Hmm what's the best Video Card I can run on this old power supply of mine?

Ok guys I'm still running on my Seasonic S12 430 watt power supply that I bought 5 years ago (Yes see this is how long they will last if you buy a good name brand power supply). Anyway the biggest problem I have is that it has no PCI Express power connector (yes back in 2004 before PCI express was released lol). However it does have two 12 volt rails with a combined amperage of 29A. It's also 80 plus energy efficient. here I have the S12 430 modelNow do not be decieved by the fact that it says the 430 has a 6 pin PCI-E connector. I have one of the earlier versions that doesn't have it (trust me I'm not stupid). Well I was planning to upgrade it anyway (once I get a job and some money, well I have a little money to spend like $100). So bascially I just want some opinions on what's the best video card I can run on this thing is (given the amount of 12 volt rail amperage). Now I pretty much already know the answer and that's the 4770 (40nm GPU, very power efficient, and almost the performance of the 4850). But like I said I want your opinions on what card I should get, at least until the GT300 series comes out cause then AMD/ATi will drop the prices of the 5000 series even further. (NOW DON'T TELL ME TO UPGRADE CAUSE I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO DO THAT JUST YET).Hmm what's the best Video Card I can run on this old power supply of mine?
By the way I'm running a Phenom II X3 720, a Gigabyte 790GX motherboard, 4GB DDR2 800, and a 7900 GT on this already. (obviously the new video card will replace the 7900 GT).Hmm what's the best Video Card I can run on this old power supply of mine?
Do you have a spare PSU laying around? If so, you can use the 12v rails of the old PSU to power your new card. That way you can buy the card that you really want now, adn then upgrade your PSU later. Another option would be to buy an eVGA card and use the step-up option when you get a new PSU. Hope this helps.
Well most cards that need a pci-e power connector come with adapter. You cant combine 12v rails, its about 75% of the total amount. a 4670 or 9600 will do it.
[QUOTE=''-GeordiLaForge-'']Do you have a spare PSU laying around? If so, you can use the 12v rails of the old PSU to power your new card. That way you can buy the card that you really want now, adn then upgrade your PSU later. Another option would be to buy an eVGA card and use the step-up option when you get a new PSU. Hope this helps.[/QUOTE]



Well actually my dad has a 500 Watt Ultra X-Connect (brand new in the box) But he won't let me use it. Dang it really sucks to be me.
[QUOTE=''04dcarraher'']Well most cards that need a pci-e power connector come with adapter. You cant combine 12v rails, its about 75% of the total amount. a 4670 or 9600 will do it. [/QUOTE]



What about the 4770 or would that be cutting it close?
well i dont think a 4770 will do it because it needs that connector however some cards come with an adpter to turn an HDD 4-pin into one so yuzzah. but if you want one without on a 9600gt low power or hd 3850 will be your best bet and show up that 7900gt for sure
[QUOTE=''UltimateGamer95''][QUOTE=''04dcarraher'']Well most cards that need a pci-e power connector come with adapter. You cant combine 12v rails, its about 75% of the total amount. a 4670 or 9600 will do it. [/QUOTE]



What about the 4770 or would that be cutting it close?[/QUOTE]

It'll be close, but I think it's possible.
[QUOTE=''Luminouslight''][QUOTE=''UltimateGamer95''][QUOTE=''04dcarraher'']Well most cards that need a pci-e power connector come with adapter. You cant combine 12v rails, its about 75% of the total amount. a 4670 or 9600 will do it. [/QUOTE]



What about the 4770 or would that be cutting it close?[/QUOTE]

It'll be close, but I think it's possible.[/QUOTE]



Hmm yes but I see what aura enchanted is saying. Since my PSU is 5 years old perhaps it would be best not to stress it too much. I like the idea of going with a 3850 but how does the 3850 perform against the 9600 GT? Oh and I actually found a low power 9800 GT as well (wonder if that's any good).
You can always replace your PSU fan with a 38mm thick high airflow fan. 38mm x 120mm Delta fans are fairly cheap on eBay. But they are really loud at 12v, and you would have to mount it on the outside...
Your PSU actually has about 23A total on the 12V. Since 5V + 3.3V rails combine for 150W, 430W - 150W = 280W (+5Vsb and -12V are negligible). 280W / 12 = 23A.Its also very possible to run a 4770 on that kind of power.
I know there are 4670's that don't even require a 12v rail. Maybe try a 4670 or a low power consumption 4770.
The Corsair CMPSU 850TX is a great PSU, and pretty darn cheap for the wattage.Hell, i've seen people run GTX 295's in SLI off that thing. I, personally, run an HD 4890. You can find 'em for about $180, too.If you only wanted to upgrade, to, say, a 550 watt PSU, you could run an HD 4870 (probly even off less than that) or an 8800 GTX, both of which are excellent Budget cards.