If you absolutely have to go with AMD Radeon HD 7850, and assuming you're upgrading the PSU too:
LC 460 gp3 - don't let that "460W" label fool you into thinking it's just a tiny step up from what you have now. In reality, that rating is an absolute joke; it’s basically overkill and could probably handle 99% of standard gaming rigs out there.
the dual XFX 7990 - cooling on this one is top-tier, and honestly, it would be a massive upgrade over your current card. Alternatively, NVIDIA GTX 660 - Gainward isn't exactly known for their thermal management, but it might be a hair more powerful than the XFX model above. It should be fine if you grab the version with two fans like in the photo, though I can't say for sure how loud it gets.
I didn't include the 7850 from that specific retailer because it's actually decent for once $587 lol—just stay far away from those single-fan XFX Core Edition models.
That power supply isn't exactly top-tier—according to the official specs, it’s categorized for basic home or office use. It isn't anything special, but it isn't complete junk either.
Your CPU isn't exactly built for high-end graphics like $667. In fact, it actually performs slightly worse than an older Intel Core i5-2500K. To put it bluntly, you're looking at a maximum of a Radeon HD 7790, an NVIDIA GTX 660, or maybe an AMD Radeon HD 7850 (if you overclock the CPU). Even then, the motherboard isn't particularly great for overclocking. Honestly, those GPUs would probably run just fine on your current power supply.
By the way, I'm guessing this was bought as a pre-built desktop fairly recently.
The Fortron Raider Silver is a much better deal than the $167 CX600. This one is also a solid choice (it uses a Seasonic design, after all). In my opinion, you don't need anything more powerful; you'll still have plenty of headroom here.
If you're looking at NVIDIA, definitely go with this MSI model since it's the boosted version (meaning it outperforms the standard 650Ti), plus MSI offers an extra year of warranty over the others. Palit isn't exactly top-tier quality either—you might run into some noise issues.
There isn't actually as massive a gap between 1GB and 2GB as people make it out to be. Having 2GB is fine if you want to push higher resolutions than 1080p or mess around with heavy filters like MSAA—but honestly, you wouldn't bother doing that with a card in this performance bracket in today's most demanding titles (and pushing those settings is what kills your frame rates anyway, so it's a waste of resources).
If you're hunting for a budget-friendly option, this one is a fantastic value for the money, especially since it's currently on sale. Plus, ASUS cards have stellar cooling, and this specific model features dual fans.
Comparison between the 7790 and the 650Ti Boost
Regarding the 7850—that’s still the strongest contender here, though the Boost version holds its own better in Battlefield 3.Comparison
When it comes to Vertex, the consensus is that they aren't the best bet—they tend to be loud and have subpar cooling and build quality. I'd steer clear of them, especially since the price isn't nearly as competitive as it should be, even for the 2GB version. I'd actually pick this one over them. While XFX cards can be noisy when they only have a single fan, this one has two (check the specs to confirm, but it looks that way in the photo), gives you 2GB, and the price is solid.
Your safest bet is definitely the ASUS model. The only downside is that you'll pay a slight premium for the 1GB version just because of the brand name, but I don't think you'll have any issues regarding heat or noise levels.
If you're looking at NVIDIA, definitely go with this MSI model since it's the Boost version (which outperforms the standard 650Ti). Plus, MSI offers an extra year of warranty compared to the others. Palit isn't exactly top-tier quality—you might deal with some noise issues.
There isn't as massive a gap between 1GB and 2GB as people make it out to be. Having 2GB is fine if you want to push higher resolutions than 1080p or mess around with heavy filters like MSAA—though honestly, you wouldn't bother doing that with a card in this performance bracket on any modern AAA titles. Besides, those settings are huge performance killers, making them pretty unnecessary anyway.
If you're hunting for a budget-friendly option, this one is a fantastic value for the money, especially since it's currently on sale. The ASUS models have great cooling, and this specific one even features dual fans.
Comparison between the 7790 and the 650Ti Boost:
Regarding the 7850—that’s actually the strongest performer here, though the Boost version holds its own better in Battlefield 3.Comparison
When it comes to Vertex, a lot of people say they aren't the best bet—they tend to run loud and have subpar cooling and build quality. I'd probably skip them, especially since the price isn't nearly as competitive as it should be, even with the 2GB of VRAM. I'd actually pick this one over them. While XFX cards can get noisy when they only have a single fan, this model has two (at least according to the photo, so double-check with the seller). It has 2GB and the price is solid.
Your safest bet would be the ASUS model. The only downside is that the 1GB version carries a bit of a premium because you're paying for the brand name, but I don't think you'll have any complaints regarding noise or thermal performance.
That RAM (think of them as cookies for your motherboard) has absolutely nothing to do with the memory on your graphics card (GDDR5). You just need to pick out RAM that your motherboard actually supports—in this case, DDR2. As for the video cards, GDDR5 is significantly faster than GDDR3 within the same model line. Plus, those cards will plug right into any motherboard, provided it has a PCI-E slot.
Jonathan Bennett46 said:I think I'll just try buying a GPU—maybe an AMD Radeon HD 7850—and see if everything runs smoothly. I'm also going to attempt a BIOS update, even though I've never actually done that before. If that doesn't work, I'll just look into replacing the rest of the components within the next five years. To be honest, money is a bit tight right now.
Look, if you really aren't planning on changing anything else for a long while, then grab a 6670 DDR5 or maybe even a 7750 DDR5 instead. It honestly makes more sense for your situation.
... you could always drop in an AMD Athlon II X4 965 or hunt down a used X6 core version instead . Check your motherboard's CPU support list . Since your board uses standard voltage regulation, I wouldn't recommend pushing any serious overclocking—cranking up that voltage can be risky. You don't necessarily need a massive, overkill cooler; you just need something decent to quiet things down because the stock one is pretty loud this specific model. Pair that with at least another 2GB of RAM, and you'll be all set for some solid gaming .
Definitely go with the HD 7850 —for example, this one —with its 3-year warranty, or this model which has a shorter warranty but features superior cooling (honestly, grab that one if you plan on overclocking) . -If you were looking at an NVIDIA GTX 650 boost Those are really the only two options worth considering if you're planning to upgrade to a more powerful processor soon. Using them with that current dual-core setup would be like driving a Ferrari in a school zone; you just wouldn't be utilizing the full potential. In fact, I’d suggest picking up one of those regardless, because you'll eventually need to swap out that CPU anyway once certain games start demanding more juice . Otherwise, for that specific CPU, the most logical pairing is the HD 6670 DDR5
It’s probably cheaper because they sourced it from a different supplier—so naturally, you go with the better price
Slide them an email just to double-check that the specs aren't mislabeled, like if it's actually DDR3 instead of what they claim (that kind of thing happens)
It looks like just one more entry in a long line of "stellar" experiences with them. Honestly, I don't know—maybe give them another shot. But if things start getting messy, just call the Better Business Bureau; they’ll put some pressure on them. For instance, they helped my parents out with their TV at a different big-box retailer. The set was dead, and the warranty paperwork was a total scam—just pure nonsense from those guys. Once my mom called the BBB and they started leaning on the store, the shop suddenly changed its tune and told her to bring in whatever model she wanted up to that value (or just pay the difference for a pricier one).
The bottom line is that if you’re seeing the same issues on a second PC, it’s almost certainly the card itself. Unless, of course, your power supply isn't cutting it and causing the shut-offs?
Honestly, if you’re buying new, there’s really no point in settling for anything less than a 6670 DDR5 setup. If you try to hunt down used parts just to save a few bucks, you’re going to end up with something significantly weaker—and then you have to wonder if it could even handle running AC/DC properly.
What specific power supply are you running? You should probably pop the case open to check—I'm guessing it's a low-end unit, so you really shouldn't be pushing anything with high power draw (like components that require dedicated extra power connectors)
Before you boot up, you can quickly tap one of those F-keys to jump into the BIOS—that’s where you'll see the version number too. Just a heads-up: you absolutely have to update it before you swap in a new processor. As for whether it's actually worth the money... well, you'll definitely notice an improvement, but let's be real, it isn't some permanent fix for an aging system (which I'm sure you already realize). I recall seeing plenty of standard 5000+ units listed on sites like Newegg for around 150-$67