I have a dell 4700 and i "just" recently found out i have a PCIexpress card -_-
so i was what the heck lets upgrade to a new graphics card. i am going with the XFX 7600gt but i want to know is it compatiable with teh PSU? i search online, most forums said it did and some said it didnt. still very confused. 305w.lame eh?
well i was wondering, since i am a noob, if i install a 7600gt in my dell do i need a plug that will be directly plugged into my videocard to psu? .

specs

pent-4 2.8
ram-ddr2 (2 X 256)
Hdrive - 1sata
and one CD rom drive

Did you just check around in system settings and it said your graphics card was PCI-E? Or did you actually open the case to find out? Because if you just looked at system settings, it might just SAY PCI-E because integrated graphics cards sometimes run on the PCI-E bus even though there is not a physical slot. Also, a Dell system cannot power a 7600GT. You will also need a new power supply. I'm not exactly sure about 7600GTs but you might need to plug in a cable from the power supply (probably just a standard molex plug if you need one at all). And if you are getting the 7600GT to improve your gaming performance, it won't do a heck of a lot until you get more RAM too because 512MB is just not enough for games these days. 1GB+ is what you need.

well i dont want to startle you or anything but i just found out today that whats so amazing about the 7600gt is that it runs mainly from the PciE slot. and yes, i have physically opened my dell and looked at the pCIE slot. it doesnt require any power source DIRECTLY as including a wire. ( so no it doesnt have cables to connect)
i calculated my PSU and seems to show that i have room to spare and a lot of room to space actually.
but wait, how do you know that 7600gt cannot run in my dell?
is this just a primative guess/prediction?

You`re quite correct, you Dell does have a pci express x16 slot. See full specs [URL="http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dim4700/sm/specs.htm"]HERE[/URL].

You`re also correct that the XFX 7600gt card doesn`t need a separate power plug.

However, your Dell`s psu is only 305watts of which your new card will take around 75watts.

I recommend you think about upgrading your psu to around the 450watt mark and also, make sure it`s a good brand like Fortron FSP/Enermax/Antec etc with at least 24 amps on the 12volt rail.

Sure, your current psu might run fine for a while, but don`t be surprised if you start having stability problems. Also, if that psu blows, there`s every chance it`ll take out some of your valuable components.

What did the psu calculator say you needed?

Regards Howard

well my calculator totaled a total of 205w with the addition of the 7600gt

http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine

try it your self.

Yes, I get pretty much the same. I actually got 213watts lol.

However, you have to take into consideration how many amps your psu puts out on the 12volt rail. You will need to look at the psu label to find out that info.

This is what your system specs say about your current psu.

That`s under ideal conditions, which rarely happens.

I`m still of the opinion, that a psu upgrade would be beneficial, but it`s your call.

Regards Howard

mods please close.
my question has been answered by some one who has experienced this

We don`t close threads, unless there`s a definite reason to do so.

Regards Howard