Razaroth

Hi. Currently, I am running an NForce 4 motherboard with an AMD 6000+ processor, Geforce 8800 GTS graphics card, and 4gb ram. I was thinking about buying a new computer, when I realized im already running a 3.0 ghz processor (which i can just overclock), i already have 4gb ram (which is basically what everyone is using nowadays anyways), and although my AMD doesnt have a high L2 cache, it still works just fine.

So, instead of buying a new computer for 1000$ (which would come with a new processor, 4gb ram, etc etc), i was thinking about just buying a new video card to beef up my system.

So, i have 3 questions (and i apologize for how noob they are, and please let me know what more information you need to answer them:)

1. Is it worth buying a new computer for 1000$ to get a new processor and motherboard, and upgrade all the other pieces, or is it better to just buy a Geforce 260m to replace the video card?

2. Is it even possible to replace my 8800GTS with a 260m? Or would there be compatibility issues? If there are compatibility issues, what are my options?

3. Is it worth buying a 280m for the extra price, or should i just buy a 260m? I heard the upgrade really isnt worth the money, and, if i upgrade my video card now, im probably just going to buy a new computer in a year or two. So, is my computer (with a 260m) going to last me just fine for 2-3 years, like my 8800 GTS did?

Thanks in advance.

vladimirb

Hello and Welcome to TSF

To do an unpgrade you need to consider of buying a new PSU also.

What make/model is your current PSU???

Here are threads which will help you to decide:

Power Supply Information and Selection

and

Video card quick list

But first, tell us about your PSU...

Keep us posted...

Razaroth

Thank you for the welcome, and thank you for the quick reply.

My power supply is 500w. So far, i havent got anywhere close to the drain on it, and from my knowledge (which, unfortunately, isnt that high), the 8800gts actually drains more power (when idle and while functioning) than the 260m does. So i dont think the power supply will be an issue, although an upgrade wouldnt kill (as i will be overclocking my cpu as well, probably).

It is fine for what ill be doing with it, also. Being how this is my only computer at the moment, i was waiting for replies instead of opening it up. Is the make/model important?

Thanks again.

vladimirb

Yes it is important. If you have some no-name or lame no-good-brand PSU that could be an issue...
Also, how old is your PSU???

High end (Performance better then console) 600w minimum to run , 650 to 700w or higher is best. 512mb to 1gb DDR3 is best on high end gpu's.

Geforce
8800 (gt , gts , gtx)
8900/8950 (rare)
9800 (gt , gts , gtx)
GTS 150
GTS 240
GTS 250
GTX250
GTX260


So, good quality 600W PSU would be great for you...

Keep us posted...

Razaroth

My ram is also DDR2 (my computer is 2 years old now), and although this isnt the right forum for it, is it worth upgrading to ddr3? or should i buy some more ddr2 to upgrade? i was planning on upgrading in a little while, so i dont think its worth upgrading everything (although a psu wouldnt hurt, and could be used again)

ram i was talking about wasnt GPU ram, btw.

Razaroth

And to my surprise, i have a 600w power supply. its called a "cooler-master", so im assuming thats a no-named thing.

But, at least its 600w.

Razaroth

Sorry for the third update, but i had another question:

Is the 260m/280m available/compatible with my motherboard? would i have any issues with installing it, or would it go just fine?

Thats the main thing i need to know.

Phædrus2401

The M models of cards are for laptops, so odds are they won't fit. They'll work, they're still PCIe x16, but I don't think they'll physically fit into the case.

Cooler Master is a name brand, but they aren't great for power supplies. They have several lines of PSUs, some of which are utter crap, others of which are fairly decent. Does it have the full model name on it?

Razaroth

it does, unfortunately i cant shut off my computer to look inside yet (the top of the case droops down, and without disconnecting a fan i cant open to see it fully).

the 260/280m, as i heard, were made specifically for laptops.

However, theres NO one that works for a PC? a 285? 275? nothing? i want an upgrade, but i want to get something top of the line-ish. I thought a 260 would be best because the 280 is too damn expensive, and its only one step down.

Any other options to make my life easier?

Phædrus2401

The normal GTX260 and GTX280 work with normal desktops, sorry, only the models with an M after them are for laptops.

Try this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130434
Or for a bit cheaper you could get this Radeon 4870:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102825

The GTX260 and Radeon 4870 are about equivalent, and the Sapphire Vapor-X Radeon cards are the best for ATI since their cooling is so good. I think that 4870 is on sale, it was $40 more yesterday, so I'd nab it for cheap while you can.

Razaroth

AH, gotcha. I thought they all had an 'm', although i was always under the impression that was for mobile. So, now im really happy to hear itll work (although itll take 1500 power slots to run :[)

Phædrus2401

(although itll take 1500 power slots to run :[)
??

Razaroth

Does it take 4 cables to run? The 260m? 2 cables to run into one power one, and a secondary for god knows what.

Is that incorrect?

1500 might have been a small... SMALL... exaggeration.

Phædrus2401

I don't know what you mean by power cables. Okay, any card with an M after it, DO NOT WANT. A laptop card will not fit into a desktop, and they are less powerful and more expensive anyway.

With your power supply you'll want this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814143191
Which requires one (1) PCIe power connector, which your PSU should have, it looks like this:

It will either be a standard 6 pin like the one on the left or a 6+2 pin which works exactly the same it just has an extra two in case your graphics card needs 8 pins, which yours doesn't.

Razaroth

im sorry, the only piece of the computer im not 100% understanding is the power supply. Youre saying my power supply has cables that can come off of it, which looks like those, which then plugs into my video card? Also, what do the inputs look like?

What cable actually POWERS the video card. Thats all i need to know.

(also, appreciate your help so far)

Razaroth

Question answered. Thanks for the help so far! :D

Phædrus2401

I was going to write a long explanation of exactly what a PSU does and what connectors it has, but I think you might be getting impatient.

Basically, the card draws some power from the PCIe x16 slot itself, but for high end cards you need supplementary power, which comes from PCIe power connectors. The GTS250 requires one 6 pin PCIe connector, which your PSU has.

Turn your computer off and unplug it. Unscrew and remove the old graphics card. Put the new one into the slot. Screw it in. Find the PCIe power connector cable from your PSU like the one in the picture above. Plug it in here:

Close the case, hook the computer back up, and turn it on. Install drivers either from the provided CD or from Nvidia's website. Fin.

Razaroth

im sorry i made you think i was getting impatient, i promise i appreciate all of the help. Youve helped more than you could imagine ^.^

The only thing that was bugging me is when i looked at the gtx260, i realized it came with 2 cables for the supplement power. I didnt understand it, but now that youve said what you said i understand.

Im not that new to computer components, but i just didnt realize that cable came off of the PSU. When hooking up new hard drives or DVD Drives, ive been using the regular 4 pins. When i was looking at what came in the 260 box, it had a cable that swapped 2 of the 4 pins into one of the GTX supplementary power cables (i hope that made sense).

So, i was really pissed. I didnt understand how a card could take 4 of those power slots. I mean, thats just annoying. Id probably have to unplug something to do that!

However, then i realized hey. I already have the cables i need! And, the 250 is probably a better option, because my PSU doesnt have enough power cables to support the 260, i think.

Any way you could tell me what the approximate % power loss is demoting from the 260 to the 250?

Although it doesnt matter that much, im just wondering exactly what id be losing.

Again, thanks for the help.

Phædrus2401

Hard to give as a percent. Here are some benchmarks:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...0,2286-14.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...0,2286-15.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...0,2286-16.html
Basically on monitor resolutions of 1680x1050 or less you'll only see 3-5fps less than the GTX260, while on larger resolutions the performance drop does get quite noticeable. If you've got a 1280x800 resolution screen you'll barely notice any difference at all, probably.

I don't know what you mean by swapping pins, but there are 4-pin Molex to 6-pin PCIe connector converters, a lot of graphics cards come with them. Your graphics card is often one of the most power-hungry parts in the computer. In fact, I did the math once, and if my CPU wasn't overclocked then during 100% total system load my graphics card (Radeon 4870, equivalent to GTX260) would consume as much power than the entire rest of my computer combined. So yeah. But your PSU should have a normal dedicated 6-pin PCIe connector, so you probably won't need to give up one of your Molex connectors. So you should be good, and for your PSU it would be best to go with the GTS250 anyway, to spare some strain on the unit and lengthen your computer's lifetime.