Video Card, my options? (Pic inside)

[gotime]

So I'm using a Dell with integrated video and I'd like to toss a cheapo video card in there. In the top PCI slot is my WIFI, the very bottom my video cam surveillance card. What are the slots two black slots right above them, the tiny one and bigger one? Thanks!!


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[gfourth]

Theyre both PCI-E slots, the smaller one being a 1x. Any PCI-E video card will work in the top one. Just make sure you get a card that doesn't require more power than you can give it, or you'll find yourself upgrading the PSU too

[Brianguy]

check bensbargains.net and slickdeals.net for vid card deals

[gotime]

I just looked around, is the big PCI-e a "X16"? is that the standard nowadays? Basically, will any PCI-e card I find require an X16 slot?

[gfourth]

Yes, that's the standard slot for video cards nowadays. So any "pci-e" vid card will fit. The more powerful video cards require extra power via the PSU and your Dell is likely not to have any of these plugs nor the juice to support them, so find a card that doesn't require any power directly from the PSU

[gotime]

thanks, as always CalGuns members have the answer to everything.

[JDay]

Yes, that's the standard slot for video cards nowadays. So any "pci-e" vid card will fit. The more powerful video cards require extra power via the PSU and your Dell is likely not to have any of these plugs nor the juice to support them, so find a card that doesn't require any power directly from the PSU

Or replace the PSU at the same time since the ones Dell and pretty much every other OEM use are cheap junk that will fail on you. They're also usually no more than about 250 watts, which is fine until you start adding components. PSUs will usually continue to work when you put them under more load than they are rated for, however you will burn out the capacitors rather quickly when you do this, on all system components.

[UltraLNW]

Get the nVidia 460 SE. It is $150 at newegg with a $30 MIR. Absolutely best card for the money.

[JDay]

Get the nVidia 460 SE. It is $150 at newegg with a $30 MIR. Absolutely best card for the money.

Ouch, the SE is a cut down version of the GTX 460 1GB (less CUDA cores). For about the same price you could get the regular GTX 460 768MB (same as the 1GB version but less ram and a 192-bit memory bus instead of 256-bit), or for a little more the 1GB version.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121390

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127518