Guide for Selecting a Discrete Video Card

[pck714]

thank you I will buy the new graphic card today and try it out and let you know thAnks 

[pck714]

I try the disable secure boot it doesn't work so now enable legacy boot

[pck714]

One last thing i would like to know can my pc use the GTX 670. If so I will buy it today thanks

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=14-130-785&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&Pur...

[Big_Dave]

Hi pick714,

The EVGA 670 is a 9.5"+ card so be sure to measure inside your PC and make sure that it fits.  There are other NVIDIA 670s that are cheaper at www.newegg.com Make sure that using are a 500+ watt power supply that has two 6 pin PCI-E power connectors.

The EVGA card that you reference has a 4 GB frame buffer.  Do you need that large of a frame buffer?  Perhaps this EVGA 670 would better fit your needs.

It's my understanding the EVGA has video card bios updates for their 640 and above series cards to allow the cards to work with UEFI mode and secure boot. I don't know the exact update procedure but I suspect that you would have to boot up in legacy mode with secure boot disabled and then apply the video bios update. You have to email EVGA and request the update and approved procedure.  Maybe the 670 will already come with the latest video bios.:smileyhappy:

BTW, I am considering the EVGA 660.

[pck714]

well my hp comes with 600watts is that enough

[Big_Dave]

Hi pic714,

600 watts should be plenty.

[Fauxpaws1]

I am seeking Video Card Upgrades for 2 different HP's.

I do realize that they will both need new PSU's. 

My Roommate & I both play WoW & are looking for a significant improvement without having to replace CPU's.

I would like 1gb or even 2gb cards & prefer as cool running as possible.

Also is there any difference in video performance or compatability when running AMD vs NVidia on AMD Systems?

1) P6654y  Athlon x4 630 - 4gb Ram  

2) P6733w  Phenom x2 511 - 5gb Ram 

Thank you for the help 😄

[Big_Dave]

Hi Fauxpaws1,

If you do some research, you will find that the NVIDIA GTX 460 seems to be referenced as a good gaming card.  I use the GTX 460 with some modern games and it runs quite well on high to ultra with a screen resolution of 1920 by 1080 using default settings.

AMD 6850 if you still find it  ---> 127 watt

AMD 7850   ----------------------> 130 watt

NVIDIA 660  ---------------------> 140 watt

NVIDIA 660 TI -------------------> 150 watt

All of the above referenced should be able to run WoW.

As for a power supply, go for a high efficiency (Bronze rated or higher) PSU that has a large exhaust fan(120mm or larger).  The standard HP power supply dimensions are 5.9 by 3.4 by 5.5.  The Corsair CX500 or CX600 would be excellent choices.

[Ray32825]

Hi Dave, I have a HP a1540n with the NodusM-GL8E motherboard - http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00714578

I have upgraded the memory to 4GB and i would like to try out a graphics card with a HDMI output to see what it looks like on a 27 inch samsng monitor that i am using. I know it has an express slot, but how do i go about chosing a card - RAM capacity, memory type, number of bits,  and all that?

Needless to say it will have to be better than the nVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE (C51) that is onboard. I am looking at Amazon to try and figure out which kind i need - http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_hi_6?rh=n%3A172282%2Cn%3A%21493964%2Cn%3A541966%2Cn%3A1938700...

Thanks,

Ray

[Big_Dave]

Hi Ray,

If you haven't upgraded the power supply then your are limited to 300 watts total for your PC.

This NVIDIA Geforce 430 would be a very good choice.

This NVIDIA GT 610 would be another choice. It has a min-HDMI port so you might need an adapter.

The above cards are spec'd for a 300 watt power supply.

If you decide to buy a different card then be sure to follow the video card manufacture's recommended power supply size.