Need Help Buying A Graphics Card For Battlefield 3...

[Jumpman]

I'm New To PC Gaming...Here's My PC I Purchased Back In June...

HP Pavilion Slimline s5-1060 Desktop

• Intel Core i5-2310 2.90GHz Processor (6MB Cache)
• 6GB DDR3 SDRAM system memory (expandable 16GB)
• 1TB SATA hard drive
• AMD Radeon HD 6450 graphics card with 512MB DDR3 dedicated memory
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS

The Video Ram Is Only 500MB Which Is Pretty Bad...Just Need Some Direction Into What Kinna Graphics Card Should Buy...

Price Range $200-$330

Also Do I Need A Power Supply?

[spacechild]

Hi there Jumpman!: I have bad news for you! due to the fact that you have a slimline computer you have to get a relatively small video card such as the one in your PC 2nd you might be PSU challenged as well

again due to its diminutive case space

a slimline type computer is oriented more toward movies & video rather than true gaming

I'd try & sell it or if you brought it from Best Buy hopefully you acquired it via "Buy Back Technology" program

& put the moola toward a conventional desktop with a v-card that has an ATI model# that ends in '70, '80 or '90

or a similar model from Nvidia

perhaps since you do have a 2nd generation Sandy Bridge proc you can lower the resolution so that your video frame rate can be quick enough so that you can play this game

Since you're new to gaming I would advise you to pay most attention to the amount of amperage your next PSU delivers on the 12v side

& et at least 500-600 watts with the PSU being as efficient as you can afford

good luck

hope this helps & enlightens you

                                                                                                                    spacechild

[binici]

Hello Jumpman.

If you have a slimline desktop then those beefy high-end video card are not going to be able to fit in the small form factors.

In order to run BF3, you can go on NVIDIA's website and run the BF3 checker, which will provide you with a quick overview of what is recommended to run the game.

As of right now, the GeForce GTX 560 and higher models are recommended (NVIDIA cards). I haven't kept up with ATI, so not sure which they recommend...

Good luck!

[Jumpman]

yeah the customer service rep i talked with said i could use any graphics card i purchased as long as it said pci express x16

is that still the case or do i still need to buy a new machine?

[binici]

You should be fine. Just remember, most card will take up two slots. Also, heat can be an issue in most of the HP cases. I am very happy with my video card, which is affordable and efficient! I receive about 55-60 FPS playing BF3 on custom settings (most set to High and Ultra).

[wb2001]

Jumpman,

Please reply after you have measured the existing Power supply.

Is it a Min ITX (3.2 x 1.7 x 6) or a TFX (3.4 x 2.5 X 7)

Athena Power has just released a news article in Smart Computing that relates to their new product line of power supplies for the Slimline cases.

Just as an example, this card needs a minimum of 400W :http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150577 

Caution: You can not use a graphics card that the Power Supply does not support (PINOUT and WATTAGE). Slimline power units do not have PCIE power plug(s), as yet. (See Athena if they have any).

[Big_Dave]

Jumpman,

Download GPU-Z and tell us what the Memory Type the ATI 6450 has in it.  GDDR3 or GDDR5?

If your video card only has GDDR3 then perhaps the NVIDIA GT520 1GB which is available from HP Partsurfer would be a better video card without replacing your power supply.

[Jumpman]

is the nvidia gt520 1gb good enough to run bf3 though?

trying to run on high to ultra settings...

[Big_Dave]

Hi,

The memory bandwidth for the 6450 is pretty low.  The GT 520 is not going to help.  Some of the 6450s run about 6-8 GB/s

I don't think that you are going to find a video card that will run with a 220 watt power supply and use BF3 at the ultra and high settings.  These are the system requirements for BF3.