Highest Quality low-profile/half-size cards

Somecoolguy6

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Hi!

I currently own a Dell inspiron 531S which, while a quality computer, doesnt exactly have the best video card. I am looking to upgrade my video card as best as I can but through research it appears that its going to be a little harder than i thought.
Basically I have a 250W power supply and a slim case so i need not only a power friendly card, but a half size one as well. I have no idea where to begin looking so this is where i look to you.
What is the best Graphics card I can find for my PC that won't require me to buy a new power supply, and is also half size? Its most likely assumed but it needs to be a PCIe card as well.

Thanks in advance
 

steckman

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For about $50 you can get a low-profile 4650. For $100 or so you can get a low-profile 9600GT. The 4650 will definitely work with your power supply. I don't know about the 9600GT.
 

rewindlabs

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Yes the 4650 will work just fine and the 4670 may work to...it all depends on the his resolution...he won't be getting any framerates above 1440x900 or 1280x1024
The link i posted says the user ran his 4670 off of the default 250w dell psu...
 

AKM880

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Also the highest quality half-height card would be 9800GT from NVIDIA and a 4650, I've seen posts of a 4670 but I haven't seen them anywhere. I doubt that 9800GT will run on that system thought.
 

steckman

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I would recommend the 4670 as well, except I don't think anyone makes a low-profile version. I think those slim Dell cases require low-profile cards, but I don't know for sure. Sparkle actually makes a 9800GT low-profile card, but I doubt you can power it.

EDIT: AKM880 obviously types faster than I do and beat me to all of the above info :)
 

steckman

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I don't understand, the posts in the first link imply that you do need a low-profile card. The 3rd post in the 2nd link only says that they ran a 4670 off of a 250W PSU, which I do everyday. It doesn't say that they put one in a slim case.
 

rewindlabs

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Did you not notice its the same user? implying that he did in fact install the 4670 into the slim line?...i doubt its another pc he just happened to put the card in with a dell psu :heink:

And he also says its his friends pc in both posts...