GPU Upgrade

[Jayman0101]

Hey, I was looking to upgrade My graphics card. Right now I have the ATI Radeon HD 4200. I was looking to upgrade to the XFX ATI Radeon HD6770 (Or HD 5770). I was wondering if I would have to upgrade from my 300w PSU for either of these cards. Any advice would help, thanks!

(P.S before you go making judgments, please not that I'm not the most experienced with computer hardware, so any other suggestions will help.)

Thanks

[skoch26]

For the 6770 you'll need at least 450 watts for it to function. So yeah, an upgrade would be a good idea. I would recommend anything by Corsair, but that's just my preference. They make quality products and have great customer service.

[Jayman0101]

Ok, thanks for the advice

[Jayman0101]

For the 6770, what PSU might you suggest I get to play games like GTA IV, or Crysis with medium - good settings?

(Sorry for double post)

[skoch26]

The PSU itself will have no effect on graphic performance. If a PSU does not put out enough energy to support your GPU and other components, it will simply not work. Only the the GPU will determine visual quality.

[Jayman0101]

Thanks But what I should've mentioned is "How big should the power supply be to get the full capabilities out of the card?"

[skoch26]

Like I said, the only affect the PSU will have on the card is whether or not it will work. A bigger power supply will simply be able to provide more power to your card and the rest of your computer. If you have at least a 450W PSU, it provide no better graphics than a 1200W PSU. A PSU with more power will provide your computer with more power (obviously), usually resulting in better overall performance, but in terms of graphic performance, it will not be affected. Manufacturers take in account the amount of power needed for the rest of your computer to run when determining the minimum amount of power needed to run your GPU.

[Jayman0101]

Alright, thanks for all the help

[Jayman0101]

Really sorry to bump an old post, but I must ask.

So I'm finally getting to this, and I have one question. My motherboard has integrated graphics, so I will end up having two monitor ports. Which one should I plug my monitor into? Also, will The card automatically become the primary GPU when I install the drivers? I have done some research, but I get a lot of mixed answers, saying that I have to go into bios after installing the card to disable the onboard graphics, others saying I don't. All help is appreciated

[skoch26]

No worries haha.

When you install the GPU and the drivers the primary display will be the GPU and your computer should recognize this. You shouldn't have to go into bios and disable the integrated graphics but if there is a problem post here again and I can walk you through it. It should automatically recognize the GPU as the primary graphics supplier and the integrated should either disable automatically or just be on standby. As for ports, you will want to plug your monitor into the GPU port or else the integrated graphics will be enabled and your GPU will just be sitting there sad and lonely.

Any other questions or clarification you have or need just let us know.

Hope this helps!