Video card suggestions?

[SteelGator]

I am looking to upgrade my Windows 7 PC (about 3 years old) with a new video card. The built-in display adapter has been completely fine for the things we normally use it for. But I have noticed that in some newer games the performance is dog slow. I have looked around the web for reviews but there are SO many cards out there that I'm finding it hard to filter it down to a manageable level. I used to be pretty current on PC hardware, but not any more.

Basically, is there a low-end card (low cost) where I would see noticeably improved performance but wouldn't break my budget? I'm talking $50 or less.

And is it possible to get a low-end card that supports DX11?

Thanks in advance.

[SteelGator]

57 views and 0 responses. Oh well I guess it was worth a shot.

[NOTgaGATORanymore]

I'm not as tech savvy as most on here, but I do know that in the world of video cards $50 won't buy much. I design homes with CAD software and the video card I purchased (GTX580) was around $500 at the time (the price has since dropped). My guess is that those who viewed this thread probably thought that your budget was too low. After all the research I did looking for the best card, anything below about $250-$300 was a crap shoot.

Here is a benchmark site I found pretty useful to at least compare the speed of each card. Your best bet is probably networking with other gamers to get their input. But again, most of the serious gamers will spend in access of $300 to get the performance to run their games.

One thing you need to consider; some video cards will require you to bump up your power source. Check the manufacturer specs online and make sure you know what you have. An upgraded power source will cost at least another $50 (or more for a decent one).

Sorry I didn't respond sooner, I figured one of these brainiac guys would have chimed in by now

[SteelGator]

I appreciate the input, thanks. I really got lost researching this, with all the different numbering schemes for the nVidia and Radeon cards. And I absolutely noticed the prices varied tremendously. Some basic ones at $29.99, and higher end going in excess of $500. Crazy.

I didn't consider the power supply aspect, I appreciate the comment on that. If I do end up getting a new card then I will have to consider that.

Thanks again, NOTgaGATORanymore.

By the way, I was going to abbreviate your name to NGGA until I typed it out...

[umcpgator]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...view,3107.html

You might want to skim through the article for their recommendations for each tier and also the table at the end and see what you are willing to buy/spend.

[SteelGator]

That's a good, detailed link. Thanks umcp!

[michaelc]

never heard of being able to upgrade a computer with a video card

the onboard probably lives up to mother board specs

I'd try a different os, (dos maybe), 16-bit color resolution and 72 MHz refresh rate
-max -under (personalize/advaced "display settings")...

note, if you can't get it to run with lower monitor resources, it is either a hardware or software problem

[helix139]

Originally Posted by michaelc

never heard of being able to upgrade a computer with a video card

the onboard probably lives up to mother board specs

I'd try a different os, (dos maybe), 16-bit color resolution and 72 MHz refresh rate
-max -under (personalize/advaced "display settings")...

note, if you can't get it to run with lower monitor resources, it is either a hardware or software problem

Are you serious?

[gator0254]

You can buy very high end video cards for 230

This one from New-Egg

EVGA SuperClocked 02G-P4-2662-KR GeForce GTX 660 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

the question is can you system support/drive the card and does it have the right interface slots

that card requires a PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot

and
Requirements
Minimum of a 450 Watt power supply.
(Minimum recommended power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 24 Amps.)

really the games you play can help select the video you need

And you can get some pretty powerful video cards for well under $100 - it all depends on what you are doing

on-board video memory will help as well

[corpgator]

This shows you best value for video cards. Yes, it's only one benchmark, but it gives you a pretty good feel for them overall. I'd go with the 6770.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127599