New graphics card suggestion please!

Hi, I want to get a better graphics card for the Sims 3. Currently i have a junky intergrated card and my spending budget is about $100 max. My computer is a HP pavilion a1710n and for expansion it has 3 PCI slots and 1 PCI Express x16 graphics slot. Here is an exact link to my specifications: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00757531&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=3340227Any help is appreciated thanks!:)

Assuming your PSU isn't absolute crap you could get something like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127420 . You are going to need a 6-pin connector or 2 molex connectors.

Its a prebuilt psu its near junk. Its a 300 watt psu, time to get a better one. Heres a better psu then what you have now http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3276573&Sku=ULT-LSP650 and heres a pretty cheap but good video card too. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4665366&CatId=3775 -9600gso ^ All that for around $100 thats decsent upgrade.

you should totally get an ati radeon 4770 they are on a 40nm process and in your price range althuogh you will have to deal with ATI drivers great price performance ratio

I was also recommended this Nvidia Geforce from a friend what do you think, here's the link - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130325

For $110? No way. You can get a 4850 for that price, and it would be 10 times better.

I've got that card, it's great, but again the power will be the main problem, also the 8800gts is very large

Gotta be careful about those mail-in rebates... You usually get them 2 months later, but sometimes....you don't get them at all. Although, I will say that so far EVGA has given my mine for the last 2 EVGA cards, I've bought thru Newegg. Just that once you cut that barcode from the box, Newegg will not allow an RMA. Also, the time limit of the rebate... adds stress to the decision of when to cut out that bar code. 20 dollar rebate is pretty good, though and does make getting that 8800, very tempting.

Anyway.... you probably could get away with 8600 (runs about 50 bucks). An 8600GT may be enough to play Sims3 to your liking (well, better than what you have now). http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130297(read the user reviews...you'll probably like what you read.) Although, it's not a card I recommend buying for a new build, nor one I'd suggest tranfering to a new build. It just may be a good pairing to your current processor. Which you didn't really mention. Link says it could be a Semperon....which is a real low budget AMD CPU. If your CPU is a 5000+X2, then that 8800 is a better pairing.

I doubt you'll have to worry about upgrading your PSU for a 8600, though. Just don't be expecting to play Sims 3 with everything on... May even studder a bit on medium to low settings. Also, from what I hear Sim3 stutters on all video cards when you move the camera; even the ones that cost 400 bucks. So, looks like only a patch will be able to fix that pan stutter.

BTW: I'm not so sure a 4850 would be any faster than a 8800"GTS". Also, ATI's tend to be more power hungery than Nvidia's.

I was also recommended this Nvidia Geforce from a friend what do you think, here's the link - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130325

Recontrooper

Thank you so much for everyones suggestions. I'm going to stick with my 300 PSU even though I know it's not very good. So right now my weak nvidia 6150 LE intergrated graphics is what is running Sims 3 with a little of a lag on low settings. So with sticking with my 300 PSU and AMD Athlon 64 x2 4200+ processor, could I get some final suggestions? Sorry if that just means someone pointing out a link you already posted but, I'm extremely new to PC upgrading in fact this is my first ever graphics card upgrade(lol). Thanks again for everyones helpful links.:)

For $110? No way. You can get a 4850 for that price, and it would be 10 times better.

Hanass

For $110? No way. You can get a 4850 for that price, and it would be 10 times better.

Hanass

LOL, a 4850 is 10x better then a 8800gts 512mb??:P More like slightly better, the gts is almost the same as a 9800gtx which is barely worse than the 4850, but there are better cards for the price, I would go for a 4770 if you can find one cuz it has very low power requirements.

[QUOTE="Hanass"]

For $110? No way. You can get a 4850 for that price, and it would be 10 times better.

goleafsguy

LOL, a 4850 is 10x better then a 8800gts 512mb??:P More like slightly better, the gts is almost the same as a 9800gtx which is barely worse than the 4850, but there are better cards for the price, I would go for a 4770 if you can find one cuz it has very low power requirements.

As if, ATI isn't guilty of that, too...Threesixtyci

Gotta be careful about those mail-in rebates... You usually get them 2 months later, but sometimes....you don't get them at all. Although, I will say that so far EVGA has given my mine for the last 2 EVGA cards, I've bought thru Newegg. Just that once you cut that barcode from the box, Newegg will not allow an RMA. Also, the time limit of the rebate... adds stress to the decision of when to cut out that bar code. 20 dollar rebate is pretty good, though and does make getting that 8800, very tempting.

Anyway.... you probably could get away with 8600 (runs about 50 bucks). An 8600GT may be enough to play Sims3 to your liking (well, better than what you have now). http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130297(read the user reviews...you'll probably like what you read.) Although, it's not a card I recommend buying for a new build, nor one I'd suggest tranfering to a new build. It just may be a good pairing to your current processor. Which you didn't really mention. Link says it could be a Semperon....which is a real low budget AMD CPU. If your CPU is a 5000+X2, then that 8800 is a better pairing.

I doubt you'll have to worry about upgrading your PSU for a 8600, though. Just don't be expecting to play Sims 3 with everything on... May even studder a bit on medium to low settings. Also, from what I hear Sim3 stutters on all video cards when you move the camera; even the ones that cost 400 bucks. So, looks like only a patch will be able to fix that pan stutter.

BTW: I'm not so sure a 4850 would be any faster than a 8800"GTS". Also, ATI's tend to be more power hungery than Nvidia's.