Compatible or not?

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kirillsk8tr

kirillsk8tr

Posts: 14   +0
Hello all.
Well, having a dell dimension 3000 is not the best thing in the world, but ive decided to upgrade it as good as i can. i will be buying a new graphics card any time soon, and as im not that pro with anything regarding computers i would like to know if anyone could help me put a list of things that i have to look at when im getting this new card. i know that only PCI slot card will work for me, so i have only a couple of choices. the 6200, the x1550/1350, the 9950, the fx5200/5600 and the 9100 graphics cards seem to be compatible with my computer. now, what i dont know is what else do i have to make sure of before i buy the card? for example does it matter if the clock speed of the card is different from my FBS? (too bad i couldnt find my FBS properties anywhere :D)
what im asking basically is what i need to know for the card to ultimately WORK on my machine, not what the best card for my machine is.
Any help is great
Regards
Kirill




P.S: also, if anyone wants to just tell me which of the cards listed above they would buy, or their own choice for a PCI slot, i would appreciate that too. ( games i want to play w/ better settings : Il2 Sturmovik 1946, flying sims, HoMM5 on full high (probably), The Guild 2, oblivion( not the best settings of course), and other games of 2000-2006. nothing uber-leet-new super demanding.)
 
I can tell you that if you want to get some quality gaming done, you will need a motherboard with a PCI-E slot. It's just impossible to get any decent FPS with your PCI slot limitation. I ran a FX5200 in my Dell 3000. It was a little better but I hate to tell you but you must at least have an agp slot and at this stage of the game you would be shopping for a PCI-E slot. I would also get a larger case to build in because the Dell 3000 is so small and you will need room for your machine to breathe and have a chance at cooling. Don't be bummed. Start shopping and do a lot of studying on each part that you might use. In the end you will be happy instead of frustrated.
 
Any of the PCI cards should work. If I had to buy a PCI card, I guess it would be the Radeon X1300/X1550.
 
pdyck, i dont know maybe its freaky but with 1 gig of ram and the integrated build in graphics card i manage to play a flying sim which definately needs A LOT of fps, as objects are moving MAD fast, and i can still play it on medium without no serious lag, except sometimes at landings. and if buying any card will give me at least 2 times as much as i have now(im sure it will) then il be happy with it, but thanks for the great advice!

mailpup, thanks for that advice too, i was thinking of that card for some while now.



By the way where can i see how much power my comp uses and if i will need to upgrade that too if i get a PCI card?
 
First you'll need to know what power rating your present psu is. If it's like most "run of the mill" Dells, it's probably somewhere in the range of 250-350 watts (in actuality, much lower under stress). The graphics card you want to purchase will have the power requirements on the box. A big (but not unsurmountable) problem now comes in finding a replacement that will fit the Dell. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it isn't. Each manufacturer puts custom made power supplies into their boxes. I've seen a few where the back panel had to be modified (cut and redrill mounting screw holes), but most times it's just a really tight fit.
 
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