new graphics card what to get for my spec?

Question

hello im after a new graphics card for my system as most games run slow now
i have a 3500 amd and a duel 6600gt now with 2 gig ram i was looking at a 8800gts which is a great card but not sure if my power supply would be enough its 500 and would i gain what i needed or would my cpu slow the card down bit lost really or should i say get a 7900 or something like that

any help thx

my motherbord is pci express yeah i like the look of the 8800 becuse i will have dx10 for the future

so if i didnt get a 8800gts and went for
8600GTS 256MB DDR3 128bit DVI PCI-E would i still be able to play most new games and would it make my old duel 6600gt seem slow

Answer 1

A high quality PSU should be able to handle it, but if the manufacturer of your PSU was optimistic regarding the power rating, you may be out of luck.

Depending on the number of hard drives, fans, and other parts you have you may need to replace your PSU, especially if it is a generic unit.

The 8800GTS (I own an overclockerd version of that card) requires a hefty power supply. I had to replace my 550W PSU because it was unable to handle the load when I upgraded from an overclocked 6800 to the 8800GTS.

There are in my opinion 2 reasons to go with the 8800, one is DirectX10 which is somewhat important for the upcoming games and will allow you to play games with all the eye candy turned on, and the second reason is to be able to game in higher resolutions.

There is another option - get a 8600GTS. it has much more reasonable power requirements and will be a step up from your dual 6600s. It will also allow you to pair a second card in the future if you wish to do so.

The AMD 3500 will become the bottleneck of your system if you get a 8800GTS, and it may even be underpowered for a 8600GTS, especially with the latest batch of games that are already taking advantage of dual core (and in some cases even quad core - Supreme Commander for example).

Upgrading to a 7900 will not be a wise decision in my opinion, because you are upgrading a card that is already obsolete, and for almost the same price you can get a 8600 class card.


I have 2 HDs, DVD burner, Intel 945 dual core overclocked to 4.08GHz, 2GB RAM, Floppy ;-), evga 8800GTS KO overclocked. This system was originaly powered by a modular TTGI 550W. I had to replace it and got a Silverstone modular 750W.

Answer 2

duel card? you mean crossfire ? if so 1 hi card will draw less than 2 lowers cards
a 500w psu should be fine for just a gts
that said, do you really need a gts or will a 8600 do ?
atm I would say wait, prices will change again soon with atis new uber cheap dx10 cards
just bought a 35quid 2400, the newer tech on it should work dandy for a year or 2 until people really kow what they need for dx10 in terms of memry and by then, new cards will be out

Answer 3

I have an 8800 Gforce 640 mb video card with a 500 watt powersupply and I also have top of th line other components and my power supply is more than enough

Answer 4

If i were in your place, I would go for the card that support DX10 as geforce 8xxx or Radeon 2xxx, if your power supply got same connection needed for the card try it, you minght not need to upgrade, I am running radeon 1800xt on 400w... ATI is less power hungry then nvidia
your cpu is fine I think.
I hope that helps

Answer 5

Power consumptions:
8800GTS = 103 watts
7900GTX= 84W
7950GT= 49W
7900GT= 48W

If your 500W power supply has strong (dual) +12V rails, it could power the 8800GTS and 7900GTX. Otherwise, it might only have enough juice for the 7950GT or the 7900GT.

Answer 6

Are you looking at an AGP card or a PCI-Express?

This question relates to the capabilities and compatibilities of your motherboard for graphics card handling, which is kind of essential.

Answer 7

You could get a 8800GTS with 320MB, it's a great card. I think your power supply can handle it, if your PSU is branded.