 KulldarPremium
join:2008-11-11
Warren, MI | Please help me upgrade my PC I'm looking to upgrade my desktop PC. I've done a bit of research on my own but I have several questions. Hoping to get your expert advice before making my decision.
Here is my current set up.
Asus Essentio CM5570
Intel core 2 quad Q8200 2.33Ghz
6.0gb DDR2
300w power supply
Galaxy Geforce GT430 *Added this when I bought the PC 3 years ago.
This set up plays WOW okay on medium settings. I'm looking to get a significant boost in graphics for WOW and TOR. I was leaning towards this video card (»www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···14121446), which would require an upgraded power supply.
Here's where I'm looking for advice. Would this card give me a significant upgrade to my graphics?
The card says it needs a minimum of 450w supply. Would 500 be sufficient or should I go higher? Is compatibility with my case or motherboard a concern when purchasing a new power supply? I am fairly tech savy, is changing the power supply a difficult task? From what I've researched it seems to be mostly plugging in wires. Any advice or warnings I should know about.
Between the video card and power supply I'm looking at about $300. Is my system worth upgrading or is it time to buy a whole new rig? Money isn't really an issue but I don't want to piss away upwards of $1k on something new if I don't need to.
Sorry about the wall of text. Thank you in advance for any advice you have to offer. |
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MargolisPremium
join:2003-11-24
Saint Louis, MO | you're system is not worth upgrading, imho. It is time to start over fresh with a completely new build. |
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demirPremium
join:2010-07-15
usa
4 edits | reply to Kulldar
If you don't want to spend money, I would go for something less powerful that your CPU can keep up with. Maybe a Radeon 5770. Anything more will bottleneck your CPU and waste your money.
»www.techspot.com/review/209-ati-···e11.html
Ignore manufacturer suggested wattage and see how much power draw the card has under load at a reviews site. 450 watts would be MORE than sufficient.
The 5770 eats about 280 watts under load . . .Your processor will eat 95w and the rest of the computer is chump wattage. 400 watts is enough for the above setup.
If you don't mind spending the extra money you should upgrade to an entire new system starting with Sandy Bridge / i5-2500K and drop in a GTX 560/570/580 or a Radeon 6950 / 6970. You should be able to play all modern games on high settings. |
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 Gordo74Premium
join:2003-10-28
Monroeville, PA | reply to Kulldar
I think that computer is definitely upgradable. A C2Quad still has legs.
I would simply upgrade the PSU ($50): »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···Z%20500w
And the video card (6870 is better bang for the buck than 560ti, especially on an "older" system) ($140):
»www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···14131378
Under $200 after rebates and you''ll be able to play WoW and ToR on Max/High settings with 60+ FPS. |
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| reply to Kulldar
Not sure how well that CPU and TOR are going to play together. |
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KulldarPremium
join:2008-11-11
Warren, MI | reply to Gordo74
Okay, so I took Gordo74's advice. I got the new card and power supply yesterday and installed them. I fired up the PC and everything seems to be working. Graphics in WOW run on Ultra with no problems. Hoping TOR runs similar.
The video card had two red inputs and there were 2 cables labeled PCI-E that came with the power supply, I connected both to both red slots in the power supply and the video card. Does this sound correct? Did it need both cables or is one sufficient? Is there anyway to know for sure that the video card is getting enough power? I'd hate for it to blow up... lol |
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| Yes it is best to fill any pci-e power connectors that the card has.
If the card wasn't getting enough power it wouldn't blow up it just wouldn't work properly. Perhaps it wouldn't boot or would be unstable, crash, etc. |
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| reply to Kulldar
Yes, you need to plug in both of those PCI-E 6-pin power connectors to your video card. |
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| reply to Kulldar
You need to fill all power connections
Yes you can check if it is getting enough power, check your voltage on the 12V rail... if she is getting the needed power, you should be right near 12volts, if you see way under... you are pulling too much power from the psu. (not perfect way to check but it works) way over also is not good. |
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