need help with hp envy 700-230qe graphics card choice

[helpnewatthis]

I have a hp envy 700-230qe, I want to install a graphics card but am unsure of what to get, I am new to this as this is my first desktop, can someone assist me in the options and choice of what would work best for me.

Operating system - Windows 8.1 64
Processor - 4th generation Intel® Core™ i7-4770 processor quad-core[3.4GHz,8MB Shared Cache]
Memory - 12GB DDR3-1600MHz [2 DIMM ]
Hard drive - 2TB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
Graphics card - Intel HD Graphics [DVI-I, DVI-D]
Optical drive - SuperMulti DVD Burner

I have two monitors currently and a third will arrive tomorrow but will not be able to turn on with a way to connect. Very confused to which graphics card i should buy, hp told me today that my tower would only accept a slim form factor, my motherboard is a msi and I have aboutenough space for a five inch plus wide card.


Thank you kindly

 

[s4in7]

Well according to HP's product page for that computer, the highest video card upgrade they have listed is the Radeon 270. They don't list what the power supply in your machine is, but if they list the 270 as an upgrade option then it'll surely work in your computer.

You could try to go higher, but it may not work because your power supply might be too small.

The 270 is a fantastic card for 1080p though--it'll play every game on High to Ultra settings at 30-60fps and it's very easy to overclock to the level of a 270X so it's a great buy!

 

[s4in7]

Also, it'll allow you to connect all three monitors although you won't be able to game across all three monitors unless you run on Low to Very Low settings I'd imagine.

 

[helpnewatthis]

i purchased a 600 watt power supply when i had it built, is there a card that would allow me to run on higher settings now knowing this info

 

[s4in7]

Well, not knowing how much room you have for a graphics card really limits your choices. I'd imagine a 270X or GTX 760 would probably be the absolute max you could fit in it.

 

[s4in7]

When you say 5in of space, do you mean the distance from the expansion slot covers on the back of the case to the drive cage or whatever at the front of the case?

 

[s4in7]

This is what you need to be measuring:

That'll determine how much room you have for an upgrade.

 

[s4in7]

If you measure from the bottom two expansion slot covers (most likely the place your new GPU would go) then it looks like you could fit an even longer card inside:

 

[helpnewatthis]

i will find that information and post it, thank you for your help so far

 

[helpnewatthis]

well i just got off the phone after 2 hours with hp trying to get those dimensions and to no avail, i don't understand why its so difficult for them to tell me what the inside dimensions of what I'm working with is, i guess i try to measure to my best ability. I think that its about 9.5 inches for the top question mark or even as much as 11 for the bottom question mark.

 

[s4in7]

So a minimum of 9in? This Radeon 270X will fit within that and work with your power supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814550031

I'd say it's your best bet, and it offers outstanding performance at 1080p and can handle up to three monitors, although won't be able to game across them except at low, maybe medium, settings.

 

[s4in7]

Although, I'm pretty sure you'd install a graphics card where the lower question mark is, as the PCIe slot closest to the CPU is usually where a GPU goes. So if you really do have 11" then we could step up to something more substantial.

Measure it and let me know

 

[helpnewatthis]

ok, This is what I have figured out so far...
My motherboard is a msi, I have 2-6 pin plugs for power, I have a 600 watt power pack, I need a pci express x16 gen 3.0, I would like 4 GB, and I believe the card should be a nvidia, my board will not support sli, and it looks like I can get 11 inches but not much more than 5 inches width,

 

[helpnewatthis]

ok most confused as of now, just got off the phone with nvidia, they informed me that I can not do both things that I want to do, meaning I can't use my computer for work and play. they say that i must pick which graphics card I want, one for gaming or one for 3D cad, how is that possible? so my requirements have now changed, I would like a graphics card that will run 3 monitors and be used for 3D cad, I guess my desire to have a flight simulator is now squashed. They recommended using a Quadro K2000, and the price is in the 7's???????

 

[s4in7]

Nvidia wants to sell you two different cards, that's all that is. One card will work great for both applications--CAD dedicated cards are slower, more expensive, and the only feature they have over gaming cards is better driver stability, i.e. less crashes. But with drivers the way they are today you won't hardly ever experience a graphics driver crash so it's worth less to get a CAD dedicated card.

Right now AMD has the best Price-to-Performance ratio and I strongly recommend looking at their offerings--how much gaming are you wanting to do, what kind of games, what resolution and detail settings?

That will determine what the best card for you is.

 

[helpnewatthis]

the only game that I even have on my mind would be flight simulator x and if the graphics aren't the absolute best, I'm alright with that. I would like to run across three monitors if possible.

 

[s4in7]

What's your budget to spend on a GPU?

 

[s4in7]

If you can afford it, this is your best bet at gaming across three monitors--Nvidia GTX 780 $499 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130952

Plus it's under 11" long and only 4.376" wide so it'll fit in your system.

 

[s4in7]

This is your next best bet--Nvidia GTX 770 $329 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127741

Will handle Flight Sim X across three monitors at max settings I'd imagine.

 

[s4in7]

And finally, this is the lowest end card I'd recommend for triple monitor gaming--Radeon 7970 (Used, slightly) $199 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sapphire-Radeon-HD-7970-OC-with-Boost-3GB-DDR5-DL-DVI-I-SL-DVI-D-HDMI-DP-PCI-Exp-/171305811893?pt=PCC_Video_TV_Cards&hash=item27e29f3fb5