Legit Reviews

guys i am a newbie so plz forgive my mistakes

i want to buy a grapics card which will perform under a 23ov psu as i dont have enough money to upgrade my psu and my ups
i also want to play games like gears of war ,nfs prostreet,crysis,assasins creed under 1024*768 pixels

i have a budget of 150 dollars so can u plz help

as to which graphics card i should buy
i have windows xp installed and have a intel dual core processor and intel102gcl motherboard with atiradeon x200 onboard graphics.........

Few questions on the system before suggestions can be made...

What processor are you running and what is your PSU (Brand, model, wattage, and how many amps are on the +12V rail)

Also does your motherboard have a PCI Express slot or an AGP slot for graphics card?

A card that can run with a 230W PSU and run the games you listed might be hard to come by at decent frames.

Even the mid level games require at least a 6600GT or better to run at respectable FPS. I currently run a 7900GS and it doesn't run Crysis on high settings very well. Also, the game marketing has entered the DX10 era, so for future proofing, look into the 8500 / 8600 series at least. There are a few cheap cards here for sale: Here

I know you said the budget is $150, but you should definitely upgrade your PSU if you're going to be attempting games like Crysis. I recommend Corsair at the very least.

Like Apop said, we need to know more about your current system to make any recommendations after that. You can have a screaming video card, but if your PSU can't power it, or your RAM is deficient, or your CPU creates a bottleneck, its not gonna perform.

This is probably not want you want to hear, but I have to be realistic.

guys i have got intel dual core processor 2.8ghz and 512 mb ram but i will upgrade to 1.5 gb ram

i waana know that if i buy a 500w smps will i also need a 500 watts ups or is a 230 v ups is enough i have a i ball 230v smps my motherboard has 1 pci express slot i also dont really want to play crysis but i defenately wanna play nfs prostreet and gears of war i wanna play this desperately so please suggest should i buy just the smps or should i also upgrade the ups as well?

and thx all the guys who replied i am really thankfull to u i donno abt the tech stuff much like +12v rails and all so a simple help would do grt

Congrats on the RAM upgrade!

I personally do not use a UPS so my knowledge is somewhat limited...but here are my thoughts.

First, you ask a very complicated question, but also a very good one.

As a rule of thumb, your VA rating should always be higher than your wattage rating because computers are non-resistive.
So, your UPS is insufficient for a 500w PSU.

Keep in mind that a UPS has to run both your PC and your monitor. A standard PC with a 17-inch monitor can overwhelm a low-end UPS.

To determine your system's wattage requirements, add the maximum wattage rating of your PC's power supply to your monitor's wattage requirements. Add 20 percent to the total as a safety factor. Don't connect any printers, scanners, or other devices to the UPS.

Compare your wattage needs with the output and running time of the UPS. The model you select should last at least 10 minutes running at the wattage requirements of your PC and monitor. One more thing to look for: UPS vendors commonly list running times at half load, so a UPS with a rated output of 300 watts will list a running time for a half load of only 150 watts.

Like I said, its complicated, but more is better and safer.

hey ibleet can u plz tell me how i can calculate the system wattage requirements like is there any software as to know i read in a site like a power measurement software will it help or have i to do it manually like taking every system part in accont i use a 15 in ch moniter which uses 75 watts and i have not connected anything like printer scanner nothing is there i also read in nvidia site that geforce 8600gt uses 300w smps n so can my 230 watt smps would be enough if i use a external power supplier for my moniter like not connecting my moniter to ups and connecting it direct to the switches and like wise i can use more power from my ups what do u say ?

and plz suggest a good grapics card for 150 dollars ati radeon or nvdia for best gaming performance

At the very least, upgrade your PSU (smps). The UPS will still regulate power going into the PC, but will not last very long regarding battery back up under a total power out.

Here is a card that is probably the best you will get for $150:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814127284

You will need to upgrade your PSU for this card. Do not skimp and choose a cheap PSU.

This is the bare minimum I would reccomend:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817104952

Dan

so what do u say just upgrade my smps and not my psu is that what u wanna say?

Upgrade the power supply in your computer. Leave the UPS alone. Not ideal, but its the cheapest option.

Dan

man i made my decision i cannot upgrade my psu as i have to upgrade my ups so i decided to buy myself a stabliser and connect my crt moniter to the stabliser and connect the 8600gt to my motherboard this will equal the power taking the load of the moniter to the graphics card as i will connect the monter to direct power supply what do u say?

That card requires you to have more than your current 230watt PSU in your computer.

Don't upgrade the computer's PSU, the card won't run. And if it does, it will fry your PC's PSU shortly after. Its as simple as that.

Look for a sticker like this on teh side of you computers PSU.

SHow us a pic, or write them all out for us:



Dan

As usual, Dan is absolutely right. Upgrade the PSU first and foremost. A low quality or underpowered PSU could fry and take out other system components like the motherboard, etc....

I'm not sure about all your components, but you can't go wrong with a Corsair PSU. Buy.com has the 520hx for $99.99, and the vx450 for $74.99. I would Not Skimp on the PSU.

Like Dan said, the UPS is not your biggest concern right now...the PSU is. Buy a good PSU, use the old UPS for now, but disconnect the monitor and any other peripherals from it.

Video card:

For XP (dx9), 7900gs $109.99 after MIR.

For Vista (dx10), xfx 8600gt $109.99 after MIR.

Hope that helps.

ok i got it i will buy a 450 watt smps and stick with my 230watt ups but i will remove my moniter from it and connect it with a stabliser to a different power supply and then pop the card in my motherboard how good is that?

sounds good. Provided that the power supply you are going to get isnt a rubbish one.

Dan

i think i will buy a zebrasonics psu or an i ball or a intex psu what do u suggest i am pretty low on budget right now man plz i just got 170 dallars and i wanna buy a good i mean grt graphics card 1 gb ram and now a psu man i think i will have to rob a bank here

cooooldude wrote:man i think i will have to rob a bank here

LMAO! No, seriously don't!

I know you won't wanna hear this, but consider a lower end card, that way you can afford the Corsair vx450.

Good luck and keep us updated.

You drive a tough budget, but, I've come up with what should be the best performance you can get for that amount of money.

FSP Group (Fortron Source) 350W PSU @$29.99:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817104901

1GB RAM @25.99:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820211059

MSI NX8600GT-T2D256E OC GeForce 8600GT 256MB @$109.99:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814127286

Dan

I have a few unused 350 watt Antec PS units if you want to buy something inexpensive

thank u guys u have helped me a lot and thank u all 4 ur help i thought nobody was gonna help me i am a guy from india and nobody i met is as intelligent as u once again thank u 4 ur genorous help