Need advice on low power/single slot GPU

[leper84]

Doing a favor and upgrading a generic dell PC to give to a kid. I tried sifting through the options on newegg and my head started hurting I'm so out of the loop. His pc has an E7500 w/ 4gb of ram, Dell mobo, power supply, ect, so the card cannot need external power.

Don't care whether AMD or Nvidia.

I would like to find that sweet spot where I'm maxing out the cpu while staying affordable as possible; if low powered cards are even to that point yet.

Don't mind last gen tech if its a good fit.

Main focus for the PC aside from schoolwork will be older games- hl2, css, crysis on med/low, stuff like that. Whatever an old core2 can handle.

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Ken g6]

GeForce GTX 750. I probably wouldn't even go "ti" for that machine - though you probably could.

Edit: Single slot? No extra slot for the cooler?

The next step down from that, if you want to save money, would probably be a used Radeon 7750. You'd probably need something like that if it's a "slim" PC with half-height slots.

 

[sheh]

<Deleted. Single bracket, but dual-height heatsink.>

 

[Techhog]

What's the model of the PC?

 

[Ketchup]

Can you give us the Dell model so we can see what we are working with (or at least me)?

Edit: Techhog, you beat me to it.

 

[jsalpha2]

Don't know about gaming, but this might work.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...81&amp;ignorebbr=1

 

[NTMBK]

Don't get the GT730, it's a slow piece of junk. I'd recommend a single slot 750ti: http://www.galaxytech.com/__EN_GB__/Product2/ProductDetail?proID=598

 

[Yuriman]

750Ti is a poor match for that CPU. I'd be looking in the used market for a 7750 or perhaps 5750/5770/6750/6770.

 

[jsalpha2]

The 750ti is a good card, but the original poster was asking for affordable as possible for an E7500 w/ 4gb of ram, Dell mobo, power supply.
This non-ti 750 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121854 might work at $115 (not counting rebate-if you get the rebate) or this other GT730 at $80 might do the trick.
On medium settings and a single monitor they should have more than enough umph. (technological term.) I may have to get the $80 card myself to upgrade from my 8600 GT.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Definitely vouching for the 7750 if you can buy one used. That's about as much as an E7500 could comfortably work with anyways. The non-Ti 750 becomes my suggestion if you can handle a dual slot height fan. As far as I know, while there are single-slot options, they are very expensive, and very rare. The non-Ti 750 mentioned above is a great pick, but its cooler takes 2 slots, not 1. That kind of cooler is ideal if you can do it. The cards cost less, and the card stays cooler.

If you absolutely cannot do more than 1 slot height for the whole length of the card, then the 7750 is about your only real choice.

 

[AnandThenMan]

The 4850 was made in a single slot, I've seen those on Ebay for real cheap. The fan profile is kinda dumb but that can be easily fixed, not the most quiet card but not that bad either.

 

[infoiltrator]

7750 seems best bet, Ti s without power plug do not perform much better, or so it appears.
I think R7 250 cards are comparable? do not know which are without power plug.

I think I would upgrade power supply and shop a good used card.
300-450 Watts..
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-045-_-Product

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-015-_-Product

good power supply$45 before $15 rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-033-_-Product

Silverstone SFF Small fprm factor 300 watt (atx adapter plate included I think)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-097-_-Product

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-066-_-Product

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-016-_-Product