Need advice+info please :)

[bibbidibob]

So im not pro at graphics cards, as in, i look at the MB and think that's all you really need to go by, but recently i got a new game (final fantasy 14) and my old GeForce 8600gs, 512MB is no longer good enough

However, being on a tight budget (£50ish) i can't just go out and buy a £130 snazzy thing. 512MB Nvidia 9600 series is minimum (me personally dont get the difference between the 8600 and 9600, both 512mb, hence why im coming here for help ^^) 768MB GeForce GTX460 or better recommended.

Considering the age of my current graphics card (and computer) i figured finding one at this budget should be possible, and i know i cant be picky, but im plugged in to a 26" HDTV, so one with HDMI socket would be nice.

I found this, but i don't know if it is above the previous cards i mentioned and designed for gaming, and i cant find many reviews i understand about it. with what i understand, £47.99 seems rather cheap to me for it.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-158-EA&groupid=701&catid=1914&subcat=

Also, afraid i do only have about 23cm length wise of freedom before it hits the (what i think is the) processors. If need be i was thinking of getting a new case, seen one or 2 that do have reviews, but due to my money situation, im only going to get what i need.

Thank you for reading

 

[cmndr_andi]

Hi there and welcome to the OCUK forums

Unfortunately, that GT 520 card is terrible for gaming and only really worth using as a HTPC (HD video playing) card (this review compares it to the 5770 - which itself is a fair bit slower than the GTX 460 768MB).

As for clearance, 23cm isn't massive - but there are a fair few decent gaming cards which are smaller than 9 inches. The GTX 460 for example is 8.25 inches long and the HD 6770 is 8.7 inches (though the 6770's power connection does come in the side - which isn't great if length clearance is tight, the GTX 460 however gets its power connection from the top - so no issue there). Purely on a size perspective, I would go with the GTX 460.

As for which GTX 460 to go for, the 768MB OEM version (with 1 year warranty) on offer on OCUK at £86 is a really excellent deal and the one I would go for. If you want a brand new card with longer warranty then this even faster GTX 460 1GB (with more stream processors on the GPU as well as more video RAM) is £110 - there aren't any brand-new 768MB versions currently on OCUK.

However if you current system is only running a 8600GS then you may need a more powerful PSU - since the GTX 460 (or 6770) uses much more power than an 8600 (as they are much more powerful cards). May I ask what make and model power supply you are current using (it will say on the side of the PSU, if you take your case side off).

One other thing, may I ask what the rest of your PC spec is (CPU, RAM, motherboard make and model number)? As if you do install a much faster graphics card like a GTX 460 then depending on your existing specs another component may begin limiting your performance - so you can't take full advantage of the power of the new graphics card.

 

[bibbidibob]

Bestec ATX-300-12EB3 Rev: F2R

Don't know if that means anything.

Both cards you mentioned look good, and the HD6770 looks like it'd fit fine, and i dont mind stretching for either of them, so think i might just be going for whichever one performs better.

Also, installation wise, are ATI as simple and use friendly as Nvidia? I've only ever used Nvidia, though saying that, that is only updating my drivers and managing settings etc., never installed one.

If i gave the wrong power supply info just let me know and ill have another look, unfortunately half of my power supply info is hidden under some metal. (Yes, this PC is fully stock and bought from PC world 3 years ago)

 

[cmndr_andi]

Ah yes, that looks like a 300W standard ATX design. It certainly won't power a nice graphics card like a GTX 460 or HD 6770, but it means the case is of a design which will accommodate a standard replacement (ATX form factor).

I would suggest going with this PSU as a replacement.

As for HD 6770 vs GTX 460 768MB, I would recommend going for the GTX 460 over the AMD card. First because you certainly won't have any issue with clearance in terms of length, while the 6770 may have an issue as the power connection does protrude out of the end of the card. Also, being another nvidia card then you don't have to do much other than update the drivers.

Finally, I edited my above post pretty late asking for a full PC spec (to ensure the other components won't limit the performance of your new graphics card), so you probably didn't get a chance to read it before posting your latest post, would you be able to tell us these specs?

 

[bibbidibob]

3gb ram
2x 2.40MHz 32-bit
afraid i dont know how to check my motherboard info think it might be G33T - AM, thats all i can really find, just scanning over the thing.

 

[cmndr_andi]

3GB RAM should be fine, but we'll need to know the make and model number of the CPU you are running.

Would you be able to download and run CPU-Z (a popular application that gives you detailed information on your computer system) and tell us what it says in the Processor > Name box (on the CPU tab) and what it says on the "Mainboard" tab (specifically the manufacturer, model and chipset).

Also, using CPU-Z in the "memory" tab could you check what it says the "DRAM frequency" is as well as the "Channels #" (should say either double or single).

 

[bibbidibob]

intel core 2 quad Q6600

manufacturer "DIXON PHILLIPS"
model G33T - AM
chipset intel P35/G33/G31

dram freq. 332.5 MHz
channels: Dual

edit: sorry for late reply, went pub unexpectedly

 

[cmndr_andi]

Hehe, Pub > PC, that is the way it should be

That's a good CPU you have there, so I wouldn't worry about your CPU bottlenecking your performance.

Therefore with a PSU and Graphics card upgrade you will have a PC ready to take on pretty much any modern game. Have fun

 

[bibbidibob]

thank you for such a helpful welcome to these forums

going to be cheaper than i thought