• Help me choose a Video Card
    26 replies, posted
Okay. so my Video card is dying. cant play any games on my computer other than Gang Garrison or something small like that. Me and my dad suck at computer shit so i need some advice. I need a NEW video card that I can buy from the US one of the problems that is keeping my dad back from buying a new Video Card is this confusion between PCI and PCI Express slots. so i need to know if PCI Express will work with my PCI slots? i guess? but what im here for really is this: Please give me links to a card that will be compatible with my computer! (copied everything off the Steam System Info Help tab) [code]Processor Information: Vendor: AuthenticAMD Speed: 2194 Mhz 4 logical processors 4 physical processors HyperThreading: Unsupported FCMOV: Supported SSE2: Supported SSE3: Supported SSSE3: Supported SSE4a: Supported SSE41: Unsupported SSE42: Unsupported Network Information: Network Speed: Windows Version: Windows Vista (32 bit) NTFS: Supported Video Card: Driver: ATI Radeon HD 2400 PRO DirectX Driver Name: atiumdag.dll Driver Version: 8.01.01.899 DirectX Driver Version: 8.14.10.662 Driver Date: 29 Apr 2009 Desktop Color Depth: 16 bits per pixel Monitor Refresh Rate: 59 Hz DirectX Card: ATI Radeon HD 2400 PRO VendorID: 0x1002 DeviceID: 0x94c3 Number of Monitors: 1 Number of Logical Video Cards: 1 No SLI or Crossfire Detected Primary Display Resolution: 1680 x 1050 Desktop Resolution: 1680 x 1050 Primary Display Size: 23.35" x 14.57" (27.48" diag) 59.3cm x 37.0cm (69.8cm diag) Primary Bus Type Not Detected Primary VRAM: 256 MB Supported MSAA Modes: 2x 4x Sound card: Audio device: Speakers (6- Logitech USB Heads Memory: RAM: 3070 Mb Miscellaneous: UI Language: English Microphone: Not set Media Type: DVD Total Hard Disk Space Available: 466943 Mb Largest Free Hard Disk Block: 170943 Mb Steam Hard Disk Usage: 55260 Mb OS Install Date: Nov 08 2009 Game Controller: None detected Installed Packages: Firefox [/code] Fun Fact: Somehow the desk fan blowing on the Video Card Fan is keeping my computer from shutting down on me. i think its the fan that is really going to shit but id rather buy a whole new part. maybe the wiring is bad and the fan just keeps it in motion physically... but idk i suck with computers. thats why im taking Computer Service class next year)
Download Speccy and give us a picture of that. It will give us more better info than Steam. Also, open up your computer and check the wattage on your PSU.
The newer video cards use PCI-E. If you don't have a PCI-E slot available, you need to either buy a new motherboard or buy a lower-end graphics card
i reduced the resolution to minimum and enabled classic so i can at least watch a movie without my computer shutting off. [img]http://i.imagehost.org/0557/Untitled_11.png[/img] i think i found it. 240v its a dual voltage computer (works in the UK and the US) if that makes any difference
Your not gonna get far with that.
[QUOTE=alphaspida;20576564]The newer video cards use PCI-E. If you don't have a PCI-E slot available, you need to either buy a new motherboard or buy a lower-end graphics card[/QUOTE] fudge wellllllll that sounds very suckish my current one is a radeon hd 2400 pro... very old
[QUOTE=Mr_Sun;20576756]fudge wellllllll that sounds very suckish my current one is a radeon hd 2400 pro... very old[/QUOTE] Yeah, PCI-E is faster. This makes up for the rapidly changing graphics technology.
how can i find out if there is a PCI-E slot on my Acer F690GVM motherboard? i cant find anything on google. but then again google has been messing with me lately
It has PCI-E. [img_thumb]http://www.ixbt.com/mainboard/foxconn/a690gm2ma/board.jpg[/img_thumb]
The biggest yellow slot is the slot you want. Colors vary though. [IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/PCI_und_PCIe_Slots.jpg/800px-PCI_und_PCIe_Slots.jpg[/IMG]
okay thanks guys! thanks a bunch! so anybody have recommendations that would be compatible and under a 150 dollar budget AND be a decent upgrade from my Radeon HD 2400 Pro? so i can get more than 15 FPS max on TF2 lowest settings?
[url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129146&cm_re=5750-_-14-129-146-_-Product[/url] this maybe? [editline]08:58PM[/editline] wait, what is the wattage of your psu?
240 i think.
I'm pretty sure that's the voltage, seeing as how 240v is standard north American voltage. The wattage has to be higher than that... look for a number with "w" next to it. and also look to see if there is anything labeled +12V rail and the number next to that.
ok it says 300w
Ok, now whats your budget? I also recommend getting a new PSU.
then maybe this [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150467&cm_re=5670-_-14-150-467-_-Product[/url] [url]http://www.overclock.net/ati/679696-whats-best-gpu-300-watt-psu.html[/url] the people on there seem to say so at least. but really you should get a better psu.
First, do you have an open PCI-E slot like the one in the picture I posted?
[QUOTE=alphaspida;20581479]First, do you have an open PCI-E slot like the one in the picture I posted?[/QUOTE] yes i do [editline]01:39AM[/editline] ok. so i would actually replace the power supply... eeeeeeeeehhhhhh problem. i need a very specific one that would transfer 220 and 110 if theres different ones out there of course.
[QUOTE=Mr_Sun;20581825]yes i do [editline]01:39AM[/editline] ok. so i would actually replace the power supply... eeeeeeeeehhhhhh problem. i need a very specific one that would transfer 220 and 110 if theres different ones out there of course.[/QUOTE] Almost all power supplies do both, either automatically or with a little switch on it.
okay so thats all fine and dandy. Ill replace my PSU later. right now i want the best card for my low power supply.
[QUOTE=Mr_Sun;20582115]okay so thats all fine and dandy. Ill replace my PSU later. right now i want the best card for my low power supply.[/QUOTE] Well if you get a low power card you will not need an new PSU! 300W is really really low tough. Get a 50$ PSU and a 100$ GPU.
I'm running a 250W PSU with 2 HDD's and a 8500GT
[QUOTE=Superscatman;20580687]I'm pretty sure that's the voltage, seeing as how 240v is standard north American voltage.[/QUOTE] You clearly don't live in America. We have 120v mains voltage.
Okay. truth time I have a Dual Voltage setting on my computer. since this computer is bought American and currently I am living in the UK. so that might clear up the voltage thing a bit. im not sure.
how do I know if the video card I want will support my power supply.
Okay. I have come to the conclusion that Im going to buy a Sapphire HD 4850. ( I googled "whats the best video card for a 350w psu" and got that) So Im pretty much thinking of getting that and in the future Ill get a new PSU. From a Radeon 2400 to a Sapphire 4850 is a big jump imo.
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