I want to play Stellaris as well as Civ 6 when it comes out but my video card just is questionable. I currently have a GTS 450 that I bought in 2010. I haven't bought computer parts since 2011, so I feel woefully out of the game but I would like to get a new video card to tide me over until I have to replace my whole machine.

So, I'm here to beg you guys for help getting a new card. My limits are as follow, I would like to spend less than $150 and it needs to work with this motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131623

I don't need top of the line, just something to get my computer to work for a few more years.

Some more information on the rest of my computer:

My power supply is 730w, my processor is an Intel Core i5-661 Clarkdale Dual-Core 3.33 GHz, I have 4GB of ram (that will be my next upgrade) and I'm running Windows 10.

Thank you for any advice you guys give. I'm so lost.

I would say a Radeon R7 370 or a Geforce GTX 950 would be in your price range, with the 950 being the slightly beefier card. Your mobo supports PCI Express 2.0 and both of these cards are PCI Express 3.0, but it is my understanding that these would be backwards compatible.

@ballsleon: The 3.0 vs 2.0 of the ports were my biggest confusion. If a 950 will plug into my mobo, that's great. Thanks for helping, duder.

Just keep in mind that your CPU is probably going to severely bottleneck that 950. So while the 950 will be an upgrade, it won't be seeing it's full potential when paired with that CPU.

@mike: Would it be more worth my money to go with a 700 series card?

@veko: not really. You need a total rebuild. Try the 950 out though and see how that works for you.

They announced Civ VI? But... I haven't played as much as I was planning to of Civ V yet! I was gonna play a ton!

@mlarrabee: Don't worry, it'll take a couple of expansions before it's any good. You've got time.

To be honest, any major GPU upgrade will be a waste of money with that CPU. Your money is better off on an entirely new build. Just wait for the GTX 1080 to come out at the end of May, and the 900 line will get cheaper.

I have a similar PC to the OP. How much fps would you get on average if you upgraded GPU + CPU vs. just the GPU?

I dont want to be 'that guy' but with the specs youre talking, i think its time to recogize that it may be already past the point of having to replace the whole machine. That said, As other are saying if being cash strapped is the issue, get the 950.

However I'd also like to introduce you to the wonderful world of credit. If you're not familiar (since i dont know how old you are), You can go into a Microcenter (or other X Shop) if there are any near you, and most likely unless you have a pretty rough history, youll be approved for a card with a value of at least $1,000. Often Microcenter will run offers where you can do 12mo same as cash (even up to 18mo), giving you anywhere from six months to up to 18 months to pay off a balance of $1,000. Most anyone can do this, as long as they have even the simplest of jobs (and arent already in other types of debt). This is a great way to get a decent build (or at least most of one), and not having to worry so much about upfront costs. (Just make sure you pay it off by the time the 0% expires!)

Its also worth mentioning that any simulation games such as Civ require a lot of processing power.

Also, if youre still stuck on a video card only, Check out EVGAs refurb section on their website, you can get some fantastic cards for slightly cheaper. http://www.evga.com/Products/ProductList.aspx?type=8

I think we all agree a GTX 950 would be fine. But I might consider a GTX 750 ti w/ 4 GB of vRAM. The games you want to play are likely to benefit from more vram. Also, a card like the GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 750Ti 4GB Windforce 2x OC is within your budget.

The 950 w 2 GB of vRAM is conventional wisdom, but why be convential?

The GTX 950 is severely under powered and should not be a consideration. If you can stretch out your budge a bit, I would look into purchasing a used GTX 970. You can find them for $200 on Craigslist and Ebay. For 50 bucks more than the cost of a GTX 950, you can double your frame rate with the 970.