PSU and Graphics Cards
jimmyboveto
I'm looking to upgrade my graphics card from my current 8500gt, but I only have a 300W PSU. I'm hoping that there is room for improvement. What would you recommend for such a small PSU?
moriz
the safest upgrade would be a radeon hd4670. you can certainly try something more powerful, but it's all going to depend on how good of a PSU you have.
Elder III
I would recommend getting a new PSU - no sense in cutting yourself short here. You can get a quality 500watt PSU for under $50 these days.
jackers1234
i would go for at least a 500W PSU, maybe even 600W, depending on what else in your system you want to upgrade.
to be honest with you, there is little point in getting a more powerful graphics card with such a small PSU, your system will most likely become unstable.
so upgrade your PSU, then go for an nvidia GTS/GTX series if you can afford it. if not, and nvidia 9800, (or 8800 if you are on a budget), will do nicely.
(i wouldnt recommend the radeon hd series, i have had many computers brought to me with issues with these cards. they are also less powerful overall then the nvidia equivalents)
to be honest with you, there is little point in getting a more powerful graphics card with such a small PSU, your system will most likely become unstable.
so upgrade your PSU, then go for an nvidia GTS/GTX series if you can afford it. if not, and nvidia 9800, (or 8800 if you are on a budget), will do nicely.
(i wouldnt recommend the radeon hd series, i have had many computers brought to me with issues with these cards. they are also less powerful overall then the nvidia equivalents)
Master Ketsu
Agree with the above: Get a better PSU. Generally when you upgrade, you want to get the best you can afford at the time so you won't be needing to upgrade again for a good while. Buying a GPU below what you want just because your PSU is a piece of shit is silly. You would eventually want to upgrade that PSU anyways. 300 Watt max? Fail PSU is fail.
moriz
Quote:
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Originally Posted by jackers1234
i would go for at least a 500W PSU, maybe even 600W, depending on what else in your system you want to upgrade.
to be honest with you, there is little point in getting a more powerful graphics card with such a small PSU, your system will most likely become unstable. so upgrade your PSU, then go for an nvidia GTS/GTX series if you can afford it. if not, and nvidia 9800, (or 8800 if you are on a budget), will do nicely. (i wouldnt recommend the radeon hd series, i have had many computers brought to me with issues with these cards. they are also less powerful overall then the nvidia equivalents) |
Brianna
Though I can almost assure you he's probably not lying about people bringing him computers that have issues with those cards. I've seen the same thing happen myself.
moriz
well if we go by the contents of these forums, it seems that nvidia graphic cards, especially the 9000 series, seems to encounter the most problems. if the sample size is small enough, we'll probably see one brand seemingly having more problems, when they are actually equal in quality.
i'm mostly disagreeing with the last part of that sentence actually. the HD4800 series was so good, that it forced nvidia to cut the prices of GTX200 series in half within two weeks of their launch. so "they are also less powerful overall then the nvidia equivalents" is most definitely false.
i'm mostly disagreeing with the last part of that sentence actually. the HD4800 series was so good, that it forced nvidia to cut the prices of GTX200 series in half within two weeks of their launch. so "they are also less powerful overall then the nvidia equivalents" is most definitely false.
Malician
You don't need as much PSU as most people think. What are the actual specs on your PSU (namely, amps on the 12V rail)? Multiply that number by 12 to get your real wattage.
http://www.anandtech.com/casecooling...oc.aspx?i=3413
8800 (and therefore 9800, since it's just a rebranded 8800) GT uses 115 watts load
Core 2 Duo uses about 30-40 watts, quad uses about 60-100
http://www.anandtech.com/casecooling...oc.aspx?i=3413
8800 (and therefore 9800, since it's just a rebranded 8800) GT uses 115 watts load
Core 2 Duo uses about 30-40 watts, quad uses about 60-100
SigurdTheBalmung
If you aren't sure what wattage of PSU needed may I suggest going to...
http://www.antec.outervision.com/index.jsp
Just use the drop down menus to select the components you already have along with the video card you are looking at and it will calculate the wattage it will use. It will even suggest which Antec PSUs are right for you... but the main thing is you'll know exactly what wattage you will need so you don't go over board.
http://www.antec.outervision.com/index.jsp
Just use the drop down menus to select the components you already have along with the video card you are looking at and it will calculate the wattage it will use. It will even suggest which Antec PSUs are right for you... but the main thing is you'll know exactly what wattage you will need so you don't go over board.
jackers1234
well, i am just going from my personal experience of the cards. i have not studied a large number of pc's to get actual data or anything, that was simply my opinion on which i think are better overall, (price, performance, reliability etc.)
Notorious Bob
Quote:
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Originally Posted by jackers1234
well, i am just going from my personal experience of the cards. i have not studied a large number of pc's to get actual data or anything, that was simply my opinion on which i think are better overall, (price, performance, reliability etc.)
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But as with any GPU upgrade, PSU and case cooling are paramount. If it cooks or pulls down your power rails then you won't be a happy camper.
People are prone to spending $$$ on high-spec GPUs but neglect to spend $ on a fan to keep their case cool
jackers1234
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Notorious Bob
But as with any GPU upgrade, PSU and case cooling are paramount. If it cooks or pulls down your power rails then you won't be a happy camper.
People are prone to spending $$$ on high-spec GPUs but neglect to spend $ on a fan to keep their case cool |