Advice on pc upgrades

[GTraymond2820]

Im getting sick of not being able to play alot of games on my pc, and the ones i can play are on the absolute lowest settings possible. So i decided to get my pc some upgrades instead of buying a new one, since this one is only 1 year old. My computer is a hp p6715f you can find it on hp the website and specs are in my profile also, what should you advice me on getting?

 

[stormy13]

HP Pavilion p6715f Desktop PC Product Specifications HP Pavilion p6715f Desktop PC - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

A video card and a new power supply is what you need. Power supply because the 250W one that HP put in there won't be enough to run much more than what the computer shipped with, it definitely won't be enough to run any video card that requires an external power connection (and doubtful for the ones that don't either),

How much are you looking to spend?

 

[DustSailor]

In addition to the advice above:

Start slow. No need to blow all your money at once. Try simply upgrading the graphics card, which is the most critical unit in playing video games. You have a PCI-e x16 slot, it looks like, so you should be able to upgrade to the latest graphics cards available. Depends what is in your budget. Go AMD if you want a really good card for cheap.

You'll have to look through and determine what you want based on the pricing: AMD Radeon
amd graphics: compare prices and read reviews - Bing Shopping

 

[bobkn]

Be sure to get a decent power supply if you wish to upgrade.

Antec, Corsair, and Seasonic are good places to start. I'm sure that there are lots of other worthwhile ones, but avoid the real "bargain" units.

 

[rjohn]

Totally agreed. A lot of people buy a whole new computer while they can just simply buy a better graphic card.

 

[Alejandro85]

I agree that what you need the more is a real graphic card, as it have only an on-board one, which aren't particularly good for newer games. At the same time you'll probably need a bigger power supply to power it all as the one you have is really small.
I may suggest as a third, last step, and even if needed, to consider a bigger CPU instead of an i3, but only if the GPU alone can't cope with the games.

 

[DustSailor]

Also, something I had forgotten to mention. I am not sure about your case, but make sure the case is not smaller than the graphics card you are looking to buy. Some cards are bigger than others. There needs to be plenty of room, including any wires that might be in the way. Measure it, and don't buy a card that doesn't fit.

 

[GTraymond2820]

Hey thanks for all the answers, my budget is really low so some thing lower than 200 or mid 200, also i really wanted to get a nvidia card instead of ati ( just personal preference) what would be the best one for me, oh and my psu unit which would you advice me on getting since i dont want anything cheap that might mess up my pc

 

[stormy13]

As long as the case for your HP is the same as in the link I posted above (standard ATX size), then something like this,

Newegg.com - MSI N550GTX-Ti MD1GD5 V2 GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Newegg.com - Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply

would allow you to play most games at a mix of medium and high (and all high depending on the game), and come in right around your $200 budget.

 

[DustSailor]

^ I like what he said

 

[GTraymond2820]

Can i find those products in a retail store, sorry im only 15 and i dont have a credit card, can i find this like someplace like best buy, walmart etc?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Can i find those products in a retail store, sorry im only 15 and i dont have a credit card, can i find this like someplace like best buy, walmart etc?

With luck, in certain retail stores that specialize in computer hardware: Fry's, Comp USA, Microcenter, maybe Best Buy. Best Buy is the only one of those companies that has stores in nearly every major city, but the other 3 are more likely to have a good selection of parts.

Microcenter has stores in Westbury, Long Island; and in Yonkers.


655 Merrick Avenue
Westbury, NY 11590
Phone: (516) 683-6760


750-A Central Park Avenue
Yonkers, NY 10704
Phone: (914) 595-3020


http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0383860

The above power supply is supposedly stocked by Microcenter and is made by Seasonic, a high quality manufacturer. It should be fine for your purposes. Microcenter may not carry the exact model that Stormy recommended.

 

[DustSailor]

Bestbuy should have a few graphics cards to select from. I believe I saw a 550 before there, and it might have even been 550ti

 

[smarteyeball]

Have you considered a console, or do you already have one?

That's another 'cheap' alternative.

 

[GTraymond2820]

Have you considered a console, or do you already have one?

That's another 'cheap' alternative.

No i hate console gaming

 

[Colonel Travis]

The advice given here is great, and I think what you'll learn if you start with a couple components (GPU, PSU) that maybe you'll want to figure out how to build your own rig down the road. Maybe not. But that's what happened to me. I thought - well, if I can replace my RAM why can't I replace everything? I'll never buy a pre-made machine again in my life. You can put whatever you want in there, and you'll save $.

By the way, get to one of those Microcenter stores near you. They don't always have the best deals but sometimes they're comparable to Newegg or better. For example, right now:

Microcenter GeForce GTX 550 Ti - $111.99 after rebate

Newegg GeForce GTX 550 Ti - $119 after rebate.