GPU advice needed

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Rhodan

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Sep 5, 2004
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I have the following system:

Intel Pentium Dual Core E2200 2.2GHz
Asus P5GC-MX
2GB RAM

Currently it's using the onboard Intel gfx, and I was thinking of upgrading it with a decent GPU so I can play some games on it.

I would appreciate some advice on what would be a good GPU choice for this system, considering that it's not exactly high spec and there would be bottlenecks so I don't want to go overboard with the GPU.

Keep in mind I have a Viewsonic 17" LCD which is 1280x1024, so the resolution won't be going higher than that for the games.

I'd like to play the following games with good eye candy levels and frame rate:

Far Cry 2
Crysis Warhead
Fallout 3
Stalker Clear Sky
Dead Space

Thanks
 
I have a Dual-core Opteron (socket 939) and went with a GTX 280. The card does get CPU limited, but I can turn on all the ey-candy I want and play most any game at 2048x1536 without problems. When I move to a newer system, I can move the card with me.

Have a GTX 260 core 216 for sale if you're interested that would play everything on your list.
 
I would go with the HD4850 which can be purchased for around $130-150. If you want something in the $110-120 price range (similar to Nvidia's 9600GT), then you can opt for the 4830.

The GeForce 260 GTX has been on sale recently and can be purchased for $215 after rebate. However, for your purposes, I think the 512mb 4850 is more than enough and a solid all-around card.
 
Thanks for the replies.

I also have an iMac which has an ATI HD 2600, would the cards you suggested offer much better performance than what the iMac is capable of?

One other thing, the PC only has a 350 watt PSU, is that OK for these GPU's?
 
350 should be enough but is cutting it close. You may want to consider an upgrade to something like the Corsair 620HX which is an excellent PSU, or take a look at Corsair's TX series which is cheaper.
 
What's your budget on this GPU? At 1280 x 1024 that's not a high or demanding resolution to game at. You will be perfectly fine with just these video cards

Nvidia Chip Based
Geforce 8800GT
Geforce 9800GT

ATI Chip Based
Radeon HD4830
Radeon HD4850

Any of these cards will be fine and all under $200. The HD4850 would be the fastest and the most expensive among the group. But, for under $200 it offers great performance.

BTW, is your current setup a prebuilt system or you put that together? That 350 watt PSU most likely is a low quality with only 20Amps or less on the +12V rail. But, can you specify what model PSU do you have on that 350Watt. More than likely you will need to dump that PSU. If you do, just pop in an Antec Earthwatts 500Watt for $50 on NewEgg this is more than enough for any of the cards I listed above. If you are really tight on budget, get the Antec Earthwatts 380 watt for $30 on NewEgg and pair it with a Geforce 8800GT or 9800GT video card.
 
Rhodan said:
Thanks for the replies.

I also have an iMac which has an ATI HD 2600, would the cards you suggested offer much better performance than what the iMac is capable of?

One other thing, the PC only has a 350 watt PSU, is that OK for these GPU's?
Click to expand...

Given that factor you might wanna look at a 4670. That's a decent enough card based on your OP and your 1280x1024 cap. Upgrading the PSU would open you up to other cards but for now you don't really need or can a 4850
 
If your PSU is not a true power PSU (ie made by: Corsair, Enermax, ThermalTake, FSP, Seasonic etc), then most probably you will fry a high end GPU (anything above a 4670) with your PSU.
Make sure you have about 35 Amps on the 12V for a serious GPU, otherwise consider switching both GPU and PSU.
Also, anything above a 4850 is a waste of money at that resolution and with your CPU (which is a sure bottleneck).
I would go for an Nvidia 9600GT/8800GT/9800GT (the last two are the same...) or an ATI 4670/4830/4850. In either case the last two GPU's require a 450 PSU with 30+ Amps on the 12V and a 6 pin PCIe connector.
Best of luck!
 
The cards mentioned earlier is alot better in performance than an ATI HD2600 Pro. GonzoP has a good point on the HD4670 video card. Depending on your budget which we still need to know, if you are looking at the cheapest route to go for a GPU upgrade, than the HD 4670 that GonzoP mentioned earlier is ideal. It does not require any additional power as there is no 6 Pin PCI-E connector on the card. Therefore, that 350 watt PSU will be fine with the HD4670 card.

Rhodan said:
Thanks for the replies.I also have an iMac which has an ATI HD 2600, would the cards you suggested offer much better performance than what the iMac is capable of?
Click to expand...
 
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