Replacement Video Card

[alienufo]

Hey guys, first time posting here.

I have a pretty old computer and am planning on getting a new one within about a year, but my video card is starting to cause some problems and I'm afraid its gonna be kaput pretty soon, so I'm lookin to get a cheap one that is an upgrade, but not too expensive.

Here's the computer I have: Documentation

I have since upgraded the RAM to 1gb, and the video card is an ati radeon x300/x550/x1050 series card. Thats the one I'm lookin to replace.

I don't wanna spend more than $100.

I mainly play games, but I also watch movies on the PC as well, so can anyone suggest me a card that will suit my needs?

 

[MindoverMaster]

You won't be able to play the latest games on there. What exactly do you play?

Also, what is wrong with the graphic card? Is it overheating, making noise? It might just be your GPU fan seeing the last of it's days.

 

[alienufo]

I want to be able to play L4D2 at higher than 800x600 with the lowest settings, which is what this one is capable of right now.

As for whats wrong with it, I've had problems with games being able to alt + tab, and trying to go back but it just ends up crashing (happens in wc3, cs source, sim city 4). L4D2 also has some graphical glitches but thats mainly because the card is so old, probalby not anything wrong with it. I'm not an expert on these things, so could you tell me what the best way to diagnose the problem would be?

 

[MindoverMaster]

Well, that is a low-range card..

You should save your money, and get a brand new system.

 

[aliasaid]

the video card is an ati radeon x300/x550/x1050 series card.

lol, thats quite vague.

Did you add the video card yourself? Did you change the powersupply when you added that video card? What is your current power supply?


As for a card in the $100 range, you could look into something like this:

Newegg.com - ZOTAC ZT-98GES3G-FSL GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

 

[alienufo]

lol, thats quite vague.

Did you add the video card yourself? Did you change the powersupply when you added that video card? What is your current power supply?


As for a card in the $100 range, you could look into something like this:

Newegg.com - ZOTAC ZT-98GES3G-FSL GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

nah, everything is the same as when it came except for the extra ram. I didn't install this video card myself, it came with the PC, but I've done it before on other PCs. I'm pretty sure its the x300 one, but thats what it says when I checked the system hardware log.

Well, that is a low-range card..

You should save your money, and get a brand new system.

well, thats obviously not something I'm going to be able to do in the near future, I'm just lookin for something that can tide me over till I can find employment again and get a whole new rig.

lol, thats quite vague.

Did you add the video card yourself? Did you change the powersupply when you added that video card? What is your current power supply?


As for a card in the $100 range, you could look into something like this:

Newegg.com - ZOTAC ZT-98GES3G-FSL GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

everything is the same as what it says in the specs I posted above, except for the RAM. I believe its actually the x300, but thats what it told me when I checked the system specs *shrug*. I didn't install this one myself, it came with the PC, but I have experience with installing them on other computers.

 

[alienufo]

hey aliasaid, I looked at that video card a little closer and it requires a 400w power supply, mine is only 350w. Are there any available that would work on my crappy PSU, or am I out of luck? I noticed a lot of the ones on newegg do not list power requirements. Is there somewhere I can go to find out the reqs?

 

[aliasaid]

If you're not going to change your powersupply, you're limiting your options a lot.

You can check the power requirement at the manufacturer's website.

Here's one i found for $95 w/ free shipping, only requires 300watts, but its considerably less powerful than the previous one mentioned, so its performance/price ratio isn't great.

Newegg.com - PNY VCGGT2405G5XEB GeForce GT 240 512MB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

and you can see the requirements here:
PNY

A minimum 300W or greater system power supply (with a minimum 12V current rating of 18A)

so make sure you power supply has at least 18A on the 12V rail. Check the sticker on your powersupply.