Suggestions/Recommendations for Desktop Vid Card Upgrade

[InFuZiOn]

Hey LR Members,
Was considering upgrading the PCI-e 9800GT 512mb video card I've got on my HP Pavilion m9450f desktop but I wasn't sure how to tell if I have PCI-e x16, PCI-e 2.0, or PCI-e 2.1 type of a card so I thought I'd ask for some recommendations on cards that are in the $100-$150 range and are better than my current 9800GT. Also if anyone knows of someone selling a used one for a good price I'd be interested!

[Sttm]

If you could go to $160 I think youd be well served with a GTX 460.

Oh and you do have a PCI-E x16 slot, the 9800 gt currently occupies it.

[InFuZiOn]

Well I knew it was a x16 slot but I didn't know the difference between that and the 2.0 and 2.1 versions I'm seeing or if that's just a matter of drivers. The GTX 460 was what had caught my eye. Initially I was thinking about the GTS 450 but after seeing the difference in power I figured I'd be better off spending that little bit extra.

[skier]

Well I knew it was a x16 slot but I didn't know the difference between that and the 2.0 and 2.1 versions I'm seeing or if that's just a matter of drivers. The GTX 460 was what had caught my eye. Initially I was thinking about the GTS 450 but after seeing the difference in power I figured I'd be better off spending that little bit extra.

PCI Express x16 Spec 1.0, 2.0 and 2.1 only vary in bandwidth, and most graphics cards do not see a very significant difference between the specifications

the GTX 460 1GB can power most any game at maximum resolution and settings