comparable to his 4800+. This CPU was already the limiting factor for a HD4670 in AH, which is CPU intensive. In other Games the CPU limitation was not that severe, but it clearly shows that it makes no sense to put a high end GPU beside a weak CPU.
I'd say the max. his CPU can make good use of is a 9600GT or a HD3870.
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I think I have my Video Card (http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-512-P3-N856-LR-GeForce-Express-Graphics/dp/B0027WR7TQ/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1245968501&sr=1-5) picked out, but I am on a budget and cant decide on a PSU. I still have a few questions.
The video card I have selected requires a 300W PSU. Should I get a 300W PSU or get something with 350W to be safe?
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I think I have my Video Card (http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-512-P3-N856-LR-GeForce-Express-Graphics/dp/B0027WR7TQ/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1245968501&sr=1-5) picked out, but I am on a budget and cant decide on a PSU. I still have a few questions.
The video card I have selected requires a 300W PSU. Should I get a 300W PSU or get something with 350W to be safe?
Wow. It's about time they were able to produce a modern low power graphics card. I couldn't believe it so I went to the eVGA web-site and it's true... 300W. 300 or 350 won't matter as long as it has 18 amps on the 12V rail and is 80+ certified.
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Stupid BBs double posts! :furious
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300 or 350 won't matter as long as it has 18 amps on the 12V rail and is 80+ certified.
Is there one you would recommend?
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This should work ($50): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151035