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nVidia nForce 430 and ASUS EAH4870

Forum Graphic & Displays : Graphics Cards - nVidia nForce 430 and ASUS EAH4870

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Hi,

I just got an HP desktop (m8400f) which has an nVidia nForce 430 motherboard. I was wondering if i am gonna be able to install the 4870 ATI GPU onto it. I know that my MoBo is PCI-e 1.0 or 1.1 but the GPU is 2.0, but from what i hear the performance will not suffer too much. Also, i have a 300W power supply, will i need a better one for the GPU? Other than that, will i need to know anything else before upgrading?

So bottom line, is the nForce 430 capatible with the ASUS EAH4870 GPU?

Thank you you very much for your help.

P.S. i got the card with a discount so i just took it. Thats why i really want to make this work,

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The specs here show what kind of PSU you need for the HD 4870:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814129113

Quote :

500 Watt or greater power supply with two 75W 6-pin PCI Express power connectors recommended
Power Connector 2 x 6 Pin

Something like this would be very good, even leaving lots of room for other upgrades:
Corsair 650TX, $72 with shipping
http://www.buy.com/prod/corsair-tx [...] 78324.html

I found an Amazon reviewer for the m8400f who says he got a 9800GTX (that's about 10.5" long) in the m8400f. The HD 4870 is smaller (9"5/8), so it should fit all right in your MB and case.

Reply to aevm

Hi, aevm, thank you very much for the response!!!!

The GPU comes with a converter between the 6-Pin and the 4-pin one like this:
http://www.cable-trader.co.uk/imag [...] dapter.jpg

And currently i have 2 free 4-pin connectors on the 300W (like the white one here: http://dealmario.com/wp-content/up [...] n-6in.jpg)

1) Can i temporarly use the 300W one just for casual day-to-day activities like word etc.?

2) Can i use the two 4 pin connectors on the power supply if it does not come with a 6pin connectors?

3) Is there any additional cooling required?

Reply to xelonth

Yes, those converters are good for the job.

This review shows they measured 334W under load and 175W at idle, with a dual core CPU and an Asus HD 4870 .
http://www.guru3d.com/article/rade [...] ew--asus/5

If you don't start any 3D games, you'll probably consume under 300W. It might work. No guarantees though, sorry.
First of all, the amps on the 12V circuit matter too, and I have no idea if you'll have enough. Second, that 300W PSU will be pushed to its limits and you might end up killing it. If the PSU dies it might take the motherboard with it. I wouldn't try it. If you do try it, read this quote first so you know the signs of trouble. Stop as soon as you get one of these symptoms.

Quote :

In my view the Radeon HD 4870 series requires you to have a 500 Watt power supply unit at minimum if you use it in a high-end system, and I think that's barely on the safe side. Also recommended is 32 AMP's on the 12 volts rails for stable power distribution (in a single card configuration).

Things that can happen if your PSU can't cope with the load?:
* bad 3D performance
* crashing games
* spontaneous reset or imminent shutdown of the PC
* freezes during gameplay
* PSU overload can cause it to break down

Reply to aevm

Heya,
I just got out-of-the box a asus radeon eah4870. So as I take it 550W psu should do the trick with eg grand theft auto IV which should push it far out? Or do I need a more powerful psu like a 600W which would consume as much as a vacuum cleaner would

Reply to Anonymous

Yes, 550W is enough.

You do realize that a HD 4870 will still consume just as much with a 550W PSU as with a 1200W PSU, right? It's the card that consumes, not the PSU. Just because a 1200W PSU can deliver 1200W without blowing up, it doesn't mean it will actually consume 1200W when all it has to do is feed a HD 4870.

Reply to aevm

Yeah, of course, misspelled a bit. But great, thanks! It is working cool and slick! :bounce:

Reply to Anonymous

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