Honestly, that Spira 420 w unit is junk; it’s just one of those cheap things bundled for free with budget cases. Getting only 15A on the 12V rail is way too weak. This configuration needs at least 220W, maybe even up to 250W under full load. Besides, these low-quality power supplies are totally unpredictable. You hear people on forums claiming they can run miracles on an MSI build, but sure—if your rig isn't even pulling 100W, a bottom-tier unit like that might just pop (it happened to my cousin). And if you're unlucky, it might take another component down with it...
EDIT The HD4850 doesn't pull more power than an R9 270; it's actually the opposite. The official TDP is 110W versus 150W (in actual gaming, the first stays under 100W while the latter hits around 130W).
In my view, the GTX 750 is more than enough and stands as your most straightforward option. Think of it as a solid mid-range card—right in that mainstream sweet spot. It isn't some extreme high-end beast, nor is it overpriced, making it a great choice for a casual gamer; you’ll be able to play just about anything decently with that GPU paired with your processor. Now, the R9 270 is also a fantastic best-buy in its class, but there's a catch: you're almost certainly going to need to swap out your power supply (which also means moving over to $500). Of course, it’s not a waste of money to upgrade the PSU even if you go with the GTX 750; you're essentially buying peace of mind and leaving room for future upgrades.
To put it in perspective, running The Witcher 2 on a GTX 750 would mean mostly just turning off things like ubersampling, AA, and VSync (assuming you aren't dealing with screen tearing). Aside from those tweaks, you should be able to crank everything else to max at 1920x1080 resolution. If you find yourself chasing an even higher FPS, you could always dial back a few extra details like SSAO or motion blur, but even as it stands, my math says you should see a pretty solid frame rate.
It looks like you fell into the trap of buying a pre-built configuration (I can tell just by looking at that bottom-tier power supply and junk GPU). Those cheap units claiming to be "500W" usually just have a sticker slapped on them to look better than they actually are. 😬 Basically, just grab a GTX 750. You won't even need to swap out your power supply because both the card and your processor are incredibly low on power draw. The performance jump compared to what you have right now is massive. To give you an idea of the scale—even though these aren't the exact cards—this is roughly the kind of difference you're looking at: click.
If you're shopping for power supplies locally, maybe check Best Buy: this one or this one would probably be your best value for the money.
You’re looking at roughly $267 just to cover the essentials—motherboard, CPU, and RAM. That’s assuming your drive (or your burner, if you’re still using one) uses a SATA connection. A full basic PC setup would run you about $500 . To be sure about that SATA connection, I’d suggest running a tool like Speccy. I’m guessing you’ve got an 80 or 160GB SATA drive, though honestly, swapping that out for something bigger and faster would be a smart move. Just make sure your burner isn't
Dammit, it doesn't support the Intel Core i7-4770K. These 970 Extreme3 boards they're pushing nowadays are all the R2.0 versions.
It supports those older 8-core chips like the 8120, 8150, and FX8300 (which you can't find anywhere in the States), so damn it, I'll just have to settle for the Intel Core i5-3570K.
John Turner34 said:I wanted to ask, are there already games out there that strictly require DX11?
There certainly are, and it’s been happening on a massive scale since last year (which inherently means they won't run on Windows XP). Man, you can still find some solid DX10 cards like the 4870 if you're looking at raw power, but software requirements have just completely left them in the dust.
Regarding your setup, if your power supply isn't the bottleneck, you should look into an AMD Radeon R7 265 or even an R9 270. However, if you bought a pre-built system, there's a high probability the power supply is subpar, in which case I'd recommend sticking with a 750Ti.
Those pages aren't worth much (they just add noise). With an R7 250, your entire setup would barely pull more than 100-120W even under a full load. That’s why you can pretty much get away with almost any power supply, even a basic Shroteks one.
You could also go with this 23" Acer ($67 it's the cheaper option); it features an IPS panel, which is top-tier, and comes with a 3-year warranty If you grab that, you can fit in a slightly more powerful graphics card like the GTX 650. Beyond just being great for gaming, it’ll really help out with Photoshop, too. Plus, you'll get a case that includes a USB 3.0 front port .
I think Kevin Ward3 was talking to Robert Rodriguez2. Since rustyranger6 is running an R7 250, you probably don't need to swap out the power supply (assuming it isn't complete junk), and you could run one of these:
HD5670, HD6670, HD7730, HD5750, 6750, 5770, or even a GTX 650 or HD 7750 if you can track one down.
To figure out what power supply you have,
just pull the side panel off the case and write down the model name listed on the power supply.
1 x OEM Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Service Pack 1 1 x AOC 21.5" Wide LCD, 6ms, 16:9, IPS 1 x Intel Core i5 4440 1 x Asrock H81M-HDS, Socket 1150 1 x Kingston DDR3 HyperX Blue, 1600MHz, 8GB 1 x Samsung 120GB 840 EVO Basic SSD 1 x Seagate 1TB HDD, 7200rpm, SATA 6, 64M 1 x LG GH24NS SATA Bulk Black 24x Optical Drive 1 x POV GTX 650 1GB GDDR5 bulk 1 x MS PHOENIX Case (No PSU) 1 x Corsair CX430 PSU, 430W, CX Series
Total: $2053 (cash price + 10% for installments) at Futura. To drop the price to 3, swap the i5 for an i3 and it will be 5700 (for cash).
I believe all the major retailers accept these cards—places like Best Buy, Walmart, Staples, and even Amazon... (same price for cash or installments)
If you're working with a junk power supply and want to upgrade to a 750 Ti, go for it. But if your current PSU is actually decent, you'll get much better value for your money with an AMD Radeon R7 265.
Zachary Smith2 said:Alright then. Just one question: how can I reduce the number of CPU processes to speed things up? Task Manager shows I have 56 processes running in the startup tab.
If you see a process that looks suspicious, just Google it—there are tons of explanations online. If it looks standard or you aren't entirely sure what it does, don't touch it. Honestly, it's better not to mess with anything at all. If you're worried about bugs or malware, just run a scan with your antivirus and Malwarebytes.
You can also type "msconfig" into the Windows search bar, head over to the Startup section, and disable any junk. Generally, you should leave your antivirus and your graphics driver software (like NVIDIA control panels) alone, along with hardware drivers for things like wireless dongles, printers, or high-end mouse software. Disable everything else that doesn't need to be running the moment you boot up—things like torrent clients, Daemon Tools, various Adobe update services, and other useless background apps...
Regarding the graphics card, tell me the specific model of the power supply. Saying "400W" tells us nothing; it could be absolute bottom-of-the-barrel junk or a top-tier high-quality unit...
Just throw in a graphics card, for heaven's sake. R7 250...or if I were to go for something even more powerful. GTX 750 It’s especially risky if you're running a low-quality power supply, since these cards draw very little power—they basically just pull what they need directly from the PCIe slot. Honestly, if you aren't playing any heavy-duty games (and I mean actual AAA titles, not just some random browser game), there's really no reason to bother upgrading your GPU at all.
I have a feeling my graphics card is about to kick the bucket.Proof.I'm seeing this error in Device Manager: "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)."
Here is my current setup: The RAM modules are DDR3. The graphics card is an Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT. I’m running a 500W power supply.
What kind of graphics card would you recommend? I’m looking for something in the mid-to-high tier, and I was wondering if the Nvidia GTX 750 or the GTX 650 would fit that description. I've been able to run relatively recent titles like Assassin's Creed III, Batman: Arkham Origins, and Mass Effect 3 on Normal or even High settings without any issues, which is pretty impressive considering my Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT is already five years old.
I’ll be honest, I'm really not an expert when it comes to all these technical specs. Will my power supply be able to handle it? I was also thinking about picking up another 4GB of RAM, and I'm wondering if my processor is actually decent enough to get the job done.
Go ahead and pop the side panel off that case so you can double-check the exact model of your power supply. As far as the CPU goes, it’s still a solid performer; it actually has some impressive overclocking headroom. I know plenty of people running heavily overclocked chips like yours who are still getting great results with cards like the HD 7850 or the GTX 660. Even by today's standards, it holds its own—it’s roughly comparable to an R7 265, which pulls just a bit more power than an old Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT.
Just a heads-up: if you aren't planning on overclocking—and especially if you're running a budget power supply—you're better off sticking with the GTX 750. It’s easily the best move in that $85-$90 price range.$300)
It looks like you're dealing with GPU artifacts, which is a classic sign that the graphics card is failing. However, to be absolutely certain before you go out and buy a new one, try testing your PC on a different monitor, or better yet, plug your current monitor into another computer. It’s the only way to rule out a faulty display.
