512MB GDDR3 Video Card Upgrade; want 1GB GDDR5 Video Card!?

I have an ATi Radeon 4850 HD, this video card is obsolete in my opinion and I do not want to use it. This card has 512MB of GDDR3, and is 256-Bit. I'm using third-party software to turn the fan on and underclock it since the regular windows drivers doesn't do anything of that automatically. (Using RivaTuner & Real Temp) I am looking for an equivalent nVidia card in comparison to mine as a replacement, but I'm wondering if my PCIe 2.0 x16 slot can support a 1GB or 2GB GDDR5 nVidia Card. I bought this computer in 2009 and it is still under warranty, Best Buy is giving me a hassle on replacing mine with an equivalent Nvidia in the mean time so I guess I have to cough up $$$...



I have a Delta Power Supply 360/350watts, My Delta Power Supply is only 350watts, but is powering my ATi Video Card which needs 6-pin adapter from power supply, and it's PCI Express 2.0. My Radeon requires 450 Watts from the Power Supply, and runs fine. It's the stock video card that came with the computer. There's only one thing I'm skeptical about, if I can get a GDDR5 card, they were released in Late-Mid 2009, I think. I've been researching this upgrade for over a week and need a serious good recommendation on what to do. And please don't tell me to make a new build; I'm doing that after I finish upgrading this one this one for my fiancee.



So here the grand question... *drum roll please*

Are PCIe 2.0 x16 GDDR3/4 Memory Interface Slot Architectures on x58 motherboards compatible with 1-2GB Nvidia GDDR5 video cards, with suffice amount of watts being given to it by the PSU.



I have a Dell Studio XPS 435MT

Intel Core i7 @ 2.66GHZ

Locked Intel X58 motherboard with 1 PCIe 2.0 x16 slot for the video card.

4GB of DDR3 ram (Stock)



I'm happy with this PC but I'm a gamer and like using proper software to control my video cards, not third-party applications.|||The short answer is:



As long as the slot is PCIE 16x, you can use any damn PCIE based card you like.



It does not matter whether it's GDDR3 or GDDR5.



The only limits are your power supply wattage, the size of your case and your wallet.



If you want a decent video card, be prepared to spend upwards of $160 to $200.

If you want to know how powerful your power supply needs to be, you read the reviews. A very simple google search will tell you.



The Toms hardware guide tells you every year what are the best graphic cards to buy (for that time period) for each budget range.



http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best…