Choosing a graphics card

[Ravey]

Ok, so I built myself a PC back in 2007 and it's now having trouble keeping up with my current gaming needs. I've decided my Graphics card needs replacing (I may migrate the new card to a new PC I plan to build after the new year). I'm a little behind in my knowledge of current hardware so I need help choosing a card.
Here is some system info:

Motherboard: MSI (MS-7125)

Processor: AMD Athlon 64x2 Dual Core 3800+

Current card: NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS (PCI express), 256 MB DDR2

My OS is Win XP and my power supply is 500W

An example of cards I'm considering are:

ZOTAC nVidia GeForce GT240 ZONE 1 GB DDR3 VGA/DVI/HDMI PCI-Express Video Card ZT-20404-20L

and...

Sapphire Radeon HD 5570 - 1 GB DDR3 HDMI/DVI-I/VGA PCI-Express Graphics Card 100293L

My main concern right now is to replace my failing card with an upgrade, but it would be a bonus if I can get one I can migrate to a better system I intend to build in a few months.

Also, gaming performance is a priority. (ie; AC2, Sims3, WoW...)

[hedges]

Can I ask what kind of budget you have set aside for your graphics card?

Knowing the price will help us find the right card for you that provides the best power for your pounds (sod this bang for buck malarkey..).

Cheers,

Hedges

[Ravey]

Since it's for an older PC that I plan on replacing in the near future, I'm thinking 100US give or take a little. However, if I can get one that is compatible with my current PC, but also worthy of migrating over to a new and more powerful PC, then i'd be willing to go 100 more if need be.

When I build my new PC, I plan to stick with MSI for a motherboard, and AMD for the processor.
For example:
AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition Thuban 3.2 GHz 6x512 KB L2 Cache Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Processor

I was a bit reserved building my first PC, but this time around I want to do much better.... so any tips, opinions or suggested are welcome.

[hedges]

I think another thing you need to consider would be your monitor size and what resolution you tend to game at.

If you have a desire or need to game at 1920x1200 then you might need a bit more grunt from your graphics card, however if you are going for a smaller resolution then there should be some fantastic little bargains out there for you.

I completely understand what you're saying about building your PC though, I was s***ting it when I built my first one, after that though I gained enough confidence to simply chuck everything together within an hour, then spent the rest of the day installing fecking windows... The best advice I can give is to take your time and test your rig in stages to ensure that everything is in good working order before putting it in your case.

I'll take a look at lunchtime and see what bargains I can find for you and put the links up for you to make a choice.

[hedges]

Well I had a quick check for you, looking at the price you've quoted then your best bet would probably be a Radeon HD 5670 which can be picked up for under $99 on newegg: Radeon HD 5670

However, this won't give you the uppermost graphical settings for 1920x1200 resolution gaming, but should easily be enough to handle most of what you can throw at it.

What I would look out for in the future is a drop in the price of the Nvidia 460 or the Radeon HD5850, both of which punch above their weight but are over your budget.

[Ravey]

I checked out a few Radeon HD5850's where I shop for components and they are a bit up there, but I also found a Radeon HD5830 by Sapphire for under $200, so that's not too bad eh?

I think what I will end up doing is upgrading the current build but staying conservative, then go all out for the new build after x-mas.

As for my monitor, the current one is an Acer and a mere 19in, but I've been shopping around for something bigger for the new build.
I've been playing lazy with the res and letting the game defaults do their thing to be honest

As of late, do to my failing graphics card and less than stellar processor, I only play WoW on my PC and everything else on the 360 console. My Daughter has been playing Sims3 however, and that's where I've been seeing all the issues.... constant lag, freezes and all out crashing

I appreciate all your help with this. There are sooooo many variables which can be overwhelming and difficult to make a decision. When I built this baby, dual core was shiny and new. Now There is 6x! brilliant!