Recommend A Video Card? 1

[jriggs420]

Hi all! Hope I'm not posting on the wrong section: I'm looking to upgrade my video card for <$150. Here's some specs

emachines t6410
3200+amd athlon 64 processor
windoze xp home

Basically, I need I card that's going to last about a year or so. This box came with an ati express 200 (integrated, blah!) card, but the good news is I have a pci express slot. I've heard from various sources that upgrading the emachines vidcard can be tedious, involving more than plug-in and go. So, I wanted to get some second opinions before I buy anything. Any suggestions/links would be greatly appreciated TIA,

Joe

A clever person solves a problem.
A wise person avoids it.

-- Einstein

 

[paparazi]

Well it shouldn't be any more complicated than either disabling onboard OR just setting the PCIe card as first display in the bios.
For $150 the best general purpose cards are going to be something like:
A Radeon X800GT OR
An Nvidia 6600GT
Note* these exact model numbers (performance of the models varies greatly if you pick a plain 6600 for example)
Martin

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[srini2097]

If I am not wrong these are the specifications of your computer:

Processor brand AMD
Processor type Athlon™ 64
Processor speed 2.2GHz
Frontside bus speed Info unavailable
Level 2 cache 512KB
Memory
RAM expandable to: 2GB
Storage/Drives
Hard drive size 160GB 7200RPM
Ports
FireWire 1
Parallel port 1
Internet/networking
Network Interface Card (NIC) Yes
Modem 56K ITU V.92 ready fax/modem
Graphics/video
Video memory 128MB DDR (shared)
Audio
Speaker type Two amplified stereo

If you want to install a PCI Express video card go ahead and install GeFORCE as suggested by paparazi however, please ensure power specifications of the video card match that of the power supply of the computer.

 

[paparazi]

srini2097 is right in pointing out your power supply.
eMachines tend to have quite weak PSU's so it might be wise to invest in something better.
We seem to have had numerous eMachines towers with a failed PSU's on the bench this last month, more than any other brand, it does seem to indicate this is a problem area for these machines.

Martin

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[jriggs420]

Those are in fact the correct specs for my comp. I didn't realize that so much went into upgrading the vidcard. Am I correct to assume that the power supply requirements for a particular card will be widely accessible on the internet. Also, how can I find out if my comp's current power supply can handle the added requirements, I've not seen this info anywhere (tho I've not searched thoroughly, yet). Are there risks to blowing out a power supply? I know too much juice would definitely be bad, but too little?

Thanks yet again,

Joe

Because a thing seems difficult for you, do not think it impossible for anyone to accomplish.
Marcus Aurelius

 

[paparazi]

Too much juice? I think you mean capacty? and a higher rated PSU is just that, has more capacity "if needed" the PC will only draw what it needs.
SO: if your current PSU is say 300watts but with the 6600GT fitted running at say 95% it's going to get pretty hot and running close to it's max, more likely to blow.
On the other hand fit a 450watt PSU (50% more capacity) means it will be running safely at around 65% of it's max.

But I have to stress "quality" a good quality 400watt PSU will be easily enough for this setup, stay clear of cheap generic power supplies.
Look for makes like: Antec, Enermax, Jeantech, FSP, Tagan, Coolermaster, Zalman, Fortron Source, Sparkle, Channelwell Technology etc etc

Yes if it blows eMachines power supplies often take out the motherboard (I replaced one just yesterday) and another 4 in the last month, all failed PSU's that had blown and taken the motherboard, all eMachines.



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[jriggs420]

Paparazi,
Your advice is solid. Several other sites have referenced the
Emachine's lacking psu. I would have been really bummed if I'd destroyed my cpu, becuase of installing a video card, since it's the only reson I bought this computer. The current psu I have is 300watts. I think it would work, but the chances of dong some serious damage are too high, so I'm going to upgrade. I guess now I see why people build their own box. Thanks for the advice, here's a star for preventing a cpu meltdown..

Because a thing seems difficult for you, do not think it impossible for anyone to accomplish.
Marcus Aurelius

 

[srini2097]

Hi,
I am sorry I did not reply you guys in time.
My apologizes. Yes, Paparazi has given exact info reqd.
Ensure that power supply you are going to upgrade does not exceed too much so that mother board cannot withstand. It will get fried up if you install a very high rating power supply. For power supply ratings it is better to contact the manuufacturer to get a detail information.

 

[paparazi]

srini2097
Sorry to disagree but your information is not correct.

Just because a power supply is of a higher rating does not mean the motherboard will receive more power than it needs, it just doesn't work that way.

The motherboard/CPU and anchilleries will only draw off as much power as they need and the higher powered PSU will simply be running at a more comfortable level, well withing it's rating.

The only real problems with higher powered PSU's relate to the minimum draw for them to operate (for instance fitting a really high wattage PSU, 600/650, on say a system with a 750mhz CPU with onboard graphics, the system might not draw enough power from the PSU to trigger it into life)

It is always best to operate a system with good power reserves and buy for "future proofing"
I would be looking at a quality brand, version 2.0 or newer, with 24pin (4 pin detachable to make it compatible with older motherboard types but suitable for a future upgrade)
Probably 450watt or above but as I said a 400watt quality unit will be fine if you're on a budget.
Martin





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