Can a 7900GT sit on this???

[aoxue]

Hi everyone,

My friend bought a Compaq desktop about a year ago.

The graphic card in the box is 6200TC, and is not good enough for the recent games. So he wants to replace the graphic card with a 7900GT.

Question is, will the mobo be compatible with the new card? He said the mobo is "MSI AMETHYST-M"

The spec of the box is:

AMD Athlon64 3500+
1G RAM
GeForce 6200 Turbo Catch
MSI AMETHYST-M
2x160 G hard drive
DVD burner
7 in 1 Card Reader, etc.......

I don't know much about computer, but I know that all the experts are here, so any help is appriciated!! Thanks

 

[The_Prophecy]

The board has a PCI-E x16 slot on it so in theory, a 7900GT should work fine.

 

[sleepdeprived82]

You will need to checkthe PSU will be able to handle it though.

 

[The_Prophecy]

true.... on that note, make sure your power supply can put out at least 18 Amps on the 12V rail (20 or higher is prefered)

 

[aoxue]

Thanks for that! I'll tell him to check the PSU tonight.

Just another stupid question, is it possible to replace the PSU in a OEM case/computer?

 

[yourmothersanastronaut]

Maybe. Lots of OEM case use proprietary parts, but in theory you should be able to put in a standard ATX PSU. If not, do some simple case modding with a dremel/hacksaw and a drill, to get the new power supply to fit. Once you get that done, make sure that the connections to the motherboard are compatible with the PSU - just because it fits in the case doesn't mean it is compatible with the motherboard.

 

[angry_ducky]

Thanks for that! I'll tell him to check the PSU tonight.

Just another stupid question, is it possible to replace the PSU in a OEM case/computer?

PC Power & Cooling sells a line of replacement HP power supplies, however, they don't mention if they'll also work with Compaq. You'd be best off calling the number on that page, where it says "All other HP models", and ask what PSU will work in the Compaq.