[SOLVED] noob modest video card

[Peter_161]

Got my daughter this for her i3 desktop I put together to run the Sims 4 and Minecraft but it barely seems different than running off her motherboard
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DOFD0G8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Does it meet (or better than) the min specs for Overwatch? https://us.battle.net/support/en/article/65159

And if I got a $100 card would the performance jump well upward?
I guess my question: Is this $50 card no good and so what is the next step up that's worth something?
Thank you.

 

[DSzymborski]

Unfortunately, you've fallen victim to the tendency of manufacturer marketing departments, who like to slap "gaming" on everything. The GT 710 is not remotely a GPU for gaming. It's essentially a replacement for integrated graphics for people who don't have one (certain Intels, most AMDs) or for people who need a specific video output that their integrated graphics doesn't have.

She would get much better performance with a GPU in the $100-$125 price range. However, a recommendation for a proper gaming GPU will require both information about the exact power supply (for safety) and what exact i3 is being used.

 

[Laughskate]

It also depends on how good you would like the game overwatch to run on your daughter's pc. If it's not too late I'd recommend returning that junk and opt for better upgrades on her pc. Even if you got a really good gpu your i3 could bottleneck (assuming it's old) which will make barely to none performance improvement at all. If that's the case you might have to upgrade:
-PSU (if you are using the one it came with)
-GPU (gt these days should stand for great trash)
-CPU (assuming it's ancient)
-MOBO (most likely needed if you're upgrading the cpu)

 

[Juan_Bijero]

I would suggest picking up a used GTX 970 video card on Ebay. You can get them for under $100 just make sure that the seller is reputable. The GTX 970 has 4GB of GDDR5 memory while the 710 only has 2GB of DDR3 memory which is really a waste of money for gaming.

 

[Peter_161]

I like it. I could spend $125+ OR should I start over with a new machine for less than $800 (That price should include the video card(s) you're recommending MINUS monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers).

Here's what she has:

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-8100 CPU @ 3.60GHz, 3600 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 8.00 GB
Size 446.53 GB
Name NVIDIA GeForce GT 710
Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. Z370-A PRO (MS-7B48)

 

[DSzymborski]

I like it. I could spend $125+ OR should I start over with a new machine for less than $800 (That price should include the video card(s) you're recommending MINUS monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers).

Here's what she has:

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-8100 CPU @ 3.60GHz, 3600 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 8.00 GB
Size 446.53 GB
Name NVIDIA GeForce GT 710
Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. Z370-A PRO (MS-7B48)

It depends on the PSU. The exact PSU is the most important information when considering any GPU upgrade.

 

[Peter_161]

Ty. Power supply: https://www.newegg.com/evga-500-bq-110-bq-0500-k1-500w/p/N82E16817438101?Item=N82E16817438101