Need more video memory.

[Get schwiftt]

So here's my situation. I'm upgrading pc to play gears 4. I needed more ram, got that in there. Now I need more video memory (4g minimum) and its my understanding that's my graphics card? So right now I don't know if I even have a graphics card but it says I have 2g of video memory. I have a ibuypower I series 301 pre built. Quad core procceser 300w battery. I'm trying to spend under 250$. What are my options?

 

[amtseung]

Short answer: You can't just upgrade video memory. Gotta buy a whole new graphics card.

Long answer: Video memory is soldered straight onto the graphics card for communications speed and power delivery reliability. You can't just attach more memory to your graphics card like you can to your motherboard for your CPU. If your PC has a 300W power supply, you're going to need a new power supply while you're at it. No video card out there that has more than 2gb of video memory can run off of a 300W power supply, let alone without auxiliary power connectors. Guaranteed. Whether or not it'll even physically fit in there is questionable, since I have no idea what it looks like.

Why don't you talk to ibuypower about it? It's their product you're working with, after all.

 

[Get schwiftt]

I guess I have a geoforce gt 610 graphics card. And if I have to get a new power supply, what's a good ball park region for the wattage id need to not buy a new one for a while?

 

[galeener]

Depends on the video card you get But if you get an nvidia 10xx card say a 1060 make sure you get the one with 6g of ram, you would be good to go with a 450w to 550 watt quality power supply. Don't cheap out on the power supply if you get a cheapo it could kill your whole system.
Or you could go with an amd video card and then i would recomend 500w to 600w.
You could also look at the 1050ti is around $130 ish to $150 ish depending where you get it it has 4g of ram. Where the 1060 is 3 gig or ram and is $199 and the 6 g is $260 to $280ish or more.
So to stay in budget I would go with a 1050ti and a quality psu

 

[amtseung]

On a $250 budget, I'd get a 1050 or 1050ti and then an adequate 550W+ power supply. Check out the Tom's Hardware PSU Tier List, and pick one out from there with the adequate wattage and within budget, always within as high a tier as is humanly possible. Don't forget taxes and potential shipping costs.

A 1060 is going to run you that full $250 budget, leaving you out of money for a power supply, where a decent quality unit is somewhere around $50-75, if not more. I'd hate to see you get that shiny new graphics card, only to fry your entire computer because you underspent on you power supply and it failed and shorted/surged.

 

[Martell1977]

You have a $250 budget so here is an option:

Seasonic 520w PSU, $54.99:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094&cm_re=seasonic_520w_psu-_-17-151-094-_-Product

Which leaves you around $200 for the GPU. The best bang for your buck is the RX 470 (considering taxes and possible shipping):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150776&cm_re=rx_470-_-14-150-776-_-Product

There is the RX 480 4gb at about $200, but taxes will take you over budget. but here is the link in case that is Ok:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131708&cm_re=rx_480_4gb-_-14-131-708-_-Product

The RX 480 is faster, but does cost more. f you can squeeze it into the budget, it is worth the extra. Shop around though, you might find a better price somewhere like Amazon.

Depending on where you live, you may not get charged sales tax, but the 480 does have a shipping charge.