Dell says I have a AGP slot, but my PC says I have PCI videocard?

[Bossman]

OK I am confused Dell says I have a agp slot but my PC says I have a ATI Technologies inc. 3D rage 11+PCI video card

here is my mother board stuff {I am Using the CPUID Program}

Motherboard
chipset Intel i865p/pe/g/i848p
Southbridge intel 82801eb{ich5}

Brand Dell
Version A02
Date 05/07/2003

Under the graphics Tab it says
Name ATI Technologies inc. 3D rage 11+PCI
Revision 9A

I have attached a picture of the slots inside my PC the top card is the ATI video card

thanks for any help you guys can give

O ya I am trying to update the video card in this PC to a 512 mb somthin fast card :}

Thanks again and hello to all

 

[kimsland]

You can find all hardware information about your system here: https://www.techspot.com/vb/topic100658.html
Your system is quite old and dusty

Also "PCI" can be referred to any plugged in card, including PCI-Express; or AGP
It is a generic term

 

[Bossman]

Thanks Kimsland

According to dell I have a AGP slot but when i do the upgrade the only thing dell offers is a 256mb card I thinking because of my power supply is only a 250w but when i look for a 400w PS i get nothen.

So I called dell and they said I can not upgrade my PS becaus they can not garantee that it will harm my motherboard later on in the future???????? sounds like bulls'''t me.

I have 2 pc the one i am upgrading and this one both dells and I replaced the power supply on this 1 from a 200 to a 350 over 2 years ago.

but before i do that on the other one just thought i would ask som1

my powe supply s/n is PR2B513510

and what is that empty green slot in my picture attachment for???????

Thanks for your help guys and gals

 

[red1776]

That green slot in your pic is the AGP slot. one of the best AGP cards you can get is this one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...der=BESTMATCH&Description=agp+hd+3850&x=0&y=0
as far as your power supply upgrade, yes that answer from dell is BS. a psu's function is to provide precisely regulated power to the various components.....HOWEVER, you need to do your home work as some of the older dells had proprietary PSU sizes and motherboard power plugs.

 

[Bossman]

thanks red

thanks red

do you know how i would find out if the Dimension 4600 is a proprietary PC

 

[red1776]

I just looked up the 250W PSU for the 4600, and it said that it was of standard dimensions,(3.4"x 5.9"x5.5") and had a standard 20 pin ATX power connection.

 

[Bossman]

the man

thanks red

so that means i can upgrade to a 400w PS right??

 

[red1776]

a qualified yes. I would call dell and double check the dimensions (just to be safe) and like i said before, the job of the PSU is to provide precise regulated power to the various system components. it does not matter weather you have a 200w or a 1000w psu in there. as a matter of fact, the standard issue psu in that dell is of rather low quality (no offense)

 

[Bossman]

ok dell confirmed it is a standard size but the guy at dell still insisted that i could not upgrade because they could not garantee the ps would not harm the motherboard,I said what ever

so that card you listed above says i need a 450w PS any suggestions on what brand or style????

and thanks red for your help

 

[red1776]

for that system i would recommend this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371033
yes its listed as a 380 W PSU, but power supplies are much more about quality than the rated wattage. this one has 31A across 2 12v rails and would be more than enough for your system. if your uncomfortable with that. I recommend this one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371007
both have a 20+4 atx connector, and the PCIE 6 pin connector for the graphics card.

hope that helped

 

[Bossman]

THANKS AGAIN rED BUT THE VIDEO CARD SAYS i NEED 450W WILL THE "sorry caps"
Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D Green 380W work with only 380w

 

[red1776]

It will, The quality, efficiency, and the 12v rail amperage of the PSU is of much higher importance than the generic wattage rating of the psu. 31A is more than enough. if you plan on upgrading in the near future, then get the second one, you can move it to the new build.

 

[Bossman]

thanks you have been a BIG help with this upgrade of mine

 

[red1776]

your entirely welcome, glad i could help

 

[Bossman]

1 more question

comparing the
SAPPHIRE 100228L Radeon HD 3850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 AGP 4X/8X HDCP Ready Video Card.
"link"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...2730&cm_re=agp_hd_3850-_-14-102-730-_-Product

To the
POWERCOLOR AG3850 512MD3 Radeon HD 3850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 AGP 4X/8X HDCP Ready Video Card
"link"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...41R&cm_re=agp_hd_3850-_-14-131-141R-_-Product

they both look the same ? which one would you pick

 

[raybay]

Summary: Any power supply will work IF you verify the location of the power socket. This 4600 has a hardware screen to encourage cooling, but it does not have the opening for the power plug of the Dell power supply in the same location as many other brands and models of power supplies. A visual check is all that is needed... so you need to order a power supply for which you can see the power plug location.
Dell tells you AGP and PCI because either will work, but not both. The AGP cards work better than most PCI video cards.
The Antec EarthWatts Green EA-380D Green 380W work with only 380w will work ok, but in our experience, it has been a very failure prone power supply. Several of our clients have had failures that required replacements. Look for an FSP, Corsair, OCZ, or another model of Antec power supply that does not have "Green" in the name. We have never had a problem in the Dell 4600 with various other power supplies rated at least 400 watts or more...

 

[Bossman]

thanks Ray

I have found this PS from dell

PPCS500D Silencer 500 Watt Dell Power Supply
part#A1656753
what do you think of this 1

 

[raybay]

The Silencer 500 is an extremely reliable power supply and will likely last for the life of the machine. But perhaps it is costly than needed... It will arrive quickly, and will fit properly... and work with any device you can install in that machine. The 4600 has an excellent motherboard for regular use, but is not for playing the top games... The Silencer will absolutely handle anything you can throw at it.

 

[mailpup]

Regarding your graphics card comparison question, those cards are fairly long so open your case to make sure there is no interference toward the inside end of the card. I looked at the 4600 manual and the schematic layout of the motherboard showed there might be some interference with the end of the RAM slots. Since it was just a schematic, however, the actual layout might be okay but it wouldn't hurt to check.

I've had success with both brands of cards although I have bought more Powercolor cards than Sapphire, the most recent has been a Powercolor Radeon HD 4890. The major difference between the two items at Newegg is the Powercolor card is an "open box." That means it has been returned from a customer so it is possibly used and it might not have all of the ancillary parts and pieces. It's a bit of a gamble but that's why it is priced lower. Between the two I would probably go for the brand new Sapphire.

 

[raybay]

There are two 4600 cases... one is very thin, and the space available is limited... the other is a full width, medium height case... that works very well.

There is plenty of operating room for any AGP card... but you might want to add a case fan to vent hot air.

We have a contract with an institution that has a lot of 4600 and 4700 Dell Dimensions. They are unusually trouble free, but with limited power supplies and cooling fan air movement.