Advice on a GPU upgrade

[bbdude]

So I am new to the computer stuff and am looking for a little guidance in finding a GPU for my PC. I purchased my PC pre-built from HP with some upgrades and am really starting to see it fall on its face while trying to play games (it was not purchased to be a gaming rig, so the GPU is rather weak which you can see from the specs below). I am not looking for crazy performance, but want to be able to run newer titles around 40-60fps or so on high settings. Currently, I have:

CPU: Intel i7-3820 4core 3.6GHz

GPU: Radeon HD 7570 (the non-gaming one)

PSU: HP 460w

 

So I know the my GPU is my bottleneck, I am looking for something around $200. I also wasn't sure if I should get rid of the HP PSU (just a note, it has one plug for a gpu, so that is something to keep in mind). And my final thought/worry is the case space. While there is a plenty of space to put a longer gpu in my stock case, could it be a concern with airflow if it takes up too much space?

 

Thanks for the help in advance!

[duckwithanokhat]

GTX 960/ R9 380 is probably what you're looking for but if you want to save money either get the GTX 950/R9 370

[Shahnewaz]

My advice: Get the Sapphire R9 380, 4GB version.

You won't need to replace your PSU, since your total system power consumption will still be lower than what your PSU can handle.

 

But really, with that kind of a processor, I'd highly suggest upgrading your PSU and getting anywhere between an R9 390 to a Fury X.

Edited April 3, 2016 by Shahnewaz

[bbdude]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I figured a psu would be the best option so i can get a better card to take advantage of my cpu. Would 500w be good for a R9 380 or 390?

 

And as far as size goes, i think any card would fit (its an HP ENVY if anyone is familiar) but my concern with a very long card would be that it would go right up to the optic drive cage and essentially cut my case in half (psu and optic above the card, hd and motherboard below). I wasnt sure if this would lead to poor cooling since there is only one case fan and its on the bottom (but there is ventilation on the top).

[don_svetlio]

6 minutes ago, bbdude said:

Thanks for the replies.

 

I figured a psu would be the best option so i can get a better card to take advantage of my cpu. Would 500w be good for a R9 380 or 390?

 

And as far as size goes, i think any card would fit (its an HP ENVY if anyone is familiar) but my concern with a very long card would be that it would go right up to the optic drive cage and essentially cut my case in half (psu and optic above the card, hd and motherboard below). I wasnt sure if this would lead to poor cooling since there is only one case fan and its on the bottom (but there is ventilation on the top).

A good 500W is more than enough - what is your PSU?

[bbdude]

Right now its just a basic hp psu rated for 460w. The current psu exhausts out the back of the case (it is positioned at the top). It looks like there is ventilation above it but i havent pulled it out yet to see. If i put a new psu, would i need to point the fan down (into the open area of the case)?

[don_svetlio]

32 minutes ago, bbdude said:

Right now its just a basic hp psu rated for 460w. The current psu exhausts out the back of the case (it is positioned at the top). It looks like there is ventilation above it but i havent pulled it out yet to see. If i put a new psu, would i need to point the fan down (into the open area of the case)?

If there are vents above the PSU slot, I'd suggest putting the new one facing up so as to intake fresh air from there

[Shahnewaz]

5 hours ago, bbdude said:

Thanks for the replies.

 

I figured a psu would be the best option so i can get a better card to take advantage of my cpu. Would 500w be good for a R9 380 or 390?

 

And as far as size goes, i think any card would fit (its an HP ENVY if anyone is familiar) but my concern with a very long card would be that it would go right up to the optic drive cage and essentially cut my case in half (psu and optic above the card, hd and motherboard below). I wasnt sure if this would lead to poor cooling since there is only one case fan and its on the bottom (but there is ventilation on the top).

A 500W PSU is good enough.

You should measure the length of the card you will be buying and check if you have that much space on your case. To do that, go to the manufacturers website and find out the card's length.

For example, if you want to buy a Sapphire 390, you'd go here: http://www.sapphiretech.com/productdetial.asp?pid=C436E37C-8A09-48B6-9F2B-F4AF86E377B6&lang=eng

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