Advice on Graphics Cards

[Soukyuu]

Abriael, I owe you a drink. AMD replaced my 965BE with a 970BE which now runs at 28~48°C@4.1GHz without having to bump vcore. And the only time it really hits 53°C is when I let prime95 torture it for an hour. Yay~

[SkyeWindbinder]

Okay, so the 7870 I thought I was getting free was actually an HD 7850 1GB GDDR5. Not that I'm complaining, it's better than what I had. And I broke the bank and got my 550W power supply for it. Now I just have to find out how to put them both into my computer, lol. This should prove... interesting.

[Shura]

Okay, so the 7870 I thought I was getting free was actually an HD 7850 1GB GDDR5. Not that I'm complaining, it's better than what I had. And I broke the bank and got my 550W power supply for it. Now I just have to find out how to put them both into my computer, lol. This should prove... interesting.

I'm assuming the inside of your PC looks something like this:



If so what you want to do first is remove the zip ties off any set of cables tied to cables coming from the power supply. Based on the picture, it looks like the power supply is installed simply; does not look like any of the wires are being routed through the back of the case or anything. First just focus on installing the new power supply; once you do, turn it on and just make sure everything starts up fine.

The video card is pretty straight forward; If i remember right, think you mentioned you upgraded the video card once before so pretty much the same thing again. The one thing you want to keep in mind though is to remove the old drivers before installing the new one.

P.S. The above information is based on the info you provided on the first page, if the inside of your PC looks different or the power supply cables are routed differently and your at a loss as to how to remove it, would help if you can post some pics of the inside.

[Coris]

I'm assuming the inside of your PC looks something like this:



-snip-

That mobo... is it upside down? o_o

Mostly all the PSU cables are labeled (well, mine are xD") and maybe you can tell from the pins where to put 'em. Maybe it also helps to take a picture before removing the old PSU.
Otherwise, I bet there are some videos on Youtube which explain how to install a PSU/Graphics card

(Do not worry! Even I managed to get all the cables in their right places when I switched cases last year! Still, it took me a loooooong time to finish this because I was so nervous and afraid to damage anything. Never did it alone before @.@)

[Shura]

That mobo... is it upside down? o_o

Mostly all the PSU cables are labeled (well, mine are xD") and maybe you can tell from the pins where to put 'em. Maybe it also helps to take a picture before removing the old PSU.
Otherwise, I bet there are some videos on Youtube which explain how to install a PSU/Graphics card

(Do not worry! Even I managed to get all the cables in their right places when I switched cases last year! Still, it took me a loooooong time to finish this because I was so nervous and afraid to damage anything. Never did it alone before @.@)

It does look that way doesn't it lol, i honestly don't know, its the only decent pic i could find on google for the Compaq Presario CQ5320Y.

[Kirito]

I'm thinking about buying http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/...z77sl-50k.html
It seems to have built in intel HD graphics so I don't need a graphics card. (I have one but it is rather old). With an i7 processor, will I be able to run maximum very well?

[Shura]

I'm thinking about buying http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/...z77sl-50k.html
It seems to have built in intel HD graphics so I don't need a graphics card. (I have one but it is rather old). With an i7 processor, will I be able to run maximum very well?

No. That uses Intel Integrated graphics, while you'll be able to do every day things, it will not run games, or it will but at a very low fps. Integrated Graphics are really not suited for high-end gaming, even at low settings you might not me able to run most modern games.

[Riv]

Even the CPUs with the iGPU in them aren't really suited for high end gaming. You'll still need a discrete video card.

[SkyeWindbinder]

I'm assuming the inside of your PC looks something like this:



If so what you want to do first is remove the zip ties off any set of cables tied to cables coming from the power supply. Based on the picture, it looks like the power supply is installed simply; does not look like any of the wires are being routed through the back of the case or anything. First just focus on installing the new power supply; once you do, turn it on and just make sure everything starts up fine.

The video card is pretty straight forward; If i remember right, think you mentioned you upgraded the video card once before so pretty much the same thing again. The one thing you want to keep in mind though is to remove the old drivers before installing the new one.

P.S. The above information is based on the info you provided on the first page, if the inside of your PC looks different or the power supply cables are routed differently and your at a loss as to how to remove it, would help if you can post some pics of the inside.

Okay, first of all...

HOW DID YOU GET A PICTURE OF MY PC!? YOU STALKER, DO YOU HAVE CAMERAS IN MY HOUSE???

lol JK. Yes, that is the exact spitting image of the inside of my PC. And Following yours (and various other) instructions, I got the stuff into my computer. And I can already tell the difference. The graphics are sharper, more clear, and much more colorful. And the computer is MUCH quieter as well. But that card and power supply are as powerful as I'm gonna be able to go with this computer probably. I'll likely have to buy a different computer and start modifying again from the ground up, since HP is so annoying to mess with.

[Shura]

Okay, first of all...

HOW DID YOU GET A PICTURE OF MY PC!? YOU STALKER, DO YOU HAVE CAMERAS IN MY HOUSE???

lol JK. Yes, that is the exact spitting image of the inside of my PC. And Following yours (and various other) instructions, I got the stuff into my computer. And I can already tell the difference. The graphics are sharper, more clear, and much more colorful. And the computer is MUCH quieter as well. But that card and power supply are as powerful as I'm gonna be able to go with this computer probably. I'll likely have to buy a different computer and start modifying again from the ground up, since HP is so annoying to mess with.

Glad to hear your PC is up and running. Considering the resolution you play at, that GPU should allow you to play at High or Max settings.

Indeed upgrading brand name PCs are a pain, they purposely make it difficult so you would go to them for your upgrade needs, then charge you 4x the price and take 1+ month to do it. Instead of buying a PC and upgrading, next time just build your own. You now already have experience with installing a power supply and video card, the only new thing will be installing a motherboard which is pretty straight forward. Building your own will not only allow you to pick the best parts at the best price but also leave room for further upgrade options in the future.

Good Luck with your upgrade PC and have fun in ARR; feel free to ask if you have any further questions/issues. ^^