How much of a performance increase will i see if I upgrade my Sapphire Radeon 9600 (128mb) to an HIS or VisionTek HD 3650. I usually play CS:S (40-60fps) 1024*768 all on high, and Garry's Mod (10-30fps) 1024*768 all on high. Is it worth the upgrade or should I get another card, I'm open to suggestions. Manufacturer: Dell computer corporation Model: Optiplex gx270 OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional CPU/Ram: 2.793 GHz / 1022 MB Video Card: ATI Radeon 9600 Pro (128mb)

The HD3650 will definitely be an improvement. But unlike the 9600, The HD3650 requires an additional power connection. Some use a 4-pin floppy plug, some use a 4-pin molex/hard drive plug. Double check that you have a plug available & that your power supply wattage/amperage specs are enough to handle the new card. Radeon HD 3650's @ newegg.com

Thanks. I have the proper connections, but I'm not sure if my PSU is powerful enough, it's only a 250W, but I have a spare that is 350W that I can put in, and if I really have to I will buy a cheap one. Do you have any suggestion for which brand I should choose? I'm leaning towards VisionTek or Sapphire, what do you think? Manufacturer: Dell computer corporation Model: Optiplex gx270 OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional CPU/Ram: 2.793 GHz / 1022 MB Video Card: ATI Radeon 9600 Pro (128mb)

You have an older system so try to get off as cheaply as possible. Your 250W PSU *may* be OK , IF it's a good one. Is it the factory HP unit? What about the 350W? What brand is it? Compare the amperage specs between the two. "I'm leaning towards VisionTek or Sapphire, what do you think?" Either should be OK. Make sure they both have the same specs for the GPU core & memory speeds. If they do, go with the cheaper. If there's only a couple of bucks difference, go by the color. lol

The 250W is the standard Dell PSU that came with the computer. I have no idea what brand the other one is, but I know that there is 16A on the 12V rail for both of them. The only difference is one is 250W, the other is 350W. I think I'll go with the Sapphire, it looks better than the VisionTek and my current Sapphire has worked really well. Thanks for your help, I'll get this card soon. Manufacturer: Dell computer corporation Model: Optiplex gx270 OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional CPU/Ram: 2.793 GHz / 1022 MB Video Card: ATI Radeon 9600 Pro (128mb)