Need new Vid Card

I currently have a very small case, a dell 530s, and need to upgrade my video card. I know the case is very small compared to some others, but it was the best i could afford at the time.

I've looked around a little to try to find a new video card that could probably run fallout 3 better than my current one, an ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT 256mb.

Problem is i know, for a fact, that most video cards are way to big to fit in my case, so i was wanting to see if anyone knew of a card that could out perform my current card, but isn't a monster in size. I'm not expecting to find very powerfull cards, just one to hold me over till i can afford to revamp my system.

I'm not to concerned about price right now, i just want to know my options.

any help is appreciated. thanks.

HD4670

Power friendly, great performance, and small.

What kind of power id required to run this card well? cant find that info anywhere.

also thanks for the post. Pretty sure that this will fit no problem.

What kind of power id required to run this card well? cant find that info anywhere.

also thanks for the post. Pretty sure that this will fit no problem.

TheyTookMyWoody

Any PSU on the market with at least 250w should run it.

but it's rather long for most slimline cases (I believe it's 9"), RayvinAzn

Thanks, but im certain that 9 inches is a bit too big.

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Any PSU on the market with at least 250w should run it. wklzip

Ok, thanks. I'm pretty sure that the 4670 will do. Now i just got to find out how big my power supply is...

[QUOTE="wklzip"] Any PSU on the market with at least 250w should run it. TheyTookMyWoody

Ok, thanks. I'm pretty sure that the 4670 will do. Now i just got to find out how big my power supply is...

Open your case side panel and you will see how much wattage your PSU has.

Nvm, here it says it has 250w so it should work.

Here are some benchies so you can see the power of that card ;)

Wow, thanks. I was just about to shut down and open my case too...

Awesome looking card, and its within my budget range, for sure.

How do you think this will do on Fallout 3 though. I'm not so much concerned about all the really nice eye candy. I am playing on a 19inch 1280x1024, i'll get atleast within reasonable frames a second, right?

Also thanks for all the help.

How do you think this will do on Fallout 3 though. I'm not so much concerned about all the really nice eye candy. I am playing on a 19inch 1280x1024, i'll get atleast within reasonable frames a second, right?

TheyTookMyWoody

It should run like Oblivion, so Ultra settings, probably throwing some AA/AF and still great framerate :)

damn, well then i'm just gonna have to upgrade my case. the 9600gt is was too long.

are you sure that the HD4670 wont fit? It looks just as wide as my current card, just judging by eye.

Never mind.

The HD4670 is way to wide like RayvinAzn called. If the 9600GT is a little less than 9 inches, i might be able to fit it.

although that will be a tight squeeze. but i'll investigate.

RayvinAzn, you dominate.

I'm more than certain that the 9600 GT is purrrr-fect. its in the slim form or whatever the official tem is, and, with the moveing of some wires, will fit FO SHO.

Although, what about power supply, i've heard that the 9600Gt needs about 400W. since i have 250w, i see that as a problem.

well, its just one thing after another, but i'm getting the hang of it.

thats what i just edited. only 250W :(TheyTookMyWoody

Yeah, that's the problem with that card - not many slim cases come with power supplies beefy enough to handle it.

If you have a free 5.25" bay, this will work - if not, you're looking at a whole new case and power supply. And you might need a new CPU cooler too, since some slimline cases use a setup that has the power supply act as the heatsink fan.

No, i'm more than certain i dont have an open 5.25inch bay.

Thanks for all the help you've provided, but i think it'd be best for me to just wait a while, untill i can afford a nice, full size case, with a larger power supply, and a nice video card.

If you've got any suggestions regarding a good case that could fit a powerfull card, i'd be greatful to hear them. Also, should i get a case with a power supply, or get one seperately, i've heard that power supply's are somewhat easy to install.

Well, i sure wish i'd known more about computers before ordering my dell last june.

Pretty much any case on the market can fit a 9" card, and most can even fit the 10.5" cards (although you might lose a hard drive slot). For a good, cheap case the Antec Three Hundred is hard to beat. It's around $55, and offers excellent cooling for its size.

The power supply is an oft-overlooked component, but it's one of the most important parts of your machine. It's literally the heart of your computer, and you'd be surprised at how often people gloss over it. There are very few cases I recommend using the stock power supply with for a gaming machine, and those are all generally rather expensive. If you're after a cheap, yet reliable unit pick up the Antec Earthwatts 430w. If you're after something a bit more stylish, the Corsair VX450w is also excellent.

And the plus side about an upgrade like that is you can select any card you want, so you don't have to bother with the slim 9600GT anymore.

You have a slimline case. The HD4670 will NOT fit, which is why I recommended you that 9600GT. Other than that, there really aren't any upgrades to your current card.RayvinAzn

Yes, you were right all along Ray.

Im not surprised, Ray is never wrong ;)

You could get a new power supply and just leave outside of the case.n_kors

I'll jst end up upgrading my case sooner or later, so i might as well get started now.

Thanks for all the help from everyone, but i should be good to go from here.

Rayvin, for future reference, could i maybe message you if i need help with anything? wont be often or anything, you just seem to know a lot, and know what you are talking about.

well thanks everyone!