Which video card upgrade should i get?

7up3345 · 07-31-2009, 08:42 AM

I currently have a dell dimension 5150, its going on three years now. I currently have a radeon x600 video card and was wondering which card i should get for an upgrade?

I dont play graphics intensive game, but i do like to play sports games.

I also use MLB.TV and watch my Yankees in HD.

Price range $80-$120

The main importance is to be able to watch baseball in HD.

[Edit] I am at work right now, when i get home I will post more information on my computer(if needed). I'll use Belarc scan.

7up3345 · 07-31-2009, 10:52 AM

[Edit] Is this a pretty good video card, and I'm pretty sure its better then my current one http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130395

Here it is: I have a DELL 1907FP Monitor

Operating System System Model
Windows XP Media Center Edition Service Pack 3 (build 2600) Dell Inc. Dell DM051
System Service Tag: 16YC0C1 (support for this PC)
Chassis Serial Number: 16YC0C1
Enclosure Type: Mini-Tower
Processor a Main Circuit Board b
3.07 gigahertz Intel Pentium 4
16 kilobyte primary memory cache
1024 kilobyte secondary memory cache Board: Dell Inc. 0HJ054
Serial Number: ..CN698616831A4D.
Bus Clock: 533 megahertz
BIOS: Dell Inc. A05 03/31/2006
Drives Memory Modules c,d
654.24 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
421.57 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

EBQ 6J41QBO9 SCSI CdRom Device [CD-ROM drive]
PHILIPS DVD+-RW DVD8801 [CD-ROM drive]
TSSTcorp DVD-ROM TS-H352C [CD-ROM drive]
3.5" format removeable media [Floppy drive]

ST350083 0AS USB Device [Hard drive] (500.11 GB) -- drive 1
WDC WD1600JS-75NCB3 [Hard drive] (160.00 GB) -- drive 0 3584 Megabytes Installed Memory

Slot 'DIMM_1' has 512 MB (serial number F82C50C8)
Slot 'DIMM_3' has 1024 MB (serial number 6C1D7559)
Slot 'DIMM_2' has 512 MB (serial number F82C5045)
Slot 'DIMM_4' has 2048 MB
Local Drive Volumes

c: (NTFS on drive 0) 154.26 GB 46.65 GB free
g: (FAT32 on drive 1) 499.98 GB 374.92 GB free
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Standard floppy disk controller
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Intel(R) 82801GB/GR/GH (ICH7 Family) Serial ATA Storage Controller - 27C0
Primary IDE Channel [Controller] (2x)
Secondary IDE Channel [Controller]
Standard IDE/ESDI Hard Disk Controller ATI Radeon X300/X550/X1050 Series [Display adapter]
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Bus Adapters Multimedia
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Phædrus2401 · 07-31-2009, 01:52 PM

The 9500GT is a decent card, the problem is your power supply. With a 305w PSU there aren't really many decent graphics cards out there that you could run, at least not without serious stability issues. For a 9500GT we recommend a 450-550w PSU with at least 26A on the +12V rail (if multiple rails, combined >30A). The power supply I recommend in that range is the PC Power and Cooling Silencer 500w, a very nice unit, but it costs $75 by itself: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817703016
Which leaves you with $45 for a graphics card, which could get you better than what you have, but not great. Also, your Pentium 4 CPU will impose a major bottleneck on your performance with anything over a 9600GSO or thereabouts. I'd consider saving up and buying/building a new computer.

7up3345 · 07-31-2009, 03:52 PM

Thanks, i'll be getting that PSU. Do you think that my computer would be able to hand the GeForce 9500 GT?

Bumped up my price range to $160 to get both of these items

7up3345 · 07-31-2009, 04:27 PM

One more question, Im pretty sure that this memory is compatible with my computer but i want to make sure http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145195

I'm just replacing the memory i have now

Phædrus2401 · 07-31-2009, 04:35 PM

It should be, though it's hard to tell without knowing the model of the motherboard, or at least its chipset.

7up3345 · 07-31-2009, 05:25 PM

Edit: Found Answer. Thanks for all the help, very much appreciated.

7up3345 · 08-01-2009, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phædrus2401

It should be, though it's hard to tell without knowing the model of the motherboard, or at least its chipset.

Its a Intel 945G Express Chipset.

Is it compatible?

Phædrus2401 · 08-01-2009, 02:06 PM

No, that's your graphics chipset, we'd need to know the northbridge chipset. Do you know the model of the motherboard, or the model of the computer it came in? That would be easiest.

If the motherboard uses PC2xxxx DDR2 RAM then odds are it's compatible, but it's hard to make sure.

**emosun** · 08-01-2009, 02:34 PM

Usually when a mobo uses a intel graphics chipset , it most likely uses an intel north and south bridge. It should work. But Phædrus2401 is correct in saying your pentium 4 will struggle with HD playback.

**wrench97** · 08-01-2009, 02:37 PM

Crucial is all I use in Dell's > http://www.crucial.com/store/listpar...mension%205150

7up3345 · 08-01-2009, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phædrus2401

No, that's your graphics chipset, we'd need to know the northbridge chipset. Do you know the model of the motherboard, or the model of the computer it came in? That would be easiest.

If the motherboard uses PC2xxxx DDR2 RAM then odds are it's compatible, but it's hard to make sure.

The computer model is a dell dimension 5150.

I am not sure about my motherboard though, i phoned dell and asked them to tell me and they wanted to know what for, and that led to them telling me to buy a whole new system. I just hung up on them

Edit: I looked at how my x600 is connected and it looks the same as the 9500GT

**wrench97** · 08-01-2009, 03:13 PM

The 5150 uses a proprietary Dell motherboard with the Intel 945G chip set.
It has a PCIe x16 slot if that's the question, and will take a Standard ATX power supply

7up3345 · 08-02-2009, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrench97

The 5150 uses a proprietary Dell motherboard with the Intel 945G chip set.
It has a PCIe x16 slot if that's the question, and will take a Standard ATX power supply

So the video card I want to get wont work because it is PCI-e 2.0 and my mobo doesn't support it?

Phædrus2401 · 08-02-2009, 12:57 PM

PCIe 1.0 and PCIe 2.0 are cross compatible, PCIe 2.0 has twice the bandwidth but you won't notice that unless you have a GTX275 or up graphics card.

7up3345 · 08-02-2009, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phædrus2401

PCIe 1.0 and PCIe 2.0 are cross compatible, PCIe 2.0 has twice the bandwidth but you won't notice that unless you have a GTX275 or up graphics card.

Alright sweet. I'll hopefully order everything on Tuesday, and then I'll post some more if I have any problems.

Thanks for all the help on everything, I've learnt quite a bit just from this site.

Very highly recommended site

7up3345 · 08-13-2009, 06:20 AM

I just recieved everything yesterday. I have my computer up and running again, but the only thing im not sure is, does my evga geforece 9500 gt have somewhere to plug in the molex connectors that came with my new psu?

I dont think it does because i cant find it anywhere, but it might because this is my first psu/video card install.

That new psu i bought has a ton of extra cords compared to the one i had previously. Looks like an alien thing or something

Phædrus2401 · 08-13-2009, 08:10 AM

Yeah, when I first installed a non-modular PSU the first thought that went through my mind was, "Oh crap, it's Cthulhu!"

The 9500GT shouldn't need any extra wires from the power supply, no molex or PCIe connectors. You should be good to go. Just double check to make sure everything is hooked up:
20/24-pin mobo connector
4/8-pin mobo connector
Molex/SATA drive connectors
IDE ribbon/SATA data cables (going from hard drive/CD drive to motherboard)
Fan connectors

If it's all connected then you should be ready to fire it up and go.

7up3345 · 08-13-2009, 03:10 PM

Everything is up and running good. The video card is rockin n there is no problems with my psu.

The only thing is that i am getting a little bit of a squeeking noise, I think it is coming from the fan that came with the video card. Nothing major, i just like to leave the side off of my comp for easy access. Is it alright to put WD-40 on the video card fan? I dont wanna try and short it out or something

**wrench97** · 08-13-2009, 03:34 PM

No wd is not a good idea, make sure there is nothing in contact with the fan or some packing material stuck in it, if the noise continues past 1 hour of running time I would exchange the card.

07-31-2009, 08:42 AM	#1 (permalink)
7up3345 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 96 OS: Win XP MCE 2005 Serv.3	Which video card upgrade should i get? I currently have a dell dimension 5150, its going on three years now. I currently have a radeon x600 video card and was wondering which card i should get for an upgrade? I dont play graphics intensive game, but i do like to play sports games. I also use MLB.TV and watch my Yankees in HD. Price range $80-$120 The main importance is to be able to watch baseball in HD. [Edit] I am at work right now, when i get home I will post more information on my computer(if needed). I'll use Belarc scan. Last edited by 7up3345; 07-31-2009 at 08:52 AM.

07-31-2009, 10:52 AM	#2 (permalink)
7up3345 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 96 OS: Win XP MCE 2005 Serv.3	Re: Which video card upgrade should i get? [Edit] Is this a pretty good video card, and I'm pretty sure its better then my current one http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130395 Here it is: I have a DELL 1907FP Monitor Operating System System Model Windows XP Media Center Edition Service Pack 3 (build 2600) Dell Inc. Dell DM051 System Service Tag: 16YC0C1 (support for this PC) Chassis Serial Number: 16YC0C1 Enclosure Type: Mini-Tower Processor a Main Circuit Board b 3.07 gigahertz Intel Pentium 4 16 kilobyte primary memory cache 1024 kilobyte secondary memory cache Board: Dell Inc. 0HJ054 Serial Number: ..CN698616831A4D. Bus Clock: 533 megahertz BIOS: Dell Inc. A05 03/31/2006 Drives Memory Modules c,d 654.24 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity 421.57 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space EBQ 6J41QBO9 SCSI CdRom Device [CD-ROM drive] PHILIPS DVD+-RW DVD8801 [CD-ROM drive] TSSTcorp DVD-ROM TS-H352C [CD-ROM drive] 3.5" format removeable media [Floppy drive] ST350083 0AS USB Device [Hard drive] (500.11 GB) -- drive 1 WDC WD1600JS-75NCB3 [Hard drive] (160.00 GB) -- drive 0 3584 Megabytes Installed Memory Slot 'DIMM_1' has 512 MB (serial number F82C50C8) Slot 'DIMM_3' has 1024 MB (serial number 6C1D7559) Slot 'DIMM_2' has 512 MB (serial number F82C5045) Slot 'DIMM_4' has 2048 MB Local Drive Volumes c: (NTFS on drive 0) 154.26 GB 46.65 GB free g: (FAT32 on drive 1) 499.98 GB 374.92 GB free Network Drives None detected Users (mouse over user name for details) Printers local user accounts last logon Brett 28/07/2009 6:53:45 PM (admin) MCX1 19/01/2009 3:15:26 PM MCX2 21/02/2009 2:53:23 AM local system accounts Administrator never (admin) ASPNET never Guest 31/07/2009 1:07:29 AM HelpAssistant never SUPPORT_388945a0 never DISABLED Marks a disabled account; LOCKED OUT Marks a locked account Microsoft XPS Document Writer on XPSPort: Send To Microsoft OneNote Driver on Send To Microsoft OneNote Port: Controllers Display Standard floppy disk controller Intel(R) 82801G (ICH7 Family) Ultra ATA Storage Controllers - 27DF Intel(R) 82801GB/GR/GH (ICH7 Family) Serial ATA Storage Controller - 27C0 Primary IDE Channel [Controller] (2x) Secondary IDE Channel [Controller] Standard IDE/ESDI Hard Disk Controller ATI Radeon X300/X550/X1050 Series [Display adapter] ATI Radeon X300/X550/X1050 Series Secondary [Display adapter] DELL 1907FP [Monitor] (19.1"vis, s/n DC32367RAB1B, July 2006) Bus Adapters Multimedia A6CBAF9D IDE Controller Intel(R) 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB Universal Host Controller - 27C8 Intel(R) 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB Universal Host Controller - 27C9 Intel(R) 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB Universal Host Controller - 27CA Intel(R) 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB Universal Host Controller - 27CB Intel(R) 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB2 Enhanced Host Controller - 27CC Angel II MPEG Device (2x) Creative SB X-Fi Communications Other Devices Motorola USB Modem #2 Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connection primary Auto IP Address: 192.168.1.101 / 24 Gateway: 192.168.1.1 Dhcp Server: 192.168.1.1 Physical Address: 00:13:72:E9:D9:BF Networking Dns Servers: 142.161.130.155 142.161.2.155 Logitech Driver Interface (8x) HID-compliant consumer control device HID-compliant device (3x) Microsoft eHome Infrared Transceiver Logitech HID-Compliant Keyboard Microsoft eHome MCIR 109 Keyboard Microsoft eHome MCIR Keyboard Microsoft eHome Remote Control Keyboard keys HID-compliant mouse Logitech HID-compliant Cordless Mouse eHome Infrared Receiver USB Composite Device USB Mass Storage Device USB Root Hub (5x) pcouffin device for 32 bits systems Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows Virus Protection [Back to Top] avast! antivirus 4.8.1335 [VPS 090730-0] Version 4.8.1335 Realtime File Scanning On Last edited by 7up3345; 07-31-2009 at 11:02 AM.

07-31-2009, 01:52 PM	#3 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,911 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: Which video card upgrade should i get? The 9500GT is a decent card, the problem is your power supply. With a 305w PSU there aren't really many decent graphics cards out there that you could run, at least not without serious stability issues. For a 9500GT we recommend a 450-550w PSU with at least 26A on the +12V rail (if multiple rails, combined >30A). The power supply I recommend in that range is the PC Power and Cooling Silencer 500w, a very nice unit, but it costs $75 by itself: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817703016 Which leaves you with $45 for a graphics card, which could get you better than what you have, but not great. Also, your Pentium 4 CPU will impose a major bottleneck on your performance with anything over a 9600GSO or thereabouts. I'd consider saving up and buying/building a new computer. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.

07-31-2009, 03:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
7up3345 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 96 OS: Win XP MCE 2005 Serv.3	Re: Which video card upgrade should i get? Thanks, i'll be getting that PSU. Do you think that my computer would be able to hand the GeForce 9500 GT? Bumped up my price range to $160 to get both of these items Last edited by 7up3345; 07-31-2009 at 04:01 PM.

07-31-2009, 04:27 PM	#5 (permalink)
7up3345 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 96 OS: Win XP MCE 2005 Serv.3	Re: Which video card upgrade should i get? One more question, Im pretty sure that this memory is compatible with my computer but i want to make sure http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145195 I'm just replacing the memory i have now

07-31-2009, 04:35 PM	#6 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,911 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: Which video card upgrade should i get? It should be, though it's hard to tell without knowing the model of the motherboard, or at least its chipset. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.

07-31-2009, 05:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
7up3345 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 96 OS: Win XP MCE 2005 Serv.3	Re: Which video card upgrade should i get? Edit: Found Answer. Thanks for all the help, very much appreciated. Last edited by 7up3345; 07-31-2009 at 05:30 PM. Reason: Found Answer

08-01-2009, 02:06 PM	#9 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,911 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: Which video card upgrade should i get? No, that's your graphics chipset, we'd need to know the northbridge chipset. Do you know the model of the motherboard, or the model of the computer it came in? That would be easiest. If the motherboard uses PC2xxxx DDR2 RAM then odds are it's compatible, but it's hard to make sure. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.

08-01-2009, 02:34 PM	#10 (permalink)
emosun Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: usa Posts: 7,096 OS: xp pro sp2 My System	Re: Which video card upgrade should i get? Usually when a mobo uses a intel graphics chipset , it most likely uses an intel north and south bridge. It should work. But Phædrus2401 is correct in saying your pentium 4 will struggle with HD playback. __________________ Gpu Benchmarks Cpu-Z Power supply information and selection Gpu-Z Video card quick list

08-01-2009, 02:37 PM	#11 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,866 OS: Win7	Re: Which video card upgrade should i get? Crucial is all I use in Dell's > http://www.crucial.com/store/listpar...mension%205150 __________________ Power Supply and Selection

08-01-2009, 03:13 PM	#13 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,866 OS: Win7	Re: Which video card upgrade should i get? The 5150 uses a proprietary Dell motherboard with the Intel 945G chip set. It has a PCIe x16 slot if that's the question, and will take a Standard ATX power supply __________________ Power Supply and Selection

08-02-2009, 12:57 PM	#15 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,911 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: Which video card upgrade should i get? PCIe 1.0 and PCIe 2.0 are cross compatible, PCIe 2.0 has twice the bandwidth but you won't notice that unless you have a GTX275 or up graphics card. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.

08-13-2009, 06:20 AM	#17 (permalink)
7up3345 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 96 OS: Win XP MCE 2005 Serv.3	Re: Which video card upgrade should i get? I just recieved everything yesterday. I have my computer up and running again, but the only thing im not sure is, does my evga geforece 9500 gt have somewhere to plug in the molex connectors that came with my new psu? I dont think it does because i cant find it anywhere, but it might because this is my first psu/video card install. That new psu i bought has a ton of extra cords compared to the one i had previously. Looks like an alien thing or something

08-13-2009, 08:10 AM	#18 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,911 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: Which video card upgrade should i get? Yeah, when I first installed a non-modular PSU the first thought that went through my mind was, "Oh crap, it's Cthulhu!" The 9500GT shouldn't need any extra wires from the power supply, no molex or PCIe connectors. You should be good to go. Just double check to make sure everything is hooked up: 20/24-pin mobo connector 4/8-pin mobo connector Molex/SATA drive connectors IDE ribbon/SATA data cables (going from hard drive/CD drive to motherboard) Fan connectors If it's all connected then you should be ready to fire it up and go. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.

08-13-2009, 03:10 PM	#19 (permalink)
7up3345 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 96 OS: Win XP MCE 2005 Serv.3	Re: Which video card upgrade should i get? Everything is up and running good. The video card is rockin n there is no problems with my psu. The only thing is that i am getting a little bit of a squeeking noise, I think it is coming from the fan that came with the video card. Nothing major, i just like to leave the side off of my comp for easy access. Is it alright to put WD-40 on the video card fan? I dont wanna try and short it out or something

08-13-2009, 03:34 PM	#20 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,866 OS: Win7	Re: Which video card upgrade should i get? No wd is not a good idea, make sure there is nothing in contact with the fan or some packing material stuck in it, if the noise continues past 1 hour of running time I would exchange the card. __________________ Power Supply and Selection