Graphics card for HP DC7700 1

[xwb]

The on board graphics is playing up so I need to get a graphics card for my SFF desktop. This is low profile and has a 240W power supply so most of the newer cards are out since most of them require upwards of 300W. I found a few but they're too long. It has to be a short in length and in height.

I had a look at the Nvidia GeForce 710. Looks cheap and cheerful, correct length and height. The bit I don't understand is many of the websites quote a minimum power supply of 300W even though the card only draws 19W. I don't really know whether my 240W power supply can handle this or not.

Does anyone know why a minimum PSU of 300W is quoted when the card only draws 19W? Could I get away with a 240W PSU?

 

[rclarke250]

I really don't like how the board manufactures try to "recommend" a power supply. They used to flat out tell you, "this card will draw 16 A on the 12v rail." Which is the way it should be. I don't give a fig about how many watts the power supply can provide, it has to do with AMPS on the rails needed by the video card. A video card will draw from 12 v or 12v and 5v rails, it will not draw from the 3.3v, 5v stby, -12v so using a power supply that can provide 35 A on the 3.3v rail, and another 3A on 5v stby and 2A on -12v which would give you over 150 W, but it has no bearing on the video card and its' requirements.

Now your power supply will provide 7.5A on the 12v rail, and additionally 11.5A to the CPU on the 12v rail. A GT710 is 19W, so about 1.54A draw on the 12v rail. So if your MB,Fans,HDD,DVD and what not, do not draw 5.5A leaving you a little overhead, it should work. So will an AMD 6450.

 

[xwb]

Thanks for doing the calcs: it would have taken me some time to work that out. I'll have a look at the AMD 6450 too.

 

[xwb]

Decided to get a 710 since it was available at the local computer shop and the AMD wasn't. Certainly fixed the graphics accelerator stopped working problem. I had tried all the other fixes and the last bit on MSDN was, if it still doesn't work, replace the graphics card. It also came with low profile brackets, which was brill.

The only problem is the box containing the graphics card. I had to literally take the box apart to get the card out. I think it was designed to be a box that opened on the width but it was made as a box that opened on the side so everything was glued in.

 

[rclarke250]

 

[cdogg]

Late to the discussion, but just wanted to point out that all low-profile graphic cards I've come across have very low power requirements. So really in this situation, the power supply shouldn't be much of a concern. Glad you found your fix!

 

[xwb]

I was actually quite surprised to find a low profile, half length graphics card. I had never seen one of them before. All the ones I had ever used were full height and full length and needed extra power.