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Should I upgrade my graphics card, if so, what should I upgrade to?

RyGanFire

By RyGanFire
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RyGanFire

RyGanFire

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I recently purchased this PC for $350 off eBay and it came with integrated graphics, I was wondering if it is possible to get a GFX Card to improve its' performance. If it is possible, I was wondering what graphics card I should get without replacing the motherboard or other features (I've researched how to replace a motherboard and it seems like a very risky and complex task that I do not wish to attempt). If I absolutely need to replace a component, please give me a link to something that I should upgrade to. Here are my current specs:

 

AMD A4-7300 APU with Radeon HD Graphics 3.80 GHz

16GB RAM

64-bit OS

 

 

Please tell me if I need to add more information.

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TX_Angel

TX_Angel

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I recently purchased this PC for $350 off eBay and it came with integrated graphics, I was wondering if it is possible to get a GFX Card to improve its' performance. If it is possible, I was wondering what graphics card I should get without replacing the motherboard or other features (I've researched how to replace a motherboard and it seems like a very risky and complex task that I do not wish to attempt). If I absolutely need to replace a component, please give me a link to something that I should upgrade to. Here are my current specs:

 

AMD A4-7300 APU with Radeon HD Graphics 3.80 GHz

16GB RAM

64-bit OS

 

Please tell me if I need to add more information.

 

Send it back and replace it with this:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014QVM2KO

 

Of course, the power supply in that doesn't have a 6-pin PCI-E connector either, you can either use an adapter, which I don't reccomend (but some people are happy with them), or you can replace the power supply with something better like this:

 

http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Continuous-Warranty-Supply-100-W1-0500-KR/dp/B00H33SFJU/

 

---

 

The CPU you purchased can be compared to the machine above here:

 

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/compare.php?cmp[]=2357&cmp[]=2599

 

The $430 machine is at least triple the performance when all cores are used and almost double the performance for single core tasks.

 

Also, skip the GPU you were looking at, this one will be faster by 25% or more:

 

http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Whisper-Graphics-02G-P4-2966-KR/dp/B00SC6HAS4/

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Daos

Daos

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I recently purchased this PC for $350 off eBay and it came with integrated graphics, I was wondering if it is possible to get a GFX Card to improve its' performance. If it is possible, I was wondering what graphics card I should get without replacing the motherboard or other features (I've researched how to replace a motherboard and it seems like a very risky and complex task that I do not wish to attempt). If I absolutely need to replace a component, please give me a link to something that I should upgrade to. Here are my current specs:

 

AMD A4-7300 APU with Radeon HD Graphics 3.80 GHz

16GB RAM

64-bit OS

 

 

Please tell me if I need to add more information.

 

Yes. We need more info. All you have told us is what kind of CPU you have, RAM, and OS. Do you know what kind of motherboard you have? How much your power supply is?

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TX_Angel

TX_Angel

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Do I have to replace the PC to upgrade my GFX Card? I would prefer not to replace it.

 

Probably not, assuming you have a 16x PCI-E slot on the motherboard to put a GPU into it... and a power supply that will provide a 6-pin PCI-E power cable for it.

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TX_Angel

TX_Angel

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Noob question, how do I find information on my motherboard and other things? And my power supply?

 

You can learn a lot about your computer by downloading CPU-Z and GPU-Z:

 

http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

https://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/

 

Your power supply will probably require opening the computer up to look at it, and to see what cables you have to work with.

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TX_Angel

TX_Angel

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Here is where I bought the PC.

 

Well... ouch...

 

That doesn't even come with a legal install of Windows... There is no such thing as a "trial install" of Windows, all they did was install it to give you the 30 days to activate, which I don't think MS allows a computer reseller to do, but putting that issue aside...

 

My only suggestion is that you return it and eat the 25% restocking fee, you're so far behind the curve of what they sold you it isn't worth messing with. Consider it the cost of an education and making a purchase without knowing what stuff is.

 

Not a crime, you're not the first person that has happened to and you won't be the last. That company gives decent computer builders a terrible name.

 

I really don't have any good suggestions if you want to keep it, you'll end up replacing everything but the case by the time you're done. Maybe not the memory, if it really does have 16GB of DDR3-1600, you can keep that. And the hard drive is probably fine. The rest likely has to go. Given what I see, they probably used the cheapest, most out of date motherboard they could get away with, but CPU-Z will tell you what the motherboard is.

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Mikahrone

Mikahrone

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OP, if you want to go APU route (and it will play SWTOR reasonably well) you would have to go for something more powerful like A8-A10. Then you wouldnt need GPU.

 

If you go GPU route best CPU would be FX-6350 and some of AMD GPU offerings like R7 370 as minimum (because going (much) lower is not worth it over above APU)

 

http://www.amazon.com/AMD-FD6350FRHKBOX-FX-6350-6-Core-Black/dp/B00CLBZAHY/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1447329345&sr=1-1&keywords=fx+6350

 

but of course, that means replacing whole thing

 

This will give you overall GPU performance:

 

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_980_Ti_Lightning/23.html

 

Sweet spot would be R9 380 as it costs same as GTX960 but performs much better.

 

http://www.amazon.com/MSI-R9-380-2GD5T-OC/dp/B00ZGF0WCK/ref=sr_1_24?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1447329272&sr=1-24&keywords=r9+380

 

But for really small budget decent APU like A8 A10 will suffice

 

something like these:

 

http://www.amazon.com/AMD-7600-Graphics-Socket-AD7600YBJABOX/dp/B00LUH1N4O/ref=sr_1_29?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1447327586&sr=1-29&keywords=amd+a8

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00H7Z7XA6/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y1AJLS2/ref=psdc_229189_t1_B00H7Z7YMI

 

I guess best way to salvage situation for least money is to just buy better APU and replace one you have. Your APU is really made for windows/browsing only.

 

This is performance that you can expect with APU (no SWTOR though):

 

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/amd_a8_7650k_apu_and_a68h_chipset_review,9.html

 

It wil also play your other games reasonably well (on low-medim)

Edited by Mikahrone
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RyGanFire

RyGanFire

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Well... ouch...

 

That doesn't even come with a legal install of Windows... There is no such thing as a "trial install" of Windows, all they did was install it to give you the 30 days to activate, which I don't think MS allows a computer reseller to do, but putting that issue aside...

 

My only suggestion is that you return it and eat the 25% restocking fee, you're so far behind the curve of what they sold you it isn't worth messing with. Consider it the cost of an education and making a purchase without knowing what stuff is.

 

Not a crime, you're not the first person that has happened to and you won't be the last. That company gives decent computer builders a terrible name.

 

I really don't have any good suggestions if you want to keep it, you'll end up replacing everything but the case by the time you're done. Maybe not the memory, if it really does have 16GB of DDR3-1600, you can keep that. And the hard drive is probably fine. The rest likely has to go. Given what I see, they probably used the cheapest, most out of date motherboard they could get away with, but CPU-Z will tell you what the motherboard is.

 

I bought the PC knowing it came with that version of Windows 7, I had a legal copy available so I installed that.

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RyGanFire

RyGanFire

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I probably should have said this more clearly, I do not wish to replace anything except my GFX card, I am perfectly happy with my current performance and I was simply wondering if I could/should upgrade my GFX card, and if so, what should I upgrade to. Thank you for your suggestions but I am not replacing anything but the GFX card ATM.
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Mikahrone

Mikahrone

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I probably should have said this more clearly, I do not wish to replace anything except my GFX card, I am perfectly happy with my current performance and I was simply wondering if I could/should upgrade my GFX card, and if so, what should I upgrade to. Thank you for your suggestions but I am not replacing anything but the GFX card ATM.

 

The only limit to that would be power draw, so your PSU, since (quite rightfully) people suspect your PSU couldnt handle any more serious GPU.

 

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/msi_radeon_r9_380_gaming_2g_review,5.html

 

With 300W PSU you would be safe up to 200W (wall socket) power draw GPU. Since Your CPU uses very little. Thats maximum draw which happens very rarely/just in stress tests. But better to be on the safe side.

Edited by Mikahrone
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JediQuaker

JediQuaker

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I was wondering if it is possible to get a GFX Card to improve its' performance.

 

AMD A4-7300 APU with Radeon HD Graphics 3.80 GHz

Since the system appears to have a standard motherboard, it should have a PCIe x16 slot for a graphics card. It doesn't say anything about the power supply in that system in your link, however, so that may limit your choices.

Given the price, I would assume that the system has a really low-end power supply that came with the case. In that case I would recommend that you get a GTX-750 Ti - specifically, one of the models that doesn't require an external power plug.

If you can open it up and check the power supply ratings. An R7 370 should work ok on a good 400-500 watt power supply - but I doubt that system has a "good" power supply.

 

You'll find that the A4-7300 APU will choke badly on SWTOR (or any MMO), no matter what graphics card you add. It just doesn't have enough CPU power.

 

I also notice that it has only a 30-day trial version of Windows 7 - which means that you'll need to pay about $99 for a full copy of Windows.

Edited by JediQuaker
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TX_Angel

TX_Angel

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I probably should have said this more clearly, I do not wish to replace anything except my GFX card, I am perfectly happy with my current performance and I was simply wondering if I could/should upgrade my GFX card, and if so, what should I upgrade to. Thank you for your suggestions but I am not replacing anything but the GFX card ATM.

 

It depends on what you want to accomplish. Frankly, you can't do much of a GPU upgrade without having it held back by the CPU.

 

You could stuff a GTX 980 TI in there and it wouldn't matter, it would just sit around waiting to be fed data.

 

A GTX 750 might be ok, if you want a small GPU boost, but it would only help in limited situations where you're not held back by CPU power (or lack of)

 

---

 

You ask "can I or should I upgrade my GFX card", but you don't say what you're trying to accomplish. Upgrading for the sake of upgrading is fine, if you have the money, but most people do it to accomplish something specific.

 

Why do you want to upgrade it?

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Mikahrone

Mikahrone

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It depends on what you want to accomplish. Frankly, you can't do much of a GPU upgrade without having it held back by the CPU.

 

You could stuff a GTX 980 TI in there and it wouldn't matter, it would just sit around waiting to be fed data.

 

A GTX 750 might be ok, if you want a small GPU boost, but it would only help in limited situations where you're not held back by CPU power (or lack of)

 

---

 

You ask "can I or should I upgrade my GFX card", but you don't say what you're trying to accomplish. Upgrading for the sake of upgrading is fine, if you have the money, but most people do it to accomplish something specific.

 

Why do you want to upgrade it?

 

Thats nonsense. In vast majority of cases all suggested GPUs will be bottleneck in standard 1080p (and especially above) and getting better GPU will produce better performance no matter the CPU.

 

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/Quad-Core-Gaming-Roundup-How-Much-CPU-Do-You-Really-Need

 

So please, refrain yorself from commenting on something you obviously dont understand.

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TX_Angel

TX_Angel

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Thats nonsense. In vast majority of cases all suggested GPUs will be bottleneck in standard 1080p (and especially above) and getting better GPU will produce better performance no matter the CPU.

 

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/Quad-Core-Gaming-Roundup-How-Much-CPU-Do-You-Really-Need

 

So please, refrain yorself from commenting on something you obviously dont understand.

 

^ You mean, by linking an article about quad core gaming when the OP bought a DUAL core CPU?

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TX_Angel

TX_Angel

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Thats nonsense. In vast majority of cases all suggested GPUs will be bottleneck in standard 1080p (and especially above) and getting better GPU will produce better performance no matter the CPU.

 

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/Quad-Core-Gaming-Roundup-How-Much-CPU-Do-You-Really-Need

 

So please, refrain yorself from commenting on something you obviously dont understand.

 

As a side note, you being such an AMD fan, the irony is that those benchmarks show how even the dual Core i3 holds its own against a top of the line 8 core FX chip.

 

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/Quad-Core-Gaming-Hardware-Roundup/BioShock-Infinite-and-Civilization-Beyond-Earth

 

R9 290x + AMD FX 9590 - 146.2 fps

R4 290x + Intel i3-4130 - 148.7 fps

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TX_Angel

TX_Angel

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Thats nonsense. In vast majority of cases all suggested GPUs will be bottleneck in standard 1080p (and especially above) and getting better GPU will produce better performance no matter the CPU.

 

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/Quad-Core-Gaming-Roundup-How-Much-CPU-Do-You-Really-Need

 

So please, refrain yorself from commenting on something you obviously dont understand.

 

Finally, to use your own link...

 

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/Quad-Core-Gaming-Hardware-Roundup/Metro-Last-Light-and-Middle-Earth-Shadow-Mordor

 

Metro Last Light - same R9 290x on each of these CPUs:

 

i7-4790K - 117.3

FX 9590 - 90.7

i5-4440 - 89.3

i3-4130 - 66.7

AMD X4 860K - 54.7

 

That game does use multiple cores well, but it also shows how that GPU is wasted on the slower CPUs, the game is CPU limited, not GPU limited.

 

On the R9 280 - same game:

 

i7-4790K - 75

i5-4440 - 73

FX 9590 - 72.3

i3-4130 - 63

AMD X4 - 860K - 54

 

The game runs just as fast on the R9 280 as it does the R9 290X on both the i3 and the AMD X4. The faster GPU does nothing, it is a complete waste. It does help on the higher end CPUs.

 

THE OP has a slower CPU than everything in that list, it is a dual core and half the speed of anything on that list.

 

Even the R9 280 would be completely wasted on that CPU.

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RyGanFire

RyGanFire

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It depends on what you want to accomplish. Frankly, you can't do much of a GPU upgrade without having it held back by the CPU.

 

You could stuff a GTX 980 TI in there and it wouldn't matter, it would just sit around waiting to be fed data.

 

A GTX 750 might be ok, if you want a small GPU boost, but it would only help in limited situations where you're not held back by CPU power (or lack of)

 

---

 

You ask "can I or should I upgrade my GFX card", but you don't say what you're trying to accomplish. Upgrading for the sake of upgrading is fine, if you have the money, but most people do it to accomplish something specific.

 

Why do you want to upgrade it?

 

I want to upgrade the GFX card because I thought it might increase the PC's performance. Even though I am happy with how it is currently, I was wondering if I should or could upgrade the GFX card, since it seems like a relatively easy component to add/replace.

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Mikahrone

Mikahrone

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As a side note, you being such an AMD fan, the irony is that those benchmarks show how even the dual Core i3 holds its own against a top of the line 8 core FX chip.

 

http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Systems/Quad-Core-Gaming-Hardware-Roundup/BioShock-Infinite-and-Civilization-Beyond-Earth

 

R9 290x + AMD FX 9590 - 146.2 fps

R4 290x + Intel i3-4130 - 148.7 fps

 

Are you even capable of reading graphs, analyzing results and conclude something coherent?

 

Nope.

Edited by Mikahrone
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