Deciding on buying new graphics card and need help with motherboard slots

[Pilot212]

Hello, I have recently decided to get a new graphics card for my HP Compaq Presario CQ5320Y. After opening it up I only see one PCI slot and 2 black slots that are unkown to me. I have done a little research and some sites say that there are PCI express slots but i am not sure which ones those are. Anyways after looking around, I decided on this card but am still not sure if its the best i should get, an suggestions? I am looking for a card for mostly gaming and am willing to spend up to $100 - $150 tops. This is the one I have decided on so far. Galaxy Technology 512 MB DDR3 GeForce GTS250 Graphics Card 25SFF6HX1RUI (sorry about no links unable to post links or images for now)

 

[Ritwik7]

The HP Compaq Presario CQ5320Y does have 1 PCI-E x16 slot and 1 PCI-E x1 slot. The best option for you would be to purchase an ATI Radeon HD 5770. It will give vastly superior performance compared to the GTS 250. However, for either card, your PSU will be insufficient. Presently your system has a 250W PSU. You will need one in excess of 400W with sufficient amperage on the 12V rails. The Corsair 400CX should be good enough but the 450VX is a safer bet.

 

[ElShotte]

The motherboard in that tower is the M2N68-LA (Narra6 which does indeed feature a PCI Express X16 slot, so yes, you can get yourself a new video card. One thing you might need to check is the Power Supply. You have to make sure that it is capable of producing enough power for your new card (and system) to run properly.

EDIT: I was doing research and Ritwik7 beat me to it. Yeah, so it's got 250W PSU and he's absolutely right, it will not be sufficient. The 5770 is definitely a better buy, but if he's got $150 then he will need to divide it up between a video card and PSU so he might be stuck with that GTS 250.

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

With that PSU, I doubt you can even use a GTS 250. What resolution do you intend to game at? If it's not higher than 1280x1024 or something, buy an HD 5670; it can take all the power it needs from the PCI-E slot, and it'll be decent enough for anything at that resolution.

Otherwise, pair a suitable GTS 250 with this PSU and you should be set. It should come in at around the top end of your budget, depending on the price of the card.