PC Noob Need a New GPU

[shaggy__]

Haven't touched a PC in over 10 years and I need some help. Im looking for a new graphics card to replace my old 8800GT for my old rig and not sure what to go with. Looking for something fairly cheap ~$150 or less and that wont degrade performance but still be able to play the occasional game.

PC Specs:

Processor - Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 (2.5GHz)
4GB DDR2 667mhz
Motherboard - Intel E210882 G33 Chipset
GPU - NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT 512MB, PCI Express x16
Power - Delta 400 Watt

Its fairly old as im still using DDR2 RAM but im not in a position to do a new build and want to keep this going for as long as possible. Also, are there any other things I could do in the future to help this old thing perform better? Better PSU and upgrade to 8GB DDR2 800mhz sticks?

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

 

[Onus]

A GTX750 or GTX750Ti would be good choices for you. Most do not require a PCIe power connection.

 

[Dracula872100]

http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Dual-Link-Graphics-02G-P4-3751-KR/dp/B00IDG3PRI/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1412797270&sr=1-2
I think this would be the best choice for you

 

[shaggy__]

A GTX750 or GTX750Ti would be good choices for you. Most do not require a PCIe power connection.

http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Dual-Link-Graphics-02G-P4-3751-KR/dp/B00IDG3PRI/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1412797270&sr=1-2
I think this would be the best choice for you

Thank you both very much, ill check it out.

 

[Onus]

That card would indeed be a good choice, and the price looks good too.

 

[mhirons]

Not sure if this is an option for you, but check used on eBay. A couple months ago, I picked up a used Radeon 7950 for about $110. At that time, there were a bunch of them coming out of mining rigs as it was becoming less profitable (as I understand it, not a miner myself). Also, I highly recommend getting an SSD like the MX100.

 

[Onus]

A 400W PSU is not sufficient for a HD7950, a card also likely to be bottlenecked by his CPU.

 

[mhirons]

Yeah, my bad, I read right over his PSU. 500W is probably the minimum you want for a 7950. If you don't mind rebates, you can pick up a decent 550-600W PSU for $25.

 

[Onus]

Hmmm, I'm not sure I've seen prices that low on decent 550W-600W PSUs. Note that the Corsair "CX" and "GS" lines do not qualify, due to inferior capacitors that can't take heat and fail early.

 

[mhirons]

I am definitely NOT an expert as far as capacitor quality, but this is one that I ran across the other day. XFX P1550SXXB9 - 550W, 80 Plus Bronze, 135mm Fan, Active PFC, Single +12V Rail $26 after rebate

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=125449

 

[Onus]

Now there's an excellent deal on a Seasonic-built PSU.