Solved Decent Graphics Card for Gaming on Windows 8?

davidvkimball

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So I currently have an NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT graphics card, it it works pretty well for the games I play. However, Sonic Generations (a game I purchased through a Steam game sale), runs slowly and gets anywhere from 18-11 frames per second. Even on it's lowest quality settings and lowest resolution (720 x 480 @ 29Hz) it's still a tad slow.

Any suggestions on an upgrade? I have a budget...I mean, I'm a college student, after all...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-4790K Haswell Quad-Core 4.0GHz LGA 1150
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z97-A LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
    Memory
    CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GTX750TI-OC-2GD5 GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP
    Sound Card
    NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS VG248QE Black 24" 144Hz 1ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen LED Backlight LCD 3D and 20" 2009m HP Monitor
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 and 1600 x 900
    Hard Drives
    Intel 730 Series 2.5" 240GB SSD (OS + programs) WD Blue 1 TB HDD: 3.5 Inch, 7200 RPM (personal files)
    PSU
    Antec HCG M Series HCG-620M 620W ATX12V
    Case
    AZZA Solano 1000 Black Japanese SECC Steel/Metal mesh in front MicroATX/ATX/Full ATX
    Cooling
    Fans. Everywhere. (but they're surprisingly silent)
    Keyboard
    HP USB keyboard, 6 ft cable, Height: 1.1 inch, Width: 6.3 inches, Length: 17.3 inches
    Mouse
    HP USB mouse, 6 ft cable,
    Internet Speed
    36 Mbps download, 6 Mbps upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender + MalwareBytes
Two things:

You might get more responses if you gave a budget for the card.

Your 300W power supply is a bit weak for most significant upgrades. For example, Sapphire (www.sapphiretech.com) requires a 400W PSU for their cards that don't use any auxiliary PCI-E power connectors. If you need to swap the PSU, stay with the respected manufacturers (Antec, Corsair, Seasonic are usually recommended, but there are others.)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Window 8 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    I7-3930k
    Motherboard
    Asus P9X79 Pro
    Memory
    16 GB Gskill DDR3-2133
    Graphics Card(s)
    eVGA GTX 680
    Sound Card
    Soundblaster Zx
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus PA246Q
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1200
    Hard Drives
    Corsair Force GT 120GB
    WD Cavair Black 1.5TB
    PSU
    PC Power & cooling Silencer 750
    Case
    Silverstone FT02B-W
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D14 w/ PWM fans
    Keyboard
    cheap Logitech USB wired
    Mouse
    old 5 button Microsoft USB optical
    Internet Speed
    6Mb cable
Two things:

You might get more responses if you gave a budget for the card.

Your 300W power supply is a bit weak for most significant upgrades. For example, Sapphire (www.sapphiretech.com) requires a 400W PSU for their cards that don't use any auxiliary PCI-E power connectors. If you need to swap the PSU, stay with the respected manufacturers (Antec, Corsair, Seasonic are usually recommended, but there are others.)

Thank you very much, you have given me just the information I need! I just didn't know where to start.

I guess my question is, what is the "cheapest" 400W PSU I could purchase, and then say, could I get a good graphics card (like Sapphire) for around $80-$140?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-4790K Haswell Quad-Core 4.0GHz LGA 1150
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z97-A LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
    Memory
    CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GTX750TI-OC-2GD5 GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP
    Sound Card
    NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS VG248QE Black 24" 144Hz 1ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen LED Backlight LCD 3D and 20" 2009m HP Monitor
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 and 1600 x 900
    Hard Drives
    Intel 730 Series 2.5" 240GB SSD (OS + programs) WD Blue 1 TB HDD: 3.5 Inch, 7200 RPM (personal files)
    PSU
    Antec HCG M Series HCG-620M 620W ATX12V
    Case
    AZZA Solano 1000 Black Japanese SECC Steel/Metal mesh in front MicroATX/ATX/Full ATX
    Cooling
    Fans. Everywhere. (but they're surprisingly silent)
    Keyboard
    HP USB keyboard, 6 ft cable, Height: 1.1 inch, Width: 6.3 inches, Length: 17.3 inches
    Mouse
    HP USB mouse, 6 ft cable,
    Internet Speed
    36 Mbps download, 6 Mbps upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender + MalwareBytes
Hey,

Depends where your shopping, you can get a 400-750 watts PSU for around $25-75 (Cool Master, Corsair, Ultra etc). Also just because 400 is recommended doesn't mean you should get directly 400, if I was you I'd get a bit more possibly a 550-650 watts.

As far as graphics card goes, it really depends on the type of games you are going to be playing? Within your prince range you can get almost any 1GB video card that Sapphire (if that's the make you want to go with) provides.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Ultimate / Windows 8 Pro
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 730x
    CPU
    i7
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    12GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    2x 1GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    3x 22" HD Widescreens
    Hard Drives
    1TB & 500GB
    PSU
    1000 Watts
    Case
    Aluminum w/ Clear Panel
    Keyboard
    Logitech diNovo
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Revolution
    Internet Speed
    28Mbps
You may get suggestions to go for more margin in the PSU, but this one is a good deal at the moment:

Newegg.com - CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

(Corsair CX430, $40, free shipping.)

There's a $20 rebate on it, which expires today (presumably at midnight PST).

For a card, $100 will get you a card based on the AMD Radeon HD 7750, or the nVidia Geforce GTX 550ti.

Comparison:

AnandTech - Bench - GPU12

The 550ti may be slightly superior for some games. The 7750 consumes less power, and runs cooler. I slightly prefer NVidia's drivers, but I have used AMD/ATI cards as well. For the 550ti, this one is the least expensive:

Newegg.com - MSI N550GTX-Ti-M2D1GD5/OC GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

MSI is a good manufacturer, but others are good too (Asus, eVGA, etc.). For the 7750, I might choose a card with 1GB of GDDR5 memory rather than 2GB of DDR3, but I'd have to look at that some more before deciding. (The DDR5 has a claimed equivalent bandwidth of 4.5 GHz. GGDR3, 1.6 GHz.)

1GB GDDR5:

Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7750 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card ( 11202-00-20G)

2GB GDDR3:

Newegg.com - 100357-2GL Radeon HD 7750 2GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 3.0 CrossFireX Support Video Card

As I don't play a lot of games, others may offer more personal advice.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Window 8 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    I7-3930k
    Motherboard
    Asus P9X79 Pro
    Memory
    16 GB Gskill DDR3-2133
    Graphics Card(s)
    eVGA GTX 680
    Sound Card
    Soundblaster Zx
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus PA246Q
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1200
    Hard Drives
    Corsair Force GT 120GB
    WD Cavair Black 1.5TB
    PSU
    PC Power & cooling Silencer 750
    Case
    Silverstone FT02B-W
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D14 w/ PWM fans
    Keyboard
    cheap Logitech USB wired
    Mouse
    old 5 button Microsoft USB optical
    Internet Speed
    6Mb cable
You should also look around at any local computer stores as you may be able to get a pretty good deal. I was just able to snatch up a Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 1GB GDDR5 256 bit card for $70 from a local store here, and it will play anything I throw at it on high settings.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Tech Preview 10041 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
    CPU
    AMD FX-8350 8-core Black Edition @ 4.0 Ghz (4.2 Turbo)
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3
    Memory
    16GB DDR3 1333
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus R9 290 DirectCU II OC, Gigabyte R9 290 Windforce OC in Xfire
    Sound Card
    Integrated w/ Creative A250 2.1 speakers
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Main: Asus VN289H 28" Secondary: Acer G246HL 24"
    Screen Resolution
    3840x1080
    Hard Drives
    128 GB SanDisk Ultra Plus (Windows drive)

    240 GB Crucial M500 SSD (Data drive)

    1 TB WDC WD10EACS 7200RPM HDD (Data drive)

    2 TB Seagate Expansion Desktop external HDD (Backup drive)
    PSU
    900w Antec HCG-900
    Case
    Raidmax Agusta Full ATX
    Cooling
    Corsair H80 liquid
    Keyboard
    Cooler Master Devastator KB24
    Mouse
    Cooler Master Devastator MS2K 1000/1600/2000 DPI
    Internet Speed
    100 Mbps cable
    Browser
    Chrome
You should also look around at any local computer stores as you may be able to get a pretty good deal. I was just able to snatch up a Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 1GB GDDR5 256 bit card for $70 from a local store here, and it will play anything I throw at it on high settings.

That's a good price, better than Newegg offers for such a card. The card was high-end for the previous generation of AMD cards. It's better than the 7750 or 550ti.

It needs a slightly larger PSU (>500W, according to Sapphire) than the cards I suggested.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Window 8 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    I7-3930k
    Motherboard
    Asus P9X79 Pro
    Memory
    16 GB Gskill DDR3-2133
    Graphics Card(s)
    eVGA GTX 680
    Sound Card
    Soundblaster Zx
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus PA246Q
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1200
    Hard Drives
    Corsair Force GT 120GB
    WD Cavair Black 1.5TB
    PSU
    PC Power & cooling Silencer 750
    Case
    Silverstone FT02B-W
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D14 w/ PWM fans
    Keyboard
    cheap Logitech USB wired
    Mouse
    old 5 button Microsoft USB optical
    Internet Speed
    6Mb cable
GTX 560 $139.99 Newegg.com

That one will do well for you. I'm running a 460 and it hasn't given me a reason to upgrade yet.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Pssh. Who buys prebuilts?
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-2600k 3.4 Ghz
    Motherboard
    Asus
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 520
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dual Asus 22" Widescreen
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    OCZ SSD boot drive. Spinny secondary drive.
    Case
    Diablotek
    Cooling
    Air
    Keyboard
    Razer BlackWidow Toureny edition.
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    50 down 10 up
    Browser
    FireFox
    Antivirus
    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. AV is for noobs.
    Other Info
    I like Macs.
Thank you, bobkn, Nicholas, blackroseMD1, and phillipduran! This has given me plenty of options. Appreciate it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-4790K Haswell Quad-Core 4.0GHz LGA 1150
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z97-A LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
    Memory
    CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GTX750TI-OC-2GD5 GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB 128-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP
    Sound Card
    NVIDIA High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS VG248QE Black 24" 144Hz 1ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen LED Backlight LCD 3D and 20" 2009m HP Monitor
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 and 1600 x 900
    Hard Drives
    Intel 730 Series 2.5" 240GB SSD (OS + programs) WD Blue 1 TB HDD: 3.5 Inch, 7200 RPM (personal files)
    PSU
    Antec HCG M Series HCG-620M 620W ATX12V
    Case
    AZZA Solano 1000 Black Japanese SECC Steel/Metal mesh in front MicroATX/ATX/Full ATX
    Cooling
    Fans. Everywhere. (but they're surprisingly silent)
    Keyboard
    HP USB keyboard, 6 ft cable, Height: 1.1 inch, Width: 6.3 inches, Length: 17.3 inches
    Mouse
    HP USB mouse, 6 ft cable,
    Internet Speed
    36 Mbps download, 6 Mbps upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender + MalwareBytes
No problem man. Good luck! :D
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Tech Preview 10041 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
    CPU
    AMD FX-8350 8-core Black Edition @ 4.0 Ghz (4.2 Turbo)
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3
    Memory
    16GB DDR3 1333
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus R9 290 DirectCU II OC, Gigabyte R9 290 Windforce OC in Xfire
    Sound Card
    Integrated w/ Creative A250 2.1 speakers
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Main: Asus VN289H 28" Secondary: Acer G246HL 24"
    Screen Resolution
    3840x1080
    Hard Drives
    128 GB SanDisk Ultra Plus (Windows drive)

    240 GB Crucial M500 SSD (Data drive)

    1 TB WDC WD10EACS 7200RPM HDD (Data drive)

    2 TB Seagate Expansion Desktop external HDD (Backup drive)
    PSU
    900w Antec HCG-900
    Case
    Raidmax Agusta Full ATX
    Cooling
    Corsair H80 liquid
    Keyboard
    Cooler Master Devastator KB24
    Mouse
    Cooler Master Devastator MS2K 1000/1600/2000 DPI
    Internet Speed
    100 Mbps cable
    Browser
    Chrome
Thank you, bobkn, Nicholas, blackroseMD1, and phillipduran! This has given me plenty of options. Appreciate it.

Np buddy, let us know how it goes and what you end up getting!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 Ultimate / Windows 8 Pro
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 730x
    CPU
    i7
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    12GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    2x 1GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    3x 22" HD Widescreens
    Hard Drives
    1TB & 500GB
    PSU
    1000 Watts
    Case
    Aluminum w/ Clear Panel
    Keyboard
    Logitech diNovo
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Revolution
    Internet Speed
    28Mbps
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