[SOLVED] Can I get an opinion on my GPU choice?

[xaeriee]

I have an HP Pavilion with Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics
180 W SFF (Gold) Full range 115V/230V
One PCIe x16 slot
One PCIe x4 slot
Sunflower motherboard where I could not find any power besides two 4 pin coming from PSU
https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c05939208

Ive decided on either

1. Gigabyte GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile 2G
2. MSI GeForce GT 1030 2G LP OC

Is there anything better out there or is that a fine choice?

 

[MyMindIsBlank]

There are definitely way better GPU's out there. But, for your rig, it sounds like that the GT 1030 is probably your only choice.

 

[dotas1]

What do you need the GPU for? Gaming? If that's so, 1030 is NOT a gaming GPU. Anything else beside gaming you are good to go.
What is your CPU? Some integrated graphics are better than discrete ones.

 

[cryoburner]

What do you need the GPU for? Gaming? If that's so, 1030 is NOT a gaming GPU.

Many games will be playable on a GT 1030 at reduced settings and/or resolution. It might not be ideal for gaming on, but it could still be a notable improvement over most integrated graphics.

However, it looks like this may be an AMD Ryzen system, and the integrated graphics in something like a 2200G or 2400G are relatively decent as far as integrated graphics go, and not too far behind a GT 1030 in terms of performance. So, I would agree that it might not be that much of an improvement over what you have.

What other hardware is in this system? Namely the CPU, and the amount and speed of RAM, along with the number of RAM sticks installed. And the system's model number if you have one, or at least what kind of case the parts are installed in.

Ideally, you would want to get a new power supply if one would fit, and put a faster graphics card in there, as there are much faster cards starting around $150-$160 or so (in the US), albeit ones that will likely require more power than a 180 watt PSU can deliver. I kind of have to agree that a 1030 is probably about the limit for something like that PSU. It's possible that maybe something like a GTX 1650 (the standard, non-SUPER version) could potentially work if you get one without external power connectors, but that might be pushing the limits of that PSU. Whereas a GT 1030 only draws around 30 watts under load, the 1650 can draw over double that. It might be worth trying one of those if replacing the PSU isn't practical though, if you can find one that doesn't require PCIE power connectors and isn't priced too high. I would check online to see whether anyone else managed to run one stable on that system though.

If you do end up going with a 1030, just make sure you get one that has GDDR5 VRAM. They also released a slower, lower power version of that card that uses DDR4, making it only about half as fast, which is likely slower than your existing integrated graphics. From a quick look, it appears both of the models you listed may be the faster version, but you should verify that they do in fact have GDDR5.

 

[King_V]

If you do end up going with a 1030, just make sure you get one that has GDDR5 VRAM. They also released a slower, lower power version of that card that uses DDR4, making it only about half as fast, which is likely slower than your existing integrated graphics. From a quick look, it appears both of the models you listed may be the faster version, but you should verify that they do in fact have GDDR5.

DEFINITELY this. You absolutely do NOT want the DDR4 variant of the 1030. Make certain to get the GDDR5 version.