[SOLVED] choosing a new graphics card

[LucasPerks]

so my sisters friend is giving me a pc for free, and apparently the specs are decent enough to run games, well except for the graphics card. i haven't got much detail on the graphics card, all i know is that the graphics card is $12 on ebay. so for me to play actually games i need a new graphics card. my budget is $100 dollars max, but looking at around $60. i dont care about playing the best games and the most popular games where your graphics card is at 100% usage the whole time, but i just want to run games like gta IV, GTA V, slime rancher and other games with the same recommended specs as those games. also does the graphics card have to be "compatible" with the motherboard or can i use any one? btw i live in australia so the prices will be different to say america or the UK

all i know of the pc specs
intel core i5 3.2Ghz overclockable
uses a dell case - but custom built parts - not made by dell
512 gb ssd, 1tb hdd

if anyone could have any suggestions that would be great, thanks in advance

 

[SparkyTech934]

Hi there,

To first answer your underlying question, no, typically there is no "compatibility" issues, you just have to make sure that your PC's motherboard has a free PCIe slot, and also that the power supply in the PC can power a GPU.

Since you're on a budget, I would highly recommend checking out used hardware, perhaps on craigslist or another appropriate site. I would look for an older Nvidia card (something like a 900 series or possibly 10 series) and seeing if you could snag a deal on one. After that, you could apply a slight overclock to boost its performance and help it along a bit. The last 2 things you would need to do is make sure the GPU you are buying isn't too big for your case, and that the PSU has enough wattage headroom. Let me know if you have any other questions. Hope this helps!