New Video Card Advice/PSU Question

[danperson1]

Hey Everyone
I was wondering your advice for upgrading my video card. I'm looking to spend about 100-200 dollars. Is it too soon to upgrade? My current card isn't enought for me. I play games like BF2142, CS source, Half life 2:Episode One, Rainbow Six Las vegas(which won't even run with my video card above like 15 fps) I was looking at the 7600gt or something like that, but before I put the money down I was just looking for some advice from pros like you guys

Also I was worried about going over on my power consumption? I have 350 watt, and many higher end cards require 400-450 watts. Do I need to upgrade that, and how do I do that, replace all the wiring?

[stinger608]

Well I think you should go for the best "bang for the buck" video card!!!

Newegg.com - EVGA 256-P2-N624-AR GeForce 7900GS 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 KO Video Card - Retail

Great card, and EVGA carries a lifetime warranty!!! But you have to remember to register the card within 30 days!!!

As far as the power supply, a lot depends on what brand you are currently using, and what the 12v rail is rated at!

OH yea, and before I forget it

WELCOME TO HARDWARELOGIC!!!!

[danperson1]

Thanks for the Advice!

[Hitman]

Upgrading your PSU first might be a wise investment. A 350w PSU just isn't enough these days. If you upgrade your PSU it will open up a wider upgrade path down the line. These days I advise nothing smaller then 500w. Thats with just a standard system with no extras.

[stinger608]

Originally Posted by Hitman

Upgrading your PSU first might be a wise investment. A 350w PSU just isn't enough these days. If you upgrade your PSU it will open up a wider upgrade path down the line. These days I advise nothing smaller then 500w. Thats with just a standard system with no extras.

That is true, but a good quality 350 watt power supply can get him by for a little bit!
I have an Antec 350 watt psu that will amaze most!

[danperson1]

Is it difficult to install a new psu?

[wtcnbrwndo4u]

Originally Posted by danperson1

Is it difficult to install a new psu?

No, it's relatively easy. All you really need to do (depending on your case) is remove 4 screws, unplug everything, pull it out (from the inside), and then install the new one by follow those directions in reverse.

[gvblake22]

The 7900GS, X1950Pro, and 8600GTS are also both decent cards for just under the $200 mark. Below that, the 8600GT would be your next best choice.

As for the PSU, an upgrade would probably be beneficial, especially if you are looking to get a decent performance oriented mid-range card with an external 6-pin PCI-Express power connector. And we would all be more than happy to help you out with installing and connecting your new power supply and video card!!!

[danperson1]

Thanks for the help

[screwballl]

As an owner of a X1950GT, I have to say it plays pretty much all of the games you listed without an issue. the GT has slightly lower clock speed and a few pipelines disabled but for almost the same performance for most of those games, if you don't need to spend it, this is an excellent choice.
My main games right now are Counter Strike: Source, BF2 and SupCom (Supreme Commander) and all run without lag on the last game which is known to strain a system. On CS:S I average 160-200 fps with all settings at its highest and running 1440x900 resolution. BF2 is gorgeous with all settings as high as it will go (at same resolution as CS:S).
These are played with the system in my sig so you're only slowdown in comparison would be the CPU which in itself is not bad at all (when coupled with a new video card).