Help me upgrade Video Card!

[fattty]

So, first of all, this is my first post so i might as well introduce myself. Im 14 years old (and no, i'm not a fatty in real life. ~120-130lbs ) and i own a Dell inspiron mini 10v that is my own. However, that is not what i am here for. My family desktop(the one i will be gaming on) is a HP pavillion Media Center m8200n edition. Here are the basic specs.
AMD Athlon 64 x2 Dual Core Processor 6000+ 3.00Ghz
3072MB of RAM
nVidia GeForce 6150se lame pos.
Windows vista Home Premium 32-bit.
Don't know what psu, or mobo is.

What i was thinking about doing was selling my Xbox 360 and games etc. and use that money to buy a GOOD graphics card for my computer so i can play up to date games on high quality. Use COD 4, GTA IV, Crysis, as benchmark. I have a budget of about AROUND $100. (cheaper the better) So what GPU do you recommend for me? I was thinking about the GeForce 9600 gt, because that is fairly cheap and can play tons of games. Also my other options are 8800 and 9800.

Next, once i have found the right gpu, i need to know if my psu will be fine to run it. I will probably buy a new psu like around 500-600 watts and that should be fine?

Last of all how do i install the video card and the new psu. Links to tutorial much appreciated!

Some last questions before i go:
1) Will the proccesor be good for playing games, and 3gb of ram is good too?
2) How long do you think my computer will last (in terms of playing games) until it becomes outdated and can not play any newer games.
3) Do i need a 1gb card or is 512mb fine?
4) please feel free to put anything else that you think i should know. Thanks! remember im a newby 14 year old that doesn't know MUCH about computers etc. So if you are going to explain, please do so in great detail. Thanks again!

 

[aliasaid]

You have something against fat people? j/k...

Your current computer paired with a good video card should be a decent gaming computer. The options you mentioned (9600gt, 8800gt, 9800gt) are all good for sub $100; the 9800gt being the best out of those. But also look into getting a 4770 or 4830 as those are also pretty powerful and sub $100 on newegg.com
Look here: http://www.techist.com/forums/f76/graphics-performance-list-212331/ for order of performance. The 1gb version is obviously better than 512mb version, especially if you're running a high resolution monitor; but if you have a small monitor, then the 512mb will be enough.

Keep in mind also that you'll need to upgrade your windows to 64bit since your 32bit will not recognize all the memory once you add your video card. Something like 3.25gb maximum for 32bit... so you'll be losing some of your memory.

Once you have chosen your video card, make sure your case is big enough to fit the new video card; some can get quite large.

Good Luck

 

[TheKaras]

The list of video cards aliasaid mentioned in his reply are pretty much the most optimized cards for your system and budget as getting anything like a 5870 or higher end card would be bottle-necked by your cpu. Before you buy a new video card make sure the HP power supply has enough connectors as well as wattage.

1) Your cpu is decent enough.

2)Depends on the game, its probably not going to take something like Crysis but probably work decently with L4D1.

3)The more ram the video card has the more resources it has if you want to play at higher resolutions with AA / AF on.

 

[fattty]

Alright, so i was thinking about this 4770.Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100277HDMI Radeon HD 4770 512MB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards
Will it be alright? or should i spend $10 extra dollars to buy a gts 250, or save $10 with a 9800.
Also, how do i find out what my case is and if it will fit? Here is my pc: Newegg.com - HP Pavilion M8200N(GN551AA) Athlon 64 X2 6000+ 3GB DDR2 500GB NVIDIA GeForce 6150 SE Windows Vista Home Premium - Desktop PCs
ANd about the upgrade to 64 bit, does that mean i have to buy Windows Vista again? or can i just do a simple upgrade.(free)
If i stay at 32-bit, and install the video card, then what will the 3.25 gb ram limit do. Will it still work?


--edit--
Is this 550w psu good for my pc? or do i need higher watts.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182030&cm_re=550w_power_supply-_-17-182-030-_-Product

 

[aliasaid]

Its tough to tell, but your case doesn't look very roomy. The HD cage seems to come down just to the pci-express slot, so it may prevent you from installing a big card... its not really clear if it'll impede the card or not.. you'll have to take a closer look and maybe see the dimensions of the card you want from the manufacturer's website. It may fit!

Newegg.com - Open Box: POWERCOLOR AX4850 512MD3-PH Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

This is an open box item. I don't have experience with open box items, but this seems like a very nice deal. $80 for a card thats better than all of the ones previously mentioned.

As for upgrading windows, i have no idea what your options are... not sure about the legality of these issues... but maybe you could just pull out a 512mb stick? lol... i just noticed your pc has 2 X 1GB and 2 X 512MB.

 

[fattty]

Okay, i think i will go with this open box 4850. I also have a 550 watt psu in mind so no worries there. The card+psu will push the costs to about $135 w/o shipping.

My only concern now is will the video card fit? i can take the tv tuner out if needed because i do not use that. If anyone knows, please tell me if it will fit into the case and if not, then what is the next best option that WILL fit.

 

[kmote]

Honestly the best thing is just to measure it [the inside of the case], the length of the graphics card can most likely be found on the manufacturers website. Make sure you get a decent PSU though, there is a guide in the stickies.

 

[fattty]

Alright, im getting mixed results when i search for the amount of watts required for the 4850, but it is typically 450w. I will only be using a single card so i think that a 550w psu should be enough.( i posted link to the psu i was considering above.) I looked through the Guide and saw the Rosewill brand in the "cheapskate" section. Thats fine for me. I didn't find it in the Brands to avoid section so i should be fine? I will measure the inside of my pc later when my dad gets off.

So, i've been browsing newegg for some time, trying to find a good budget video card for my desktop. I noticed the "open box" section under the "more" tab on the far right. There are massive savings but im skeptical about the product. Im wondering if anybody has bought open box items before and what their experience is.

Also, can somebody confirm what open box means? like refurb, return, used, defective. Thanks.

 

[newbiebuilderguy]

Open box can mean lots of things. Just talk to a Newegg representative to get the details.

It's just a bad idea to go cheap on the power supply. Spend the extra few dollars on a good one.
Get a cheapo and you will worry about it...not worth it in my opinion.

This one would be good for you : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004

 

[fattty]

I have a REALLY tight budget (remember i am a 14 year old with no job, income, etc.) So im willing to sacrifice a tiny bit of performance for some money.
How about a 450 watt corsair? That should be enough?
Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-450VX 450W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Power Supplies

Will do. Just wanted to know if anybody has ordered open box before.