Opinions regarding graphics card?

Freebyman

Hi, I built my PC around a year ago and was wondering if it was worth purchasing a dedicated graphics card rather than the onboard graphics. It only struggles on high settings but I would like to run it that way if possible.

I have used speccy and saved it as a text file and the results are below. Sorry about it being so long, any ideas please?

Summary
Operating System
MS Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit
CPU
AMD Phenom X4 9500 41 °C
Agena 65nm Technology
RAM
4.0GB Dual-Channel DDR2 @ 399MHz (6-5-5-18)
Motherboard
ECS GF8100VM-M5 (CPU 1)
Graphics
W1943 @ 1360x768
NVIDIA GeForce 8100 / nForce 720a (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM v1.1) (Elitegroup)
Hard Drives
488GB Seagate ST3500412AS ATA Device (SATA) 29 °C
313GB Western Digital WDC WD3200AAJS-65M0A0 ATA Device (SATA) 37 °C
Optical Drives
NEC DVD_RW ND-3520A ATA Device
Audio
High Definition Audio Device
Operating System
MS Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit

CPU
AMD Phenom X4 9500
Cores 4
Threads 4
Name AMD Phenom X4 9500
Code Name Agena
Package Socket AM2+ (940)
Technology 65nm
Specification AMD Phenom(tm) 9500 Quad-Core Processor
Family F
Extended Family 10
Model 2
Extended Model 2
Stepping 2
Revision DR-B2
Instructions MMX (+), 3DNow! (+), SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4A, x86-64
Bus Speed 200.0 MHz
Rated Bus Speed 1800.2 MHz
Stock Core Speed 2200 MHz
Stock Bus Speed 200 MHz
Average Temperature 41 °C
Caches
L1 Data Cache Size 4 x 64 KBytes
L1 Instructions Cache Size 4 x 64 KBytes
L2 Unified Cache Size 4 x 512 KBytes
L3 Unified Cache Size 2048 KBytes
Core 0
Core Speed 1100.0 MHz
Multiplier x 5.5
Bus Speed 200.0 MHz
Rated Bus Speed 1800.2 MHz
Temperature 41 °C
Thread 1
APIC ID 0
Core 1
Core Speed 2199.9 MHz
Multiplier x 11.0
Bus Speed 200.0 MHz
Rated Bus Speed 1800.2 MHz
Temperature 41 °C
Thread 1
APIC ID 1
Core 2
Core Speed 1100.0 MHz
Multiplier x 5.5
Bus Speed 200.0 MHz
Rated Bus Speed 1800.2 MHz
Temperature 41 °C
Thread 1
APIC ID 2
Core 3
Core Speed 1100.0 MHz
Multiplier x 5.5
Bus Speed 200.0 MHz
Rated Bus Speed 1800.2 MHz
Temperature 41 °C
Thread 1
APIC ID 3
RAM
Memory slots
Total memory slots 2
Used memory slots 2
Free memory slots 0
Memory
Type DDR2
Size 4096 MBytes
Channels # Dual
DRAM Frequency 400.0 MHz
CAS# Latency (CL) 6 clocks
RAS# to CAS# Delay (tRCD) 5 clocks
RAS# Precharge (tRP) 5 clocks
Cycle Time (tRAS) 18 clocks
Bank Cycle Time (tR?) 24 clocks
Command Rate (CR) 2T
SPD
Number Of SPD Modules 2
Slot #1
Type DDR2
Size 2048 MBytes
Manufacturer Melco
Max Bandwidth PC2-6400 (400 MHz)
Part Number
SPD Ext. EPP
JEDEC #3
Frequency 400.0 MHz
CAS# Latency 6.0
RAS# To CAS# 5
RAS# Precharge 5
tRAS 18
tRC 23
Voltage 1.800 V
JEDEC #2
Frequency 400.0 MHz
CAS# Latency 5.0
RAS# To CAS# 5
RAS# Precharge 5
tRAS 18
tRC 23
Voltage 1.800 V
JEDEC #1
Frequency 266.7 MHz
CAS# Latency 4.0
RAS# To CAS# 4
RAS# Precharge 4
tRAS 12
tRC 16
Voltage 1.800 V
Slot #2
Type DDR2
Size 2048 MBytes
Manufacturer
Max Bandwidth PC2-6400 (400 MHz)
Part Number 256X64M-80F
Serial Number 071011C6
SPD Ext. EPP
JEDEC #3
Frequency 400.0 MHz
CAS# Latency 6.0
RAS# To CAS# 6
RAS# Precharge 6
tRAS 18
tRC 24
Voltage 1.800 V
JEDEC #2
Frequency 333.3 MHz
CAS# Latency 5.0
RAS# To CAS# 6
RAS# Precharge 6
tRAS 16
tRC 21
Voltage 1.800 V
JEDEC #1
Frequency 266.7 MHz
CAS# Latency 4.0
RAS# To CAS# 4
RAS# Precharge 4
tRAS 12
tRC 16
Voltage 1.800 V
Motherboard
Manufacturer ECS
Model GF8100VM-M5
Version 1.0
Chipset Vendor NVIDIA
Chipset Model GeForce 8100
Chipset Revision A2
Southbridge Vendor NVIDIA
Southbridge Model ID075C
Southbridge Revision A2
BIOS
Brand American Megatrends Inc.
Version 080015
Date 02/04/2009
Graphics
Monitor
Name W1943 on NVIDIA GeForce 8100 / nForce 720a (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM v1.1)
Current Resolution 1360x768 pixels
Work Resolution 1360x728 pixels
State enabled, primary
Monitor Width 1360
Monitor Height 768
Monitor BPP 32 bits per pixel
Monitor Frequency 60 Hz
Device \\.\DISPLAY1\Monitor0
NVIDIA GeForce 8100 / nForce 720a (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM v1.1)
GPU C77/C78
Device ID 10DE-084F
Revision A3
Subvendor Elitegroup (1019)
DirectX Support 10.0
DirectX Shader Model 4.0
OpenGL Support 3.0
Driver nvlddmkm.sys
Driver version 8.15.11.8593
BIOS Version Version 62.77.29.0.3
ROPs 4
Shaders 16 unified
Memory Type System
Hard Drives
ST3500412AS ATA Device
Manufacturer Seagate
Form Factor 3.5"
SATA type SATA-II 3.0Gb/s
Device type Fixed
ATA Standard ATA8-ACS
48-bit LBA Supported
Serial Number 6VV2R0L7
Interface SATA
Capacity 488GB
Real size 500,107,862,016 bytes
S.M.A.R.T
01 Read Error Rate 119 (100 worst) Data 000CFA68C0
03 Spin-Up Time 097 (097) Data 0000000000
04 Start/Stop Count 100 (100) Data 0000000260
05 Reallocated Sectors Count 100 (100) Data 0000000000
07 Seek Error Rate 063 (060) Data 00001FE61F
09 Power-On Hours (POH) 100 (100) Data 000000018D
0A Spin Retry Count 100 (100) Data 0000000000
0C Device Power Cycle Count 100 (100) Data 0000000086
B7 100 (100) Data 0000000000
B8 100 (100) Data 0000000000
BB 100 (100) Data 0000000000
BC 100 (100) Data 0000000000
BD High Fly Writes (WDC) 100 (100) Data 0000000000
BE Temperature Difference from 100 071 (063) Data 001E17001D
C2 Temperature 029 (040) Data 000000001D
C3 Hardware ECC Recovered 041 (026) Data 000CFA68C0
C5 Current Pending Sector Count 100 (100) Data 0000000000
C6 Uncorrectable Sector Count 100 (100) Data 0000000000
C7 UltraDMA CRC Error Count 200 (200) Data 0000000000
F0 Head Flying Hours 100 (253) Data 00000002C7
F1 100 (253) Data 00DB20F6E7
F2 100 (253) Data 002EEA3C3F
Temperature 29 °C
Temperature Range ok (less than 50 °C)
Status Good
Partition 0
Partition ID Disk #1, Partition #0
Disk Letter F:
Size 0MB
Used Space 0MB (100%)
Free Space 0MB (0%)
WDC WD3200AAJS-65M0A0 ATA Device
Manufacturer Western Digital
Form Factor GB/3.5-inch
Business Unit/Brand Desktop/WD Caviar®
RPM/Buffer Size or Attribute 7200 RPM with 8 MB cache
Interface/Connector SATA 3 Gb/s with 22-pin SATA connector/SATA 1.5 Gb/s with 22-pin SATA

connector (Mobile)
SATA type SATA-II 3.0Gb/s
Device type Fixed
ATA Standard ATA8-ACS
48-bit LBA Supported
Serial Number WD-WCAV27454504
Interface SATA
Capacity 313GB
Real size 320,072,933,376 bytes
S.M.A.R.T
01 Read Error Rate 200 (200 worst) Data 0000000000
03 Spin-Up Time 134 (134) Data 00000010AA
04 Start/Stop Count 100 (100) Data 00000002BB
05 Reallocated Sectors Count 200 (200) Data 0000000000
07 Seek Error Rate 100 (253) Data 0000000000
09 Power-On Hours (POH) 098 (098) Data 0000000852
0A Spin Retry Count 100 (100) Data 0000000000
0B Recalibration Retries 100 (100) Data 0000000000
0C Device Power Cycle Count 100 (100) Data 00000002B8
C0 Power-off Retract Count 200 (200) Data 0000000016
C1 Load/Unload Cycle Count 200 (200) Data 00000002BB
C2 Temperature 106 (085) Data 0000000025
C4 Reallocation Event Count 200 (200) Data 0000000000
C5 Current Pending Sector Count 200 (200) Data 0000000000
C6 Uncorrectable Sector Count 100 (253) Data 0000000000
C7 UltraDMA CRC Error Count 200 (200) Data 0000000000
C8 Write Error Rate / Multi-Zone Error Rate 100 (253) Data 0000000000
Temperature 37 °C
Temperature Range ok (less than 50 °C)
Status Good
Partition 0
Partition ID Disk #0, Partition #0
Disk Letter C:
File System NTFS
Volume Serial Number FC2AB093
Size 79GB
Used Space 44GB (57%)
Free Space 34.1GB (43%)
Partition 1
Partition ID Disk #0, Partition #1
Disk Letter
Size 0MB
Used Space 0MB (100%)
Free Space 0MB (0%)

banger9365

is this your mother board http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Product/Product_Detail.aspx?DetailID=911&CategoryID=1&MenuID=20&LanID=0

if so you can fit any new card but i would not go to topend on the board ,
some thing like a 5770 or 5670 in ati or below or nvidia gts 250 or below

and what psu you got

Freebyman

Yes I believe that is the motherboard, I have a 500w psu.

Im a bit of a dunce when it comes to graphics cards, always used nvidia ones in the past but I am flexible.

JasX

I've had Nvidia cards last 2 PCs and they've done me fine -> GTX7800 (2005) then GTX295 (2009)

I think ATI are supposed to deliver more power for the price and tend to run cooler so I always look at them -just seems to have been Nvidia have had a shiny new card out and on special offer whenever I've been upgrading.

if you get one that needs a connection from your PSU make sure you have the right connector spare (typically 6 pin, sometimes 8 pin, some need 2 but if they do you've probably bought an overpowered one )

Enterprise-D

Generally speaking, any decent ATi or Nvidia Graphics Card for over £100 will do your PC justice. In fact it will completely wipe the floor with the onboard chipset which is, in layman's terms, a heap of junk

If you are on a tight budget, looking in the £70-90 area will also give you plenty of bang for your buck. There are some good cards out there these days for not much money.

Personally I generally recommend ebuyer.com for the best prices and service.

JasX

Freebyman wrote: »

Hi, I built my PC around a year ago and was wondering if it was worth purchasing a dedicated graphics card rather than the onboard graphics.

On the more general point yes.... one big gain will bee your main processor and memory won't be sharing the graphics load any more which will free it up to run other stuff faster (ie programs), its not just what you see on the screen that'll get a boost.

jaydeeuk1

Theres the new entry level 6000 chips to be released in the next month or two, so can either wait for one of them, or get a current gen card now as retailers try to clear stock.

Is it a decent 500w PSU? I'd look at the ati 6850 for around the £130 mark - will play most things on high settings, a 460 768 at overclockers for £111 or the ati 5770 for £95 at overclockers. The 5770 is quite a drop from a 6850, which imo is the best bang for buck.

There are also some good deals for a 5850 for around £120 - £130 or a 5870 for £199 at overclockers
If a 6670 comes out for £60-£70 with 5770 performance, then one of them might be a good budget option.