is there an optimal gpu card for windows 8?

[FixupSellon]

my antec a r i a case comes with the standard 300w supply(no 6 pin for extended power although can buy 6 pin to molex if needed to be) and currently the board that came in it is an old Am2 with a sempron 2800+ or something(got sp2 xp making it useless for downloading so no cpu z), but not too old to not include ddr2 ram and pci e x16(@x8) and after buying a 500gb sata hdd and 1gb ram stick i will be sticking with this board for the moment until i can find a cheap mobo combo, so im going to upgrade elsewhere in the time being..

the plan with this computer is to load it with windows 8 incorporate a good graphics card as i want to use it for design software(be it old stuff i got or learn new stuff) and self teach myself how to make apps and games(not software savvy at all for anything like this so all a first), nothing too spectacular, but a good stepping stone and i generally want to have a windows 8 machine side by side with my windows 7 dell optiplex gx620 sff as ive never properly used windows 8..

i dont really plan to game on it other than testing if i ever succeed ha even though i got more options for better gaming, but im happy with my dell and its pentium d940 and hd2400 for what i play.

now as a benchmark this hd2400, d940 and windows 7 pro 64bit goes well together in my opinion, but for windows 8 i dont think this generation of card would suffice, so im here to ask of what would be an optimal card to use with windows 8, the current sempron and potential dual core ill later get if i dont find a triple or quad???

i could get a hd4350 or something for under £20, but i could likely do better and thats another thing, currently im using a 16" monitor, but when i come to use the cube i will hook it up to my cheapo 22" hd ready tv i originally had for xbox, but no long use, so i would require hdmi support..


so to fill in what the rest of the system will be like for now:

am2 with sempron 2600+(board is a foxconn windfast and overclockable)
2.5gb(but will max it at 4gb)
500gb hdd(although discovered i can fit 3 in this case, so will use 2 drives, an 80gb for os)
300w psu(case proprietary)
pci cards maybe

 

[new boy]

I wouldn't waste my time with that to be honest mate.

You can pick up used core 2 duo systems for next to nothing that would be infinity faster than your machine.

 

[Nocky24]

We're WEEE disposing kit way faster than that at work. I'd see what you can pick up cheap on the bay as the other poster says.

 

[FixupSellon]

thanks for replies.

yeah i know this board is old hat, its a foxconn winfast MP61VM2MA-RS2H, but it works and has a feature that allows integrated and dedicated graphics to combine whatever that be like and can be overclocked..

but regardless of that i will still need a graphics card(no matter what os) and one that fits in with the psu, so if i can get a decent gpu now i can save towards a good mobo combo..

things is though, im going to go a bit all out on this one as i have the option unlike my dell, but have and had many 775 boards and ideally wouldnt want another one for intel based unless is had a quad, not knock 775, just id like something different.

 

[FixupSellon]

Ironically ive seen a combo on bay for 30, its an Asrock AM2NF6G-VSTA, but its another Am2 with the same sempron ..

Must admit, for an old board it does sound good(likely better than my winfast) and I like it supports Same RAM and has an 8GB cap which I could make 6 or 7 easy.

However 30 I think is a bit steap, could get a crappy base computer with a 775 or dual core Athlon.

 

[varkanoid]

You are really going to struggle because whatever card you pick over the 2400 is not going to give you much benefit at all.

Plus I would double check the PSU as if its a freeby that they put in it might end up exploding.

If you are not gaming on it then the 2400 would probably still suffice even in Windows 8

 

[Confused Stu]

The fastest GPU you can get without needing connectors from the PSU is an Nvidia 750Ti, I believe. Some need PCI-E connectors (ones designed to provide more overclocking headroom) but some models don't have extra power requirements, such as:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-248-MS

If, however, you don't need the power of the 750Ti and simply need the display outputs, then go for the cheapest PCI-E card you can find - I'd go for the N210 personally:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-182-MS

The 210 will have drivers for Windows 8, is very low powered (both in terms of easy on the PSU, and also in being unsuitable for gaming), and is currently the cheapest GPU I can find on OcUK. The 750Ti is much, much faster than the 210, but in terms of the PC the card is going into, putting a 750Ti in feels rather like putting a £2000 stereo into a £50 car with standard speakers.

If you are looking to buy new components at some point anyway, I would suggest buying the GPU when you buy a new motherboard/CPU/RAM/PSU anyway, that way you're not constrained by your current PSU. If you want to have a play with Windows 8 in the meantime, why not put one of your HDDs in the Dell and install Windows 8 onto it? That way you can choose during boot which drive to boot from and hence select to run Windows 7 or 8 as you see fit without needing to buy extra hardware. That would be what I would do while you save up for newer hardware, if that is your plan.

 

[pugheaven]

The fastest GPU you can get without needing connectors from the PSU is an Nvidia 750Ti, I believe. Some need PCI-E connectors (ones designed to provide more overclocking headroom) but some models don't have extra power requirements, such as:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-248-MS

If, however, you don't need the power of the 750Ti and simply need the display outputs, then go for the cheapest PCI-E card you can find - I'd go for the N210 personally:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-182-MS

The 210 will have drivers for Windows 8, is very low powered (both in terms of easy on the PSU, and also in being unsuitable for gaming), and is currently the cheapest GPU I can find on OcUK. The 750Ti is much, much faster than the 210, but in terms of the PC the card is going into, putting a 750Ti in feels rather like putting a £2000 stereo into a £50 car with standard speakers.

If you are looking to buy new components at some point anyway, I would suggest buying the GPU when you buy a new motherboard/CPU/RAM/PSU anyway, that way you're not constrained by your current PSU. If you want to have a play with Windows 8 in the meantime, why not put one of your HDDs in the Dell and install Windows 8 onto it? That way you can choose during boot which drive to boot from and hence select to run Windows 7 or 8 as you see fit without needing to buy extra hardware. That would be what I would do while you save up for newer hardware, if that is your plan.

FINE ANSWER!

 

[JonSmith]

The N210 is really quite naff, I'd personally go for a 5450 or ideally a 6450.

 

[Admetos]

I've just put a Geforce 720 with 1GB GDDR5 into a HTPC, it has a max wattage of 19w. It's a perfectly good card for desktop windows usage.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-267-MS&groupid=701&catid=1914&subcat=2304

As said the sempron 2600+ CPU is not very quick, however if you can get the computers memory to 4GB it will be usable (only just) for general computer tasks such as web browsing / office work, it's far to slow for modern software development work however.

 

[FixupSellon]

Think its 2800+ as thats lowest it supports for sempron? XP sp2 so crap it crashed so couldn't properly inspec..

The RAM is the same as my Dell but obviously that has a Pentium d, I have had a quick look at dual core am2 CPUs, but not specific to correct fitment..

Thing is I only have upwards of 30 quid as this is left of some birthday money, already spent 35 on case, ram and hard drive, I was hoping the cube came with a better board, but going to work with it as trial and error..

The thing about the hd2400 is that it works with my Dell, so hard finding a suitable LP card, but this cube isn't sff in that sense, so want to take on a more modern card and one that would work with Windows 8 and although I could, I don't tend to game as my Dell covers those needs, just don't want 8 on too old a tech and 8 on Dell has limitations whereas I can get a board for the cube that doesn't..


I could always buy another GeForce gt630 4gb as I thought it was good, but that likely wouldn't work as I had a 430w supply and bigger case with well designed 7 fan cooling at that time.


As for the psu in the cube, yeah I got the whole thing off fleabay as you put it, but comes with the genuine 300w antec L shape supply so shouldn't be bad.


Edit: no shout for hd4350? Or just like the 210?