Help with Graphics Card on p2250

Can I just ask, if i buy a good graphics card will my computer just run better or do I need several components?

also, are they difficult to put into a computer?

jimmyrc said:

also, are they difficult to put into a computer?

What's your computer?

As far as I can tell, the "P2250" is the part number of your LCD monitor. You'd get much better help here if you can supply information (model number for a commercial system, for example) that would allow people to look up your hardware configuration.

It's not hard to swap graphics cards. The issues you face are:

Is your power supply adequate for a higher performance card? Most manufacturers specify 400W or more, even for fairly low-end cards.

Will the new card fit in the same space as the old? (An 8400GS could be a low-profile card, although it need not be.) High performance cards tend to be longish.

Is the interface the same? Most cards are PCI-E (PCI Express), but the 8400GS is available as a PCI card. Despite the similarity of the names, the two slots are completely incompatible. (I mention this because it's possible, but it's not likely.)

how do I check all these things?

I attached what I think might help but I'm not sure

jimmyrc said:

I attached what I think might help but I'm not sure

The information that you supplied isn't all that we need to see, but it's encouraging.

You have a high-end CPU (I7-870) in a Socket 1156 motherboard. You have a PCI-E (PCI Express) graphics card slot, which is required for most graphics card upgrades.

The information that we lack is what power supply you have, and the physical space available for the card. You won't find out either of those from Windows or a third-party software application. Also: what's your budget?

IF you have a 550W PSU with 38A available at +12V, and two 6 pin PCI-E power connectors, you could even use an nVidia GTX680 card. An AMD Radeon HD 7970 would require a bit more, say 620W or more. These are the most powerful single processor graphics cards on the market at the moment, and expensive ($500US for the 680, $530 for the 7970).

thanks
so how do i check them?
i'm not too sure, maybe around $200?

jimmyrc said:

thanks
so how do i check them?
i'm not too sure, maybe around $200?

How do you check them?

The PSU should have a label on it that lists its specs.

For the length of the card, you use a ruler.

Both require opening the case.

Or, if we knew what sort of PC it was, its specs may be available online. Is there some reason you aren't supplying that information? That limits the quality of the advice you'll receive.

If you only need to buy a card (no new power supply), with a $200 budget, in the USA your choices would be cards based on the AMD Radeon HD 6850 or 6870, or the nVidia 560ti cards. I see that the current exchange rate is about 1:1 for Australian dollars to US, but I have no idea about Australian sellers.

Good luck.

no sorry, i just have no idea what you need to know
i am very computer ignorant and am not sure how to check the pc type