Best GPU for an Intel Pentium 4 at 2.93ghz

[ntr11023]

Hey guys,

So, I'm still fixing up my old computer, but I finally got it running again. I reformatted the hard drive, got a wireless network card, and picked up a new sound card. We are in business! The main use of the computer will be gaming, so I want it to run as good as possible. But there's a problem. It has integrated graphics... from 5 years ago! I doubt that that will get me very far in today's world. The solution? I need a new graphics card. My computer has:

Processor: Intel Pentium 4 single core @ 2.93ghz
4gb DDR2 RAM
250w PSU

Unless I can get a significantly better processor for less than $50, I do not want to upgrade that at the current time. So, my question is what is the best GPU for an Intel Pentium 4 single core processor at 2.93ghz?

I would prefer to stick with Nvidia because Nvidia cards tend to outperform the ATIs. Remember, the main use of this machine will be gaming.

I would prefer a card that could work with a 250w PSU (if such a card exists), but utilizing the full processor is more important. I can upgrade the PSU if need be.

I am on a very tight budget. I do not have the money to buy a new computer at the current time. My goal is to get the most out of my Pentium that I can.

Thanks for the help!!

EDIT: I believe I have a PCI slot on my desktop. Don't know how much that helps, but I thought I'd go ahead and throw that in.

EDIT2: The slot in my computer is PCI 32-bit. I now know that this does matter, as PCIe and AGP will not work.

 

[ntr11023]

There is no GTX 250. It's either the GTX 260 or GTS 250. The GTX 295 is a dual gpu card that is much more powerful/expensive than either. Both cards are from 3 generations ago so I'm not sure where you came up with those as the cards to look at. I don't think they even sell the GTX 295 new these days. There are much better choice from the current and last generation. If you want a powerful but well priced GPU this HD5850 is a very good deal;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102932
The HD5850 is many times faster than the 7950GT. I'm not sure why you care about 90 fps. The vast majority of LCD monitors max out at a 60hz refresh rate. This means they can only physically display 60 frames per second. Even if they could display more it is questionable whether you would be able to note any difference. What resolution would you be using for the i3 system?

Ah, didn't notice that typo. Sorry about thatXD

The reason I was set on 90fps is that is the maximum framerate the human brain can interpret. It is impossible to notice any difference past 90fps. That's interesting, though, about the refresh rate. I was unaware that a 60hz refresh rate means the monitor cannot display anything above 60fps. As for my resolution, I will either be using 1920X1080 at 60hz or1280X1024, 1400X1050, or 1600x900 at 75hz. Which one, exactly, I don't know. I'll have to get the graphics card and play around with the resolutions some before I can make that decision. I looked at some benchmarks, and the card you showed me runs between 65-85fps in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, meaning that I will achieve the maximum resolution in LOTRO. Now as for Rift? I don't know if our i3 could even handle maximum graphics, but with this card, I'll at least be able to turn the low-quality renderer off.

This is one of the main sources I was looking at for GPU benchmarks:

http://www.geforce.com/#/Optimize/OPS/World-of-Warcraft-Cataclysm-GeForce-GTS-250-OPS

This is where I got the idea for the 250 & 295, but the 5850 you showed me beats them both in price and is comparable to the 295. Plus, I can get it new instead of used.

I've searched all over and can't find the power consumption. How much power does this card use?

 

[jyjjy]

The HD5850 is quite power efficient for it's performance. It uses about 110w during normal gaming and maxes out at 150w during stress testing with programs like Furmark. A PSU of a good brand with over 350w on the +12v rail should be more than enough for that card in an typical i3 system.
As for frame rates the CPU generally does not have any bearing on what graphical settings you can use. It can either run the game acceptable or not. It may be the limiting factor in certain games but it depends on what resolution you use and what settings as those will all stress the GPU more rather than the CPU. So for example your processor may be able to generate 50 fps in a certain game. The card may be able to do 40fps at 1080p with settings/AA maxed but 60 fps with some settings lowered a bit and AA off or 80 fps 1280x1024. Same game but in one situation the card is the limit and in the others the cpu is holding things back. So if you are getting low frame rates don't always assume lowering settings/resolution will help. Sometimes you could even raise them higher with little to no effect on frame rates. If your monitor is an LCD it is best to stick to the native resolution and just lower or raise graphical settings/AA as appropriate. In general for first person games if frame rates stay above 30 things are going to be pretty smooth looking/feeling. Third person games tend to be a bit more forgiving.

 

[ntr11023]

The HD5850 is quite power efficient for it's performance. It uses about 110w during normal gaming and maxes out at 150w during stress testing with programs like Furmark. A PSU of a good brand with over 350w on the +12v rail should be more than enough for that card in an typical i3 system.
As for frame rates the CPU generally does not have any bearing on what graphical settings you can use. It can either run the game acceptable or not. It may be the limiting factor in certain games but it depends on what resolution you use and what settings as those will all stress the GPU more rather than the CPU. So for example your processor may be able to generate 50 fps in a certain game. The card may be able to do 40fps at 1080p with settings/AA maxed but 60 fps with some settings lowered a bit and AA off or 80 fps 1280x1024. Same game but in one situation the card is the limit and in the others the cpu is holding things back. So if you are getting low frame rates don't always assume lowering settings/resolution will help. Sometimes you could even raise them higher with little to no effect on frame rates. If your monitor is an LCD it is best to stick to the native resolution and just lower or raise graphical settings/AA as appropriate. In general for first person games if frame rates stay above 30 things are going to be pretty smooth looking/feeling. Third person games tend to be a bit more forgiving.

Interesting... Very helpful. So about $50 for a new PSU and about $150 for a new graphics card and we will be hitting maximum framrates at maximum graphics. That makes me very happy. We'll probably need some better cooling, though. The computer is kept in this box in this giant entertainment center we have. Not a very good situation.

 

[jjb8675309]

I wouldn't keep your case like that personally, I feel like it would be worth the 40-50 on top off the 200 for you to get a new case so cooling is not an issue, although its not exactly that demanding of a setup so really a small case upgrade should do the trick, imo.

Or if you can add intake and exhaust fans to your current case then I would do that.... but im guessing that you are upgrading a prebuilt computer and therefore the case is going to suck

 

[jyjjy]

Interesting... Very helpful. So about $50 for a new PSU and about $150 for a new graphics card and we will be hitting maximum framrates at maximum graphics. That makes me very happy. We'll probably need some better cooling, though. The computer is kept in this box in this giant entertainment center we have. Not a very good situation.

The HD5850 is still the best choice IMO. It is out of stock on newegg but is available at tigerdirect for $10 more with a free game;
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=365434&CatId=3669
The PSU is a good deal and would be more than enough;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371035
Yeah, you might want to at least move the computer out of the entertainment center if it is limiting airflow.

 

[ntr11023]

The HD5850 is still the best choice IMO. It is out of stock on newegg but is available at tigerdirect for $10 more with a free game;
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=365434&CatId=3669
The PSU is a good deal and would be more than enough;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371035
Yeah, you might want to at least move the computer out of the entertainment center if it is limiting airflow.

That's cool. Now, there is one thing that's pretty odd about the computer: it's a Dell. For some reason, they put a 300w EPS 12v PSU in it. It has 24 connector pins, but says it's ATX compatible. Should I stick with the server-grade processors, or do you think a standard 20-pin ATX would be fine?

 

[jyjjy]

I don't see any reason why you would need that. FYI pretty much all PSUs these days come with a 20 + 4 main motherboard connector so it doesn't matter if the board is 24 or 20 pin.

 

[ntr11023]

I don't see any reason why you would need that. FYI pretty much all PSUs these days come with a 20 + 4 main motherboard connector so it doesn't matter if the board is 24 or 20 pin.

Awesome. Thanks for all the help you've been. I really appreciate it!

 

[nick2012]

dude better get an xbox
will fullfill ur needs.....

 

[jyjjy]

dude better get an xbox
will fullfill ur needs.....

lol

 

[professorprofessorson]

dude better get an xbox
will fullfill ur needs.....

Where is it you xbox clowns come from??? What forum could have spat you out so violently that you felt you had no other choice but to join a computer hardware forum???

 

[ntr11023]

dude better get an xbox
will fullfill ur needs.....

I've actually looked into that, but a PS3, not an Xbox. I was thinking of trying to edit the BIOS on my computer to use the PS3's CPU and GPU along with my computer's. But I need to find out if it's actually possible first, and if so, how to do it.

 

[ntr11023]

Where is it you xbox clowns come from??? What forum could have spat you out so violently that you felt you had no other choice but to join a computer hardware forum???

Haha! Well, the Xbox and PS3 do have some pretty good hardware in them. The only question is if it's possible to bypass the main function and use its CPU and GPU in addition to your computer's. Now THAT would be a reason to get one!

 

[jyjjy]

I'm fairly certain that isn't possible. Also the GPU in the PS3 is old and weak so you wouldn't want to use it anyway. It's along the lines of a 7800GT if I recall. They get by on it by using low graphical settings compared to PC and upscaling to HD instead of rendering it natively, usually ending up with rather poor frame rates anyway.

 

[ntr11023]

I'm fairly certain that isn't possible. Also the GPU in the PS3 is old and weak so you wouldn't want to use it anyway. It's along the lines of a 7800GT if I recall. They get by on it by using low graphical settings compared to PC and upscaling to HD instead of rendering it natively, usually ending up with rather poor frame rates anyway.

Really? I've never had that problem with any of the PS3s I've played, and the graphical settings actually seem pretty high.

But I have some bad news. The monster from Dell can only handle a 400w PSU. It will not accept anything above 400w. The Radeon HD 5850 requires between 450-500w according to Newegg and Best Buy. I have looked at some 3rd-party sites and confirmed that I would need about a 500w PSU to run my computer if I inserted this card. Oddly enough, even though Dell can't meet the power requirements for the card, they still suggest it for the computer. Why is this, do you think, and where should I go from here in terms of a GPU?

 

[jyjjy]

Really? I've never had that problem with any of the PS3s I've played, and the graphical settings actually seem pretty high.

But I have some bad news. The monster from Dell can only handle a 400w PSU. It will not accept anything above 400w.

It's not a "problem" I guess. What I said is just the way it is. You are just used to upscaled HD and what would be medium graphics settings on PC I suppose.
Who told you that about the PSU? Unless the PSU cannot physically fit in the case then that is simply entirely made up. PSUs just don't work that way. They deliver as much power as is needed to the system and no system has a "maximum psu" it can handle other than case/form factor restrictions.

 

[ntr11023]

It's not a "problem" I guess. What I said is just the way it is. You are just used to upscaled HD and what would be medium graphics settings on PC I suppose.
Who told you that about the PSU? Unless the PSU cannot physically fit in the case then that is simply entirely made up. PSUs just don't work that way. They deliver as much power as is needed to the system and no system has a "maximum psu" it can handle other than case/form factor restrictions.

I went to Dell.com and chatted with a Dell service tech. That's what they said. It sounded a bit fishy to me, especially since they recommend GPUs that drinks more than 400w. That's why we have this forum, though. The people down at Dell are interested in selling, not necessarily helping you get the most out of your system. But at the same time, I have read on a lot of other forums that there is ATX-compatible, and then there's Dell ATX-Compatible. How much that applies to my system, I don't know. I'm going to actually call up as soon as I get a chance and speak with someone personally.

 

[jyjjy]

What is the model/number of the system in question? The case is relatively normal sized and not one of the tiny/skinny ones?

 

[ntr11023]

What is the model/number of the system in question? The case is relatively normal sized and not one of the tiny/skinny ones?

It's not an itty-bitty paper weight, but it's by no means big. It is an Inspiron 580.

 

[jyjjy]

Is yours the skinny one on the left or regular sized one on the right;
http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-580/pd

 

[ntr11023]

Is yours the skinny one on the left or regular sized one on the right;
http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-580/pd

The regular one on the right.

 

[jyjjy]

That one can handle any standard ATX PSU. There's plenty of discussions about it on the Dell forums if you want to look.

 

[ntr11023]

That one can handle any standard ATX PSU. There's plenty of discussions about it on the Dell forums if you want to look.

Heh, appears you're right That certainly makes it easier to upgrade. The only condition is it needs 4 SATA power connectors, something I assume most on-brand PSUs have.

 

[ntr11023]

Best answer selected by ntr11023.