Need help choosing a new GRAPHICS CARD

[Fad3away]

I'm not a hot chick, I'm a guy duh, lol anyways onto business.

 

I've never bought a video card before. I only play oblivion on my pc and that's the only game I will be playing most likely unless the new graphics card can also play Crysis. I wanna be able to run Max settings on Oblivion. So I was suggested I get the Radeon HD 5770 and I think its fair and want to get it but I'm afraid my power supply is not enough, but I don't know. Can I even fit this card, do I have the right or enough bus ports?

 

Any help is very much appreciated, thank you

 

PC specs from DirectX Diag Tool

 

Processor: Intel Pentium 4 CPU 3.00 GHz (2 CPUs)

Memory: 2046MB RAM

375 PSU

 

I also have a external 1TB hard drive does that help? I don't know, I just bought it cuz i needed a portable hard drive

 

This is the computer I have HERE

 

The page says I have these bus types

 

PCI Express x1(1), PCI Express x16(1), PCI Express x4(1), PCI(3)

 

I don't know if this helps but hey heres my current graphic card info

 

http://gpuz.techpowerup.com/10/05/25/9nz.png

[RedVexHK]

if you are running a low power system... I can offer a suggestion. my PC has a 200 watt small form factor PSU... odd shaped.. so finding a better PSU that will fit is hard... so instead .. for now... I spent $85 plus taxes to buy an ATI Radeon 4350 HDMI Silent . it's a low profile card whith 512 megs of ram.. a huge heatsink.. no fan.. and low power consumption. I got it from NewEgg.

 

It plays quite well with Dragon Age and Fallout3. I know some cards will do better.... but if you have a problem with power... it's not a bad card.

[Erik005]

You do have a modern pci-e slot on your pc and you have a standard size case.

 

The power supply is the main problem.

 

It might be enough for a HD5670 which is also a big improvement on your current card.

[Fad3away]

Even the HD 5670 is too much for my PSU which is max 375w. And I don't wanna go to any lower card. I'm just going to think about getting a new power supply. But what should I know about putting a new psu in my computer? I don't wanna screw things up.

[RedVexHK]

Best bet for a new PSU is to buy a Modular PSU. they install easier.. far less cables... and expandable if you need more cables.. and to make installing it easier.. as you disconnect a cable from the board immediately plug in the matching Modular cable.. once all the cabling is done.. remove your old PSU and install the modular then plug each cable into it.. and you are ready to go.Modulars are available up to 1,000 MHZ.. possibly more.... but who needs that much??

 

http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=279

http://www.xoxide.com/powersupplies1.html

 

these are a forum and a commercial site.. don't feel like I'm sending you to the commercial site to buy there.. it's just so you can see what's what.. buy locally at your trusted computer store so you can support your local economy.

[Retribution]

I have a 300W PSU, and I'm using a 5770 and an i7 860.

[Balagor]

550 W will do it, then you have just about 30-40 W overpower.

You can check yourself on this site: http://support.asus.com.tw/PowerSupplyCalculator/PSCalculator.aspx?SLanguage=en-us

I checked your pc setup. Don´t expect it to run Crysis, without becoming a toaster. You still have a bottleneck in yourMOBO, CPU and your RAM.

If it is only for Oblivion I would go for 55 or even 54 series, they still have several hundres streamprocessors, which is the most important in a grafic card.

[XxquinnzoxX]

I have a 5770, and I am for the most part pleased. I can run Battlefield Bad Company 2 on highest everything (AA incuded), with DX 11. I do get lag ups in Fallout, but that is more of a I-Have-2-gigs-left-on-my-hdd issue :P (its a 1 terabyte HDD) I wouldn't call it future proof though, but it doesn't sound like you are too concerned about that.

[bootsox]

Get a Radeon HD 5670, it's a great card that can run off virtually no power.