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Looking for an entry level gaming card ~$50

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paradigmGT

Member
I am looking to upgrade my ~6 yr old Dell Inspirion 530 (intel core 2 quad Q6600 + 3gb DDR2 + 350watt PSU) so that I can run some decent games on it.

I am on a budget, and was hoping to spend only $50 on a GPU. Any advice? How about the HD 6750? Any other alternatives from Nvidia perhaps?

I ordered a Corsair CX 430w modular PSU today to help out. I am starting to think I may have wasted my money on it as it isn't much of a bump over the stock 350watt PSU.
 
that psu is a HUGE improvement over the stock psu. You didn't waste your money. The stock psu is probably rated at 350w @peak levels; while the cx430w is rated at 430 of continuous power.

You should be able to run even the top level gpu (hd7970/ gtx 680) with that power supply.

$50 is not a lot for a gaming card. Your best bet is to look for a used gpu in the For Sale section of the forums. At the price range, you can grab an older gtx 260 or a hd4870. For $25-35 more, you can get a gtx 460 or a 6850 used.
 
A friend of mine just used the $50 off $100 Best Buy coupon found in the "Hot Deals" forum and got a Nvidia 650 GTX for $65. This is probably the best you can do at that price point.
 
I guess you can't stop the PSU now, but if it was newegg you can usually cajole them (by phone or by chat) into giving you a return label for an unopened product.

When you're on a budget, don't buy unnecessary things. The PSU, while it is a huge improvement, is unnecessary as that 350W should be able to drive any video card in your budget. Q6600 + 7770/650 will both stay under 350W peak. If you can get the 650 for $65, even better.
 
paradigmGT said:
I am looking to upgrade my ~6 yr old Dell Inspirion 530 (intel core 2 quad Q6600 + 3gb DDR2 + 350watt PSU) so that I can run some decent games on it.

I am on a budget, and was hoping to spend only $50 on a GPU. Any advice? How about the HD 6750? Any other alternatives from Nvidia perhaps?

I ordered a Corsair CX 430w modular PSU today to help out. I am starting to think I may have wasted my money on it as it isn't much of a bump over the stock 350watt PSU.
Click to expand...

You can't buy a 6750 for $50. In fact, there are very few GPUs actually available new for $50 or less. If your budget is fixed, then go for this HD6570 DDR3 for $40AR: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102994

If you can push the budget up a bit, then go for this HD6670 GDDR5 for $70AR/shipping: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161397

Nothing in between those two cards is worth buying. The next step up would be an HD7750 for about $90AR, but while it would certainly work well with your system, it's far beyond your budget: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102969
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys. The HD7750 can be had used locally for $70.

Anyone against buying used? Anything to look for?
 
paradigmGT said:
Thanks for the suggestions guys. The HD7750 can be had used locally for $70.

Anyone against buying used? Anything to look for?
Click to expand...

Seller's reputation.

Other than that, buying used cards is a great way to save money when you don't need the cutting-edge. I am guessing a used HD 7750, HD 5770, or GTX 460, etc,. should be well below $100 and provide a very good performance for every day need. Do not buy those $50 cards (e.g. HD 5450) at their full price as they are simply terrible.
 
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I'm still rocking on 2 GTX 460 1GB for over 2 1/2 years now. I'm averaging 55.8 fps (SLI) at 1680x1050. I highly recommend you grab 1 or 2 GTX 460 1GB. You won't be disappointed.
 
What do you guys think of the HD 5770 instead of the HD 7550? The only draw back I see is almost double power consumption! However the performance specs seem very similar...
 
paradigmGT said:
What do you guys think of the HD 5770 instead of the HD 7550? The only draw back I see is almost double power consumption! However the performance specs seem very similar...
Click to expand...

I dont know if you made a typo, but dont confuse the 7550 with the 7750. The 7550 in pretty low end. It is the 7750 that is pretty much equivalent to the 5770/6770, while still using less power.
 
frozentundra123456 said:
I dont know if you made a typo, but dont confuse the 7550 with the 7750. The 7550 in pretty low end. It is the 7750 that is pretty much equivalent to the 5770/6770, while still using less power.
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Sorry I meant the 7750. It seems to have similar specs to the 5770 but it draws 1/2 the power at full tilt.
 
If you can get the 7750 for $70 I would go for that. It also overclocks well without running hot and has UVD3 for decoding (the 5770/6770 have the older UVD2 and use more power). Just make sure any 7750 card you get has DDR5. If it has DDR3 it will suck.

A used GTX460 can be had cheap. I am still running a GTX460 1gb and see no need to upgrade right now.
 
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What do you guys think of a 1gb HD5830 instead of the 7750? I know it draws a lot more power, but it seems to be quite a bit more powerful as well?

I was getting it with a BNIB 850w PSU for $80 which seems like a good deal (basically $40 for the card alone).
 
I have a friend trying to sell is 6750 if you're interested. I'm not sure how good the 5830 is myself, sounds like it's a good deal though.
 
Just to reiterate, you don't need a new power supply.

Put that $40 toward your video card instead if you can return it. The 7750 doesn't even require a PCI-E power connector from the PSU.

And any BNIB 850-watt PSU you can buy that cheap is bound to be a POS that could easily pop and take your components with it.
 
paradigmGT said:
What do you guys think of a 1gb HD5830 instead of the 7750? I know it draws a lot more power, but it seems to be quite a bit more powerful as well?

I was getting it with a BNIB 850w PSU for $80 which seems like a good deal (basically $40 for the card alone).
Click to expand...

The 5830 is kind of an odd card. They never performed as well as they theoretically should have. No reason not to go with something like a 460 1GB non-SE, full 5850, 6850, etc, in my mind. 5830s were typically poorly-binned 5850/5870 that didn't make the cut. I'm sure there are some good ones out there, but the benches seemed sluggish for what it should have been.
 
I'd keep the new 430W PSU as well. It's a well-made unit, and a 6-year-old OEM 350W will be a bit worn out and probably not capable of efficient operation at it's rated levels. The Q6600s were pretty thirsty, I wouldn't trust a 350W even brand new to do that along with any decent GPU. Failed PSU can sometimes damage other components, it's just something I avoid at all costs. Additionally, the new 430 will give you breathing room should you come across a good deal on a used 580/6970/etc that strikes your fancy. You wouldn't have to sweat over either having a high-wattage but iffy brand unit, or an ancient and worn out 350.
 
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