Solved need help in choosing a new graphics card

[matthew8840]

hi I have a GeForce 7300 le graphics card which i know is obviously very dated.

With the new generation of games coming out on pc it is now clear i need a new graphics card as all games run slowly when all video setting are on lowest.

im just wandering if anyone has any advice as to which new graphics cards i should choose especially as i dont want to spend loads of money

im looking at the GeForce 9600 gt but is this good enouugh??

 

[Beta]

That card is to old. Your beter off buying something newer.

 

[matthew8840]

the geforce 9600 gt is too old too?
what would you recommend though as im not too fussed about graphics quality as long as its half decent and i can play the game smoothly im happy

 

[Solarstarshines]

The op mentioned in the above Reconmendations

1st off what type of games you like to play because if you just play simple and non graphic taxing games you don't need a ultra sick GPU

and also depending if your mobo cpu etc can handle the bump persay

also have you looked at any choices you think you can benefit from those are the first things you need to look into

Just because you got a new GPU doesn't mean you still won't witness a lag due to cpu or lack of ram

 

[Solarstarshines]

ok do us all a favor and list some system specs

for the record many people are still useing 9600 gt 1gb

But you might be able to get away with a low pro 240 gtx but with out specs cant recommend

 

[Gromit1710]

Agreed. It would help to know what else you have in your box.


Graphics cards are only part of the equation when it comes to gaming performance. You need a good processor and lots of RAM as well.

Nvidia's line of gaming GPU's are now in the 500's series. There's a price/performance point for everyone. A GTX 550ti is a good place to start if you want in on the newest generation.

 

[matthew8840]

okay my system specs:
AMD Athlon(tm) II X2 250 Processor 3.01GHz
4.00 GB RAM
64 - bit operating system

i have done some previous research and i am fairly confident that all these specs are good enough to run most games i just need to upgrade my graphics cards.

Im not fussed about having the best graphics out there just as long as it looks good and the game runs smoothly.

THe generation of games dont seem to run smoothly on my computer theres no crashing or error warnings, the games just lagg and have very jerky movements on the lowest video settings. I dont want to spend huge amounts on a new GPU so yh just askign for some advice.

 

[Solarstarshines]

what about Motherboard most important some board won't support everything out there

Im assumming it is PCI -e x16

But with the card you had previously was AGP i know this cause i had a 7300gt AGP

I might be wrong you could also have the PCI version not the PCI -e

 

[Gromit1710]

To get a GPU that will play today's games with good resolution and frame rates, you should be prepared to pay at least $200 USD

MSI sells a GTX 560 for about that cost.

That should allow you to play games without stuttering with settings in the midrange instead of low.

 

[matthew8840]

okay my knowledge on this kind of thing is minimal can you tell me how to check the motherboard??

 

[Gromit1710]

Look at the card you have installed now and compare it to the picture.

 

[matthew8840]

okay so you mean some types of cards are not compatible with my computer???
i'll check now

 

[Gromit1710]

Yeah. It all depends on what type of " Plug in " slot you have on your motherboard.

Some motherboards only have 1 kind. Others have both.

 

[matthew8840]

okay its definately the x 16 PCLe card.
how do i check if the other type will also fit?

 

[Gromit1710]

I wouldn't even worry about finding out if an AGP will work on your board or not.

AGP is on it's way out. All the GPU's are moving to PCI-E slots.

Just make sure the graphics card you get is a PCI-E X16 slot and you'll be fine.

All of the boxes that the cards come in will tell you what slot along with any website that sells cards will list what slot the card works with.

 

[matthew8840]

okay cheers
i just want to know the cheapest option of a card that will run the games smoothly and maybe some newer games that come out over the next year or 2

as i have a limited budget :s

 

[Gromit1710]

Well... how much money do you want to spend? That is really your only consideration at this point.

 

[matthew8840]

yh i see, well dont worry i'll figure the rest out for myself you've been a big help cheers