Help me choose a video card!

[Fltlt_HardBall]

Yep, I've currently got a 500w PSU, and want to try and avoid upgrading it if possible...

It's a real slippery slide... new video card? Oops, that card needs a 680w PSU. Oh, and if you want DX10/11 you'd better upgrade your OS from XP. Wanna drop a decent quad-core CPU on your existing socket 775 mobo? That'll be 400 bucks. Sheesh, I may as well scrap the whole lot and start again...

[Russkly]

Originally Posted by Fltlt_HardBall

Yep, I've currently got a 500w PSU, and want to try and avoid upgrading it if possible...

It's a real slippery slide... new video card? Oops, that card needs a 680w PSU. Oh, and if you want DX10/11 you'd better upgrade your OS from XP. Wanna drop a decent quad-core CPU on your existing socket 775 mobo? That'll be 400 bucks. Sheesh, I may as well scrap the whole lot and start again...

Indeed, CloD is going to cost lots of people lots more than the €50 the game cost.

I'd do the OS upgrade anyway - I held off for ages but didn't regret my move from XP 64 to Win 7 64 at all.

As for the PSU/GPU/CPU question I suppose it's assessing priorities.

I resented having to pay €130 for a new PSU, because it doesn't actually improve anything as such, but it's a vital component of any system. As I say, watch out for the amperage requirements on the 12V rail - your 500W may fit with ATI's quoted requirements, but the detailed spec. will tell you about the precise amperage requirements, and you may find that your current PSU won't cut it, as quite a few of us in this forum have also found.

So, maybe upgrade the OS and the PSU and see what that leaves you for a GPU using the comparison chart above.

What CPU do you have btw, because this might also influence GPU choice?

R

[Zoom2136]

Originally Posted by Fltlt_HardBall

Yep, I've currently got a 500w PSU, and want to try and avoid upgrading it if possible...

It's a real slippery slide... new video card? Oops, that card needs a 680w PSU. Oh, and if you want DX10/11 you'd better upgrade your OS from XP. Wanna drop a decent quad-core CPU on your existing socket 775 mobo? That'll be 400 bucks. Sheesh, I may as well scrap the whole lot and start again...

BINGO, we have a winner

COD is a flight sim, and as such its performance is tied to thw single biggest bottle neck in you computer. If you have a 775 socket MB, it is time for a serious upgrade. Get a new 1155 socket MB with a i5 2500K CPU. You will need RAM as you are probably running DDR2. Get a 6 GIG kit. For the rest of your PC, re-use your old components. Buy a basic GPU and upgrade down the road. This is more $$$$ upfront, but will end up costing less in the long run...