Upgrading GPU "How do i know what to buy"

[SevSaint]

I will update this with system specs if you tell me what i information i need to provide under system info.
I was looking into the 7850 Radeon. My current card is a 5450 Radeon.

My games will be elder scrolls, league of legends, diablo 3.

What power specs do i need to provide and what other information..

Please help before i buy..

Also point me to a good tutorial please.. This is for a desktop.

 

[Dude]

Use this to fill in your specs. Will also need to know PSU details, to make sure it can handle the new gpu.

:ar: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/180324-system-info-see-your-system-specs.html

Here is a tutorial to start with

:ar: http://www.sevenforums.com/gaming/77293-tips-troubleshooting-game-issues.html

 

[SevSaint]

k i just set my info.. so its available. guess ill have to open it up.. and see

 

[ShamrockRig]

Well i dont think there will be a bottleneck so thats good, i'd say anything 550w upwards for psu will be fine.

 

[badger906]

not just get a card that is adequate for your needs, get the top card thats within budget, that way you have some future proofing. so how much are you willing to spend is key

 

[AddRAM]

Are we talking about a laptop here ?????

 

[Mellon Head]

not just get a card that is adequate for your needs, get the top card thats within budget, that way you have some future proofing. so how much are you willing to spend is key

I agree. If the OP wants to stay with the Radeon 7000 series, the 7870 might be a better choice if s/he can squeeze the money out of the budget. It's about $50 - $70 more, but s/he'll get more performance out of it - and more future proofing.

Are we talking about a laptop here ?????

It's a desktop according to the OP.

 

[AddRAM]

My bad, I looked at his specs and saw Laptop.

Doug asked him to fill in his specs in post #2, so he did in post #3, so naturally I looked at his newly filled in specs and saw Laptop.

And he has a Radeon HD5450 in his specs and in his question, so I was a weeee bit cornfused

 

[Boozad]

Still need a PSU rating and budget. To be honest, at 1440 x 900 you don't really need to spend big unless you plan on upgrading your monitor too. A 7850 would probably be fine, the ASUS DC2T cards are great value and will do you really well at that resolution. Just be sure to check the dimensions of the card (length most importantly) against the space you have in your case before buying, some of the aftermarket cards are big.

 

[zap9x]

..... im thinking about an upgrade for GPU too .... can u guys suggest a GPU that is somewhere between 150 ~ 200$ please , i have only a 450 PSU , but i can upgrade it if needed , also im thinking about buying a 2.35 or 1080 monitor ...

 

[Boozad]

..... im thinking about an upgrade for GPU too .... can u guys suggest a GPU that is somewhere between 150 ~ 200$ please , i have only a 450 PSU , but i can upgrade it if needed , also im thinking about buying a 2.35 or 1080 monitor ...

For your current PSU I'd go for the GPU I mentioned above (ASUS HD7850-DC2T). If you're planning on upgrading the PSU does that come out of your $200 budget? You don't want to scrimp on a PSU.

 

[zap9x]

..... im thinking about an upgrade for GPU too .... can u guys suggest a GPU that is somewhere between 150 ~ 200$ please , i have only a 450 PSU , but i can upgrade it if needed , also im thinking about buying a 2.35 or 1080 monitor ...

For your current PSU I'd go for the GPU I mentioned above (ASUS HD7850-DC2T). If you're planning on upgrading the PSU does that come out of your $200 budget? You don't want to scrimp on a PSU.

.... ty for your suggestion , well i believe i'm going to buy that if i dont wanna buy a better GPU , oh well ... its a bit out of my range , in vietnam its 270$ , but well i think i can save enough money for it

 

[SevSaint]

Okay i have a 300w power supply.. Something about 280 max watts with so many rails.
Its a desktop and don't know why it says laptop under settings.
My budget is 150-200.. If i have to upgrade my power supply to 500w i will but only in budget. Also note this is my first install on gpu and power supply. I have done mem before many times.

i have plenty of space long ways another 3 inches or more..

Also if i upgrade my psu can i have some recommendations please..Saw one for sale for 25 bucks on newegg. Is that price right for 500w psu

 

[Boozad]

A $25 PSU will not be any good.

 

[badger906]

you could get a power supply for less than ten dollars.. but it would be stupid.

think of your power supply as THE most important part of your computer, without it nothing will work, not enough consistant power and it wont work, cheap unregulated chinese rubbish.. well if it fails theres a very high chance it will takw out your motherboard, cpu, ram and graphics card...
basically it has the potential to destroy everything in your computer.. you may be able to salvage your hard drive!!

I read in a magazine somewhere that the power supply should account for about 15 to 20% of your computer budget. so on a $1000 dollar machine youd look to pay $150-200 for a power supply. scale that down to a budget pc and your still looking at $80-100 upwards.

 

[SevSaint]

Corsair CX500 - 80 Plus Bronze Certified Power Supply - Rakuten.com Shopping

what about this one?

and how do i determine which one will fit?
and cables fitting my computer.. I have a HD dvd/cd drive and motherboard..

 

[badger906]

you cant go wrong with corsair products!
It will fit all midi, mid tower and ATX cases, basically anything other than mini ITX.
It will come with all the standard molex and SATA power connectors as well as 20+ 4 pin power connectors and 6/8pin GPU connectors. so youll be fine with that.

 

[SevSaint]

you cant go wrong with corsair products!
It will fit all midi, mid tower and ATX cases, basically anything other than mini ITX.
It will come with all the standard molex and SATA power connectors as well as 20+ 4 pin power connectors and 6/8pin GPU connectors. so youll be fine with that.

So my tower should be fine??
Also the fan vent is up. My psu is on the top of my tower. Installing it with fan vent side down is a must?

 

[badger906]

you can orientate a PSU in any direction you like, as long as the fan has enough airflow. you can point the fan down to fit in your case no problem. MY psu is mounted sidways in my case with the fan about 2cm away from the side panel/vent.

 

[Boozad]

Corsair CX500 - 80 Plus Bronze Certified Power Supply - Rakuten.com Shopping

what about this one?

As Badger said; you can't go wrong with a Corsair. Be aware though that a 500W PSU will still limit the GPU you can install to an extent. If you can stretch to a 650W you'll be much better off.