Help Upgrading Dinosaur (Like A Challenge?)

[sketchfox00653]

I have a question, but first, the specs of my system.

Motherboard: H-RS880-uATX
Processor: AMD Phenom II X4 925 and 2.8GHz
Memory: 8gb
Current Card: BFG Geforce GTX 260 896mb
PSU: Insignia 520w PSU

System Summary
OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Version 6.1.7600 Build 7600
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name FOXEH-PC
System Manufacturer HP-Pavilion
System Model VT637AA-ABA HPE-112y
System Type x64-based PC
Processor AMD Phenom(tm) II X4 925 Processor, 2800 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date American Megatrends Inc. 5.05, 10/26/2009
SMBIOS Version 2.6
Windows Directory C:\Windows
System Directory C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.1.7600.16385"
User Name Foxeh-PC\Foxeh
Time Zone Central Standard Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 8.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 7.99 GB
Available Physical Memory 4.59 GB
Total Virtual Memory 16.0 GB
Available Virtual Memory 12.3 GB
Page File Space 7.99 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys


(In all honesty, its an HPE-112y (2009), with the card and power supply upgraded.)

I'm looking to get the 750ti but i was curious.
-Would my motherboard be compatible with it?
-If no, what would be a comparable graphics card, in the $200 range, that would not require a motherboard update or upgrade of any kind.


I must apologize in advance, as I am working on a budget...story of our lives, right?

 

[reedo_43]

If it has a pcie 16x slot then yes. Not sure if it is a great upgrade however.

http://gpuboss.com/gpus/GeForce-GTX-750-Ti-vs-GeForce-GTX-260

 

[kylerjobe]

Yes, that graphics card will work in your current motherboard. Also, it will be a great upgrade. You could potentially see 3 times the performance. At any rate, expect a significant upgrade.

Get that card without too much thought, because even if you still don't have the general computing performance that you want, you can keep it and get a new CPU and motherboard to upgrade the rest of your build.

 

[sketchfox00653]

If it has a pcie 16x slot then yes. Not sure if it is a great upgrade however.

http://gpuboss.com/gpus/GeForce-GTX-750-Ti-vs-GeForce-GTX-260

Well, i had heard some people had problems with the 750ti, that it required a motherboard update. Do you know if this is true? And, ultimately, its my goal to play GTA 5 PC-Version on my system. And, hopefully in the future, Star Citizen

 

[huskersforever]

To be honest, you'd be better off just saving up $600 bucks and doing a complete budget build.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G3258 3.2GHz Dual-Core Processor ($69.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($75.66 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($67.96 @ Amazon)
Storage: Hitachi Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($45.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill PATRIOT ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $513.56
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-12 01:26 EST-0500

 

[Joseph DeGarmo]

I've heard horror stories on how GTX 700 series cards are not compatible on legacy BIOS on off-the-shelf PCs. A better option in your case is the R9-270. The PSU is crap, however. Get an XFX 550w PSU and you should be set.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Video Card: Asus Radeon R9 270 2GB DirectCU II Video Card ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX TS 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($62.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $192.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-12 01:26 EST-0500

 

[sketchfox00653]

Yes, that graphics card will work in your current motherboard. Also, it will be a great upgrade. You could potentially see 3 times the performance. At any rate, expect a significant upgrade.

Get that card without too much thought, because even if you still don't have the general computing performance that you want, you can keep it and get a new CPU and motherboard to upgrade the rest of your build.

I had asked reedo this, so i apologize for double-asking. I don't want to upset anyone or SPAM. But i had heard the 750ti required a motherboard update, or there were others who said it was not 'compatible' with their motherboards. Would this be true, and how would i fix it? Could it come up as an issue?

 

[Joseph DeGarmo]

Like I said before, the 700 series cards are not compatible on legacy BIOS. A GTX 660 or Radeon card should not be an issue, however. I've had a GTX 660 installed on an older OEM motherboard before and it worked just fine.

 

[sketchfox00653]

So, a GTX 660 or R9-270 can be slapped in without anything but a driver update? I don't need to worry about the motherboard or bios?

 

[Joseph DeGarmo]

Yes, either should work. Uninstall the Nvidia drivers using Driver Fusion and reboot, then install the new drivers and you should be good to go.

 

[sketchfox00653]

Yes, either should work. Uninstall the Nvidia drivers using Driver Fusion and reboot, then install the new drivers and you should be good to go.

Can i keep my current PSU til it goes bad? Or is 550w absolutely necessary? I only ask, because i have a 2 year Best Buy Warranty on it.

 

[Joseph DeGarmo]

Insignia is an in-store house brand and not much is known about it since it's new. But I'd suggest getting a better-quality and trusted brand PSU just to be safe.

 

[sketchfox00653]

Insignia is an in-store house brand and not much is known about it since it's new. But I'd suggest getting a better-quality and trusted brand PSU just to be safe.

^_^ I appreciate you, sir. Its my goal to play GTA 5 when it comes out on the PC, and i was looking to upgrade to a card that could tackle it and next gen with a small price tag. I will go with the R9-270 and the PSU you recommended. It should be able to run GTA 5, yes?

 

[reedo_43]

Well insignia anything stinks! I would really change it out. A power supply is the most important component of the computer. This would be much better.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438012

 

[Joseph DeGarmo]

Well insignia anything stinks! I would really change it out. A power supply is the most important component of the computer. This would be much better.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438012

The EVGA 500B is a Tier 3 PSU. The XFX model I posted above is a Tier 2A PSU and a lot better.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-1804779/power-supply-unit-tier-list.html

And since GTA V will utilize AMD Mantle, the R9-270 is a fine choice for the game.

 

[reedo_43]

Joe you are correct! I think it is time for me to got to bed.