Buying video card for low form factor PC 1

[fdalmoro]

Hi,

I have a Dell OptiPlex GX270 small form factor pc, P4 2.4Ghz, 1GB DDR memory yada yada... it's good.

Anyway, I would like to upgrade the video to something that games (especially UT2004) will look great with. I noticed that Nvida seems to be the card of choice for gamers so I would like to put one in my GX270. I was looking at this card

http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=298832&pfp=BROWSE

but minimum requirements for power supply are 250W, my GX270 is a 150W power supply. As can be seen here with the case open..

http://www.dell.com/html/emea/kaon/optix_gx270/en/270sff.html

The one that Dell has as an upgrade to the GX270 is this card

nVidia, GeForce 4MX, DVI w/VGA adapter

But I don't think that stacks up with the Predator GeForce4 MX440-8X Video Card.

Can anyone help me out with this shopping and let me know if there are any Nvidia cards that are somewhere in between or do I have to go with the 4MX card?

Thanks for the help,



Fernando

 

[paparazi]

These cards are basically the same, both Geforce 4 MX 440's so will perform more or less the same.
Does your case require a "low profile" graphics card? just a thought.
Anyway, if you seriously want to play UT2004 then both of these are going to be very slow, they are only entry level cards so will struggle to play games as new as this.
You are really going to have to go for a slightly better gaming card if you want smooth game play and a certain degree of future proofing.
I would say in the Geforce range the minimum card would be the FX5200 and even that is border line, something like an FX5600 or higher would be better.
As for the ATI Radeon series, then the 9200 minimum but 9500 or higher recommended.
As for your power supply, well again you are going to be pushing it with what you have and you may want to consider an upgrade, this might have to be a Dell supplied as I suspect it will be of propriety size (Dell only)


Martin


Replying helps further our knowledge, without comment leaves us wondering.

 

[fdalmoro]

Yes it is a low profile, I forgot to mention it. I found a thread on anandtech.com that someone else posted. I also put in a request for help on this issue.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=31&threadid=1273947

What do you think? I really would like an Nvidia but in that post they keep pushing the ATI.

Fernando

 

[paparazi]

If it were me, I would be looking at cards that have just been superceeded by a new release (I've been into computing long enough not to be tempted by the cutting edge stuff that you pay through the nose for and falls from grace in a blink of an eye.
There are bargains to be had!!
It maybe worth paying that little bit more to get a DirectX9 compatible card and something that won't be struggling from the word go.
Unfortunately in you lower middle price bracket £50 to ££100 ($75/$150)ATI Radeon cards do have a slight edge through the range, if you can push the boat out a little further still, then the middleweight crown goes to the new Geforce FX 5900XT at around £140 (200USD)
Other slightly older cards to consider and to save yourself a few dollars are: Geforce FX5600, Radeon 9500, Radeon 9700.
Martin


I have noticed, if you shop around you can still pick up Radeon 9500PRO's for less than £75


Replying helps further our knowledge, without comment leaves us wondering.