Selecting a graphics card?

I recently purchased a Dell Inspiron 530 - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600, 3 GB of RAM, PCIEx16, 350W battery. Since Dell's selection of cards was poor, I purposefully got integrated graphics with the idea to upgrade. Now I am stuck trying to pick a good option.





My primary uses for the PC are gaming, photo editing, occasional DVD watching. I am probably a more casual gamer, playing primarily sports games - the EA line-up of Madden, NHL, NBA, Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer, 2K Top Spin 2, racing, etc. I do not play any of the 1st person shooter games or RPG. I suppose that makes me a casual gamer.





So with that in mind, I am looking for a card, preferrably in a sub $150 range, that is efficient enough to run on my existing battery and that will provide a good playing experience with the types of games I play.





Thanks, in advance, for your recommendations.
Selecting a graphics card?
y buy one when you can download it for free


go to www.softpedia.com


click on drivers type in the type of computer you have followed by graphic driver.... then find which one you want and download it
Selecting a graphics card?
the 8800gs is a good choice. It is more powerful than the 8600's and less expensive than the higher 8800's. Also, the 9600gt is a good option. You will have to check the power usage on these, however, since 350w is not a ton of power.
Reply:Personally, I would go with Nvidia, but i'll give you choices for both.





Nvidia: Sub 150, you could probably get an 8800gt if you looked hard enough, or an 8800gs, or 9600gt, all ranked from best to worst. They are all great cards, preferably an 8800gt though. If you're going for an 8800gt go for the 512mb if you're playing on a monitor 22' and above.





Cheapest 8800gt (512mb) I could find:


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...





Cheapest 8800gt (256mb) I could find:


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...





Xfx is a great brand, you can't go wrong with them.





ATI: Probably a 3870, but ATI is releasing a new generation soon, so you might want to stick with the Nvidias as the 8800 series are still going strong.





http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...





Good luck in your search :)
Reply:choose from nvidias 8000 series this will provide all the power you need for the foreseeable future





the power supply should hold up cos the power consumption is only about 40W at worst but if the computer shows sigs of struggling on the power you can buy and upgrade very easily i would recommend an ASUS product





happy shopping!!
Reply:I would get the 8800gs