[SOLVED] Graphics card replacement advice?

112joesam · 07-10-2011, 06:38 AM

Hey Guys,

I'm looking for a graphics card in order to replace my Geforce 8600 GTS. I've got a budget up to £50 and wondered if anyone could give me any good recommendations. So far this has tempted me: Sapphire 11166-02-20R HD 5450 1GB DDR3 PCIE HDMI Graphics Card: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Thanks in advance.

Wrench97 · 07-10-2011, 06:42 AM

What are the system specs you wish to install it in?
Brand and model if prebuilt/
Brands and models of the Motherboard, CPU, Power Supply if custom built?

Wrench97 · 07-10-2011, 06:44 AM

Actually for gaming the 8600GTS is the better card
GeForce 8600 GT 512MB DDR2 vs Radeon HD 5450 – Performance Comparison Benchmarks @ Hardware Compare

**Rich-M** · 07-10-2011, 07:56 AM

Wrench is right, the 5450 would be a step down.

112joesam · 07-10-2011, 08:47 AM

Oh sorry, its an acer aspire m3640. Other than that, i know not much about it besides I installed an extra 2gb of ram last week. I have no clue what's compatable or not, so help with that would be great.

Thanks.

Wrench97 · 07-10-2011, 08:54 AM

What Power supply are you currently running, the OEM PSU for that model is a 250w and would not have the needed 6 pin pcie connector for the 8600GTS ?
Remove the side cover and get the brand/model off the label.
Acer Support: Aspire M3640 Series Specifications

112joesam · 07-10-2011, 09:19 AM

Its definately an m3640, its has a 250W power supply and it apparently has an nvidia geforce 8600gts installed. I could take the graphics card out and have a look, but on the case, it says it has a 8600gts installed.

Wrench97 · 07-10-2011, 09:43 AM

They probably used adapters, not a good way to power it.

You can figure on adding a power supply to your budget, the 8600GTS when new was about a $75 card any upgrade will be above that price point now.

112joesam · 07-10-2011, 09:46 AM

Well, i pulled the card out and apparently its an nvidia 8600GS, I don't know if the lack of the "T" makes any difference?

Wrench97 · 07-10-2011, 09:53 AM

Yes the GS is the low power version of the GTS, doesn't require additional power connection, nor is it as powerful a card.
However it's still better for gaming then the 5450, the HD5450 is better for HD video however.

With the Nvidia chipset motherboard I would highly recommend staying with a Nvidia Video card to avoid driver conflicts.

112joesam · 07-10-2011, 09:55 AM

I guess i'll just buy another 8600 Gs then, thanks for the help.

-Edit- Thought i'd ask whilst i'm still here, whats the next up from the 8600? I bought this Pc about 3 years ago and it was only £400 then, so the card shouldn't be too much I imagine.

Wrench97 · 07-10-2011, 10:01 AM

The GT440 or GTS450 would be a step up, but you'll need at least a 550w PSU to power them correctly.
Scan.co.uk: EVGA GT440 NVIDIA Graphics Card - 1GB - 01G-P3-1441-KR
Scan.co.uk: Gainward 512MB GeForce GTS 450 GDDR5 NVIDIA Graphics Card - 426018336-1503
Scan.co.uk: XFX PRO550W P1-550S-XXB9 Power Supply (PSU) Core Edition

Wrench97 · 07-10-2011, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 112joesam

I guess i'll just buy another 8600 Gs then, thanks for the help.

-Edit- Thought i'd ask whilst i'm still here, whats the next up from the 8600? I bought this Pc about 3 years ago and it was only £400 then, so the card shouldn't be too much I imagine.

They don't make them any longer, the 9600GT is also out of production.
Did your video card fail?

112joesam · 07-10-2011, 10:08 AM

Yes. I'm currently running it from the inbuilt motherboard graphics card. But the main reason I need a replacement is that, I guess, running it from the motherboard is draining the ram (?) because for some reason my pc is running at 1650mb of ram, as opposed to the 4000. Should i go to play Fallout, for example, on it, its runs exceptionally slow, even on the lowest setting. I presume this is because of the aforementioned, running it from the motherboard, although i could be wrong?

Wrench97 · 07-10-2011, 10:19 AM

Probably because of graphics more so then the ram. any ram reserved for the graphics system will be released if the system needs it and the graphics does not.

If I had to bet the video card failed from being underpowered for the last couple of years, the PCIe spec calls for a minimum of 24 amps on the 12v which is really a minimum for a entry level card like a 8400gt.

112joesam · 07-10-2011, 10:29 AM

What should i do then?

Wrench97 · 07-10-2011, 10:58 AM

The GT430 is probably the cheapest card to use without losing performance, but the PSU upgrade would still be needed, overworking a OEM supply often ends with more then just a failed supply.
Scan.co.uk: EVGA 1GB GeForce GT 430 DDR3 NVIDIA Graphics Card - 01G-P3-1430-EL

Best advice I can give you is to save up until you can get a quality supply and the 440 or 450 card.

112joesam · 07-10-2011, 12:08 PM

Sorry to keep bothering you, but i'm a complete noob when it comes to this, and i'll keep putting this off otherwise, but i've been recommended this: Palit nVidia GeForce 9500GT 1GB Garphics Card (PCI-Express): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories Is it compatable?

-Edit- Kind of worrying that this is a garphics card. -

Wrench97 · 07-10-2011, 01:13 PM

It's about the same price as the GT430, close to the same power consumption but not as powerful, it is about the same performance wise as the 8500GT.

112joesam · 07-10-2011, 02:07 PM

Is the new power supply completely neccessary, i'm trying to save cash to buy a new laptop? Would the gt430 work without the new power supply?

- If yes, is this the correct card, ( ASUS 1GB GeForce GT 430 PCI-E 2.0 with Low Profile Bracket: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories ) It seems searching for a GT 430 to purchase isn't as easy as one would think... -