Budget card, $75ish

[Brood_Star]

Budget card, $75ish, 300W PSU no 6-pin

I have a micro-ATX case, power supply and motherboard which makes upgrading a hassle. I have a 300W PSU which will look something like this: here. Upgrading the PSU does not look like an option since all the uATX PSU's on newegg look shady. Neur0mancer raised a point that I *may* NOT EVEN have 18A on the 12V rails.

So it looks like I have to stick with my current PSU with 2 Limitations
1) No PCI-E 6-Pin Connector Required
2) 300W / Less than 18A on the 12V rails

With the above in mind, I'm looking at the following cards:

4670 for 450W 512MB/GDDR3 for $80
4650 for 400W $60-70
These may be dangerous to my PSU.

9500GT for 350w, 1GB/GDDR2 or 512MB/GDDR3 for $80
3650 (ATI says 400W, Sapphire says min 300W) GDDR3 for $80 or GDDR2 for $55
These look safer but still may stretch it

8600GT $60-70
4550 $55 Low Profile, GDDR3
These look the safest

Input?

Archived post:

My old card fried (pre-built gateway computer). I'm currently running on integrated... which sucks

Gateway Specifications

1) What are your system specifications? Give us full specs:
CPU = Intel e6320
Motherboard = "CF94510J"
PCI-E / AGP = PCI-E 1.x
RAM = 2x Nameless (crappy) 1024 MB PC5300 DDR2 667MHz SDRAM
PSU = 300W
Current Video Card = Integrated 82945G Display Driver? Previous was a 7500LE
2) What is your budget?
Maximum around $75
3) For how long are you planning to have this new card?
For at least a year
4) What will the new Video Card be used for?
--- b) Mixed = Some gaming but not much, a card that will let me play at least at medium/high settings.
5) If Gaming, please tells us the games you're planning to play. Please list as many as you'd love to play.
Pretty avid "competitive" gamer. I play Team Fortress 2/Warcraft III mainly. Currently looking forward to Starcraft 2 and Street Fighter 4 but I'll play any game that comes out that interests me (IE Fallout 3, Call of Duty 4, Mass Effect)

DX10 is preferable and OpenGL 2.0 is a no-brainer. As long as the game is runnable at a low-medium setting, I'm fine with whatever (though for anything on the source engine or an old game like Warcraft III, I'd expect much more...)

Some things to keep in mind: I don't think my power supply can hold that much. Not that much of a computer expert though.

As well since my last card fried, I'd rather a card that can stay rather cool and IIRC my last card couldn't overclock on the Gateway board.

I've been eyeing this HD4650 but the DDR2 memory sounds iffy. Other things I had in mind are the 2600XT GDDR4, 9500GT, HD3650, 9400GT, HD4550, 8500GT and lastly the HD4350. I've been looking at some $25 cards as well (HD3450, 8400GS). I'm open to any suggestion, however

 

[Special7]

Try the classifieds.

 

[henzo]

Here is a good little ati card and it has gddr3 memory to boot. It is still in your price range at $77 and will run games at fairly decent fps and you can put some eye candy on as well. I might get one for an htpc/mild gaming rig for the living room. Although I know it isnt gonna run crysis at 1920x1080 in the living room lol.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814141081

 

[Rick James]

75 dollar budget card? 9600GT

 

[croswald]

75 dollar budget card? 9600GT

i agree that or an hd 3600 series

 

[WhatTheSchmidt]

in terms of price for performance and running all current games and future ones...

4830 on newegg for $90 with a rebate of 10-20

75-85 for this

 

[Firestrider]

Considering your CPU, and PSU, I would get a 9600GT or HD 4670. Anything more the CPU will become the bottleneck, or you will blow the PSU.

 

[Neuromancer]

For about hte same price as the 4670 you can get a 4830 AMIR... immediatley it is over 75 but AMIR it might not be..

Its bascially a 4850 for low resolution systems..from what I have read...

Upgrading the PSU is important for anything as OEM 300W means 200W overall and unlss you go 3450 or something you are going to push the limits...intel CPU not so power hungry at stock, but older intel chipsets can use as much as 45W

PSU upgrade first and save up for half decent card...

 

[Brood_Star]

Looking for more opinions on what I can get depending on my PSU

up to a 9600GT or as low as a 3450?

 

[deathman20]

1 issue, doubt that 300W PSU will have the necessary connector for the 9600GT. It requires a 6-Pin. Let alone 2 free 4 pins to hook up to the connector as well. As well saying a 400W PSU is required, while not needed.

What is the AMPs rating on the 12V rails?

I'd recommend something that isn't going to require plug in power connectors on the card. Just to be safe. So a 4650/4670 would fit the bill.

9600GT takes ~100W of power under full load or roughly 8.33Amps of power on your 12V line which does feed other items.

 

[Brood_Star]

Bumping this

PSU:
http://support.gateway.com/s/POWER/6506054R/6506054Rsp2.shtml

I assume it means I have 18A total on both rails since I doubt i have 36. Either way, I have enough amps and only 300W power. I also doubt I can use a double slot, as the computer is microATX

should I go with the 4670 or downgrade to the 3650/8600gt

 

[Zurvan]

Well, for the money, nothing beats this 4830 for $74, plus Stalker Game (which you can sell off and have the card for net $60 or less.)

Though official recommendation is a 450W PSU for this, actual testing reveals the card needs close to 210W at full load. I think you should be fine with this one.

However, if all your slots are used up, then you'll need to look for single slot 4670 I guess.

 

[deathman20]

A 4770 would probably work. Since it only uses.... ~75W (still requires an 6-Pin Connector though), but its a very powerful card. Think its $90 after MIR.

Oh MicroATX ... Yeah don't think double slot would work that well.

 

[Chris_F]

Idk what resolution monitor you have, but I've seen the HD 4770 for $89 which is a good deal IMO. It should be able to play games like HL2 and L4D and even Fallout 3 at 1920x1200, and games like Crysis smooth at 1440x900 4xAA.

 

[Firestrider]

Given the constraints of your motherboard, power supply, and budget I still recommend a HD 4670.

Which is your motherboard: this or this?

I'm assuming it's one of these given the CF tag you gave in your first post, either way it seems there is enough clearance for dual-slot cards unless you have a PCI sound/network card.

 

[Brood_Star]

It's the latter.

I do believe I have a network card, but there are still single slot 4670's aren't there?

Hoping to god it won't blow out

 

[Zurvan]

It's the latter.

I do believe I have a network card, but there are still single slot 4670's aren't there?

Hoping to god it won't blow out

Shouldnt that board be able to accommodate a DUAL SLOT PCie and 1 PCI CARD ?

 

[Brood_Star]

i only have one slot pci-e x16

idk if it matters

does it matter how many watts my PSU has, or is the number of amps on the 12v rails the deciding factor

 

[Neuromancer]

Nope.

Dual slot cooler will fit as well, if you move your PCI card down to te lower slot.

You definitly will have to upgrade the PSU.

There is no way it puts out 18AMPS on each 12v rail. I would really be pressed to believe it can handle 18amps long term on the 12v at all.

110W on hte 5volt rail
40W on 3.3v
And 216W PER 12v rail.


Even one 12v rail, the 5v and the 3.3 adds up to higher than the PSU is rated.

dump it and grab a nice inexpensive antec basiq and upgrade your vid card later.

 

[Brood_Star]

the gateway is a headache to upgrade

i wanted to upgade the psu, but the case and motherboard are both uATX. i looked on newegg for some microatx psu's and they were all pretty dubious

the psu is one of the three listed here: http://support.gateway.com/s/PC/R/1009497/1009497cl2.shtml

according to your calculations, i have 12.5a on the 12v rails. don't think that's exactly correct

so looks like i have to stick with my current psu with 3 limitations
1) no pci-e 6 pin connector required
2) 300w/less than 18a on the 12v
3) microatx compliant - single slot

i think the best option is just to buy a cheap card that works and then buy a complete new computer later (hopefully one that's decent)