Psu and HD graphics cards help

[xbardockx]

Ok so i made a post a few days ago and asked what video card i should get to be able to run newer games because my onboard is very depressing.when i play the witcher its very choppy even in lowly populated parts. I said before the games i play dont have to be set on highest detail i just want to be able to play them smoothly, having them be able to play on medium setting would be great. I have a compaq model SR5710F with a AMD athlon 64 X2 dual core 2.3GHz. I have 3gb on memory also. I was told by a few people that the ATI radeon HD 4850 would let me play newer games at pretty high setting and get good FPS. Will this card do that good on my system? And if so how big of a PSU would I need to be able to power my whole system without catastrophic things happening. I was told by a AMD rep that i would need something like a 700-800w PSU. But peeps said that was rediculous.

Also i have been doing some research and alot of people say the 4850 get way hot. will it get hot enough to harm my pc?

Again if you think a different card would allow me to play games like dragon age origin at good detail and good fps please tell me.

Im looking to not spend anymore than $175 on the graphics card and no more than 125 on the PSU. Any useful info you have is greatly appreciated.

 

[amnotanoobie]

500~600W should be more than enough. If you get a high quality PSU such as the Corsair VX450, then even 450W should be sufficient.

Video cards don't get hot enough to start toasting other components, unless the ambient temperature of your case is in the upwards of 70C. A new 4850 would raise the temps a bit, but not enough to start causing trouble for other components. Just make sure to clean-out your fans of dust to improve airflow.