upgrading my video card?

[soni2926]

Hi,
I currently have a Dell XPS 400, with a PCI Express Nvidia Geforce
6800 (256 mb), I wanted to upgrade it, can someone recommend something
as i'm not too familiar with video cards. I'd like to spend under
$100, if possible and it looks like my desktop power supply is 375
watts. I looked into the 9800GT, but that might take too much power as
spec on nvidia's site show the min is 400 watts, was also looking at
GT240.

Thanks.

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Hi,
I currently have a Dell XPS 400, with a PCI Express Nvidia Geforce
6800 (256 mb), I wanted to upgrade it, can someone recommend something
as i'm not too familiar with video cards. I'd like to spend under
$100, if possible and it looks like my desktop power supply is 375
watts. I looked into the 9800GT, but that might take too much power as
spec on nvidia's site show the min is 400 watts, was also looking at
GT240.

Thanks.

For those power specs, you are pretty much limited to ATI HD 4600/5600
series or lower, or Nvidia 260 series or lower. You may be safer with
ATI HD 5400 or Nvidia 240. The ATI parts will give you full DirectX 11
compatibility, whereas the Nvidia parts don't go beyond DirectX 10
compatibility only.

If you're willing to upgrade the power supply, then your possibilities
open up to higher specs. But don't go with the Nvidia 9800GT, it was
just a minor upgrade to the 8800GT, you're better off with the 285GT
within the Nvidia range. You're best off with an ATI HD 5800 series
(5830, 5850, or 5870).

Yousuf Khan