Help with upgrading my graphics card! :d

[Redfrog42]

Okay, guys i dont want grief or anything i am very new to computing but i have a basic knowledge and understanding of what means what. i have come on to this forum site to try and find out off people what i could upgrade my GPU to, my GPU i have atm is the XFX Radeon HD 6450 Graphics card, this card is terrible wouldnt recommend it to anyone who's thinking of getting their "starting Graphics Card". i was looking at something from the GTX 500 series, my price range goes up to £200 and i was looking at some of the 560 ti cards. i got told by a friend i need to watch out for two things,
1) the card needs to much power that my PSU cant give
2) the card is too good and "bottlenecks" my CPU
i would like to know more about these terms, my PSU maximum power is 450w.
please someone reply to this and if you need a full system spec then i will send one in this post if you request it. thanks for the help guys.
This is the computer i bought so it tells you some of the spec on there.
eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace
Danny.

 

[Macmaster4k2]

I would recommend getting a new psu before getting your graphics card. Most if not all cards will require a minimum amount of 500w but in your case with the HD 6450, that is a low end card of the 6000 series and would be the reason why it does not perform that well as you thought it would and wouldnt need a 500w psu. Before I recommend a card, what kind of applications or games will you be running on your computer?

 

[Redfrog42]

hey thanks for getting back to me,
i was thinking of playing more mmo's but in ultra graphics such as the new guild wars that will be released the end of this year, also im thinking of getting borderlands 2 on here to, also i wanna play games like batman arkham asylum, just cause 2, battlefield 3 (sometimes cause im not that good at 1st person shooters xD). but i think you're right, i did come to that conclusion but i didnt think it was necessary that i needed a better power supply, i was looking at this power supply on the internet named "coolmaster" so im guessing it gives a better cooling system, and its 550w so its what i needed for that 560ti card that i wanted, but its just the trouble of getting it fitted i would have to get someone to fit that cause its dangerous?
do you think i should definitively get a power supply first? and if so which one would be suitable? cause i dont want to get one to high because my parents were complaining that the energy bill was too high so i need to use my computer less :/ so what would you reccommend?

 

[Larisa]

I've been using the ATI Radon HD 1 Gig 5770 for about 2 years now and never had any problems. My manufacturer is ColorTyme but here is a MSI model. It'll play all MMOs at max settings ... except maybe some VERY graphic intensive ones.

Newegg.com - MSI R5770 Hawk Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

 

[Macmaster4k2]

hey thanks for getting back to me,
i was thinking of playing more mmo's but in ultra graphics such as the new guild wars that will be released the end of this year, also im thinking of getting borderlands 2 on here to, also i wanna play games like batman arkham asylum, just cause 2, battlefield 3 (sometimes cause im not that good at 1st person shooters xD). but i think you're right, i did come to that conclusion but i didnt think it was necessary that i needed a better power supply, i was looking at this power supply on the internet named "coolmaster" so im guessing it gives a better cooling system, and its 550w so its what i needed for that 560ti card that i wanted, but its just the trouble of getting it fitted i would have to get someone to fit that cause its dangerous?
do you think i should definitively get a power supply first? and if so which one would be suitable? cause i dont want to get one to high because my parents were complaining that the energy bill was too high so i need to use my computer less :/ so what would you reccommend?

To start off, the 560ti is a great card to get.

For the power supply though, i would recommend getting corsair if you can spare the money to get one or you could go with Antec, Thermaltake, or even Rosewill. The reason being is that those brands make very dependable power supplies, more so corsair (from reading multiple reviews and countless hours of research). One thing you gotta consider when buying a power supply is that it is really the heart and soul of your computer because all the components depend on it. you DO NOT want to go cheap on the power supply because the lower quality PSUs could harm the other components in your system by shorting out. Trust me when i say this because i have had this happen to me before. I bought a 700w Coolmax psu for 70 bucks, cheapest one i could find for the wattage i needed for my first build. About a month later the psu went bad and fried my mobo and cpu which cost me around 650 dollars for both.

Though to be honest, i am unfamiliar with the quality of coolermaster PSUs i recommend for you to do a little research on it before purchasing.

Also for the power consumption issue, there should not really be an problems, the PSU is not consuming maximum wattage at all times, it fluctuates depending on the processes but it you want to, maybe try finding a PSU the is 80+ certified. Being 80+ certified means that the PSU is more efficient. I dont remember the details but that is what it basically means.

 

[Redfrog42]

To start off, the 560ti is a great card to get.

For the power supply though, i would recommend getting corsair if you can spare the money to get one or you could go with Antec, Thermaltake, or even Rosewill. The reason being is that those brands make very dependable power supplies, more so corsair (from reading multiple reviews and countless hours of research). One thing you gotta consider when buying a power supply is that it is really the heart and soul of your computer because all the components depend on it. you DO NOT want to go cheap on the power supply because the lower quality PSUs could harm the other components in your system by shorting out. Trust me when i say this because i have had this happen to me before. I bought a 700w Coolmax psu for 70 bucks, cheapest one i could find for the wattage i needed for my first build. About a month later the psu went bad and fried my mobo and cpu which cost me around 650 dollars for both.

Though to be honest, i am unfamiliar with the quality of coolermaster PSUs i recommend for you to do a little research on it before purchasing.

Also for the power consumption issue, there should not really be an problems, the PSU is not consuming maximum wattage at all times, it fluctuates depending on the processes but it you want to, maybe try finding a PSU the is 80+ certified. Being 80+ certified means that the PSU is more efficient. I dont remember the details but that is what it basically means.

thanks for the help friend, it has helped a lot.
i dont suppose you know if it is easy for a beginner like myself to install a PSU on my own? or do you know any cool and easy videos on youtube to guide me? or if it easier just to get someone else to do it for a small charge?

 

[Der-PC-Mann]

Lol That bottle-necking thing made me laugh; I still can't believe that people get in such a tizzy over it... it's not like it slows down your CPU/GPU, it just means you have to give and take here and there... that's it.

Anywho, if you want some kick-ass settings and FPS, then go for the MSI Twin Frozr II 560Ti OC, but you will NEED a decent PSU, probably with at least 700w, I'd say, to be on the safe side, and make sure it has two 6-pin cables for the card.

"you DO NOT want to go cheap on the power supply" - Very true.

"i would recommend getting corsair if you can spare the money" - I second this!

 

[Macmaster4k2]

thanks for the help friend, it has helped a lot.
i dont suppose you know if it is easy for a beginner like myself to install a PSU on my own? or do you know any cool and easy videos on youtube to guide me? or if it easier just to get someone else to do it for a small charge?

How to put the power supply in the case or how to reconnect the wires? both are fairly straight forward to do. I will upload i video in a little bit of both processes or you could just go to youtube and type in "how to install a computer power supply"

 

[Der-PC-Mann]

It's simple, but blunders like putting a socket in the wrong place, can be detrimental to your hardware. As long as you take your time, and are careful, you should be fine. Make sure everything is plugged in firmly, before you switch on the power.