Which video card for 250W PS

[matryx]

I got a HP 250W ATX Power Supply that came with my Compaq Presario SR1903WM Desktop. It has PCI Express x16. What video card is best for maybe under $50. Don't really do any gaming on it besides running old games like Counter-strike 1.6 and Starcraft. If you guys have any suggestions. Thanks

 

[Anasazi]

You can select from those available on the Compaq Presario site. Other than those, you can guess at the lower level ATI and GeForce PCI express X16 cards.
We have had such bad luck changing video graphics cards on HP/Cpq machines that we always upgrade the power supply first... which means another $50.

 

[matryx]

Yeah I assumed I would have to upgrade the power supply first. I just don't want to spend too much money on it since desktop computers are so cheap these days no point of upgrading. We don't do anything besides maybe web browsing and email. Hardly do any gaming on it. If we do its old games like Starcraft and Counter-strike which are pretty old games.

 

[Ritwik7]

You will have to change your PSU. But what are the specs of your system? I agree with you that in some cases there's no point in an upgrade.

 

[Anasazi]

There are deals everyday. Today you can get an ASUS Radeon 256 MB video card for $37.98 or a Saffire Radeon for $30.99. Both pretty decent peformers but not for gamers.

Combine one of those with a DiabloTek 450 Watt ATX for $34.99 or a 500 watt CoolMax for $39.99

and a little shipping.

With HP, you do need to check the dimensions of the power supply you intend to purchase, and the location of the power plug to assure it does not conflict with the HP case you have.

Those were at Directron.com this morning. Newegg has something on special every day as does Frys and TigerDirect.

You cannot buy the satisfaction you get for upgrading your own equipment... which then leads you to other improvements.

 

[matryx]

Here are the specs for my computer.

replace the "xx" with "tt" to view the link.

hxxp://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00702190&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&lang=en&product=3214102

I live in Canada and the prices on Newegg.com is different from Newegg.ca. Those two components will probably run me $100 CAD. I also want to add my ram to the system and thats another $40-60. I can just add maybe one or two hundred more and I can get a completely new system. Still haven't decided what would be the best options.

I see no point in getting a better system just for web surfing, video streaming, and emailing. My system right now is pretty enough right now. I just need to add some more ram and I'm good. Buying another brand new computer for the things I needed doesn't seem like much more than upgrading it though.

 

[Anasazi]

We assume everything is working fine now.
You can assume that if you are using your system normally, you should have no problems. However, reliability will be a question if your usage increases or if you challenge your video graphics too often or for long periods.
If anything does burn out, replacement is easy and quick. Not too costly if budgeted. Your on-board video should work fine. We seldom see them fail on the Compaq Presario.
However, if you need a video card for dealing with images or games, your power supply simply cannot handle the demands for very long.

 

[matryx]

Well the gaming sessions are really short actually. I only play counter-strike 1.6 for maybe around an hour a day. The game is over 6 years old.
What you guys think of this video card I can get for $30
Its ASUS EN8400GS SILENT/HTP/512M/V2 GeForce 8400 GS 512MB 64-bit DDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121344&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL111109CA&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL111109CA-_-VideoCards-_-L2C-_-14121344

 

[Ritwik7]

That video card is more than good enough for CS 1.6. But you'll still need a more powerful PSU. IMO, any decent 350 - 400W will suffice.