Best 512 MB card(or higher) for an Inspiron 530 with out upgrading power supply?

[srinidc]

I bought an Inspiron 530 recently. When I called Dell tech support and asked about a 512 MB card, I was told that I may have to upgrade the power supply. He suggested me to buy Nvidia 7200 GS, but I wanted a better performing card which he said will require upgrading power supply.

Specs -
Intel® Core 2 Quad processor Q9550
3GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz
Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3100

Can somebody suggest to me better performing cards(with out upgrading the power supply)? Currently I use my computer for photo and video editing, but it would be nice to have decent gaming capability. I prefer Nvidia cards because of better Linux support.
Thank you.

 

[rewindlabs]

I could have sworn you already had a thread on this

...We will need to know your intended resolution

 

[srinidc]

Started this thread based on a forum member's suggestion to start a new thread .

My resolution would be 1920 x 1080 resolution. Also, it would be nice to keep the price in $50 - $75 range if possible.

 

[rewindlabs]

hmmmm...what games are we talking about here?

You are really going to be pushing it with going for a low power using card + a high resolution + and a low budget.....

What do you expect from this card? without a psu upgrade i don't see you getting any aa or af in games at all...

 

[srinidc]

I think I was not very specific in my earlier posts.

Good photo and video capability is a must for me. I take 1,000s of pictures every year. With the integrated Intel 3100, when I click next picture button(6 MP resolution), there is a time lag when the picture will appear blurred first, and then sharpness is gradually improved. It is very annoying to say the least. A new graphics card should make picture loading fast and smooth, thats the goal. I will be upgrading to a 10 MP or 12 MP DSLR shortly, that is why I am trying to get bigger capacity and better performing card now itself.

Games are not important for me. I play a single game(purchased few years ago) once every 3 months or so. As long as it is not jumpy or blurry I will be happy . Lower resolutions for games is perfectly acceptable for me. Thank you.

 

[jyjjy]

Is it an Inspirion 530 or 530s
530s needs a low-profile card.

 

[invisik]

this should do the trick.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125251
if you need more power you can get this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131151

 

[coozie7]

The Dell site lists a HD4670 as an option.
Or you could use the HD4650, which is slower but uses a little less power.
Neither requires an extra power lead.

 

[rewindlabs]

The Dell site lists a HD4670 as an option.
Or you could use the HD4650, which is slower but uses a little less power.
Neither requires an extra power lead.

Yeah i would definitely stay in that range of cards as they should do just fine in your game....

 

[dna708]

If the HD4670 is an option, then you can probably use a HD4770 since it's just faster all around and it takes so little power. Odds are with the quad core in that computer, the PSU can handle the HD4770.

However if you require a low-profile card, a 9600gt is a viable option.

 

[srinidc]

Thank you for all the replies. I am looking at some of the suggested cards. I was told by Dell representative that the computer can take PCI Express x16, but does that mean I can consider PCI Express 2.0 x16 cards also? Thank you once again.

 

[AKM880]

Yes they are backwards compatible, even though they are PCIe 1.0

 

[rewindlabs]

Yes they are as AKM said backward compat.

2.0 is just an increase in bandwith and current cards cannot max out 1.0 bandwith so you will see no performance loss with your card choices atleast

 

[srinidc]

It took me longer than I thought to research and buy the card.

I ordered a Sapphire Radeon HD 4650 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 at Newegg for $62 including shipping.

I liked the one suggested by invisik, but it had very few reviews. Sapphire card was suggested by some one in the Dell forums.

I went ahead and opened up my Inspiron 530 just to take a peek inside. Power supply is LiteOn PS-6351-2. It has on its sticker 350 watts in one place, and 300 watts in another place. Googling will provide all details. Hope some body finds the information useful.

Once I install I will post my experience. Thank you.