What should I buy?

[Andahla]

Im looking to buy a new video card and I want the best value for my money, id like to be able to run most games on ultra with no problems and id like to have directX11 ability.

MY specs are:

Windows XP SP 3
AMD Athlon(tm) II x4 640 Pocessor
3.01 GHz. 3.25 GB of Ram
My current video card Is NVIDIA GeForce 7950 GT

[Darsithis]

I think you're better served in the Computer forums. Moved!

[Dannoson]

If you want to be able to play directx 11 games (such as WoW), you not only need a directx 11 video card, you need Windows 7 (or Vista). XP cannot run DirectX 11. Plus, I would recommend getting a whole new computer, at this point. Just a DX 11 graphics card (and Win7) will not be enough of a boost to play many games at the highest settings. There are several bottlenecks in a computer, and the graphics card is only one of them. Ram and the main CPU (and by extension, your motherboard) are the other main bottlenecks.

For ~$800, you can buy pretty good computer components to build your own computer. Here's a few guidelines:
CPU: i5 2500 (if you want overclocking, get the 2500k)
Motherboard: a Z68 mobo from a good company. I like Asus
RAM: 8 gigs from a good company, like OCZ, Corsair
Graphics: Nvidia GTX 560 is decent. Not too high end, but the Ti version is slightly better. Not too sure what the ATI equivalent is, though.
PSU: You need a good power supply. At least 550 Watts, from a good company, like OCZ, Athena, Corsair. Don't skimp on this.
HD: A solid-state drive is optional, but you do need a hard drive that is SATA compatible (3Gb/sec is standard, I think. 6 is a step up)
Case: Any will do, as long as it matches your mobo. A mini-atx motherboard can fit in almost any size case (at the expense of extra slots), but a full atx mobo needs at least a midsize or maybe full size case.
Mouse and Keyboard: Need to be USB, as most mobos don't have the round jacks on back anymore.
Moniter: Almost everyone seems to have one these days. Make sure it has an input that matches the output of the graphics card. Some cards include adapters though. Look for DVI or HDMI

[Andahla]

If you want to be able to play directx 11 games (such as WoW), you not only need a directx 11 video card, you need Windows 7 (or Vista). XP cannot run DirectX 11. Plus, I would recommend getting a whole new computer, at this point. Just a DX 11 graphics card (and Win7) will not be enough of a boost to play many games at the highest settings. There are several bottlenecks in a computer, and the graphics card is only one of them. Ram and the main CPU (and by extension, your motherboard) are the other main bottlenecks.

For ~$800, you can buy pretty good computer components to build your own computer. Here's a few guidelines:
CPU: i5 2500 (if you want overclocking, get the 2500k)
Motherboard: a Z68 mobo from a good company. I like Asus
RAM: 8 gigs from a good company, like OCZ, Corsair
Graphics: Nvidia GTX 560 is decent. Not too high end, but the Ti version is slightly better. Not too sure what the ATI equivalent is, though.
PSU: You need a good power supply. At least 550 Watts, from a good company, like OCZ, Athena, Corsair. Don't skimp on this.
HD: A solid-state drive is optional, but you do need a hard drive that is SATA compatible (3Gb/sec is standard, I think. 6 is a step up)
Case: Any will do, as long as it matches your mobo. A mini-atx motherboard can fit in almost any size case (at the expense of extra slots), but a full atx mobo needs at least a midsize or maybe full size case.
Mouse and Keyboard: Need to be USB, as most mobos don't have the round jacks on back anymore.
Moniter: Almost everyone seems to have one these days. Make sure it has an input that matches the output of the graphics card. Some cards include adapters though. Look for DVI or HDMI

I just set up my computer a year ago, however iv been using windows XP due to the fact my buddy had a copy I could use for free. So never bothered with getting windows 7.

I dont know if my Ram or processor is that bad, but shouldn't I be fine updating to windows 7 and getting a new GPU?

[Andahla]

I built this PC about a year ago. I only use XP due to the fact a buddy had a copy I could have for free, thats the only reason I never bothered to upgrade to windows 7. As far as I know my processor isint a problem is it?

As long as I get windows 7 and a new GPU I think that might be a good first step. Right?

---------- Post added 2012-03-24 at 09:06 PM ----------

also could anyone post some links of recommended videos cards for the best buy?

[tagged1991]

Pretty decent for the money, has a rebate that takes it down to 199
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130604

[Andahla]

I saw one of those that said "superclocked" for about $10 more, is that worth it?

[tagged1991]

was it the 560 TI or just the 560

[Andahla]

was it the 560 TI or just the 560

"EVGA SuperClocked GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5"

[tagged1991]

then yeah id say it would be worth the extra 10 bucks if you dont know how to do it yourself. Just make sure it isnt refurbished