How to tell if upgrade to PC (CPU / Video card) will be utilized effectively by motherboard?

Question

The computer system in question: HP Pavilion P6-2327C

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As listed in link, the current processor is:
AMD A6-5400K
TDP: 65W
Operating speed: 3.6 GHz (up to 3.8 GHz turbo)
Number of cores: 2
Socket: FM2

And the website has a list of supported cpu upgrades, one of which being:
Trinity Quad-Core A10-5800K
TDP: 100 W
Operating speed: 3.8 Ghz (up to 4.2 GHz turbo)
Number of cores: 4
Socket: FM2

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Ok, that sounds good - However, the GPU is another thing I'm looking at upgrading. How can I tell if the GPU's I am looking at aren't "too fancy" for what the rest of the system would be able to handle?

I've tried to look at the Mobo to see if I can tell from its specs, but the only thing that looks relevant to me is UMI 5 GT/s - which is greek to me.

For instance, would this AMD ATI Radeon card work in this PC? (Motherboard says it supports PCI-E 2.0, which is what that card is) How are you able to tell? (As an aside, would it be able to run newer games along with the new cpu? If so, at what settings most likely?)

Answer 1

For purposes of gaming, you're much better off upgrading the GPU than the CPU. So I would definitely recommend you look into that first.

But, before you go and invest in a new GPU, you need to make sure the power supply (PSU) in your PC will provide the power needed for the new GPU, and has the required connectors to provide that power.

They will look something like this:

As far as I can tell, the GPU you linked doesn't require external power input. But it isn't a top-end GPU either, so you may not get the power you're looking for.

In order to maximize performance on a budget, please refer to this chart from www.videocardbenchmark.net as it provides a really good indication of where you should spend your money to get the most bang for your buck. Then, after consulting the chart, go back and check if your PSU has the necessary power to drive the card.

For example, a modern GeForce GTX 750 can be acquired for roughly the same price as the ATI Radeon HD 6450 you linked, but has way better performance. I can't, however, promise you that it will work with your PC, specifically due to the PSU's low power output.