Quad-core? I honestly don't believe you're actually going to pick up something that low-end $200. Is it really worth dumping cash into a dead socket? You’d be much better off grabbing a decent budget build and jumping straight to Ivy Bridge—those Celerons are surprisingly solid processors, or you could just go with an AMD setup. Especially if you're already running DDR3, you could just swap the RAM over, though that's hardly the biggest issue when you can find $50 4GB on eBay . Look, Timothy Kim60 was faster and gave you a way better answer than this. Chasing after those old Quad-cores just isn't worth the headache .
I truly believe that if your processor is sitting at the same level as an HD3650, you’re going to feel a massive difference once you upgrade him or even try some overclocking. Right now? You're probably just bottlenecking the GPU. That said, I still think the HD6850 is a fantastic card—especially considering what you can pick up on the used market these days. Honestly, I have zero intention of swapping mine out until an 8850 hits that same price point.
Back in the day, the 9800gt was a steal at around $300 brand new—one of Nvidia's best deals. So, honestly, don't be surprised if it still holds its own in most games. But let’s be real: you can't expect to swap it out for a $100 and suddenly see double the performance. That said, I really think if you picked up a used 6850 for maybe $90, you'd feel a massive jump in power, just like people are suggesting. I made the leap myself from an 8800gt—which is basically the same thing you're running—to a 6850, and man, the difference was night and day.
I mean, there's really no telling if it's actually a good deal or not, especially if the hardware is getting old... how old is that power supply exactly? I see they've been making them for like 6 or 7 years now, and from what I just quickly looked up online, some of those older models from back in 2007 supposedly had some kind of defect.
Why isn't there any info on this online? It’s such a joke. And honestly, you shouldn't even bother looking at power supplies under $40. There's nothing worth buying below that price point—nothing high quality. Is it really worth the risk?
368.54W. Honestly, isn't that question a bit ridiculous? How are we supposed to know exactly how much power the PC is pulling?! Any decent power supply rated at 400W or higher is going to handle this without breaking a sweat. I remember running an old AMD Phenom X6 paired with a Radeon 6850 on a 400W MSI unit for a whole week, so you'll be perfectly fine with whatever you get.
fadedorca66 said:But they really ought to check the brand and model of that power supply first. It wouldn't be smart to try and slap a 4850 onto some random 300W unit.
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Exactly. They definitely need to double-check that power supply before doing anything else.
Just scour eBay for an old 4850 or 4870. Honestly, if you're looking at what's available on the market right now, you won't find anything better than that.
Look, I get what you're saying, but I’m talking about the big picture here. When one of my buddies tells me their power supply just kicked the bucket, that's usually exactly what I suggest they do. And honestly? I'm right there with you. Wouldn't it be better to just scrape together another hundred bucks and do it right the first time? $67 So, how much should you actually spend on a power supply if you want it to last? I mean, are we talking about buying something that works for the next two years, or are you looking to build a rig that stays relevant for five or more? It’s a real question, isn't it? Should you just grab whatever is cheap right now, or is it worth investing upfront to ensure you aren't swapping parts out every few months?👍
He can definitely sell it... but how long has it actually been sitting on Craigslist? If you're looking for a quick turnaround, just drop the price a bit and it'll move. Honestly, I think you could $233 (try starting at $800, then scale back if nothing happens after a few days😉) get. Most of these go for around $685, though some people list them as low as $650.
I've been running a 6850 for a year now, and honestly, I haven't run into a single issue with the drivers while gaming. No stuttering, no screen tearing, nothing like that. I just stick to the same drivers I've used since the day I bought the card. So, what kind of specific problems are we talking about with those ATI drivers?🤷
So you came here looking for advice from people who actually know their stuff better than you do? Well, they gave it to you. Why are you trying to reinvent the wheel now? Just take the recommendation and run with it. Nobody here has any reason to steer you wrong.
Man, my mom had one about 5 or 6 years ago. I think I paid around $40 or so for mine brand new at a Best Buy or something similar. It worked like an absolute charm right up until the end of last year (it’s actually still running in my buddy's PC), before he swapped it out for a TX650. That new one has only broken down once since then, but luckily it was covered under warranty and they replaced it.
Check if these power supplies actually come with a 6-pin connector for the graphics card. Mine didn't have one, but you can easily just pick up one of those Molex-to-6-pin adapters online.