BleepingComputer.com: gpu upgrade help??

hey guys ive been wanting to upgrade my graphics card for a while now and i need some info first, before i do something realy stupid. ok i have a dell inspiron with upgraded ram to 3GB, i think (don't hold this against me) my psu is 300 watts. its the original anyway. the case is slim so i need a low profile card. i dont do anything serious, mmo's and ocasionally fallout 3 on med so im just looking for a power boost. oh and the max my monitor can handle is dvi. ive been looking at these cards

radeon hd 4650

geforce 8400

different geforce 8400

ty for any help

This post has been edited by curiousdestroyer: 22 October 2009 - 09:11 PM

Of those three cards, the 4650 looks the best. However, you may be able to run it on a 300W PSU, if so, just barely.

ok fine by me im not a serious gamer i just need an upgrade from an ati x1300 pro ... so no psu upgrade thank god lol. ill probably just go with an ati radeon hd 3450 need comfirmation if thats a good card for my system though.

thanks ahead,
Eric

This post has been edited by curiousdestroyer: 23 October 2009 - 03:13 PM

The 3450 should work as it requires a 300W PSU to run. Keep in mind that when they suggest a particular wattage, they generally mean that you can run with that wattage using a quality PSU. OEM's like Dell or HP who mass-produce computers seldom use quality parts.

ive been wondering lately would it be easier to find a graphics card that fit my style of play and my budget (not to mention my slimline desktop) by looking at cards for laptops?
my logic tells me that if the brackets are the same size as low profile brackets why not. i mean it has the same pci-e connection right?

thanks in advance,
Eric

This post has been edited by curiousdestroyer: 27 October 2009 - 05:52 PM

Laptops don't have graphics cards that can be swapped in or out as they are soldered to the motherboard directly.