best video card
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For the Price (and power efficiency), Id go with a Radeon HD 3870 or 3850. If money isnt much concern though, go with nVidia's top GeForce offerings -- at this time a step above the Radeon cards. I know that there are 3850 and 3870 cards that will fit in your size constraints, i dont know about the nVidia cards since i dont keep up with them as much.
If you do go for the Radeons, id recommend getting a HIS or Sapphire brand. HIS is my fav, but Sapphire has better prices, and decent components except sometimes the fans can go out or run too slow to keep the temp down.
Id say on a scale of 1-10, the 3870 is like an 8 with the GeForces being a 10. it'll do everything you want it to do though
If you do go for the Radeons, id recommend getting a HIS or Sapphire brand. HIS is my fav, but Sapphire has better prices, and decent components except sometimes the fans can go out or run too slow to keep the temp down.
Id say on a scale of 1-10, the 3870 is like an 8 with the GeForces being a 10. it'll do everything you want it to do though
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Welcome to tsf schuyler. Please post your budget for a new graphics card. Also , your computer has only a 300 watt power supply and will not support midrange or high range graphics cards. Only low end cards. You will need a better power supply for mid or high range cards. And your pci-e slot is the normal 16x slot and may not support pci-e 2.0 cards.
Please post your budget and we can find a psu/vga combo that should work with the pc.
Please post your budget and we can find a psu/vga combo that should work with the pc.
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12,695 Posts
600$? wow.
Ok , does the machine still have only 512 mb of ram? If it does you'll need that upgraded too.
Now since your pc has only a pci-e 1.0 slot , it would be safer to go with a gen 1 8800 and psu combo.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2570708&CatId=2513
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006
If you were to buy that , you would have a faster video card then most of us here. But truth be told , after this upgrade you should upgrade the motherboard as well. Keep the psu and 8800 , but get a new bare bones. That pentium 4 will be very limiting. definitely get something faster in the future. But the pentium 4 should last a little bit till then.
Ok , does the machine still have only 512 mb of ram? If it does you'll need that upgraded too.
Now since your pc has only a pci-e 1.0 slot , it would be safer to go with a gen 1 8800 and psu combo.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2570708&CatId=2513
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006
If you were to buy that , you would have a faster video card then most of us here. But truth be told , after this upgrade you should upgrade the motherboard as well. Keep the psu and 8800 , but get a new bare bones. That pentium 4 will be very limiting. definitely get something faster in the future. But the pentium 4 should last a little bit till then.
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