[thenovices]

Hi guys,

I just recently bought a computer with decent specs at a extremely low price. Right now, I am trying to upgrade it, mainly because I want to be able to play a game i just got, Hellgate: London, without any lags or problems.

The main thing I am focusing on right now is the graphics card, and I know practically nothing about them. I hope someone can help me decide between these two cards:
XFX GeForce 8500 GT Ultra Silent Cooling 512MB DDR2 SLI Ready PCI Express (Dual Link) DVI VGA HDTV Video Card PVT86JYAHG at TigerDirect.com
NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GS 512MB DDR2 SLI Ready PCI Express DVI VGA HDTV Video Card 76SFE8HDFE at TigerDirect.com

The sys.req for Hellgate:London recommends 8800 for dx10cards, but I don't really want to invest that much in a gfx card.

Anyways, the computer only came with a 250W psu. Will that be able to handle either of those cards?

I am also wondering if my CPU might contribute to some of the lag I'm getting. Hellgate: London requires a 1.8GHz CPU, while I have a core 2 duo 1.6GHz.

I also have 1GB of RAM, but I think that should be enough for the game.

Thanks for your help in advance!

[aetherh4cker]

The 250W PSU will likely not be enough to handle a decent video card.

You're having a hard time hitting the minimum requirements, and are a long shot away from the recommended requirements. I don't think you will be able to play Hellgate: London lag-free.

[thenovices]

hmm...
is it still worth getting a new card though? I'm stuck with intel integrated. I don't mind a little bit of lag. I've been playing it at like 10fps xD

[aetherh4cker]

Many motherboards with integrated video do not even have a slot for a dedicated video card.

If you did have a video card slot, then I wouldn't even know what to recommend, because your power supply is so low that I couldn't be sure you could even run the card.

To start off, check to see if your computer even has a PCI Express x16 slot.

[thenovices]

yeah i've been talking with some people, i'm probably gonna upgrade my PSU to 600W. I already checked, my mobo has a PCI Express x16 slot. I actually might consider getting something better than a GeForce 7600 or 8500. I was thinking about maybe getting a 7900 or a 8600.

[darksideleader]

If you cant spend over $200 get a 2900 GT, if you can, buy a 8800GT. Of course your gonna have to buy a new PSU for either of those cards.

[Nick]

Do not get a 8800GT with that CPU, you'll bottleneck the card, get something like a XFX 7900GS or 8600GTS and 600W is unecessary, i recomend a 420W PSU something like an Antec or OCZ.

Also download CPUZ and click mainboard and you can see if you have a PCI-E slot and what bus speed it is, if its AGP which is an older gfx card interface then obviosly you'll be needing an AGP card

[darksideleader]

oh forgot about that...

you got a e2140? no biggy you might be able to overclock it really well. Is your computer a pre built computer?

[thenovices]

hmm, yeah i guess i can get a decent 450W PSU for like $20. Well, I checked CPUZ and I couldn't find where it said if I had a PCI Express x16 slot. However at the dell specs page for my computer : Vostro 200 Slim Tower
The page says that my computer has a PCI Express x16 slot. Its pretty new, it should come with one. If it helps, the motherboard is a Dell Inc. 0CU409. I googled for it, but couldn't really find any specs on it.

Yeah, I have a e2140. I don't really know how to overclock it, but its not like I don't know what overclocking is. And yes, my computer is pre-built. It was cheap though!

So, I'm probably going for a XFX 7900: XFX GeForce 7900 GS Extreme Edition 256MB GDDR3 SLI PCI Express Dual DVI HDTV Video Card PVT71PUDE3 at TigerDirect.com
and also a 450W PSU:
Power Up 450-Watt ATX 120mm Fan SATA-Ready PCI-E-Ready 24-Pin Power Supply GEN-2005 at TigerDirect.com
not sure about this PSU: is it made by a good manufacturer?

Thanks for all your replies!

[vernong1992]

LOL..

its a Dell.. thats gonna cause some troubles.. especially since you can't overclock... so he's gonna have to live with the bottlenecking..