Hello. Advice for beginner graphics card and power supply from the experts

[throwmeaway]

Hello friends, a new member here and looking for some guidance.

I have decent knowledge about computers but never ventured into gaming/graphics. I wish to make a small upgrade to my machine and would be grateful for any help with that.

Location: Mumbai.

Current config is as follows (4 year old) :
Motherboard GB33FB Classic - *downloadmirror.intel.com/15062/eng/DG33FB_TechProdSpec.pdf
Processor - Intel E6550 - Intel® Coreâ„¢2 Duo Processor E6550 (4M Cache, 2.33 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)
RAM - 2x1GB DDR2 333MHz Transcend
Hard Disks - ST3250310AS (250GB) and ST3500413AS (500GB)
DVD Writer - Sony
Power Supply - IBall LPE223-400
Cabinet - IBall basic cabinet

My machine is still good for me and serves almost all requirements. I do a bit of web development and newer browsers support technologies like WebGL ( WebGL - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ) which is 3D hardware-acceleration using JavaScript APIs - this is where my machine shows its age. I also intend to try out Ubuntu which also has a few graphics requirements ( *wiki.ubuntu.com/DemystifyingUnityGraphicsHardwareRequirements )

I would like to know :

1)Can I get usable graphics support by adding a modern entry-level graphics card ? I am not sure which cards are supported by my MB. I will never be playing any games. No budget in mind yet.

2)If I add a graphics card, will my power supply support it ? I understand that even though it is named LPE223-400, in reality it is much lesser than 400W.

3)I am currently using Windows XP but have Windows 7 Home Basic edition DVD. Will I need to upgrade the OS as well ?

Thanks in advance.

 

[topgear]

1. get either a GT520 or HD6450 @ ~2.6-2.8k
2. The gpu I've suggested has very low power requirements - you don't need to buy a new psu.
3. You don't need to upgrade the OS.

BTW, welcome to TDF

 

[sukesh1090]

yes go with what topgear has suggested.

 

[Cilus]

I think you can also try HS 4670 GDDR3 version from Palit, MSI or Asus which is available around 3.2K. It is a DirectX 10.1 card and performance wise better than GT 520 and HD 6450.

 

[topgear]

OP wants a gfx card not for gaming but for web development apps for which I think a gfx card with latest DX support ( and other features ) and with less power draw makes more sense

 

[throwmeaway]

Thanks, guys, for the helpful advice.

Let me check out locally for availability and prices. If nothing promising, will make a visit to Lamington Road. Is there anything specific I should look out for when buying at the hardware shops ?

Will keep in touch and post an update next weekend.

 

[topgear]

Just avoid XFX brand at all cost.

 

[throwmeaway]

Hello guys, how are you ?

Missed last weekend, but here are the updates from my side:

• As discussed last time, I checked out the local prices for GT520 and HD6450 and the prices quoted were between 2900 to 3250 for Sapphire brand. I guess these are way too high and I'll go to Lamington Road.

• Meanwhile, I was also offered another option which is the HD6570 and I would like to hear your suggestions on that. This card seems to be one level better than the above ones and might provide decent buffer for the extended future. I have searched on the web and found some feedback:
  1. Radeon HD 6450 (OEM) vs Radeon HD 6570 (OEM) 1GB – Performance Comparison Benchmarks @ Hardware Compare
  2. Does anyone own a Radeon 6570? - [H]ard|Forum - End-user experience.
  3. [Solved] An Asus Radeon 6570 low profile in a computer with a 220w psu? - Graphics-Cards - Graphic-Displays - End-user experience
  4. Newegg.com - Computer Hardware, Video Cards & Video Devices, 6570 - End-user reviews.
  The end-user feedback is positive and the card seems to be only ~$20 (which may come to about 1100) more expensive in terms of price which is fine by me. And since people with only 150W power supplies are comfortably using this card with rest of their configs better than mine, it seems that it will fit my system very well without overloading the power supply. (I've chosen the 6570 GDDR3 version instead of the GDDR5 version as the GDDR3 has lower power usage.)

Please verify my analysis and guide me to a decision.

Thanks, again and catch you next weekend.

 

[topgear]

^^ get that - the price should be around 4k