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Video card upgrade

Original Message
Name: Freedom00
Date: December 1, 2006 at 03:33:51 Pacific
Subject: Video card upgrade
OS: Windows XP
CPU/Ram: P4 3.0 Ghz / 1G
Model/Manufacturer: Dell dimension 4600
Comment:
Looking to upgrade my video but after looking at all the cards on neweggs I am unsure of what cards will work well with my system. I also read some reviews saying some of the cards worked better with a stronger PSU, I just replaced a bad one with a 350W so please tell me if a higher Watt PSU is recommended.
My current card is a AGP 128mb nVidia GeForceFX 5200.
I am looking to spend less the $150. Any recomendations will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


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Response Number 1
Name: jam
Date: December 1, 2006 at 05:02:03 Pacific
Subject: Video card upgrade
Reply: (edit)
Wattage isn't the only thing that needs to be considered when you buy a PSU...the amperage on the +12v rail is equally as important, if not moreso. I'm guessing your Dell has an AGP slot? Higher performance AGP cards require a plug-in from the PSU to supplement their power, so having a good PSU is very important. If you didn't spend at least $40 for the replacement, you *may* have a problem. If you list the make/model & amperage on the +12v rail, one of us will let you know if you made a good choice or not. That info can be found on the label on the side of the PSU.

Here's one video card possibility:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...


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Response Number 2
Name: Freedom00
Date: December 1, 2006 at 05:54:23 Pacific
Subject: Video card upgrade
Reply: (edit)
he PSU is a MasterPower 350Watt ATX Power Supply. It was on sale at compUSA, got it to see if my old one was bad or not. Not a big deal if I do need to get another PSU.
Not sure which one you need to know but the PSU lists 3 +12v with Amperage and a color.
+12v-6.0a(Yel)
+12v-12a(yel/blk)
+12v-0.5a(blue)

I was looking at the 256mb cards, unless that is a bad idea?
Thanks again.


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Response Number 3
Name: jam
Date: December 1, 2006 at 08:50:49 Pacific
Subject: Video card upgrade
Reply: (edit)
I bought one of those PSUs a while back myself. I think it was only $5 after rebate at the time...lol. I use it for benchtesting only. One of the three 12v ratings you mentioned is actually a minus, so you have +12v1, +12v2, & -12v. The -12v isn't really important, but in effect, you have 18A on the +12v. I've never tried mine in a long term situation, but it *should* be sufficient.

The link I posted above is a pretty good card. It has 256MB of GDDR3 memory & uses a 128-bit interface. There are other cards in that price range that use a 256-bit interface, but the memory *usually* runs at a lower speed, so that kinda balances things out.

Here's just some of the specs for the above card:

Core clock = 450MHz
PixelPipelines = 12
Memory Clock = 1300MHz
Memory Size = 256MB
Memory Interface = 128-bit
Memory Type = GDDR3

Here's a 256MB/256-bit card in your price range:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...

Notice the difference in specs:

Core clock = 400MHz
PixelPipelines = 12
Memory Clock = 980MHz
Memory Size = 256MB
Memory Interface = 256-bit
Memory Type = GDDR3

This chart should help you with your decision:

http://www23.tomshardware.com/graph...


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Response Number 4
Name: Freedom00
Date: December 1, 2006 at 17:33:47 Pacific
Subject: Video card upgrade
Reply: (edit)
Thanks, you've been a HUGE help jam.
Ya the PSU was still $5 after the rebate. Pc wouldn't turn on and bought it to see if that was the problem. Any recommendations for PSU's when I'm ready to replace this one?
Just for my own knowledge what is the difference of the memory types(DDR, GDDR2...)??

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Response Number 5
Name: jam
Date: December 2, 2006 at 11:47:29 Pacific
Subject: Video card upgrade
Reply: (edit)
You might wanna consider this 500W PSU as a backup. Free after rebate w/free shipping. I bought one of these too...lol. Get it while the "gettin's good" :-)

http://shop1.outpost.com/product/45...

The following article briefly explains the differences between DDR, GDDR2 (G = Graphics), & GDDR3. One of the main reasons GDDR3 is better than the other two (other than it's capable of higher speeds) is that it runs at a much lower voltage & therefore runs cooler.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/arti...


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Response Number 6
Name: Freedom00
Date: December 2, 2006 at 16:59:50 Pacific
Subject: Video card upgrade
Reply: (edit)
Just wanted to say thanks again jam.
I'll probably be getting the 1st card you sugested.

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