hey all,

my first post so be gentle

Have read through much stuff here and narrowed down my graphics card options to two options. Actually i initially narrowed it down to the 8800gst 320mb but having bought it the fan was so big it wouldn't fit into my dell computer as it just wuldn't squeeze in underneath the main cpu fan

Anyway specs:

Dell 3ghz cpu
3gig ram
19inch lcd monitor

mostly used for playing WoW n Lord of Rings Online with a bit of medieval total war thrown in. Not sure on current graphics card but i think its a 128mb ati E300/e550 so pretty old n budget.

essentially just want whichever of the above two would be best so either
ati x1950 xt
or 8600gst

i understand x1950xt is different to, n better than, x1950 pro? And same that 8600 gst similar to but better than 8600gt? I know x1950xt doesn't have dx10- but not so fussed on that for now.

As i said 8800gst 320mb doesn't quite fit n x1950 xtx costs too much. n i read the radeon competitor to 8600gst (rx2600???) isn't that hot?

help?!

cheers

mike

X1950XT > 7950GT > X1950 Pro ~ 7900GS > 8600GTS > 8600GT = HD2600XT

That's pretty much the line up, the 8600/HD2600 are really not worth your money (Or anyone else's for that matter), especially since the 8600GTS ($160) can't dream to outperform the X1950 Pro ($135). The X1950 Pro uses a different GPU than the X1950XT, but in layman terms the X1950XT is plain faster (And by a fair amount), not only that but the X1950XT is simply a GDDR3 underclocked version of the X1950XTX which uses GDDR4 (At least to the best of my knowledge).

Basically what I'm trying to say is that, on what seems to be your budget (~$150-190) the best possible buy you can make is the X1950XT, since it's pretty much the undisputed champion on that pricing segment.

You might have another problem on your hands. That set up sounds an awful lot like my system, which has a 350 watt PSU. You may need a new power supply to be able to run a 1950pro or xt. What is your power supply?

In either case, if you can afford it, I would go with the xt and new PSU if you need one. The 8600s are pretty bad for gaming.

I don't know about Lord of Rings on Line, but the other two would be just fine with a simple 8600GT and there should not be any power supply issues. The other cards may be overkill for what you play and likely would need a new PSU.

I agree with Zenmaster. The x1950 family will need a bigger PSU. And, since it is a Dell, it is possible the PSU may be non-standard.

Dell Upgrade Power Supplies from PC Power & Cooling

http://www.pcpower.com/products/power_supplies/dell/

I see you hate cheap power supplies emp. Are those Dell PSUs any good?

PC Power & Cooling units... Probably best brand on the market

I upgraded my Dell 8200 like that. The PC P&C is a good PSU. Only issue with older dell cases is good cooling. The larger cards run hotter and Dell cases like the 8200 dont cool well. I fried a 6800GT. Also, Dell's PSU are underrated. I could run a 6800GT on the stock dell PSU which I think was 350W without a hitch

Have you ever heard of a drill and a saw ? You can remove all your hardware and mod your case with a drill to add more fans, and if needed, you can saw off the expansion bays that are on the way. Remember you are only limited by your own creativity.

you will need to get a new psu you have is probably rated between 300-350 watts. and you will need minimum 450 watts to drive those cards.

i had the same problem but i made a new computer instead, with an x1950 pro. as it wasnt worth getting a psu for the crapy dell.

A Dremel is your friend. Heh, like sharp said, better to build it yourself. Your processor is already ancient and with prices nowadays, you could upgrade relatively easily esp for what you want to play.

I disagree. That might have been the case at launch, but things are different now. Should be more like

X1950XT > 7950GT > X1950Pro ~ 7900GS ~ 8600GTS > HD2600XT >8600GT

Even this isn't perfect because the 7900GS is a hair faster then the GTS if I recall, but it isn't that much faster. (just looked, they trade blows, though the 7900GS usually wins if the res goes high enough.) The important thing to remember is that the 2600XT with drivers 7.7 or newer can beat the 8600GT, and get close or beat the GTS depending on settings/game. Considering that the XT is ~$110 while the GTS is closer to $150, I'd take the XT.

I guess I agree on that, however it's a moot point anyway, anything below the 7900GS shouldn't even be considered at all. DX10 midrange is all a bunch of POS, I just did that to illustrate how far down they were in the food chain.

Bugger

sooo how do i find out what watt my power suppy is and how easy is it to buy new one/check compatability and install????
or if thatss tough to do - which card should i get that;d be a big upgrae n would let me play WoW n Lotro in high res widescreen?

What's your Dell system model # ?
305w= 22amps
350w= not sure
375w= 30amps

I don't think you need a new psu, that's up to you.
I have the Dell 305w

i'm sorry i have no idea - how do i find this out?

Is it:
Dell Dimension DIM5000
Pentium(R) 4 cPU 3.20Ghz

76477-OEM-0011903-00102

http://support.dell.com/support/ed [...] #wp1052310

You have the 305w-22amps. The same one as I got. Happy hunting.
Up to 8600GTS or 7900GS or GT. Ati-? (with stock psu).
If you want to upgrade psu:
http://www.pcpower.com/products/vi [...] ?show=S47D
26amps
or
http://www.power-on.com/ea460u.html
24amps

Pc Power is worth the $20 extra.

can someone explain to me why i might need a better power supply? what might happen to mine if i use the x1950xt? can i use the x1950xt? how do i work out what graphics cards can go with this power supply? tis is a whole new dimension i'd not even thought about!

Read the post above again-edited. Remember-without new psu-22amps on the 12v rails.

but how can i tell if i need to upgrade psu or not?