Replacement for GTS 250

[rjo98]

Hi all. I'm looking to replace a GTS 250 with something new in an old HP p6310y to breathe some life into it. Would like to stick with nvidia, but also stay under/around $100. Most intensive thing this computer does is play the latest Sims games.
Someone at a store suggested a GT 730 GDDR5, but when comparing spec sheets on that to the GTS 250, the 730 appears to have less Memory Interface Width than the 250 (64 vs 256), Memory Bandwidth (40GB/s vs 70.4), and for the width they appear to be different (dual-slot vs dual-width). I honestly can't say I understand the difference between those 3 things, so hoping someone can tell me if i should be concerned about those 3 differences or not.
Or if someone has a different card they would suggest, I'm all ears.
I really appreciate the help, I can't afford a new computer but I think this upgrade would make it much more enjoyable for all to use.

 

[das_stig]

According to HP specs, the original PSU is 300w so your going to badly limited and knowing HP's I bet the PCIE slot is getting the full 75w as per PCIE specifications.

The good news is, had a quick google and the PSU can be replaced by a more powerful standard ATX PSU, but double check, some have used XFX 550w models.

If this is true, then you do replace it, then you can start thinking about a more powerful GPU that is get sits juice directly from the PSU.

 

[rjo98]

So you're saying a 730 would not work with my current PSU? I haven't added anything to the base machine, just swapped out the hd for a SSD which supposedly uses less power. I'd rather just straight up replace the graphics card and that's it.

 

[rjo98]

Can anyone else comment on my last question? I'd hate to pull the trigger and get something that won't work in my current setup.

 

[hang-the-9]

Going to a GT 730 from a GTS 250 will not get you any more speed. 730 is newer and uses a lot less power, but it's not faster. If your computer can work with a newer model video card without changing the power supply is iffy, newer cards can have issues with older OEM motherboards. nVidia 1050 should be able to run on a 300 watt PSU, but again, you have an OEM motherboard so it may not work in your system. nVidia 1030 should be faster than your GTS 250, but again, newer card, older OEM motherboard. Maybe a 750 or 750 Ti would run OK. Before you try anything, check for a newer BIOS for the system.

 

[rjo98]

Going to a GT 730 from a GTS 250 will not get you any more speed. 730 is newer and uses a lot less power, but it's not faster. If your computer can work with a newer model video card without changing the power supply is iffy, newer cards can have issues with older OEM motherboards. nVidia 1050 should be able to run on a 300 watt PSU, but again, you have an OEM motherboard so it may not work in your system. nVidia 1030 should be faster than your GTS 250, but again, newer card, older OEM motherboard. Maybe a 750 or 750 Ti would run OK. Before you try anything, check for a newer BIOS for the system.

Thanks, I'm fairly certain the BIOS is updated to at least whatever the last one HP offered. Would the manufacturer potentially have a newer one or just stick with that. and i was wrong on the PSU, it was replaced for a 500W at some point, but i hear you on the super old mobo. so sounds like some flavor of 750 is the way to go?

 

[hang-the-9]

Going to a GT 730 from a GTS 250 will not get you any more speed. 730 is newer and uses a lot less power, but it's not faster. If your computer can work with a newer model video card without changing the power supply is iffy, newer cards can have issues with older OEM motherboards. nVidia 1050 should be able to run on a 300 watt PSU, but again, you have an OEM motherboard so it may not work in your system. nVidia 1030 should be faster than your GTS 250, but again, newer card, older OEM motherboard. Maybe a 750 or 750 Ti would run OK. Before you try anything, check for a newer BIOS for the system.

Thanks, I'm fairly certain the BIOS is updated to at least whatever the last one HP offered. Would the manufacturer potentially have a newer one or just stick with that. and i was wrong on the PSU, it was replaced for a 500W at some point, but i hear you on the super old mobo. so sounds like some flavor of 750 is the way to go?

If you have a 500 watt PSU, the nVidia 750 should work, or the Ti version. Either will be a good deal faster than the GTS 250.

 

[rjo98]

cool, thanks.