What are the limitations to what type of graphics card I can use for my computer.

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f2pn00b

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I have an Optiplex GX620. (Full size, not the slim or mini.)

This computer is horribly old but I want to play some games with it. (Run TF2 or CS:GO on low resolution.) As I have little knowledge on computer internals I'm confused on what type of graphics card I should use. As some appear to be too big or too long. My computer is so bad that any type of graphics card, regardless of how old the graphics card would be, would help run this computer better. But I have to make sure the graphics card I select isn't to cheap and not to expensive.

 
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KnowJBridges
Well, obviously you should make sure it fits. Graphics card manufacturers usually will have dimensions on their websites, so you can measure the inside of your case to make sure a specific card will fit.

That computer is PROPERLY old. (I'm seeing numbers around 2005?) But as far as I know, graphics cards will work in just about anything that has the correct slot. (PCIe X16 3.0 for modern cards, but they're backwards compatible with PCIe 2.0. Not sure about PCIe 1.0 though.) Here's a picture if you need to make sure. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/PCI_und_PCIe_Slots.jpg

However, graphics cards can only do the work they're told to do. And the processor tells them what to work on. If the graphics card is...
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KnowJBridges

KnowJBridges

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Well, obviously you should make sure it fits. Graphics card manufacturers usually will have dimensions on their websites, so you can measure the inside of your case to make sure a specific card will fit.

That computer is PROPERLY old. (I'm seeing numbers around 2005?) But as far as I know, graphics cards will work in just about anything that has the correct slot. (PCIe X16 3.0 for modern cards, but they're backwards compatible with PCIe 2.0. Not sure about PCIe 1.0 though.) Here's a picture if you need to make sure. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/PCI_und_PCIe_Slots.jpg

However, graphics cards can only do the work they're told to do. And the processor tells them what to work on. If the graphics card is newer/faster than the processor, it'll run out of work and have to wait for the processor to give it more things to do. Because of this, having a really beefy graphics card but a slow processor can cause what is called a CPU bottleneck, where the computer runs slower than you would expect because the fast graphics card is held back by the processor.

And if you wanted to upgrade the processor, you would also have to get a new motherboard, because new processors use new sockets. And if you did all that you might would need a new power supply to handle the beefier components, and to make sure you have all the right power plugs. And premade computers often aren't designed to be taken apart like that. At this point you're basically gutting the computer and building a new one within the same case.

I'm sure an upgrade is possible, you could always find some "higher end" components of the same era to avoid these issues, but then you'd be ordering ~8 year old components on ebay, and there's no way to tell what they've been through, or how long they would last.

Honestly I'd just recommend getting a new computer. It might be time to put the old girl down.
 
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f2pn00b

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http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/sop/4932057050.html

So would this graphics card work or will it "overpower" my computer?
 
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KnowJBridges

KnowJBridges

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Specs are from here. http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/optix/en/spec_optix_gx520-gx620_en.pdf

That card would require a minimum power supply of 300W, (according to the seller, and some other sources I found) and yours is only 280W. You miiiiiight be able to squeak it out, but it wouldn't be good for the card, it might cause crashes or other forms of system instability. (although I could be checking the wrong part of the sheet, double check to see what your wattage is, one of them is listed at 305W which would just be enough)

I don't think that card requires external power, which is good. If it did you would need to check to make sure your powersupply has the appropriate PCIe 6-pin and 8-pin plugs to provide additional power.

The seller lists a requirement of a pentium 4 processor... I can't find any other source listing that requirement. And, as I've said before, graphics cards work in almost anything that has a PCIe x16 slot. Here's a source of compatible processors for that card. http://www.pc-specs.com/gpu/Nvidia/Geforce_8000_Series/GeForce_8400_Series/247/Compatible_CPUs Your processor is either a pentium 4 or a pentium D. Either way it should work I think.

I can't say if your processor will bottleneck the card, (meaning that the performance gain would be fairly small) or if you have enough power to run it reliably. But for $20 you basically have nothing to lose. As long as you make sure you have room for it, and that you have the right slot. Measurements should be available online via the company website.

A quick search gave me measurements of 11 x 2.8 x 6.5 inches, but that's from amazon so that might be the package it comes in, take that with a grain of salt.

SUMMARY: You might not have enough power, but it could possibly still work* (*at your own risk)

And keep in mind that a fancy card won't "overpower" your computer in a negative way, it just won't be able to work to it's fullest. The card will work to the limit of the processor instead of it's own limits, causing worse performance than what the card is theoretically capable of. Nothing bad or harmful will happen, the worst case scenario with bottlenecks is wasting money.
 
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