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Got a new Computer, is my video card any good?

ompgamingompgaming Member UncommonPosts: 188

I jsut got a new desktop computer.  The video card it is running is a:

 NVIDIA GeForce GT 520

Ever since I got it, ME3 seems to run a bit choppy and when I play Planetside 2 (which I have only played on this new desktop) I can only pull down about 10 FPS if I am moviing.  I'm not a tech expert, is this video card not built for gaming? 

Above all else... never ever piss off the penguin.

Comments

  • bonzoso21bonzoso21 Member UncommonPosts: 380
    That's the low-end card they put out with the 500 series in 2010, so yeah, it's not going to give you great results with more current games. I think that card retailed around $60 USD, and when it comes to graphics cards, there are usually a few different tiers of pricing in which you pretty much get what you pay for.
  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383

    That video card is not really meant for gaming - or at least anything more demanding than Farmville.

  • ompgamingompgaming Member UncommonPosts: 188
    Ok, thanks for the info guys.  Any recommendations for an affordable replacement I can put in?

    Above all else... never ever piss off the penguin.

  • bonzoso21bonzoso21 Member UncommonPosts: 380
    Originally posted by ompgaming
    Ok, thanks for the info guys.  Any recommendations for an affordable replacement I can put in?

    That would depend on what your price ceiling is, how much PC gaming you do and how demanding the games you play are, and how long into the future you realistically expect your graphics card to carry you. If you want to be playing all the latest games at the highest settings, and hope to be able to play upcoming games the same way for the next year or two, you should probably expect to pay $250 or so. That's also assuming the other specs of your computer (CPU, RAM, etc) are a little higher-end than your GPU is, or you may run into bottlenecks with something else.  

  • ompgamingompgaming Member UncommonPosts: 188

    Are the GTX 560 series more for gaming then?  

    I like to enjoy my games, but I don't need to make movies off of them, I just want a bit more than 10 FPS, is all..  

    Above all else... never ever piss off the penguin.

  • StarfiredStarfired Member UncommonPosts: 28

    Get a GTX 550, they're only like 100$ on Newegg/TigetDirect. Good bang for your buck, they'll run any game out there, and many on higher settings. I have a Raedon 7770, cost me like... 130 i think. I run every MMO out there on Ultra. 

    It depends on the other specs you have also... CPU and RAM.

    image
  • ompgamingompgaming Member UncommonPosts: 188

    Thanks for the suggestions.  For reference I have a:

    Intel Core i5-3450 CPU @ 3.10 GHz with 12 GB of RAM

     

    I would prefer to stay NVIDIA since thats what I know, and as you can see, I don't know much.  Would there be major issues if I switched to a RADEON card?

     

    Above all else... never ever piss off the penguin.

  • miguksarammiguksaram Member UncommonPosts: 835
    Originally posted by ompgaming

    Thanks for the suggestions.  For reference I have a:

    Intel Core i5-3450 CPU @ 3.10 GHz with 12 GB of RAM

     

    I would prefer to stay NVIDIA since thats what I know, and as you can see, I don't know much.  Would there be major issues if I switched to a RADEON card?

     

    Your RAM appears to be mismatched but that is the least of your worries at this point.  More importantly we need to know the size of your case and power supply unit (PSU).  Preferable the actual make/model for each, especially the PSU in order to make a sound suggestion.

     

    With regards to nVidia vs AMD there really is no reason these days to show preference for one company over the other (unless you use more than 3 monitors).  In the past there were cases where drivers from one would outshine the other, this is where the divide usually spawned from (power consumption being another), however these days that simply isn't true.  And as Quiz will tell you, on the lower price spectrum nVidia just can't compete with AMD's current generation of available cards.  For that matter with AMD recently dropping prices on a number of their cards one could argue there are few price points in the current nVidia lineup that make much sense over AMD.  Again, this is speaking strictly from a price to performance perspective.

  • ompgamingompgaming Member UncommonPosts: 188
    I looked up teh 7770 and it does seem to have about the same performance as the GTX 550 series at just a little less.  Do you think that card would be good enough to run ME3 or Planetside2 on moderate to low settings, then?

    Above all else... never ever piss off the penguin.

  • miguksarammiguksaram Member UncommonPosts: 835
    Originally posted by ompgaming
    I looked up teh 7770 and it does seem to have about the same performance as the GTX 550 series at just a little less.  Do you think that card would be good enough to run ME3 or Planetside2 on moderate to low settings, then?

    You might find this useful since you haven't mentioned your actual price point and we still don't know what your case/PSU can handle.

    http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107.html

  • ompgamingompgaming Member UncommonPosts: 188
    Originally posted by miguksaram
    Originally posted by ompgaming

    Thanks for the suggestions.  For reference I have a:

    Intel Core i5-3450 CPU @ 3.10 GHz with 12 GB of RAM

     

    I would prefer to stay NVIDIA since thats what I know, and as you can see, I don't know much.  Would there be major issues if I switched to a RADEON card?

     

    Your RAM appears to be mismatched but that is the least of your worries at this point.  More importantly we need to know the size of your case and power supply unit (PSU).  Preferable the actual make/model for each, especially the PSU in order to make a sound suggestion.

     

    With regards to nVidia vs AMD there really is no reason these days to show preference for one company over the other (unless you use more than 3 monitors).  In the past there were cases where drivers from one would outshine the other, this is where the divide usually spawned from (power consumption being another), however these days that simply isn't true.  And as Quiz will tell you, on the lower price spectrum nVidia just can't compete with AMD's current generation of available cards.  For that matter with AMD recently dropping prices on a number of their cards one could argue there are few price points in the current nVidia lineup that make much sense over AMD.  Again, this is speaking strictly from a price to performance perspective.

     

    My case is a standard sized desktop.  Proably 14 in tall by about the sam wide and perhaps 4 or 5 inches thick.  Its an ASUS brand desktop.  I had never heard of them before I purchased this one last month.  The power supply is 300 W, but i don't know the brand.

    Above all else... never ever piss off the penguin.

  • miguksarammiguksaram Member UncommonPosts: 835
    Originally posted by ompgaming
    Originally posted by miguksaram
    Originally posted by ompgaming

    Thanks for the suggestions.  For reference I have a:

    Intel Core i5-3450 CPU @ 3.10 GHz with 12 GB of RAM

     

    I would prefer to stay NVIDIA since thats what I know, and as you can see, I don't know much.  Would there be major issues if I switched to a RADEON card?

     

    Your RAM appears to be mismatched but that is the least of your worries at this point.  More importantly we need to know the size of your case and power supply unit (PSU).  Preferable the actual make/model for each, especially the PSU in order to make a sound suggestion.

     

    With regards to nVidia vs AMD there really is no reason these days to show preference for one company over the other (unless you use more than 3 monitors).  In the past there were cases where drivers from one would outshine the other, this is where the divide usually spawned from (power consumption being another), however these days that simply isn't true.  And as Quiz will tell you, on the lower price spectrum nVidia just can't compete with AMD's current generation of available cards.  For that matter with AMD recently dropping prices on a number of their cards one could argue there are few price points in the current nVidia lineup that make much sense over AMD.  Again, this is speaking strictly from a price to performance perspective.

     

    My case is a standard sized desktop.  Proably 14 in tall by about the sam wide and perhaps 4 or 5 inches thick.  Its an ASUS brand desktop.  I had never heard of them before I purchased this one last month.  The power supply is 300 W, but i don't know the brand.

    14"x14"x5" is not standard ATX desktop size, that is in the realm of Micro ATX which could effect the overall options you have for both a new graphics card and PSU (you will most likely need to buy a new PSU in order to effectively upgrade your graphics, sorry 300w no name PSU is an expensive gamble).  If you can provide the make/model of your computer, you said it's an ASUS, I can do some research for you and give you better advice.

  • JurredJurred Member UncommonPosts: 47
    If it turns out it is a standard size desktop case and not a micro atx case then http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027 would work fine for either the 7770 or the gtx 550. 59.99 -10$ with the code on that page, and then a 25$ rebate so 25$ after you get the rebate back for a pretty solid power supply.
  • ompgamingompgaming Member UncommonPosts: 188

    What are the effects if the power supply can't handle the pull the graphics card needs?  The salesman said that I would be able to upgrade the graphics card if I needed to.

     

    Above all else... never ever piss off the penguin.

  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383


    Originally posted by ompgaming
    What are the effects if the power supply can't handle the pull the graphics card needs?  The salesman said that I would be able to upgrade the graphics card if I needed to.

     


    The power supply is a tricky component.

    Most of the time, the computer will just shut down if you try to draw too much power.

    But - the power supply is connected to everything. If the power supply starts to run out of spec (voltage ripple, low voltage, anything), very wierd things can start happening. BSODs, random restarts, it can even physically damage your hardware. It is not uncommon at all to see someone have their RAM blow out, they replace that, then have their RAM + their video card blow out, replace both of those, then have their RAM + motherboard blow out, and give up and find out it was a power supply issue the entire time, costing several times what it would have cost to buy a better, higher quality power supply in the first place.

    To make matters worse, ~most~ power supplies cannot deliver as many watts as they say on the sticker. I would estimate probably 90% of all power supplies sold (and the number may be even higher than that, almost every power supply inside a pre-built computer probably would) would fail before they hit their rated power. Most people think "Just get a bigger power supply" - but the answer isn't bigger, the answer is higher quality. If your computer needs 400W, and you have the option of a good 400W power supply that can deliver 100% power with no problem, or a 700W power supply that can maybe deliver 70%, but has issues - I'd take the 100% every time.

    Not very many power supplies are that good - it takes a lot of high end test gear to weed out the bad ones, and only a few sites are able to do that. I like HardOCP - if a unit even passes their tests, it's a good unit - regardless of if it wins an award or not. Most power supplies fail their tests.

    Moral of the story, don't skimp on the power supply. It's like tires for your car: you can go cheap, but your probably going to regret it one day.

  • StalkerousStalkerous Member UncommonPosts: 92
    Originally posted by ompgaming

    My case is a standard sized desktop.  Proably 14 in tall by about the sam wide and perhaps 4 or 5 inches thick.  Its an ASUS brand desktop.  I had never heard of them before I purchased this one last month.  The power supply is 300 W, but i don't know the brand.

    Your PSU is completely weak to handle your PC. You need minum of 650W-750W for your PC and specs. All new GPU starting from 400 Nvidia series and 6000 ATI/AMD series require you to have atleast a 38A on a +12v Rail on the PSU which your doesn't. I have no idea how you GPU even works at all unless it's a motherboard buildin one. But you might want to get a better PSU and GPU, get something like http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130620 and http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182063. Only if you have the money to spend on it that is. These will last for quit awhile. Plus what king of RAM do you have, speeds and timing, as well as the brand.

    image

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347
    Originally posted by ompgaming

     

    My case is a standard sized desktop.  Proably 14 in tall by about the sam wide and perhaps 4 or 5 inches thick.  Its an ASUS brand desktop.  I had never heard of them before I purchased this one last month.  The power supply is 300 W, but i don't know the brand.

    There is no such thing as a "standard" sized desktop.  If it's only 4-5 inches in one direction, then that's probably an extra-narrow case that most power supplies and video cards won't physically fit inside.  That means you can't upgrade it very much unless you're willing to replace the case as well.

    Either of these would probably fit:

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202002

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161418

    It would be good to post your exact specs before trying to upgrade the computer.

    Actually, it would be better to see if you can return the computer for a refund.  Even if you have to pay a 15% restocking fee, you'd probably come out ahead to return it, eat the restocking fee, and buy something more sensible for your needs.

    Have you considered asking for help before buying something random?  Buying something random and hoping it's good doesn't turn out well.

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347
    Originally posted by ompgaming

    What are the effects if the power supply can't handle the pull the graphics card needs?  The salesman said that I would be able to upgrade the graphics card if I needed to.

     

    Crashing, random shutdowns, smoke, sparks, dead hardware, and various other stuff that you really, really don't want to mess with.

    Sure, you'll be able to upgrade the video card.  But be able to upgrade the video card to something you'd actually want?  Not necessarily.  You're supposed to get advice from someone who knows something about computers and isn't trying to sell you anything.  If the salesman were a real computer expert, he probably wouldn't be working in retail.

  • ompgamingompgaming Member UncommonPosts: 188

    I thought my case was pretty standard in size.  What is a standard sized case then, out of curiousity.  My old computer was about 7 x 16 x 16 inches.  Is that more common in size and thus hold more standard components?  It might be easier for me to go back and just upgrade THAT one.

     

    Also, how many Watts should I need if 300 isn't enough.  400?  500?  600?  I don't know what I don't know about these things.  I do appreciate everyones help.  What a great source of info you guys all are.  I wish I was that smart.

    Above all else... never ever piss off the penguin.

  • RidelynnRidelynn Member EpicPosts: 7,383


    Originally posted by ompgaming
    I thought my case was pretty standard in size.  What is a standard sized case then, out of curiousity.  My old computer was about 7 x 16 x 16 inches.  Is that more common in size and thus hold more standard components?  It might be easier for me to go back and just upgrade THAT one. Also, how many Watts should I need if 300 isn't enough.  400?  500?  600?  I don't know what I don't know about these things.  I do appreciate everyones help.  What a great source of info you guys all are.  I wish I was that smart.


    Case size on the outside isn't standard at all. The insides hold standard sized power supplies (ATX), and Motherboards (E-ATX are huge, ATX is standard, Micro-ATX is small form factor, and Mini-ATX are extremely small).

    As far as how big of a power supply you need, that largly depends on what video card you are looking at.

    My general rule of thumb for power supplies:
    TDP of the video card (it's one of the specs, differs for each card) (double that if you overclock)
    +
    100W for the CPU (150W if you get an extreme or high core count chip) (double that if you overclock)
    +
    100W for everything else

    Then round up to the nearest standard size. For most people, ~600W is a pretty sweet spot - it accommodates nearly every single video card without going overboard.

    Video card TDPs vary widely. Your 520, for instance, is listed as 29W. For comparison, the 680GTX is 195W. Most cards that are more gaming-oriented are typically in the 100-200W range, and extreme video cards (such as those with double-GPU's) can go as high as 300W.

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