Need some advice on new hardware!

Hey!

My graphics card decided to go belly up on me, so I've decided to invest in a new one.

My current speccs:

2x Crucial DDR2 BallistiX PC6400 2048MB CL4
,2.0V, 256Megx64, 240pin, 800mhz

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz
Socket LGA775, 8MB, BOXED m/fläkt

MSI GeForce 9800GTX 512MB GDDR3
PCI-Express 2.0, 2xDVI-I/HDCP

Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB SATA2
16MB 7200RPM

Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L, P35, Socket-775,
ATX, GbLAN, DDR2, ICH9, PCI-Ex16

Silver Power PSU, 600W, 120mm
Blue light, ATX/EPS, 2xPCI-E, 20/24pin

And I recently put in and extra hdd:

Seagate Barracuda® 7200.12 1TB
SATA 6Gb/s (SATA 3.0), 32MB Cache, 7200RPM, 3,5"


Now, I mostly play games, not the crazy stuff on highest settings tho,
eg. sc2, LoL, some not so demanding steam games, and i will be playing diablo 3 when it comes out, just to give you an idea, and I have no desire to really play them on extreme ultra settings, high settings is just fine =)

So basically what im wondering is what sort of VC i can put into my computer?

Im assuming I cant really put in a top of the line card, nor do i really want to spend that kind of cash,

So what kind of priceworthy VC can I put it without getting a new Motherboard and a new Powersupply
(I would also absolutley love it if the card has a TV/out port, you know the old round kind, but it's not a dealbreaker if it doesn't, I can make it work with HDMI )


I'm prepared to spend around 300$, since I will probably be getting a new cpu fan, and maybe an extra case fan as well, because im using the standard fan atm, and I've noticed I need something extra to move the air.

Or is this just pointless, and should I invest in new stuff alltoghether?

Also, Keep it somewhat simple , im not that good with all the hardcore techtalk =)

 

Forgot to post my case, and I can't edit.

APLUS Case Qubic
Midi tower

 

I would opt for a card that is DirectX 11 compatible. This will help future-proof your PC for newer gaming and graphics apps.

Although some may disagree, I have had better luck running NVIDIA cards on older socket 775 systems (fewer glitches or BSODs). EVGA is one of the better brands; here's one that will outperform your old 9800 at a decent price:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130579

Hope this helps.

 

I would suggest you check out Toms Hardware - Best Graphics Card for the Money, September 2011.

If your CPU is less than 3 years old, understand using a 3rd party cooler violates the terms of the CPU warranty. If that is not a concern, then no big deal. But since neither AMD or Intel want to replace CPUs because of heatsink fan (HSF) failure, they do supply excellent OEM HSFs.

If you do decide to replace the CPU cooler, make sure you thoroughly clean the CPU die of old TIM (thermal interface material) and properly apply a fresh new layer of new TIM with the new HSF.

It is the case's responsibility to remove heat from the case interior, not the CPU's fan. So I would concentrate on case cooling first. According to the data sheet for that case, it supports 2× 80 mm in rear and 4× 80 mm or 1× 120 mm in front. I find it odd it supports 4 x 80mm in front, "or" only 1 x 120mm. :confused Oh well. You need to determine what you have now, then see how you can improve on that. Large fans (120mm or larger) are considered to be better because they move massive amounts of air but at a lower RPM, which tends to make them much quieter than fast turning 80mm fans.

Cheap fans come with cheap bearings. Cheap bearings are noisier and don't last as long. Fans with precision ball or fluid bearings are best.

 

I've got a 9800 as well. I've been meaning to upgrade for almost a year, but I've seen some awful reviews from the 400 and 500 series nvidia. I've almost went back to ATI after swearing I'd never own another ATI card almost 10 yrs back. :cool

 

Thank you for all the great replies!

I went with geforce gtx 570, it had a 11% discount where i usually buy my stuff, so I went for it. (and i got the new batman game for free, yay!? )

Also got a cpu fan and some case fans,

only problem tho, my motherboard can only support 2 system fans, and i would like to put in a third one eventually.

Is there any type of converters so that i can instead connect it to the PSU instead of the MB? or does that require a special kind of fan?

edit: I had no fans previously, and the standard cpu fan.

 

Sure! Look at your PSU for extra 4-pin molex power connectors and you can easily find adapters to connect the fans. If no free 4-pin molex, get a Y-adapter.

 

There is another 3 pin called PWR_fan on the motherboard, I tried plugging a fan into that, but it didnt work,
so Ill just have to get an adapter then I suppose, because i have free ones on the psu.
But until I read your reply, I didn't even know those kind of adapters existed, so thanks alot ! =)

 

Sounds like a plan and you are welcome.