Which graphics card to buy for my computer...

Hey, iv alrdy read that articule in the other bit about which graphics cardsto buy, and yet im still confused. I have a nVidia Geforce 6100 atm, and ill obviusly need to upgrade it, but how do i know which one to buy? If i have a PCI-E slot, does the graphics memory matter? or can i buy like,, a 512mb graphics card and it will just work after installing all the drivers? or do i need to buy a low end like a 128mb one?

if u have an open pci-e slot then you can buy any little gpu to your hearts desire

if you power supply is adequate obviously

I would recommend at least a 512mb video card. Games nowadays, and moreso in the near future, will have more detailed textures and will require more memory even at low resolutions.

For ATI, look at the 3850 or 3870. A 3850 can be found for around $150 now and they perform well. I have a 3850 and I can run Crysis on all high at 1280x1024 and it's nice and smooth. On the nVidia side, the 9600GT is a great card and goes for about $170-180. One of the best band for the buck performers is the 8800GT 512mb. Can be found for around $200 now.

I would recommend at least a 512mb video card. Games nowadays, and moreso in the near future, will have more detailed textures and will require more memory even at low resolutions.

Nuke2690

BAD SUGGESTION WITHOUT SUPPORT!

For ATI, look at the 3850 or 3870. A 3850 can be found for around $150 now and they perform well. I have a 3850 and I can run Crysis on all high at 1280x1024 and it's nice and smooth. On the nVidia side, the 9600GT is a great card and goes for about $170-180. One of the best band for the buck performers is the 8800GT 512mb. Can be found for around $200 now.

Nuke2690

There are tens of thousands of SCAM video cards in the marketplace with unusable VRAM attached to slow cards than are limited to only 256 MBs' worth in games, or even less, to 128 MBs for the shoddy junk like the 8400 GS, with its miniscule 64 Bit memory system. Any time you make the claim that 512 MBs is a good thing, you have no choice but to SUPPORT that claim by naming the "High Quality Level" as the only price point at which that much is ever going to be used ("800 Level" and upward, not merely "600 / 650" or lesser VGA cards).

Even if i were to say i had teh nForce 410 chipset? would that kinda...'narrow' the search down? and how good'a power supply are we talking? sorry, im not very good with hardware, im only good at the software bit of computers.

[QUOTE="Nuke2690"]

I would recommend at least a 512mb video card. Games nowadays, and moreso in the near future, will have more detailed textures and will require more memory even at low resolutions.

Kiwi_1

BAD SUGGESTION WITHOUT SUPPORT!

For ATI, look at the 3850 or 3870. A 3850 can be found for around $150 now and they perform well. I have a 3850 and I can run Crysis on all high at 1280x1024 and it's nice and smooth. On the nVidia side, the 9600GT is a great card and goes for about $170-180. One of the best band for the buck performers is the 8800GT 512mb. Can be found for around $200 now.

Nuke2690

There are tens of thousands of SCAM video cards in the marketplace with unusable VRAM attached to slow cards than are limited to only 256 MBs' worth in games, or even less, to 128 MBs for the shoddy junk like the 8400 GS, with its miniscule 64 Bit memory system. Any time you make the claim that 512 MBs is a good thing, you have no choice but to SUPPORT that claim by naming the "High Quality Level" as the only price point at which that much is ever going to be used ("800 Level" and upward, not merely "600 / 650" or lesser VGA cards).

I'm not even sure what you're arguing here. Do I have to "support" that 512mb is only worthwhile on "high quality level" cards that have a 256bit memory interface or higher, when that's exactly what you're saying?

That's the very reason that I specifically listed the midrange cards worth looking at, going on the assumption that the OP doesn't want to spend a whole lot of money of course.

To the OP...

The that chipset won't affect what you can or can't get. It should have a PCIe slot so you should be good.

For the power supply, it depends on your system overall. (CPU and video card are the two most important components that will drain the most power, but all of your other peripherals need to be accounted for also). A decent mid-high end system can do well with a 400w PSU as long as it's a good quality one with decent amps on the +12volt rails. In general it's good to have at least 25 amps on the +12v rail, but again, that might change based on your components. Some good manufacturers are PC Power & Cooling, Antec, Corsair, Seasonic, and Enermax. Kind of the same thing that I think Kiwi was trying to say about high amounts of RAM on video cards that can't even use it, don't bother with a high wattage PSU just because it has high watts. A 600 watt PSU might sound good but if it has crappy amps on the +12v rail then it's useless.

I'm not even sure what you're arguing here. Do I have to "support" that 512mb is only worthwhile on "high quality level" cards that have a 256bit memory interface or higher, when that's exactly what you're saying?

Nuke2690

He's telling you not to give the OP only half of the advice he needs to buy a video card.

OP, what is your budget and what games do you want to play?

EDIT: If you're going to be buying a high-end card, you'll need to upgrade your power supply. That'll cut a bit out of your budget.

Okay, before i start, thanks for all the quick response :D

The games i plan on playing are: Guild Wars, Battlefield 2, Half life 2, Counter Strike:Source, Call of Duty 4, maybe Oblivion (if i can find a decent graphics card, as i have Oblivion, but never had time 2 install/play on old comp)

And can you lot recomend any decent, budget wise graphics cards and a decent, low budget PSU up to £60 (£60 each that is)

Okay, before i start, thanks for all the quick response :D

The games i plan on playing are: Guild Wars, Battlefield 2, Half life 2, Counter Strike:Source, Call of Duty 4, maybe Oblivion (if i can find a decent graphics card, as i have Oblivion, but never had time 2 install/play on old comp)

And can you lot recomend any decent, budget wise graphics cards and a decent, low budget PSU up to £60 (£60 each that is)

Russf8

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/136304

its a tad over your budget but its pretty good what are the rest of your specs on your computer ?

Okay, ill check those out in amin

Specs: AMD Athlon 4000+ x2, each core running at 2.1ghz, 1024ram, but i can add 512 ram from my old comp (i think), FBS: 2000MHZ, not sure on the PSU atm, 1mb cache, 160gb hard drive, and 3 PCI-e slots free, nVidia nForce 410 chipset (or something like that) and nVidia GeForce 6100 Intergrated Graphics. Just go type in eMachine E4252 to get better description of specs.

For your budget, I'd have to confirm mastershake recommendations on the Antec earthwatts and the 3850. Sure, a 8800GT or a 9600GT would be a bit better, but if your budget is tight the 3850 is a really great card too. I got one and I'm very happy with it. Plus, you don't want to skimp much on the PSU, and taking that into account for your budget, that Earthwatts 430 is an excellent choice. I'm using an Earthwatts 500 in my system and I just bought that 430 for my girlfriend's new system.

Too bad you can't but from NewEgg (since I'm assuming you're in the UK) because they have 3850's for about $160, which would be roughly 20quid cheaper. Still not a bad price though.

I'm not good with quid conversion from dollars, but if you are planning on playing some PC games in the future the budget nVidia GeForce 9600 GT for ~$170 would be capable for some time now. If you could afford it, it would be a great card.

You remind me of one of my best friends. Weird. :|

JUst to toss this in. I'm running a 500 watt and at the moment a 8600gt xxx 256mb but soon I'llup to a 8800gt or a 9600gt both with 512mb and I plan to play sc C&C 3 and C&C3 kanes's war and C&C 3 what ever the fps shooter game's name will be and starcraft 2 hopefully and C&C read alert 3 and more as time goes along.

I'm assumjing if I get the money to I'll go to the 8800gt. That card seem to handle the aa/af at higher rez as well. I think I saw one of the 8800gt cards psu at 500 watts and it said that was the requirment ot that card and if that was so then I may barly squeek by with mine.

Okay, think ill definatly get that PSU when i can, and for the graphics card, as i dont have lots of cash atm, would this one be okay? http://www.microdirect.co.uk(17262)Asus-Extreme-8500GT-256MB-DDR2-Silent-PCIE.aspx

or this one: http://www.microdirect.co.uk/(19602)Asus-Extreme-Radeon-2600-PRO-HD-256MB-DDR2.aspx or even this one: http://www.microdirect.co.uk/(18357)XFX-GeForce-8400-GS-256MB-DDR2-PCIE-DVI-450mhz.aspx

Soz if they are actually crap, but i dont know, and i dont exactly need a pro graphics card, just one that will run games to a certain extent...

Okay, think ill definatly get that PSU when i can, and for the graphics card, as i dont have lots of cash atm, would this one be okay? http://www.microdirect.co.uk(17262)Asus-Extreme-8500GT-256MB-DDR2-Silent-PCIE.aspx

or this one: http://www.microdirect.co.uk/(19602)Asus-Extreme-Radeon-2600-PRO-HD-256MB-DDR2.aspx or even this one: http://www.microdirect.co.uk/(18357)XFX-GeForce-8400-GS-256MB-DDR2-PCIE-DVI-450mhz.aspx

Soz if they are actually crap, but i dont know, and i dont exactly need a pro graphics card, just one that will run games to a certain extent...

Russf8

okays, thanks :D Ill keep trying 2 find a better one of course, but if i cant find a better one, which is cheaper (if possible) then ill get it. Thanks for all the help so far :D