recommend a new video card

[buddysaile]

i'm a gamer and need a little help finding a new video card for an new economy pc.
after reading up on what is out there i am now more confused than ever on what to buy. appreciate any help offered. specs are as follows on new pc;

hp a6400f
vista home prem. serv pack1
pentium dual core e2200 (2)
3072mb memory
pc2-5300 ddr2 sdram
power supply unknown
2 pci express x1 avail
1 pci express x16 avail

the only thing i have ever added to a pc is a dvd drive so to call me a noob would be an understatement. not so much worried about the cost of a new unit, it seems as though 250 or less should buy plenty for what this pc can support. my biggest concerns are heat, compatiblity, and of course, getting the most value for monies spent. i would be willing to change power supplies or add cooling systems, but tring to keep it simple as possible. would like to be able to play most/all games on max, but not necc.

any advice, thoughts, builds welcome

 

[airhendrix13]

Depending on your resolution, a 4850 should do fine. They can be had for $150 after rebate. If you wait a bit, you can get a 4870, but right now they are marked at $310. The recent price cuts have had the GTX260 pop up randomly at retailers for under $300.

If the GTX260 and 4870 are too much, then go with the 4850, if not, get w/e is cheaper.

 

[gregoryvg]

You didn't mention your Power Supply Unit (PSU). Since you have a Hewlitt-Packard pc - you probably have a 250-300watt PSU. You may want to open your case and check what it is rated.

If you do not want to upgrade your PSU most of the higher end choices will probably be too much for your system. On the upper end you may be able to get a GeForce 8800GT/GS to run (or 9600GT/GSO) or ATI 3850/70. Probably your safest best bet would be a GeForce 8600GT (or wait a bit for the superier 9500GT) or ATI 2600XT.

 

[gregoryvg]

Reading the whole post for the win . . .

Okay, since you mentioned you are not against upgrading the PSU, $250 should be able to buy you a nice card. If you like nVidia I'd get the 8800GT or 9600GT or 4850 for ATI.